ACT WorkKeysSpring 2015

Rebecca Mims Maggie HicksSusan Beard

act.org/aap/alabama

ACT WorkKeys Paper/Pencil Test must be administered only on February 10, 2015, using the specific form for the initial testing day.

Makeup tests will be administered on February 24, 2015. A separate test form must be used for makeup testing.

ACT WorkKeys Paper/Pencil with accommodations will be administered February 10-February 24, 2015.

Testing must begin by 9:00 a.m. in all rooms on both the initial and makeup test dates.

As soon as testing is over in the school each day, the Building Test Coordinator or Test Accommodations Coordinator will return all testing materials to the System Test Coordinator.

Booklets are to be sorted before test day, but must be resealed in the cartons and returned to the security of the STC’s locked storage until the morning of test day.

Under no circumstances is a test booklet seal to be broken by anyone other than the examinee on test day.

Confirm that you have the correct number of test booklets before you distribute them to the Test Coordinator/Building Test Coordinator and Room Supervisors on the morning of test day.

Never leave test booklets unattended.

Test booklets must be personally handed to Room Supervisors by the Test Coordinator and/or Back-up Test Coordinator.

Test Booklet Count Forms

The Administration Manual states you must sign a statement affirming you agree to and will comply with ACT policies exactly. ACT concurs once the testing staff members complete their profile upon establishment, they have agreed to the policies put forth in their respective roles.

An observer/monitor with ACT, ALSDE, or district may visit your school on test day.

The media must not be allowed to enter, observe, or photograph test rooms or preliminary activities. Under no circumstances are cameras of any type allowed in the test rooms.

Testing Facility Requirements

Lapboards are not allowed under any circumstances.

Make sure bulletin board materials related to potential test questions (English, mathematics, reading, science, and writing), charts, and maps that provide strategies for solving problems or writing essays are removed or covered. Geographical maps and periodic tables need not be covered.

Each room supervisor must have two reliable timepieces in the room:

an accurate clock or watch that shows the actual time of day; ACT recommends that the second be a stopwatch or interval timer. Cellphones may not be used.

Testing Facility Requirements

The BTC must arrange for a phone to be available on test day. Rooms must be free from distractions and be able to provide an uninterrupted period of time. Post signs. Bells, intercoms and public address systems must be turned off during the test session. Test rooms must be set up according to ACT requirements. If these requirements are not met, scores may be cancelled.

Testing Facility Requirements

ROUND TABLES: only one student per round table, regardless of size.

TABLES LESS THAN 6 FEET: only one student per table.

TABLES 6 TO 9 FEET: only two students per table. If 6-foot tables are used to seat two students, a 3-foot space is required between the tables

ALSDE requires that Test Coordinators/Room Supervisors must be certificated employees. Proctors must be full-time employees involved with the education of students. All ALSDE requirements must be met.

You may not serve as System Test Coordinator or Back-up Test Coordinator or have access to secure test materials if any relative or ward will be testing with standard time at any school in your state during the initial or makeup administration.

Relatives and wards include children, stepchildren, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, siblings, in-laws, spouses, and persons under your guardianship.

Training Test Staff

Training must be completed before test day for all staff, to prepare them for test-day. This session must be attended by all testing staff, so that everyone has a common understanding of what is to take place on test day.

Training Session Topics for Discussion are provided on pages 49-51 of the Administration Manual.

A briefing session MUST be held each test day morning. Be sure to discuss any school-specific information.

Digital Device Policy

School personnel involved in administration of state testing may not use digital devices (including but not limited to telephones, cell phones, MP3 players, cameras, or other telecommunication devices capable of capturing or relaying information) during test administration. Violations may result in disciplinary action/certification revocation. Additional disciplinary action may be taken by the LEA.

Test Security The STC is responsible for maintaining the security and safekeeping of the test materials before, during, and after testing.

At the conclusion of testing, ALL used and unused test materials must be returned to ACT by the STC.

Staff and students are prohibited from disclosing test questions or response choices to anyone.

Contact ACT if a test booklet is lost, stolen, or otherwise missing at any time while the test booklets are at your school, from receipt to return. Notify ALSDE.

Accommodated Testing

An examinee with an IEP/504/I-ELP who cannot complete the ACT WorkKeys Assessments under standard conditions may be tested with accommodations or accommodated testing materials (large-type, braille, audio DVD, or reader’s script).

The school is responsible for keeping documentation of accommodations on file for one year.

Exams administered with extended time may be delivered over multiple days, but each individual test must be completed on the day it begins.

The Test Coordinator must coordinate with Room Supervisors to grid the appropriate accommodated testing codes. Grid the appropriate administration codes on page 3 of every answer document for every test administered.

Homebound Examinees

If an examinee is receiving homebound services and will take ACT WorkKeys, ALSDE must be notified.

Test booklets utilized in homebound testing should be securely bound and marked “Confidential” before they are released. The package should be opened only in the testing environment. Test booklets and answer documents should be securely bound again before they are transported back to the LEA distribution point.The ACT WorkKeys Test Booklet Count Form must be signed by the Building or System Test Coordinator and the Test Administrator when they are picked up and when they are returned.One Test Administrator and one Proctor are required to administer ACT WorkKeys assessments to an examinee requiring homebound services. The school will make sure that the homebound site is treated just as any other test environment. No parents or other visitors may be present in the room utilized for testing. No distractions.

Return a completed copy of the Homebound Student Form to ALSDE.

Barcodes

ACT has provided barcode labels, which must be applied to the answer documents.

Labels must be applied before examinees are scheduled to complete the demographic sections.

Preparing for Test Day

Materials Provided by the School

Instructions for ExamineesPencilsCalculatorsAcceptable IDDigital Devices

Roster

Seating Charts/Diagrams

Test Day Activities Admit examinees by checking them in, one-by-one, at the door of the test room.

Do not allow examinees to enter the room unless the Room Supervisor has verified the student’s identification and documented this on the roster. Acceptable identification can be found on pages 18-19 of the Administration Manual and pages 24-25 of the Special Testing Manual.

Examinees must not bring cell phones or other electronic devices into testing room, including during the break.

Highlighters, colored pens or pencils, and mechanical pencils are not allowed.

The use of scratch paper is not permitted.

Examinees must not bring backpacks or bags of any kind into testing room.

Neither examinees nor staff may have access to food or beverages, including water, except during the scheduled break.

Test Day Activities

The tests must be administered in the order listed. If this order is altered, the answer documents will not be scored.

Exactly observe the test times and the break schedule listed on page 22 of the Administration Manual and on page 28 of the Special Testing Manual.

An additional time of 15-30 minutes may be needed for completing demographic information on the answer documents.

• The Verbal Instructions for completing the non-test portions of the answer document for pretest sessions or same-day testing at school begin on page 30 of the Administration Manual and page 36 of the Special Testing Manual.

Examinees must still grid ALL of the identifying information (e.g., name, address, etc.) on the front page of their answer document during the pretest session. Basic identifying information and mailing address are required for all examinees.

Examinees are instructed to leave Blocks 8-11 and Blocks 16-26 of the answer document blank.

The examinees will complete blocks 16 and 25 later in the instructions.

 

Test Day Activities

Formula Sheet

Calculators

Administering the Tests

Examinees who leave the test room during a timed test, may not make up lost time.

The Room Supervisor may not answer questions regarding individual test items or questions about how to use a calculator. Response to questions may be, “Do the best you can.”

If examinees note typographical errors or ambiguities in particular test items, Room Supervisors should first instruct examinees to do the best they can, and then include an explanation of the question or comment on a copy of ACT’s Testing Irregularity Report.

Administering the Tests

Room Supervisors must administer tests according to standard testing procedures. At no time may the Room Supervisor leave the room unattended.

The Room Supervisor may NOT admit anyone to the testing room once the timed tests have begun. The Building Test Coordinator (BTC) will determine how makeup exams will be handled for late arrivals.

Prohibited Behaviors and Irregularities

If an examinee is observed in possession of a digital device during the administration of a secure test, the device will be confiscated.

If an examinee is observed using a digital device during the administration of a secure test, testing for the examinee will cease, the device will be confiscated and is subject to search, the examinee will be dismissed from testing, and the examinee’s test will be invalidated. Additional disciplinary action may be taken by the LEA.

Examinees should NOT be allowed to bring calculator watches, watches with timers or alarms, unapproved calculators, foreign language or other dictionaries, textbooks, backpacks, or other bags (including purses) into the testing room.

Voiding Answer Documents

If an answer document must be voided, contact ALSDE.

Mark an answer document VOID and attach it to the Irregularity Report for the following reasons only:

Dismissed for prohibited behaviorDocument is defective/marked in wrong section

Verbal Instructions for Standard Time Testing

Verbal Instructions for administration of the ACT WorkKeys standard tests are found on pages 30-41 of the Administration Manual. Verbal instructions must be read verbatim.

Verbal Instructions for administration of the ACT WorkKeys accommodated tests are found on pages 36-69 of the Special Testing Manual. Verbal instructions must be read verbatim.

Completing Demographics on the Answer Document—pages 36-37General Verbal Instructions for All Timings—pages 38- 40Verbal Instructions for testing with Standard Time or Stop-the clock breaks—pages 41-48Verbal Instructions for Time-and-a-half Testing—pages 49-55Verbal Instructions for Double-time Testing —pages 56-62Verbal Instructions for Three-hour Testing—pages 63-70

• Accurate timing of each test is critical.

• Room Supervisors must record the actual start, 5-minute-remaining, and stop times.

• Accurate timing of each test is critical.

• Room Supervisors must record the actual start, 5-minute-remaining, and stop times.

After Testing

The test booklets and used answer documents should be placed in Testing Roster order. All test materials must be collected and confirmed before students are allowed to leave the testing room.

All materials must be inventoried and returned with the ACT WorkKeys Test Booklet Count Form (C-4) to the BTC.

The Test Coordinator must return a complete Testing Staff List for each test date (initial and makeup). A blank form is included in the Administration Manual on page C-2.

Makeup Testing

The Test Coordinator/BTC will receive an email with instructions for ordering makeup materials.

If you do not receive this email by the initial test date, please contact ACT State and District Testing at 800.553.6244, ext. 2800 for assistance.

The system test coordinator must keep all attendance rosters, seating charts, documentation forms, and copies of irregularities on file.

Send a copy of all irregularities to ALSDE.

If an emergency on test day (e.g., fire, tornado, snow) forces the termination of testing or the closing of school, you must notify ACT as soon as possible. Protect the security of the test materials, and be especially careful if testing has started.

Call ACT immediately at 800.553.6244, ext. 2800, to explain your situation.

Notify ALSDE.

Checklist of Dates

February 2-6 STCs receives materialsFebruary 10 Initial Test DateFebruary 10-11 Window for Test

Coordinator/BTC to order standard time materials

February 11 Prescheduled materials pickup

February 17-19 STCs receives makeup testing materials

February 24 Makeup Test DateFebruary 25 Prescheduled makeup and

accommodations test materials pickup

March 4 Deadline for ACT to receive all materials-Late documents

will not be scored

Contacts for ACT WorkKeysStudent Assessment

Rebecca Mims Maggie Hicks

Susan Beard

334-242-8038studentassessment@alsde.edu

Alabama State Department of Education