Campus Testing Coordinator Training Activities
- Bruce Malone
- Shaina Seltzer
- Melissa Smith
Campus testing coordinators are required to be trained annually on test security and administration procedures. Training is especially important for understanding and implementing new or updated policies and procedures. It is imperative that all individuals participating in the Texas Assessment Program preserve the integrity of test content and student data through strict adherence to the instructions and procedures contained in these Coordinator Resources and the test administration materials. Lack of training typically results in testing incidents that may impact students' test scores, campus and district accountability ratings, and, ultimately, an educator's teaching certificate.
❏ Understand Campus Coordinator Responsibilities
Campus coordinator responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:
serving as a liaison between the district coordinator and campus personnel for test-related communications
collaborating with district coordinators, principals, and other district leadership to designate test administrators and TELPAS raters, proctors, and verifiers, as applicable
training test administrators, raters, proctors, and verifiers
ensuring that all individuals designated to serve as raters fulfill their online holistic rating training and calibration requirements
collaborating with district coordinators to train principals, technology staff, and any other district personnel participating in the Texas Assessment Program
coordinating with technology staff to prepare the campus to administer assessments
creating a campus consolidation plan for transferring students who are still testing after a certain point
preparing and distributing test materials on the campus for each administration
scheduling and coordinating administration activities on the campus for each administration
ensuring that all students are appropriately tested, including students receiving special education services and EB students
ensuring that students are tested with appropriate and allowed accommodations
monitoring and maintaining test security
ensuring that student data (such as score codes, student responses, student ratings, and accommodations) have been submitted and processed in TIDE and DEI before the end of each testing window
preparing test materials for return to the district coordinator at the conclusion of test administrations
reporting any suspected violation of test security to the district coordinator
❏ Review these Coordinator Resources
Read and review these Coordinator Resources.
Read and review the applicable test administrator manuals.
Know the different roles and responsibilities of individuals participating in testing.
Review and schedule testing activities from checklists in these Coordinator Resources.
❏ Review Sections of TEC and TAC
Become familiar with the sections of TEC and TAC addressing eligibility requirements for assessments, test security, scoring, reporting, and testing requirements for graduation.
❏ Attend Training
All campus coordinators are required to receive annual training on test security and administration procedures, as well as training in procedures unique to specific testing programs and circumstances. Training sessions should be completed by the recommended dates on the Calendar of Events.
These Coordinator Resources and the applicable test administrator manuals should be available during the training session.
Recommended training modules for campus coordinators in LMS include:
The Test Information Distribution Engine Overview
TIDE Enhancements for the 2024–2025 School Year
The Data Entry Interface Overview
The Centralized Reporting System Overview
Test Security for the Texas Assessment Program
Managing Secure Materials for the Texas Assessment Program
Test Accommodation Training for Test Administrations—STAAR
STAAR Alternate 2 Overview and Eligibility
Required topics for campus coordinator training include:
assigning roles and responsibilities, including those for test administrators, raters, principals, technology staff, and administration support staff such as hall monitors
identifying eligible students to ensure all students are appropriately tested, including students receiving special education services and EB students
ensuring test security, including secure materials and content, confidentiality requirements, active monitoring, test security oaths, reporting and handling testing incidents, and consequences for adult and student cheating
scheduling test administrations, including testing dates, timing for tests, make-up testing, individual and small group testing sessions, and consolidating students who are still testing after a certain point
testing with accommodations, including understanding accessibility and designated supports policies, ensuring that testing personnel have a current list of each student’s allowed or approved accommodations, and preparing testing locations for students who need certain accommodations
handling secure testing materials, including Materials Control Forms, and receiving, storing, and distributing test materials
preparing testing environments and monitoring test administrations, including determining the availability of additional personnel such as testing coordinators, principals, and other administrators to serve as monitors
completing online, paper, and holistic test administrations
entering and verifying student data such as score codes, accommodations and non-embedded supports, program information, and TELPAS holistic ratings in TIDE before the end of each testing window
submitting student responses and Observable Behaviors ratings in DEI before the end of each testing window
gathering and returning testing materials to the district coordinator
Additional STAAR Required Campus Coordinator Training Topics |
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Additional STAAR Alternate 2 Required Campus Coordinator Training Topics |
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Additional TELPAS Required Campus Coordinator Training Topics |
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Additional TELPAS Alternate Required Campus Coordinator Training Topics |
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❏ Review and Sign a Test Security Oath
Campus coordinators must complete an Oath of Test Security and Confidentiality after training and before handling secure test materials and content.
Campus coordinators must initial each item on the test security oath.
After completing the test security oath, campus coordinators must provide a copy of the completed oath (electronic or paper) to the district coordinator.
❏ Designate Test Administrators
Campus coordinators should collaborate with principals to designate test administrators.
Test administrators may include:
teachers (including those who hold teaching permits, probationary certificates, or any other educator certificate from the State of Texas)
school counselors
school librarians
paraprofessionals
substitute teachers
other professional educators (such as retired teachers)
Test administrators for STAAR Alternate 2 and TELPAS Alternate assessments must have a high level of familiarity with the students to be assessed since these assessments are administered individually.
Certified and noncertified staff members who are currently employed by the district and routinely work with students in the classroom may serve as test administrators, monitors, or assistants only if they are trained in test security and administration procedures and sign a test security oath.
Noncertified staff members serving as test administrators must be supervised, either directly or indirectly, by a certified staff member on the same campus throughout the test administration. If a noncertified staff member is responsible for a violation of test security or confidentiality, the supervising certified staff member is subject to penalty.
There must be at least one test administrator for every 30 students to be tested.
Test administrator assistants may include staff members who are serving as interveners employed by the district and who are equipped with specialized skills and training to routinely provide direct support to a student with deaf-blindness. Individuals providing brailling services to the district may serve as test administrator assistants as well. Test administrator assistants must be trained in test security and administration procedures and sign a test security oath.
❏ Train Test Administrators
Campus coordinators should plan for a sufficient number of training sessions, including make-up sessions, and should allow enough time to adequately train campus personnel participating in testing, including training for paper administrations and for testing with accommodations.
Campus coordinators must understand the responsibilities of test administrators. Refer to the Understand Test Administrator Responsibilities topic on the Test Administrator Training Activities page for more information.
Test administrators are required to receive training on test security and administration procedures at least once, as well as training in procedures unique to specific testing programs and circumstances. Training should be provided annually to ensure a standardized test administration and the best testing experience for Texas students. Annual training is especially important for understanding and implementing new or updated policies and procedures. It is imperative that all individuals participating in the Texas Assessment Program preserve the integrity of test content and student data through strict adherence to the instructions and procedures contained in these Coordinator Resources and the test administration materials. Lack of annual training typically results in testing incidents that may impact students' test scores, campus and district accountability ratings, and, ultimately, an educator's teaching certificate. Test administrator training should be completed by the recommended dates on the Calendar of Events.
Campus coordinators should distribute or provide access to the applicable test administrator manuals early enough to allow sufficient time for all testing personnel to read the material thoroughly before the training session and should use the test administrator manuals during the training session.
Refer to the Attend Training topic on the Test Administrator Training Activities page for more information.
❏ Designate TELPAS Raters
Campus coordinators should collaborate with district coordinators, principals, and other district leadership to designate TELPAS raters, proctors, and verifiers, as applicable.
Raters should be the teachers of the EB students they rate and have the students in class at the time of the spring assessment window. Raters may include:
teachers (including those who hold teaching permits, probationary certificates, or any other educator certificate from the State of Texas)
paraprofessionals
substitute teachers
A single rater must be used for each student and must rate the student in all domains for which the student is eligible.
Proctors for monitored calibration sessions may include:
testing coordinators
LPAC administrators
school counselors
other district personnel besides raters
The number of proctors needed depends on the number of raters being trained.
Verifiers for TELPAS writing collections may include:
testing coordinators
LPAC administrators
school counselors
other district personnel besides raters
Certified and noncertified staff members who are currently employed by the district and routinely work with students in the classroom may serve as raters, proctors, or verifiers only if they are trained in test security and administration procedures and sign a test security oath.
Noncertified staff members serving as raters, proctors, or verifiers must be supervised, either directly or indirectly, by a certified staff member on the same campus throughout the administration. If a noncertified staff member is responsible for a violation of test security or confidentiality, the supervising certified staff member is subject to penalty.
❏ Train TELPAS Raters
Campus coordinators must understand the responsibilities of raters, proctors, and verifiers. Refer to the Understand Rater Responsibilities topic of the TELPAS Rater Training Activities page for more information.
Raters, proctors, and verifiers are required to receive training on test security and administration procedures. Training should be provided annually to ensure a standardized test administration and the best testing experience for Texas students. Annual training is especially important for understanding and implementing new or updated policies and procedures. It is imperative that all individuals participating in the Texas Assessment Program preserve the integrity of test content and student data through strict adherence to the instructions and procedures contained in these Coordinator Resources and the test administration materials. Lack of annual training typically results in testing incidents that may impact students' test scores, campus and district accountability ratings, and, ultimately, an educator's teaching certificate. Rater, proctor, and verifier training should be completed before the first day of the TELPAS testing window.
Campus coordinators are strongly encouraged to provide rater training to as many new teachers as possible because rater training provides teachers with professional development to improve instruction for EB students.
Individuals who will be raters in the spring but lack familiarity with the ELPS and TELPAS should be provided with staff development in the fall.
Distribute the rater manual early enough to allow sufficient time for all testing personnel to read the material thoroughly before the training session. Use the rater manual during the training session.
Refer to the Test Administration Training topic on the TELPAS Rater Training Activities page.
❏ Train Principals
Campus coordinators must train principals to ensure they understand principal responsibilities related to testing, which include, but are not limited to, the following:
collaborating with the campus coordinator to oversee the training of campus personnel
collaborating with the campus coordinator to establish specific test administration schedules and processes for the campus
collaborating with the campus coordinator to establish and implement a campus plan for consolidating students who are still testing after a certain point
collaborating with the campus coordinator to oversee the implementation of the test administration processes
reviewing and signing each rater’s TELPAS Student Rating Roster
ensuring that test security is maintained
reporting any suspected violation of test security to the campus or district coordinator
❏ Direct Test Administrators, Principals, and Raters to Review and Sign a Test Security Oath
Test administrators, principals, and TELPAS raters, proctors, and verifiers must complete an Oath of Test Security and Confidentiality after training and before handling secure test materials and content.
Test administrators, principals, raters, proctors, and verifiers must initial each applicable item on the test security oath.
After completing the test security oath, test administrators, principals, raters, proctors, and verifiers must provide a copy of the completed oath (electronic or paper) to the campus coordinator.