Responsibilities of the ELPAC TEs

Verifying Student Information

TEs should verify student information before testing is started, and again upon completion of the ELPAC PPT. However, it is important for anyone with access to this information to remember that students’ personal information is confidential. If materials containing student names are distributed to students, these materials must be collected before the students leave the testing room and must be either securely stored to be used in a subsequent test session or shredded. Personal information includes any information that could potentially identify a student, including student name, SSID, birth date, etc.

Preparing for the Assessment

Each TE must verify receipt of the appropriate test materials and that the Examiner’s Manuals provided match the grade level or grade span of the books being administered. The materials provided in the school test materials include the following:

Examiner’s Manuals
Test Books
Answer Books (standard form, large-print versions, or braille versions, if necessary)
At least two sharpened No. 2 pencils with erasers
Blank scratch paper
“TESTING—DO NOT DISTURB” sign (not provided)
“Unauthorized Electronic Devices May Not Be Used at Any Time During the Testing Session” (not provided)
One 5-by-8-inch card or folded 8.5-by-11-inch paper (for kindergarten and grade one Reading and Writing test administrations) (not provided)

During Testing

Listening and Speaking Domain Information

The audio recordings for the Listening and Speaking (Summarize an Academic Presentation) domains can be accessed only using the secure TOMS website. TEs should become familiar with TOMS prior to administering the Listening and Speaking sections of the ELPAC. For the best performance, TEs should download one of the three latest versions of one of the following supported web browsers to maintain security of the test environment:

Mozilla Firefox
Google Chrome
Safari 11
Safari 12
EdgeHTML
Microsoft Edge

Supported web browsers are listed in the Supported Web Browsers by Operating System subsection of the CAASPP and ELPAC Technical Specifications and Configuration Guide for Online Testing.

System functionality and screen displays may differ in appearance because of varying web browser and operating system capabilities. The TOMS website is optimal when viewed using a resolution of 1280 × 1024.

Remind TEs to play the sample audio and make sure that the speakers present the audio to students loudly and clearly enough for the students to understand the test questions without straining. This should be checked a few days before the actual administration.

Audio File Troubleshooting Checklist

If the audio file stops at 99 percent or does not complete downloading, advise the TEs of the following troubleshooting steps:

Check the antivirus software. Temporarily disable it, if possible, and determine whether problems persist.
Check whether there is a proxy server. Temporarily bypass it, if possible, and determine whether problems persist.
Check alternate browsers, if possible.
Run a test on the network’s speed. Two possible web-based speed-testing services to use are Speedtest or Speakeasy Speed Test.

If these steps do not resolve the audio problems, TEs should contact the site ELPAC coordinator for further assistance. Site ELPAC coordinators needing further assistance should contact the LEA ELPAC coordinator.

Disruptions to Audio Playback

Disruptions to audio playback are not considered testing irregularities. Disruptions to audio playback include, but are not limited to, the following:

Intercom announcements
Fire drills
Student health issues
Audio malfunctions

Steps for Resuming Audio Playback

TEs should follow these steps when resuming audio playback after a disruption has occurred.

STEP 1: Follow the “Test Materials and Procedures” instructions in the ELPAC Examiner’s Manual, resuming the audio as described.

STEP 2: Locate the starting point for resuming audio playback.

For the Listening domain, playback of the audio recording in TOMS should start at the beginning of the task during which the interruption occurred. Use the Audio Timing table in the Examiner’s Manual to find the time stamp for the beginning of the interrupted task type.
For the Speaking (Summarize an Academic Presentation) portion, playback of the audio recording in TOMS should start at the beginning of the presentation.

STEP 3: For the Listening domain only, before starting playback of the audio for the task in which the disruption occurred, read the following aloud to the students:

SAY:

We will listen and answer questions.

Let’s get ready. [Pause.]

On this test, each question has only one answer. Fill in only one circle for each question.

When I begin the audio playback, raise your hand if you cannot hear the recording clearly.

STEP 4: Begin the audio playback in TOMS.

After Testing

Initial ELPAC: Timing Materials Return

While the Initial ELPAC scores are being merged in TOMS and the Initial Parent/Guardian Notification Letter(s) is being created, the Initial ELPAC PPT materials should be kept secure at all times. After the scores are available in TOMS and the Parent/Guardian Notification Letter has been distributed, the special version braille Test Book and braille Examiner’s Manual must be returned to ETS. ELPAC TEs should return the stack of Test Books and Answer Books to the site ELPAC coordinator and securely destroy any scratch paper that was used during testing. Do not dispose of the scratch paper by placing it in the trash.

Initial ELPAC: Locally Scoring Answer Books and the Data Entry Interface

The Initial ELPAC Speaking and Writing domains will be locally scored by qualified, trained personnel such as the TE. The TE should follow the information provided in the grade level– or grade span–specific Examiner’s Manual, beginning with section 8, “Scoring Guide,” for guidance with local scoring. Raw scores for each task type and Writing questions will be marked on the Student Score Sheet found in the inside back cover of each Answer Book.

After the scores are noted on the Student Score Sheet, designated LEA personnel will enter these scores into the DEI as well as the student’s responses to the Listening and Reading domains marked in the Answer Book. The TE or designated staff member does not need to perform any action in TOMS prior to score and response entry in the DEI. Follow the instructions in the Using the DEI chapter in this manual to log on, enter responses and scores, and submit a student’s assessment. Refer to the Data Entry Requirements section for more details. Student results cannot be reported until the scores and responses have been entered.

Summative ELPAC: Reviewing K–2 Answer Books Prior to Returning Them to the Site ELPAC Coordinator

TEs should verify student information upon completion of the Summative ELPAC. However, it is important for anyone with access to this information to remember that students’ personal information is confidential. If materials containing student names are distributed to students, these materials must be collected before the students leave the testing room and must be either securely stored to be used in a subsequent test session or shredded. Personal information includes any information that could potentially identify a student, including student name, SSID, birth date, etc.

STEP 1: Check student response sections to ensure the following:

Responses are filled in completely using a No. 2 pencil.
All stray marks are erased completely.
Problem situations listed in table 1 in the Avoid Potential Scanning Problems and Resolutions subsection are resolved.
Speaking domain scores are recorded in the Answer Book. (This is critical for student results processing, and only one score per question must be marked.)
Ensure TEs did not mark on student Answer Books when conducting local scoring, except in the areas identified for the local scoring of the Speaking domain.

STEP 2: Check demographics pages for the following:

Ensure that each student demographics page on the Answer Book and the following boxes on the front of the Answer Book are also completed and accurate, meaning letters and numbers must be entered and legible and option circles must be marked completely:
- Box 1 (Student Name)
- Box 2 (Teacher/Test Examiner, School, Local Educational Agency, Local Use)
- Box 3 (Date of Birth)
- Box 4 (Grade)
- Box 7 (Statewide Student Identifier)
- Box 9 (Date Testing Completed)
- Box 10 (Optional—Local Use)—if applicable

STEP 3: Return the stack of Test Books and Answer Books to the site ELPAC coordinator.

STEP 4: Bundle all unused materials together and return them to the site ELPAC coordinator.

STEP 5: Bundle together all of the scratch paper. This material is to be destroyed securely according to school policy. Do not dispose of the scratch paper by placing it in the trash.

Avoiding Potential Scanning Problems and Resolutions

Table 1 lists potential issues that could be encountered when reviewing the test materials in preparation for their return to the LEA. It is imperative that all materials are reviewed and issues are addressed prior to returning the Answer Books. Issues such as those listed in table 1 can impact scanning and delay score reporting.

Table 1. Potential Scanning Problems and Resolutions
IF THIS IS FOUND …	DO THIS …
Scratch paper Sticky notes Staples Pins or paper clips	Remove the extraneous material.
Paper damaged by erasures Tape or sticky labels of any kind Ripped or torn sheets Grease marks Coffee spills Bodily fluids	Transfer student responses to an unused Answer Book. Transfer responses exactly as written by the student, including errors, and have a second person review the transcription for accuracy. Write “Voided” on the front of the damaged Answer Book.
Light marks Incomplete erasures Stray marks Smudges	Erase light marks or make them heavier as needed.
Student writing on separate sheets of paper based on a designated support or an accommodation identified in an IEP or Section 504 plan	Remove the paper and transcribe the writing to the appropriate writing box in the Answer Book, if necessary. Transfer responses exactly as written by the student, including errors, and have a second person review the transcription for accuracy. Securely destroy the sheets of paper.
Writing in the margins of the book or outside the box provided for the response	During testing, remind students that only responses within the boxes will be scored.

Guidelines for Student Response and Student Score Entry into the DEI

For Initial ELPAC paper–pencil testing, all Listening and Reading student responses and all Speaking and Writing scores must be entered into the DEI. For Summative ELPAC paper–pencil testing in grades three through twelve, all student responses and scores must be entered into the DEI. Follow the instructions in the Using the DEI chapter of this manual to log on, enter responses and scores, and submit a student’s assessment. Student results cannot be scored and reported until they have been entered.

Additionally, students with disabilities have the option to use accommodations for providing responses on this assessment. These accommodations allow students with disabilities to provide oral responses, taped responses, or written responses on paper besides the Answer Book provided with the assessment. These responses are then transcribed onto the standard Answer Book so they can be scored. The following guidelines must be followed to ensure accurate and fair transcription of student responses:

All test materials, student responses, and scores are to be considered secure and confidential.
Transcribers should be impartial and have no vested interest in student scores.
Personnel entering student responses and scores into the DEI must have signed the Test Security Affidavit.
Transcriptions of student responses must be identical to what the student provides, including grammar, punctuation, and spelling. If a student provides an incomplete response, the transcription must match that incomplete response exactly.
When transcription is complete, student responses must be entered into the DEI. Do not dispose of student responses by placing them in the trash. These should be securely destroyed at the end of the testing window.
Only persons who know braille should transcribe braille responses.
For braille, transcriptions should be proofread by a second impartial party to confirm accuracy. For cases where students have provided a graphic in a response, two transcribers should collaborate to transfer the response.