Verify Testing Information

District testing coordinators must:

❏ Verify Shipping Address

A district’s shipping address is the address where testing materials will be shipped. Because of the sensitive nature of these materials, the shipping address is kept confidential, is visible only to the district’s AskTED coordinator, and cannot contain a P.O. Box. District testing coordinators should review their district’s shipping address in the Test Information Distribution Engine (TIDE) before reviewing paper orders or placing additional orders. If the shipping address information in TIDE is incorrect, the AskTED coordinator must first update the shipping address in AskTED. TIDE will then update automatically.

The AskTED coordinator should follow these steps to update a shipping address:

1. Log in at Texas Education Agency Login (TEAL).

2. Click on the Texas Education Directory Application.

3. Click Agree.

4. Scroll to the bottom of the page where the shipping address is displayed.

5. Edit the address as needed.

6. Click Save. 

AskTED coordinators can also contact their regional TEAL coordinator for information on how to access TEAL or complete an address change in TEAL.

District and campus testing coordinators must:

❏ Ensure Staff Members Understand their Testing Responsibilities 

Training using the modules available in the Learning Management System (LMS) is recommended for test security and managing test materials.

• Campus testing coordinators must:

  • update student demographic information in TIDE;

  • provide test administrators with accurate student accommodation information;

  • manage paper test materials;

  • set up and manage test sessions;

  • ensure accessibility and designated support materials are available in the testing room; and

  • ensure campus staff know when and how to consolidate students who are still testing according to the campus consolidation plan.

• Test administrators must:

  • distribute and collect paper test materials;

  • provide eligible students with any required accommodation materials;

  • maintain test security, including active monitoring;

  • not duplicate, record, or electronically or otherwise capture (e.g., photograph) confidential test content unless specifically authorized to do so by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) or procedures outlined in the test administration manuals;

  • manage any interruptions, such as restroom breaks or student illness, during testing;

  • allow students who have completed their assessments to leave the testing room during consolidation; and

  • complete seating charts, including all required information.

❏ Verify Student Information in TIDE

• Review student information, including student name, demographic information, and test attributes.

• Use the View Student History feature to review updates made by TIDE users to students' records, including edits and file uploads, and to see when and by whom the updates were made.

• Refer to the Verify Student Information page for more information.

Schedule Test Sessions

District and campus coordinators must:

❏ Plan and Organize Test Sessions

• Review the scheduling test administrations information for the applicable program in the Program Overview section.

• Establish a schedule of administration dates for each assessment within the state testing window on the Testing Calendar. TEA highly recommends that district testing personnel plan to test early in the testing window to ensure that all students have an opportunity to test in case of absences or if weather or emergency issues arise.

• Ensure a campus plan is in place to consolidate students who are still testing after a certain point. The plan should include relocating students and testing materials from one area to another while maintaining test security.

Manage Paper Materials for District

District coordinators must:

❏ Review Materials List

• The materials list indicates quantities of materials specific to each district that will be shipped for each administration.

• The materials list includes quantities of test administrator manuals for STAAR and TELPAS.

• The materials lists for each administration are available in TIDE on the following dates:

  • December STAAR—October 4

  • TELPAS—November 29

  • TELPAS Alternate—November 29

  • STAAR Alternate 2—December 13

  • spring STAAR—January 31

  • June STAAR—May 30

• Quantities shown on the initial order materials list are calculated by student eligibility and cannot be increased or decreased unless there is a change in eligibility status (e.g., mode of testing, change in admission, review, and dismissal committee decision).

• For STAAR, districts will receive two shipments of test administrator manuals. All paper test materials for special administrations and paper by request administrations will arrive in the initial order shipments. Based on the initial orders received, district testing personnel may place additional orders for special administrations and test administrator manuals during the additional order window listed in the Calendar of Events.

• For TELPAS, the initial order shipment includes TELPAS test administrator manuals and all paper test materials for special paper administrations. Based on the initial orders received, district testing personnel may place additional orders for paper materials and test administrator manuals during the additional order window listed in the Calendar of Events.

• To place additional orders, select the appropriate option from the Administration Task dropdown when logging in to TIDE and use the Orders module.

• Refer to the Calendar of Events for additional materials deadlines.

 

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❏ Ensure Quantities of Test Materials

• Contact each campus coordinator to confirm that quantities of test materials received are sufficient for the assessment of all eligible students at each campus, including students enrolled in special education cooperatives. All eligible students must be entered in TIDE by the deadline posted on the Calendar of Events.

• District overages should be used to resolve STAAR Alternate 2 materials shortages on campuses.

• If additional materials are needed, they can be ordered during the additional orders window on a limited basis.

• Compile a list of any additional materials needed and place an order during the additional order window listed on the Calendar of Events. Be sure to request the specific form number needed for STAAR Alternate 2.

• When requesting additional paper materials, district testing personnel should add the corresponding student’s Texas Student Data System (TSDS) ID to the pop-up comment box.

❏ Receive Test Materials

• Refer to the Calendar of Events for initial and additional order shipment dates.

• Shipments of test materials can be tracked through the Orders module in TIDE.

• Initial orders arrive in one shipment to the district and are boxed and labeled separately by campus. Additional orders are not separated by campus.

• Shipments will include both secure and nonsecure materials.

 

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❏ Verify Quantities of Testing Materials Boxes in Shipment

• District coordinators should locate the district packing list inside district box 1 (white box identified by the “BOX 1 OPEN FIRST” sticker). The district summary document should be used to verify the total number of boxes received for district overage and for each campus. Each wrapped pallet of a freight delivery will contain a pallet map summary indicating the quantity and location of the district and campus boxes on that pallet.

• District coordinators should not open campus boxes to verify contents. Campus coordinators will verify test booklet quantities.

• District coordinators should report any discrepancies to Texas Testing Support immediately.

❏ Distribute Test Materials to Campuses

• District coordinators should ensure that all campus coordinators verify that nonsecure materials and secure test booklets received match the quantities indicated on the campus packing list.

• Campus coordinators should be instructed to immediately report to district coordinators any discrepancy between their individual campus packing list and the contents of their boxes.

• District coordinators should report any discrepancies to Texas Testing Support immediately.

• Secure test materials must be kept in locked storage when not in use.

❏ Resolve Shortages

• Campus coordinators should resolve shortages after opening boxes and checking the contents against individual packing lists.

• Test booklets may NOT be duplicated to resolve shortages.

• Materials cannot be ordered after the deadline, as there would not be sufficient time for shipping the materials, administering the assessments, and submitting the students’ responses in the Data Entry Interface (DEI). 

Manage Paper Materials for Campus

Campus coordinators must:

❏ Receive and Verify Shipment of Test Materials

• Open the boxes carefully. These boxes will be used to return test materials to the district coordinator after testing has been completed.

• The boxes contain a packing list that details the items for the entire order. The packing list should be retained locally.

• Use the packing list for each shipment to verify that all materials are included in the boxes received.

• If a discrepancy is found between the packing list and the secure test booklets or other materials received, report the discrepancy immediately to the district coordinator.

• Boxes include both secure and nonsecure materials. Keep secure test materials in locked storage when not in use.

❏ Alert District Coordinator to Shortages of Secure Materials

• Immediately notify the district coordinator of any shortages.

❏ Receive Additional Secure Materials

• When additional test materials arrive, update the original packing list.

• Be sure to include the 10-digit security number range on the additional test materials.

❏ Distribute Materials to Test Administrators

• Use the Materials Control Form to account for all secure paper test materials. The form must be accurately completed and carefully maintained in a secure location.

• Record the 10-digit security numbers printed on the secure test materials as shown below. Do not include the dash.

• Update the form daily to account for all secure materials as they are checked out and checked back in by test administrators each day. If missing secure materials cannot be located, immediately contact the district coordinator.

• Ensure that test administrators:

  • initial and log the time the secure materials are checked out and checked back in,

  • verify that they have received the exact number of secure test materials recorded, and

  • do NOT initial the form if the information on the secure materials is incorrect.

• Retain completed Materials Control Forms locally.

Prepare Areas for Paper Testing

Campus coordinators must:

❏ Arrange for Testing Areas

• Confer with the campus principal to arrange appropriate testing areas, including consolidation testing areas, and ensure that the areas are properly prepared.

• Ensure that students are sufficiently separated from each other so that they can work without distraction. Refer to the sample seating charts on the Security Forms page of the Test Security section.

• Avoid scheduling activities that would interfere with testing conditions.