Enter Student Information into TIDE
- Bruce Malone
- Robyn Gammill
- Shaina Seltzer
Scoring and other testing information must be entered and verified in TIDE for each administration BEFORE the close of each specific testing window. For students who enroll in or withdraw from a district during a testing window, refer to the Student Mobility section prior to entering or updating score codes.
Enter and Verify Scoring Information in TIDE
Enter Scoring Information
District and campus coordinators must:
❏ Enter Scoring Information for Online Administrations
The following score code information applies to online test administrations:
As all eligible students must be accounted for, district testing personnel must ensure the appropriate score code is entered for each eligible student.
All online STAAR and TELPAS assessments that were started during an online testing window will automatically default to a score code of "S" for “Score” if no other score code is entered in TIDE. It is not necessary to make a score code selection in TIDE for the assessment to be scored.
District testing personnel must make any necessary updates to score codes by 11:59 p.m. (CT) on the last day of each specific testing window using the Appeals/Score Codes module in TIDE.
Refer to the TIDE User Guide for detailed instructions.
❏ Enter Scoring Information for Paper and Holistic Administrations
The following score code information applies to paper and holistic test administrations:
As all eligible students must be accounted for, district testing personnel must ensure the appropriate score code is entered for each eligible student.
Students' responses for paper administrations of STAAR, STAAR Alternate 2, and TELPAS, as well as holistic ratings for TELPAS Alternate, must be submitted in DEI by 11:59 p.m. (CT) on the last day of each specific testing window.
Assessments that were started in DEI during the testing window will automatically default to a score code of "S" for “Score” if no other score code is entered in TIDE. It is not necessary to make a score code selection in TIDE for the assessment to be scored.
District testing personnel must submit TELPAS holistic ratings in TIDE using the template available through the Holistic Rating Upload task. Holistic ratings must be uploaded and processed in TIDE by 11:59 p.m. (CT) on the last day of the testing window.
District testing personnel must make any necessary updates to score codes by 11:59 p.m. (CT) on the last day of each specific testing window using the Appeals/Score Codes module in TIDE.
Refer to the TIDE User Guide and DEI User Guide for detailed instructions.
❏ Document Rationales for Score Codes
When entering and updating students' score codes in the Create Requests task of the Appeals/Score Codes module in TIDE, district testing personnel must enter a rationale in the Additional Comments field for the score code to be submitted. Rationales are indicated for the scenarios in the program-specific sections below, but others must be determined at the local level. District personnel should maintain local documentation in the event that the district undergoes a data-related compliance review. Documentation should include the district’s or campus’s local testing schedule showing testing and make-up days and local testing policies relevant to score code decisions. Student-level documentation may vary depending on the specific rationale and score code assigned and may include the following:
attendance records
notations on required seating charts
testing incident form ID
Locally Determined Disciplinary Action (LDDA) form
Form I-94 Arrival/Departure record
court order for high school equivalency program (HSEP)
admission, review, and dismissal (ARD) committee meeting minutes
❏ Enter and Update Score Codes
STAAR online assessments that are started will automatically default to a score code of "S" and be sent for scoring at the end of each two-week testing window. STAAR paper assessments will automatically default to a score code of “S” and be sent for scoring at the end of each two-week testing window if data entry is started in DEI.
No score code needs to be entered in TIDE for the following scenarios, as the assessment will automatically default to a score code of “S”:
The student completed the assessment.
The student attempted but did not complete the assessment due to a health issue (unless district testing personnel choose to enter a score code of “O” for “Other” because the assessment is not a valid representation of the student’s knowledge and skills).
The student attempted or completed the assessment with an accommodation error (unless district testing personnel choose to enter a score code of “O” for “Other” because the assessment is not a valid representation of the student’s knowledge and skills).
An emergent bilingual (EB) student who has extremely limited English language skills attempted but did not complete the assessment.
The student randomly marked responses.
No score code needs to be entered in TIDE for the following scenarios, as the assessment will be automatically voided:
The student is no longer enrolled in the district at the time of testing.
The student does not participate in the June administration.
For all other scenarios, district testing personnel must enter and update students' score codes by 11:59 p.m. (CT) on the last day of each two-week testing window using the Create Requests task of the Appeals/Score Codes module in TIDE. Only test records submitted during the testing window may be corrected during the data correction window.
Score codes that are not submitted by the end of each two-week testing window may not be added after the close of the window or during the data correction window because a test record does not exist. For student score codes that are not submitted at the end of the testing window, district personnel must investigate, determine the cause of the testing incident, and submit the appropriate incident report.
SCORE CODES | S = SCORE A = ABSENT O = OTHER |
Use the score code indicated in the following scenarios:
S = Score
This score code should be used only for a student who refuses to open or start his or her assessment.
A = Absent
To submit a score code of "A," enter “Absent” as the rationale in the Additional Comments field in TIDE.
This score code should be used if the student was absent during the district assigned testing and make-up days.
This score code should not be used if the student was absent on the scheduled testing day but will test on a make-up day.
This score code should not be used if one of the "O" scenarios apply.
This score code should not be used if the student did not participate in the June administration.
O = Other
To submit a score code of "O," enter one of the rationales below in the Additional Comments field in TIDE.
This score code should be used if a student experienced a health issue during the assessment and was unable to finish and district testing personnel choose not to score the assessment because it is not a valid representation of the student’s knowledge and skills. Enter “Ill” in the Additional Comments field.
This score code should be used for an asylee or refugee who qualifies for an exemption from taking a STAAR grades 3–8 assessment. Enter “Asylee/Refugee” in the Additional Comments field.
This score code should be used if there was a testing incident that resulted in an invalid assessment (e.g., the student was given an incorrect assessment). Enter “Testing incident” in the Additional Comments field.
This score code should be used if the student cheated or attempted to cheat on the assessment. Enter “Cheating” in the Additional Comments field.
This score code should be used if a student chooses not to participate in a December or spring STAAR EOC assessment retest opportunity. Enter “Retester” in the Additional Comments field.
This score code should be used if a student who is court-ordered to participate in an authorized high school equivalency program qualifies to be excused from taking the assessment according to Texas Administrative Code (TAC) §89.1409. Enter “HSEP” in the Additional Comments field. In such a case, the High School Equivalency Program (HSEP) indicator should also be marked.
❏ Enter and Update Score Codes
STAAR Alternate 2 assessments will automatically default to a score code of “S” and be sent for scoring at the end of the testing window if data entry is started in DEI.
No score code needs to be entered in TIDE for the following scenarios if the student’s scoring information is entered in DEI:
The student completed the assessment.
The student attempted but did not complete the assessment (unless district testing personnel choose to enter a score code of "O" for “Other” because the assessment is not a valid representation of the student's knowledge and skills).
The student attempted or completed the assessment with an accommodation error (unless district testing personnel choose to enter a score code of "O" for “Other” because the assessment is not a valid representation of the student's knowledge and skills).
For all other scenarios, district testing personnel must enter and update students’ score codes by 11:59 p.m. (CT) on April 18, 2025, using the Create Requests task of the Appeals/Score Codes module in TIDE. Tests with no score code cannot be updated during the data correction window because a test record does not exist.
SCORE CODES | S = SCORE A = ABSENT M = MEDICAL EXCEPTION N = NO AUTHENTIC ACADEMIC RESPONSE O = OTHER |
Use the score code indicated in the following scenarios:
S = Score
This score code should be used only for a student who refuses to open and start his or her assessment.
A = Absent
To submit a score code of "A," enter “Absent” as the rationale in the Additional Comments field in TIDE.
This score code should be used if the student was absent during the district assigned testing and make-up days.
This score code should not be used if the student was absent on the scheduled testing day but will test on a make-up day.
This score code should not be used if one of the “M,” “N,” or “O” scenarios apply.
M = Medical Exception
To submit a score code of "M," enter the eligibility criteria met as the rationale in the Additional Comments field in TIDE.
This score code should be used if the student is unable to participate meaningfully in STAAR Alternate 2 based on the student's medical condition, as determined by the admission, review, and dismissal (ARD) committee and documented in the student's individualized education program (IEP). A decision not to assess a student should be rare, and such a decision should be made prior to the assessment. Refer to the medical exception eligibility requirements on the STAAR Alternate 2 Resources webpage for more information.
N = No Authentic Academic Response (NAAR)
To submit a score code of "N," enter the eligibility criteria met as the rationale in the Additional Comments field in TIDE.
This score code should be used if the student is unable to participate meaningfully in STAAR Alternate 2 because of the student's disability, which results in the inability to make an authentic academic response, as determined by the ARD committee and documented in the student's IEP. A decision not to assess a student should be rare, and such a decision should be made prior to the assessment. Refer to the no authentic academic response eligibility requirements on the STAAR Alternate 2 Resources webpage for more information.
O = Other
To submit a score code of "O" in TIDE, enter one of the rationales below in the Additional Comments field in TIDE.
This score code should be used if a student experienced a health issue during the assessment and was unable to finish and district testing personnel choose not to score the assessment because it is not a valid representation of the student’s knowledge and skills. Enter “Ill” in the Additional Comments field.
This score code should be used if there was a testing incident that resulted in an invalid assessment (e.g., the student was given an incorrect assessment). Enter “Testing incident” in the Additional Comments field.
This score code should be used if the student cheated or attempted to cheat on the assessment. Enter “Cheating” in the Additional Comments field.
❏ Enter and Update Score Codes
TELPAS online assessments that are started will automatically default to a score code of "S" and be sent for scoring at the end of the testing window. TELPAS reading paper assessments will automatically default to a score code of “S” and be sent for scoring at the end of the testing window if data entry is started in DEI. TELPAS holistic assessments will be scored if ratings are uploaded and processed in TIDE by the end of the testing window.
No score code needs to be entered in TIDE for the following scenarios:
The student completed the assessment.
The student attempted but did not complete the assessment due to a health issue (unless district testing personnel choose to enter a score code of “O” for “Other” because the assessment is not a valid representation of the student’s English language proficiency).
The student attempted or completed the assessment with an accommodation error (unless district testing personnel choose to enter a score code of “O” for “Other” because the assessment is not a valid representation of the student’s English language proficiency).
The student randomly marked responses.
For all other scenarios, district testing personnel must enter and update students' score codes by 11:59 p.m. (CT) on March 28, 2025, using the Create Requests task of the Appeals/Score Codes module in TIDE. Tests with no score code cannot be updated during the data correction window because a test record does not exist.
SCORE CODES | S = SCORE A = ABSENT O = OTHER X = ARD DECISION E = EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES |
Use the score code indicated in the following scenarios:
S = Score
This score code applies only to online and paper administrations.
This score code should be used only for a student who refuses to open or start his or her assessment.
A = Absent
This score code applies only to online and paper administrations. To submit a score code of “A,” enter “Absent” as the rationale in the Additional Comments field in TIDE.
This score code should be used if the student was absent during the district assigned testing and make-up days.
This score code should not be used if the student was absent on the scheduled testing day but will test on a make-up day.
This score code should not be used if one of the “O” or “X” scenarios apply.
O = Other
This score code applies only to online and paper administrations. To submit a score code of "O," enter one of the rationales below in the Additional Comments field in TIDE.
This score code should be used if a student experienced a health issue during the assessment and was unable to finish and district testing personnel choose not to score the assessment because it is not a valid representation of the student’s English language proficiency. Enter “Ill” in the Additional Comments field.
This score code should be used if there was a testing incident that resulted in an invalid assessment (e.g., the student was given an incorrect assessment). Enter “Testing incident” in the Additional Comments field.
This score code should be used if the student cheated or attempted to cheat on the assessment. Enter “Cheating” in the Additional Comments field.
X = ARD Decision
This score code applies to online, paper, and holistic administrations. To submit a score code of "X," enter “ARD decision” as the rationale in the Additional Comments field in TIDE.
This score code should be used if the student does not participate in the assessment in the specific domain because of the student's disability, as determined by the ARD committee in conjunction with the language proficiency assessment committee (LPAC) and documented in the student's IEP. A decision not to assess a student in a specific domain should be rare, and such a decision should be made prior to the assessment. Participation must be considered on a domain-by-domain basis.
E = Extenuating Circumstances
This score code applies only to holistic assessments. To submit a score code of "E," enter a description of the extenuating circumstance as the rationale in the Additional Comments field in TIDE.
This score code should be used if a student cannot be rated in the specific domain due to extenuating circumstances. This situation is rare, and such a score code designation should be made in consultation with the Student Assessment Division.
❏ Enter and Update Score Codes
TELPAS Alternate holistic ratings will automatically default to a score code of “S” and be sent for scoring at the end of the testing window if ratings for all 40 Observable Behaviors are entered in DEI.
No score code needs to be entered in TIDE if all 40 of the student’s Observable Behaviors ratings are entered in DEI by the end of the testing window.
For all other scenarios, district testing personnel must enter and update students' score codes by 11:59 p.m. (CT) on March 28, 2025, using the Create Requests task of the Appeals/Score Codes module in TIDE. Tests with no score code cannot be updated during the data correction window because a test record does not exist.
SCORE CODES | S = SCORE M = MEDICAL EXCEPTION N = NO AUTHENTIC ACADEMIC RESPONSE E = EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES |
Use the score code indicated in the following scenarios:
M = Medical Exception
To submit a score code of "M," enter the eligibility criteria met as the rationale in the Additional Comments field in TIDE.
This score code should be used if the student is unable to participate meaningfully in TELPAS Alternate based on the student's medical condition, as determined by the ARD committee in conjunction with the LPAC and documented in the student's IEP. A decision not to assess a student should be rare, and such a decision should be made prior to the assessment. Refer to the medical exception eligibility requirements on the TELPAS Alternate Resources webpage for more information.
N = NAAR
To submit a score code of "N," enter the eligibility criteria met as the rationale in the Additional Comments field in TIDE.
This score code should be used if the student is unable to participate meaningfully in TELPAS Alternate because of the student's disability, which results in the inability to make an authentic academic response, as determined by the ARD committee in conjunction with the LPAC and documented in the student's IEP. A decision not to assess a student should be rare, and such a decision should be made prior to the assessment. Refer to the no authentic academic response eligibility requirements on the TELPAS Alternate Resources webpage for more information.
E = Extenuating Circumstances
To submit a score code of "E," enter a description of the extenuating circumstance as the rationale in the Additional Comments field in TIDE.
This score code should be used if a student cannot be rated in all four domains due to extenuating circumstances. This situation is rare, and such a score code designation should be made in consultation with the Student Assessment Division.
Verify Scoring Information
District and campus coordinators must:
❏ Verify Scoring Information for All Eligible Students
For accountability purposes, all eligible students must have an assessment submitted or score code entered for each applicable assessment.
For reporting purposes, scoring information must be entered and verified by 11:59 p.m. (CT) on the last day of each specific testing window.
For each student not assessed on an applicable assessment, district testing personnel should enter a score code in the TIDE Appeals/Score Codes module.
An assessment that has been started in the Test Delivery System (TDS) or for which data entry has been started in DEI will be force completed and scored at the end of the testing window. If an assessment is force completed by mistake, district testing personnel must update the score code in the TIDE Appeals/Score Codes module during the data correction window.
Enter and Verify Other Information in TIDE
District and campus coordinators must:
❏ Verify Student Information
Verify that student demographic information is complete and accurate by 11:59 p.m. (CT) on the last day of each specific testing window.
Use the View Student History feature to review updates made to students' records by TIDE users, including edits and file uploads, and to see when and by whom the updates were made.
Verify that additional student information fields are complete and accurate by 11:59 p.m. (CT) on the last day of each specific testing window.
Refer to the Verify Student Information page for additional details.
❏ Verify Accommodation Information
Any approved accommodation that is made available to a student must be reported even if the student did not use it during testing. Accommodation information can be entered using the View/Edit/Export Student task or the template available through the Upload Additional Student Fields task in TIDE. When a student receives any of the following non-embedded supports for STAAR, district testing personnel must indicate that information in the Non-Embedded Supports panel in TIDE:
Basic Transcribing
Calculation Aids
Individualized Structured Reminders
Manipulating Test Materials
Mathematics Manipulatives
Supplemental Aids
Complex Transcribing
Extra Day
❏ Enter TAKS/TAAS/TEAMS Information as Applicable
Former TAKS, TAAS, and TEAMS examinees can take STAAR EOC assessments as alternate assessments to meet their graduation requirements. District testing personnel must complete TAKS/TAAS/TEAMS information for these examinees for their assessments to be reported appropriately. The TAKS/TAAS/TEAMS field can be updated using the View/Edit/Export Student task or the template available through the Upload Additional Student Fields task in TIDE.
For Algebra I, select "T" if an eligible examinee is taking the assessment as an alternate assessment for:
TAKS mathematics,
TAAS mathematics, or
TEAMS mathematics.
This field is not available for English I, as this assessment cannot be used as an alternate assessment.
For English II, select:
“T" if an eligible examinee is taking the assessment as an alternate assessment for TAKS English language arts,
"R" if an eligible examinee is taking only the reading section of the assessment as an alternate assessment for TAAS or TEAMS reading,
"W" if an eligible examinee is taking only the writing section of the assessment as an alternate assessment for TAAS writing, or
"RW" if an eligible examinee is taking both the reading and writing sections of the assessment as an alternate assessment for TAAS reading and writing.
For Biology and U.S. History, select "T" if an eligible examinee is taking the assessment as an alternate assessment for TAKS science or social studies, respectively.
❏ Enter High School Equivalency Program Information as Applicable
Students who are court-ordered to participate in an authorized High School Equivalency Program are not required to take STAAR EOC assessments. District testing personnel can update this field using the View/Edit/Export Student task or the template available through the Upload Additional Student Fields task in TIDE. In addition, these students' assessments should be marked with an "O" score code, and "HSEP" must be indicated in the Additional Comments field in TIDE.
❏ Enter Medical Exclusion Information as Applicable
A process has been established to allow district testing personnel to exclude particular students’ lack of participation in testing (“Absent” score code) from districts’ and campuses’ STAAR accountability calculations. This process ensures that scores for students who have experienced a significant health event that has negatively affected their ability to receive instruction and caused their absence during the entire testing window do not impact districts’ and campuses’ participation rates. The STAAR Medical Exclusion process is for district and campus accountability purposes and does not impact or eliminate a student’s testing requirements or graduation requirements.
After the testing window has closed and the student’s assessment record has been marked “A” for “Absent,” district testing personnel must determine if the student meets the STAAR medical exclusion eligibility criteria. If so, district personnel must maintain a copy of the health documentation (e.g., note from a licensed physician) for five years, and the documentation must be made available if the district is audited. For the full eligibility criteria, refer to the STAAR Medical Exclusion topic on the STAAR Participation Requirements page of these Coordinator Resources.
To ensure that the student’s score is excluded from the district’s and campus’s participation rates, the district must indicate the assessments for which the student met the medical exclusion criteria in TIDE under After Testing > Data Cleanup > STAAR Medical Exclusion.
These data will be provided to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) Performance Reporting Division to exclude the student’s score from participation rate calculations.
❏ Enter Accommodation Information
Any approved accommodations used by a student must be indicated on the scoring document for each assessment and entered in TIDE. Accommodation information can be entered in TIDE using the View/Edit/Export Student task or the template available through the Upload Additional Student Fields task. When a student receives any of the following non-embedded supports for STAAR Alternate 2, district testing personnel must indicate that information in the STAAR Alternate 2 Non-Embedded Supports panel in TIDE:
Color Or Highlight Images
Color Overlays
Photographs Or Objects Paired With Text
Textured Materials
Demonstrate Concepts
Raise Or Darken Outline
Enlarge Images Or Text
Braille
Describe Images
Provide Images Or Text Separately
Cover Or Isolate Images
Picture Representations
Calculator, Manipulatives, Math Tools
Reread Text (Prior To “Find” Statement)
Provide Structured Reminders
Translated Presentation Instructions
❏ Upload Holistic Ratings
District testing personnel must upload TELPAS holistic ratings in TIDE using the template available through the Holistic Rating Upload task in the Appeals/Score Codes module of the Administering Tests panel. This includes holistic ratings for:
TELPAS kindergarten and grade 1 administrations; and
special holistic administrations of TELPAS grades 2–12 listening, speaking, and writing.
Testing personnel must enter each student’s information for each language domain, and the completed template must be uploaded and processed in TIDE. To ensure that the values entered in the template are valid, refer to the Columns in the Holistic Rating Upload File topic on the TIDE Appendix page of the TIDE User Guide. If there is an error in the information provided (e.g., the Texas Student Data System [TSDS] ID entered is not found or the student associated with the TSDS ID is ineligible for the assessment selected), TIDE will return an error icon on the applicable row. Depending on the error, the user may continue with the upload as-is, upload a revised file, or cancel the upload. Errors should be addressed prior to the end of the testing window.
The template available through the Holistic Rating Upload task can be used to submit students’ holistic ratings at any time during the testing window. District testing personnel may submit more than one upload file; for example, district personnel may want to upload each grade separately. While the same file can also be submitted to add students or correct ratings for previously submitted students, district personnel should review and verify the student rating information prior to submission to reduce the number of errors and incomplete records.
Once holistic ratings are complete for a group of students (for example, all grade 1 students) and the upload template has been submitted, district testing personnel should review and verify the data to ensure that all student data are included, correct, and processed. To review the files uploaded by campuses in their district, district coordinators may select the View Requests task from the Appeals/Score Codes module in the Administering Tests panel in TIDE and then select “Score Rating” from the Choose a Request Type column. Each language domain rated for a student will appear on a separate line in the requested report.
All ratings must be uploaded and processed by 11:59 p.m. (CT) on March 28, 2025. Holistic ratings that are not uploaded and processed by the end of the testing window will not be scored or reported. Ratings that are not entered during the testing window cannot be uploaded during the data correction window.
❏ Enter Rater Information
Rater information provides documentation of the types of teachers assigned as raters and the extent to which a collaborative rating process was used. This information must be indicated on the rating roster for each rater and entered in TIDE using the template available through the Upload Additional Student Fields task. Both rater fields should be left blank if a student record was marked “X” for “ARD Decision” or “E” for “Extenuating Circumstances” in every domain.
The selections available for Rater A are as follows:
1 — Bilingual Education Teacher
2 — ESL Teacher
3 — Elementary General Education Teacher
4 — MS or HS General Ed Teacher of Core Subjects
5 — Special Education Teacher
6 — Gifted and Talented Teacher
7 — Teacher of Enrichment Subjects
8 — Paraprofessional
The selections available for Rater B are “Yes” or “No.”
❏ Verify Accommodation Information
Any approved accommodation that is made available to a student must be reported even if the student did not use it during testing. Accommodation information can be entered using the View/Edit/Export Student task or the template available through the Upload Additional Student Fields task in TIDE. When a student receives any of the following non-embedded supports for TELPAS listening and speaking, district testing personnel must indicate that information in the TELPAS Non-Embedded Supports panel in TIDE:
Basic Transcribing
Individualized Structured Reminders
Manipulating Test Materials
Blank Graphic Organizer
Extra Day
When a student receives any of the following non-embedded supports for TELPAS reading and writing, district testing personnel must indicate that information in the TELPAS Non-Embedded Supports panel in TIDE:
Basic Transcribing
Complex Transcribing
Individualized Structured Reminders
Manipulating Test Materials
Blank Graphic Organizer
Extra Day
To select Extra Day as a non-embedded support for TELPAS, use the Extra Day field and select “TELPAS Listening & Speaking” or “TELPAS Reading & Writing” from the dropdown.
❏ Verify Years in U.S. Schools Information
Decisions regarding the calculation of years in U.S. schools are made by the student's LPAC in accordance with the guidance available on the Assessments for Special Populations webpage. Years in U.S. schools information must be entered and verified in TIDE by the end of the testing window using the View/Edit/Export Student task or the template available through the Upload Additional Student Fields task.
❏ Verify Extenuating Circumstances Information
District and campus coordinators must work in conjunction with the LPAC to determine whether an EB student has a special situation that constitutes an extenuating circumstance, and that information must be entered and verified in TIDE by the end of the testing window. The special situations that constitute extenuating circumstances are as follows:
Unschooled Asylees or Refugees
The Unschooled Asylee / Refugee Code can be set to “Yes” in the Student Demographics section of TIDE using the View/Edit/Export Student task or the template available through the Upload Additional Student Fields task.
Students with Interrupted Formal Education
The Student with Interrupted Formal Education Code can be set to “Yes” in the Student Demographics section of TIDE using the View/Edit/Export Student task or the template available through the Upload Additional Student Fields task.
Miscellaneous Circumstances
If a situation occurs that does not appear to fall into any of the score code categories, contact the Student Assessment Division for guidance.