General Test Administration Information

This section provides an overview of the online testing environment and guidelines for test administration. Use this section to become familiar with what students will experience in accessing the assessments, to understand how to prepare for the assessments, and to review general rules for computer-based testing. Information about the practice and training tests, test pauses, and test resumptions is also included in this section. TAs and TEs should become familiar with this section well in advance of the start of testing so materials for logon, accommodations, and exemptions described in subsequent sections can be assembled.

Types of Computer-based Assessments

Refer to appendix B for descriptions of the types of items available in each computer-based assessment.

Computer Adaptive Testing

The Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments use computer adaptive testing technology. The computer adaptive portion of the test is designed to present items of difficulty to match the ability of each student, as indicated by the responses the student provided to previous test items.

By adapting to the student’s ability as the assessment is being taken, the CAT presents an individually tailored set of questions that is appropriate for each student. As a result, it provides more accurate scores for all students across the full range of the achievement continuum. Compared with a fixed-form assessment, a CAT requires fewer questions to obtain an equally precise estimate of a student’s ability.

Fixed-Form Assessment

The CAST, CAA for Science, and CSA are fixed-form assessments. For the CAA for Science and CSA, all students are administered the same test form, regardless of their responses or ability. For the CAST, the assessment is made up of fixed-form test blocks that are administered in a randomized manner. The PT portion of the Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments is also considered to be fixed-form, because students receive a fixed-form set of items that is randomly assigned, and the PT is not based on CAT responses.

Multistage Adaptive Testing

The CAAs for ELA and mathematics are delivered using a two-stage multistage test design. Students at different ability levels, based on their performance on Stage 1, are routed to one of two alternative modules at Stage 2 that is appropriate for their abilities. Each stage includes items developed to three tiers of complexity that are organized in order of increasing complexity and cognitive load. Refer to the CAAs for ELA and Mathematics subsection for additional information on multistage adaptive testing.

This design improves measurement quality and student engagement, particularly for students who represent a diverse population with a wide range of ability levels and whose ability levels may not be appropriately targeted by conventional fixed-form tests.

General Rules of Computer-based Testing for TAs and TEs

This subsection provides a brief overview of the general test administration rules for different portions of the assessment as well as information about student accessibility resources. What follows are assumptions for all assessments:

• Within certain tests, there may be segments. For example, the Smarter Balanced for Mathematics tests in grades six and above include a segment with an embedded calculator that is available and another segment where the embedded calculator is not allowed and is not available for testing. A student may not return to a segment once it has been completed and submitted; if a Grace Period Extension Appeal is granted, the student may only return to prior pages (i.e., screens) within the existing segment. A Grace Period Extension Appeal will only be granted in cases where there was a disruption to a test session, such as a technical difficulty, fire drill, schoolwide power outage, earthquake, or other act beyond the control of the TA.
• For Smarter Balanced assessments, the CAST, and the CSA, students must enter an answer for all item(s) on a page before going to the next page. Students may need to use the vertical scroll bar to view all items on a page. The system will permit students taking a CAA to navigate through unanswered items.
• Students may mark items for review and use the Past/Marked Questions drop-down list to return to those items that have already been answered within a segment. If this option is selected, students need to make sure they review their past or marked questions before they move on to the next segment or sign out of the test session, because once a test session is closed, questions from the session, including CAT writing items with partial responses, can no longer be accessed in subsequent sessions. (This functionality does not apply to the CAAs.)
• A CR item is considered answered if the student has taken any action within the response area. This includes random keystrokes (e.g., sdkjfdlkdjfo), one or more spaces using the space bar, selecting anywhere on a Grid Item–Hot Spot Item, etc.

Smarter Balanced, CAST, and CAA for Science:

• In the Smarter Balanced assessments, the CAT and PT are administered as separate tests. Some students may be presented with more CAT items than others, depending on how students perform on the items they receive. The PT portion is assigned randomly; a student’s responses in the CAT portion have no bearing on which PT is assigned.
• The CAST is a single test that includes items ranging from traditional multiple-choice and CR to technology-enhanced items, including PTs. A student survey consisting of three to four questions directly follows within the same testing session.
• In the CAA for Science administration:
  • An embedded PT should be administered throughout the school year, shortly after related instruction.
  • There are four embedded PTs.
  • The embedded PTs should not all be administered in one test session or on one day.

CAAs for ELA and Mathematics:

The CAAs for ELA and mathematics use a multistage test design that assigns item sets of varying complexity, based on how well students perform on the initial set of items. Some students may be presented with fewer items than others, depending on how students perform on the items they receive. The goal of the CAA design is to provide students the best opportunity to demonstrate what they know and can do while minimizing exposure to items with an inappropriate level of complexity.

Note that some students will automatically end testing after Stage 1. However, most students will complete Stage 1 and proceed to one of two Stage 2 sections. When testing is completed, the TE submits the test.

Tier 1 items provide the most support and contain more images. Tier 3 items provide more answer choices, more complicated text, and the fewest images.

CSA

For grades three through eight, the CSA is composed of three segments. The first segment includes three demographic survey questions. The second and third segments test listening, reading, and writing.

For the high school grade band, the test is comprised of three segments. The first segment includes three demographic survey questions; the second segment tests listening and speaking; and the third segment tests reading and writing.

It is important to note that once a segment has been completed, a student can no longer go back and change responses.

Pause Rules

Multiple-Choice and Technology-Enhanced Items

The pause rules here apply to the CAT (non-PT) portion of the Smarter Balanced, the CAST discrete item blocks, and the CSA. Refer to appendix E, scenario 2, item c for additional information about pause rules.

• If a test is paused for 20 minutes or less, the student
  • is required to log back on to the student interface using the student’s logon information (name, SSID, and test session); and
  • will be permitted to review or change any items on prior pages of that segment that had received a response.
• If a test is paused for more than 20 minutes, the student
  • is required to log back on to the student interface using the student’s logon information (name, SSID, and test session);
  • is presented with the page containing the item(s) the student was working on when the assessment was paused (if the page contains at least one item to which there is not a response) or with the next page (if all items on the previous page were answered); and
  • will not be permitted to review or change any items on prior pages of that segment that had received a response.
• Any highlighted text will be saved when a test is paused regardless of how long the test is paused. Notes entered on the digital notepad will not be saved.
• In the event of a technical issue (e.g., power outage or network failure), students will be logged off and the test will automatically be paused. If the technical issue was outside the control of the TA and the pause was longer than 20 minutes, the CAASPP coordinator will need to submit a STAIRS case for a technical issue to allow students to revisit previous questions in that segment. The students will need to log on again to resume the test. Highlighted text will be available when the student has logged back on and resumed testing; notes entered on the digital notepad—the tool used to make notes about an item—will no longer be available.
• Refer to Appendix E: CAT Pause Rule Scenarios to review the rules that govern pausing during the test.

PTs

During the PT portion of the Smarter Balanced and CAST assessments:

• There are no pause restrictions. If a PT is paused for more than 20 minutes, the student can return to the section and continue to enter responses.
• For the mathematics PT, any highlighted text and notes on the digital notepad will not be saved when a test is paused regardless of how long the assessment is paused.
• For the ELA PT, the global notes are retained for both parts 1 and 2.
• Any highlighted text and notes within the global notes will be saved when a test is paused regardless of how long the assessment is paused.
• In the event of a technical issue (e.g., power outage or network failure), comments entered on the global notes—the tool used during ELA PTs in which students complete a full write, as well as for any other test items within the PT—will be available when the student has logged back on and resumed.

Please note that there are recommendations for breaks in table 2 for the ELA and mathematics content areas. Although the CAST is a single test that is estimated to take two hours, there are break recommendations, because each PT should be completed in a single session.

CAAs

For the CAAs for ELA, mathematics, and science, the pause rules that follow apply regardless of whether the student or the TE pauses the test or there was a technical issue (e.g., power outage or network failure) that resulted in the student being logged off.

• The CAAs can be paused and resumed as many times as necessary to allow the student to show what the student knows. The student also may choose to pause and resume over the course of a day or days throughout the testing window.
• The TE can make the decision to pause and resume the test administration if the student is no longer engaged, is not actively participating, or is showing signs of behavioral or functional concerns related to the test.
• When a test is paused, the TE, on behalf of the student, must log back on to resume testing. Upon resumption, the student is directed automatically to the first page that has an unanswered item. Previously answered items can be revisited within the current test stage, but not in prior stages.

Students typically take approximately 95 cumulative minutes or less to successfully complete a single content area of a CAA for ELA or mathematics. Students should be given as many breaks as needed to perform well, including testing over multiple days.

If the TE determines it is in the student’s best interest to end the test early, the TE will need to advance through the remaining test items until the TE reaches the end and then submits the test.

CSA CR Items

For the CSA, when pausing more than 20 minutes during a CR item (i.e., speaking response item or full-write item), the TDS will consider the partial response to be complete. The student will not be able to return to complete that item.

For the speaking domain, a student’s response begins when the student selects the [micrófono] button. For the writing domain, a student’s response begins when the student types any character into the text field, even if that character is deleted.

Test Timeout (Due to Inactivity)

As a security measure, students, TAs, and TEs are automatically logged off the test after 30 minutes of inactivity. For students, activity is defined as selecting an answer or navigation option in the assessment (e.g., selecting [Next] or [Back] or using the Past/Marked Questions drop-down list to navigate to another item). Moving the mouse or selecting an empty space on the screen is not considered activity. This timeout also results in the test being paused automatically.

For TAs and TEs, activity means that a student or students are registering test activity. As long as students are testing, the TA or TE will not be logged off.

Before the secure browser logs the student off the assessment, a warning message will be displayed on the screen (figure 1). If the student does not select [Ok] within 30 seconds after this message appears, the student will be logged off. Selecting [Ok] will restart the 30-minute inactivity timer.

Figure 1. Test timeout warning message

Test Expiration Rules

“Opportunities” refers to the number of times a student can take a test within a range of dates. A student’s test opportunity remains active until the student submits the test or until the opportunity expires. Once a test opportunity expires, the student cannot complete or review the test unless a Reopen Appeal is granted. Note the following about test expiration:

• Students have one opportunity per summative CAASPP computer-based assessment.
• All tests with registered responses to any item will submit automatically if the test has expired.
• Only interim assessments offer students multiple opportunities.

Smarter Balanced CAT

A student’s CAT (or non-PT) remains active until the student submits the test or 45 calendar days after the student has begun the test (but before the end of the selected testing window), whichever occurs sooner. However, it is recommended that students complete the CAT portion of the test within five days of starting the designated content area.

Smarter Balanced PT

The PT is a separate test that remains active for no more than 15 calendar days after the student has begun the PT. However, Smarter Balanced recommends that students complete the PT within three days of starting in each content area. A summary of recommendations for the number of sessions and session durations is provided in the subsection Testing Time and Recommended Order of Administration.

CAST, CAAs, and CSA

The CAST; CAAs for ELA, mathematics, and science; and CSA remain active until the student completes and submits the test or 45 calendar days after the student has begun the test (but before the end of the selected testing window), whichever occurs sooner. However, it is recommended that students complete these assessments within five days of starting the designated content area. Note that each of the four embedded PTs in the CAA for Science are treated as separate tests and should be administered shortly following instruction on the related content throughout the instructional year. Assessments must be completed and submitted no later than the last day of the LEA’s instructional calendar or June 30, whichever comes first.

Testing Time and Recommended Order of Administration

All students participating in the Smarter Balanced assessments will receive a CAT and a PT in both ELA and mathematics. Students in grades five, eight, and eleven (if that student has been assigned) will receive the CAST in addition to the Smarter Balanced assessments for ELA and mathematics. Otherwise, students in grade twelve who are required to take the CAST will take only the CAST, as will those students in grade ten who are assigned to take the CAST.

Eligible students taking the CAAs will receive both ELA and mathematics assessments. Students in grades five, eight, and eleven (if that student has been assigned) will also receive the CAA for Science, in addition to the CAAs for ELA and mathematics. Otherwise, eligible students in grade twelve who are required to take the CAA for Science will take only the CAA for Science, as will those students in grade ten who are assigned to take the CAA for Science.

Testing Time and Scheduling

Testing Windows

LEA CAASPP coordinators set up test dates in TOMS. Testing windows can be viewed in TOMS by LEA CAASPP coordinators by selecting to view the administration summary for the LEA in TOMS. All CAASPP testing must take place within this window, including any makeup testing.

Scheduling Time for Testing

Estimated testing times do not account for any time needed to start devices, load secure browsers, and log students on; nor do they account for breaks. TAs and TEs should work with site CAASPP coordinators to determine precise testing schedules.

Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments for ELA and Mathematics

Table 1 contains rough estimates of the time it will take most students to complete the Smarter Balanced assessments based on the time it took students to complete the Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments in prior years. This information is for scheduling purposes only, as the assessments are not timed.

When developing a testing schedule, use the estimated testing times to calculate the number of days and the amount of time it will take to complete an assessment in each content area and grade level. Also consider that Smarter Balanced recommends that students take the CAT and PT items on separate days to minimize student fatigue.

CAST

Administration of the CAST assessment is estimated to take approximately two hours. Note that the CAST is an untimed test. The CAST is composed of six blocks of test questions: two or three blocks of discrete (stand-alone) questions followed by three or four PTs where each PT is a block. It is strongly recommended that a PT be started and completed in a single test session, and that students only pause the test after the end of a segment.

Refer to the Organization of the California Science Test for additional information about the structure of the CAST.

CAAs for ELA, Mathematics, and Science

For the CAAs for ELA and mathematics, testing should take approximately 60–100 minutes for each content area, although the assessments are untimed, and the amount of time each student needs can vary. Tests may be administered to a student over as many testing sessions and days as required to meet the needs of that student.

For the CAA for Science, which is administered one-on-one shortly after the student has received related science instruction in the classroom, testing should take less than one average class period per embedded PT, although the assessments are untimed and the amount of time each student needs can vary. Tests may be administered to a student over as many testing sessions and days as required to meet the needs of that student. The four embedded PTs can be administered in any order, at any time, throughout the year following the start of the test administration window in September.

Refer to the Organization of the California Alternate Assessment for Science for additional information about the structure of the CAA for Science.

CSA

Administration of the CSA is estimated to take approximately four hours. Note that the CSA is an untimed test and students should be given as much time as they need to complete this assessment. It is recommended to administer the CSA over multiple sessions spanning several days. Table 2 and table 3 break down the estimated time needed to test for grades three through eight and high school, respectively. These are provided for scheduling purposes only.

Recommended Order of Computer-based Administration of the Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments

Smarter Balanced recommends that students take the CAT and PT items on separate days to minimize student fatigue. For each content area, Smarter Balanced also recommends that students begin with the CAT items followed by the PT. LEAs or schools may opt to administer in a different order, if needed.

Recommended Order of Test Administration

Figure 2 illustrates the flow of test administration, where the CAT should precede the PT.

Figure 2. Recommended order of administration

Duration and Timing Information

ELA and Mathematics

The scheduling recommendations for ELA and mathematics assessments are included in table 3. Note that the duration, timing, break and pause rules, and session recommendations vary for each content area and component.

Important Reminders for ELA:

1. For the Smarter Balanced PTs, students may be best served by sequential, uninterrupted time that may exceed the time in a student’s schedule.
2. Minimize the amount of time between beginning and completing each test within a content area.
3. Students cannot return to Segment 1 of the ELA PT once they have moved to Segment 2. However, global notes are retained between segments.
4. The tests are not timed, so all estimates of testing times are approximate.
5. Students should be allowed extra time if they need it, but TAs and TEs need to use their best professional judgment when allowing students extra time. Students should be actively engaged in responding productively to test questions.
6. ELA assessments can be spread out over multiple days as needed.

Additional Administration Recommendations for Mathematics:

1. For the Smarter Balanced PTs, students may be best served by sequential, uninterrupted time that may exceed the time in a student’s schedule.
2. Minimize the amount of time between beginning and completing each test within a content area.
3. The number of items will vary on the CAT and PT portions of each student’s Smarter Balanced assessment.
4. The tests are not timed, so all estimates of testing times are approximate.
5. Students should be allowed extra time if they need it, but TAs and TEs need to use their best professional judgment when allowing students extra time. Students should be actively engaged in responding productively to test questions.
6. Mathematics assessments can be spread out over multiple days as needed.

Science

The scheduling recommendations for science assessments are included in table 4. Note that the duration, timing, break and pause rules, and session recommendations may vary by assessment.

Additional Administration Recommendations for Science:

1. For the CAST, students may be best served by sequential, uninterrupted time that may exceed the time in a student’s schedule.
2. For the CAA for Science, TEs should ensure their students attempt all four of the separate embedded PTs so the student can be counted as participating.
   1. Administration should occur following relevant instruction.
   2. Students should not be administered more than one CAA for Science embedded PT per test session or over consecutive days.
3. Minimize the amount of time between beginning and completing the test.
4. The tests are not timed, so all estimates of testing times are approximate.
5. Students should be allowed extra time if they need it, but TAs and TEs need to use their best professional judgment when allowing students extra time. Students should be actively engaged in responding productively to test questions.
6. Tests can be spread out over multiple days as needed.

CSA

The CSA should be spread over multiple sessions spanning several days as needed. The scheduling recommendations for the CSA are included in table 5.

Sensitive Responses

Taking Appropriate Action with Student Responses or Student Actions That Cause Concern

Throughout the test administration process, student safety is always the primary consideration.

During testing, TAs or TEs may encounter student actions that disrupt the assessment administration and may endanger the student or others. In addition, it is possible that TAs or TEs will encounter student responses to questions or notes on scratch paper that necessitate some action to ensure student safety.

For TAs, CAASPP security protocols make it clear that TAs are not permitted to review student responses in the testing interface or students’ notes on scratch paper. However, during or after CAASPP assessments, a TA might unexpectedly encounter a student response that raises sufficient concern to warrant adult action, including action as a mandated reporter. Topics that may require the TA to take action include, but are not limited to, student references to:

• Suicide
• Criminal activity
• Alcohol or drug use
• Extreme depression
• Extreme violence or threats of violence
• Sexual assault or physical abuse
• Self-harm or intent to harm others
• Neglect
• Bullying of individuals or groups of students

Note that, for a CAA TE, such a discovery may come during the course of one-on-one administration.

Collecting Information

Prior to administration, each TA and TE should have a thorough understanding of policies for the school, LEA, California, or any combination of these regarding documentation of student actions or concerning responses during a secure test event. The TA or TE should document as much information as possible in accordance with policies for the school, LEA, CDE, or any combination of these.

Escalating Information

Should the TA or TE encounter a sensitive situation while supervising the test session, the TA or TE should immediately escalate this concern in accordance with policies and procedures for the school, LEA, CDE, or any combination of these.

Crisis Alert Response System Process

As part of the process for scoring the writing tests for the CAASPP, readers may come across student responses that warrant an LEA’s immediate attention. Examples include responses in which students indicate or suggest that they are experiencing or have experienced some kind of physical or emotional abuse or neglect, that they may harm themselves or others, or that they are experiencing severe distress. LEAs are notified of such instances through the CARS incident reporting process in TOMS.

Upon notification that a student’s response requires attention, TOMS notifies the primary LEA CAASPP coordinator and superintendent via email that a student response in need of LEA attention has been identified. Upon receipt, one of the LEA representatives is required to acknowledge the CARS incident by logging on to TOMS, accessing the CARS function, and selecting the [Acknowledge] or [Acknowledge and Archive] button.

If acknowledgement is not made within three business hours, TOMS sends a reminder email that there has been a CARS incident logged and will continue to send a reminder until the CARS incident has been acknowledged. Note that reminders are sent on weekdays between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. This process provides the LEA with information in a timely manner and ensures security of the CARS process.

Details of the CARS incident, including information about the student and the response or action that caused the case to be flagged for CARS, can be found by selecting the [CARS] tab from the menu bar in TOMS.

Early Assessment Program

The EAP is a joint collaboration of the CDE and the CSU. All eleventh grade students have the option of participating in EAP by virtue of completing the Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments for ELA and mathematics.

The EAP provides students with an early indicator of their readiness for college-level coursework in written communication and mathematics/quantitative reasoning prior to starting their senior year. The results are used to determine a student’s placement in appropriate coursework once the student has been admitted to the CSU. The release of CAASPP results will not affect a student’s application for admission.

A student in grade eleven will be asked to authorize the release of their Smarter Balanced results to the CSU. To release the results, students should select the circle that indicates their understanding that CAASPP/EAP results will be shared directly with the CSU. This question is asked at the end of each test.

The release of ELA and mathematics results must be authorized individually (e.g., authorization for the ELA results does not automatically confer authorization for the mathematics results). Students may voluntarily share results of one or both assessments. Students who choose not to release their results to the CSU will need to provide their results to a CSU upon request. In addition, some, but not all, CCCs accept EAP scores. Students may submit a copy of their score report to a CCC if requested.