Directions for Entering Student Responses in DEI

Owned by Julie Cole
Last updated: Sept 20, 2024 by Jessica Sokol
9 min read

When a student takes a STAAR paper assessment, the student records his or her responses in the test booklet and an authorized district staff member enters the student’s responses in DEI to be scored.

Authorized district testing personnel must receive training in test security and administration procedures as well as training in specific security protocol regarding transferring student responses. Authorized testing personnel must record student responses verbatim. Tampering with, adjusting, or changing student responses in any way is strictly prohibited and is a serious testing violation. As a reminder of this obligation, the authorized staff member is required to complete a specific part of an Oath of Test Security and Confidentiality before he or she is permitted to enter student responses in DEI. Since the authorized staff member will also be viewing secure test content in the student’s test booklet, he or she should be aware that discussing, scoring, duplicating, recording, or electronically capturing confidential test content is also prohibited and is a serious testing violation.

General Guidelines for Entering Student Responses in DEI

The following are general guidelines for entering student responses in DEI from a STAAR test booklet:

  • Enter the student’s responses verbatim.

  • Do NOT tamper with, adjust, or change the student’s responses in any way.

  • Do NOT interpret or infer a student’s response.

  • Leave the question blank in DEI if the student’s response cannot be understood.

  • Leave the question blank in DEI if the student did not respond in the manner indicated by the question directions.

  • Leave the question blank in DEI if the student leaves the question unanswered.

Specific Guidelines for Entering Student Responses by Question Type

Below are specific guidelines for entering student responses in DEI based on the type of question in the STAAR test booklet.

Multiple-Choice Questions

Multiple-choice questions ask the student to select the best answer from a set of four answer options.

  • The authorized staff member must enter the answer the student marked in the test booklet.

  • If more than one answer is marked in the test booklet, the authorized staff member must leave the question blank in DEI.

  • If the student left the question unanswered in the test booklet, the authorized staff member must leave the question blank in DEI.

Example of a Multiple-Choice Question on the Paper Test

Multiselect Questions

Multiselect questions ask the student to select more than one correct answer from a set of five or more answer options. The directions included with the question indicate how many answers the student should select.

  • DEI will allow the authorized staff member to enter only the number of answers asked for in the question directions. For example, if the directions say, “Select the TWO correct answers,” the authorized staff member can enter a maximum of two answers. The authorized staff member must enter the answers the student marked in the test booklet.

  • If more than the target number of answers are marked in the test booklet, the authorized staff member must leave the question blank in DEI.

  • If fewer than the target number of answers are marked in the test booklet, the authorized staff member must enter only the answers the student marked in the test booklet.

  • If the student left the question unanswered in the test booklet, the authorized staff member must leave the question blank in DEI.

Example of a Multiselect Question on the Paper Test

Hot Text Questions

Hot text questions ask students to cite evidence by selecting specific text in a sentence, paragraph, or passage. These questions may ask students to select one or more parts of the text.

  • DEI will allow the authorized staff member to enter only the target number of answers asked for in the question directions. For example, if the directions say, “Select only TWO correct answers,” the authorized staff member can enter a maximum of two answers. The authorized staff member must enter the answers the student marked in the test booklet.

  • If more than the target number of answers are marked in the test booklet, the authorized staff member must leave the question blank in DEI.

  • If fewer than the target number of answers are marked in the test booklet, the authorized staff member must enter only the answers the student marked in the test booklet.

  • If the student left the question unanswered in the test booklet, the authorized staff member must leave the question blank in DEI.

Example of a Hot Text Question on the Paper Test

Hot Spot Questions

Hot spot questions ask students to respond by selecting one or more specific areas of a graphic.

  • DEI will allow the authorized staff member to enter only the target number of answers asked for in the question directions. For example, if the directions say, “Select THREE correct answers,” the authorized staff member can enter a maximum of three answers. The authorized staff member must enter the answers the student marked in the test booklet.

  • If more than the target number of answers are marked in the test booklet, the authorized staff member must leave the question blank in DEI.

  • If fewer than the target number of answers are marked in the test booklet, the authorized staff member must enter only the answers the student marked in the test booklet.

  • If the student left the question unanswered in the test booklet, the authorized staff member must leave the question blank in DEI.

Example of Hot Spot Question on the Paper Test

Multipart Questions

Multipart questions ask the student to respond to a two-part question. Each part of the question is scored separately.

  • The authorized staff member must enter the answers the student marked in the test booklet for both part A and part B.

  • If more than one answer is marked in the test booklet for part A or part B, the authorized staff member must leave that part blank in DEI.

  • If the student left part A or part B unanswered in the test booklet, the authorized staff member must leave that part blank in DEI.

Example of a Multipart Question on the Paper Test

Inline Choice Questions

Inline choice questions ask students to select the best answer from one or more dropdown menus to complete one or more sentences.

  • The authorized staff member must enter the answer the student marked in the test booklet for each part of the question. 

  • If more than one answer is marked in the test booklet for a specific part, the authorized staff member must leave that part blank in DEI.

  • If the student left any part unanswered in the test booklet, the authorized staff member must leave that part blank in DEI.

Example of an Inline Choice Question on the Paper Test

Drag and Drop Questions

Drag and drop questions ask students to evaluate a given number of options (words, numbers, symbols, etc.) and select which option belongs in a given area (diagram, map, chart, etc.).

  • The authorized staff member must enter the answer the student marked in the test booklet for each area of the question. 

  • If more than one answer is marked in the test booklet for a specific area, the authorized staff member must leave that area blank in DEI.

  • If the student left any area unanswered in the test booklet, the authorized staff member must leave that area blank in DEI.

Example of a Drag and Drop Question on the Paper Test

Match Table Grid Questions

Match table grid questions ask students to match statements or objects to different categories presented in a table grid.

  • The authorized staff member must enter the answer the student marked in the test booklet for each part of the question. 

  • If more than one answer is marked in the test booklet for a specific statement or object, the authorized staff member must leave that statement or object blank in DEI.

  • If the student left any statement or object unanswered in the test booklet, the authorized staff member must leave that part blank in DEI.

Example of a Match Table Grid Question on the Paper Test

Text Entry Questions

Text entry questions ask students to write a brief string of text such as a number, word, or phrase. The students’ responses are written in the text boxes provided with the question.

  • The authorized staff member must enter exactly what the student wrote in the text box in the test booklet, including any errors in punctuation, capitalization, spelling, grammar, and usage.

  • If a number, word, or phrase that the student wrote is indecipherable, the authorized staff member must skip that part of the student’s response.

  • If any part of the student’s response is outside the text box, the authorized staff member must skip that part of the student’s response.

  • If the student left the question unanswered in the test booklet, the authorized staff member must leave the question blank in DEI.

Example of a Text Entry Question on the Paper Test

Short Constructed-Response and Extended Constructed-Response Questions

Short constructed-response questions ask students to write a brief explanation, and extended constructed-response questions ask students to write a more in-depth response. The students’ responses are written in the text boxes provided with the question.

  • The authorized staff member must enter exactly what the student wrote on the lines in the test booklet, including any errors in punctuation, capitalization, spelling, grammar, and usage.

  • If a number, word, or phrase that the student wrote is indecipherable, the authorized staff member must skip that part of the student’s response.

  • If any part of the student’s response is outside the text box, the authorized staff member must skip that part of the student’s response.

  • If the student's response exceeds the allowed character count in the DEI text box, the authorized staff member must enter as much as possible of the student's response up to the character count limit in DEI.

  • If the student left the question unanswered in the test booklet, the authorized staff member must leave the question blank in DEI.

Example of a Short Constructed-Response Question on the Paper Test

Equation Editor Questions

Equation editor questions ask students to write a mathematical response in the form of a fraction, expression, equation, or inequality. The students’ responses are written in a text box provided with the question.

  • The authorized staff member must enter exactly what the student wrote in the text box in the test booklet.

  • If a number or symbol that the student wrote is indecipherable, the authorized staff member must skip that part of the student’s response.

  • If the student’s response includes words, pictures, or something other than a fraction, expression, equation, or inequality, the authorized staff member must leave the question blank in DEI.

  • If any part of the student’s response is outside the text box, the authorized staff member must skip that part of the student’s response.

  • If the student left the question unanswered in the test booklet, the authorized staff member must leave the question blank in DEI.

Example of an Equation Editor Question on the Paper Test