State Assessment News & Updates

• March 13 - TELPAS Check-in - TELPAS is complete! 🎈
• I'm reviewing documentation in your folders, and I may reach out if I have questions.
• Happy Friday the 13th!
• March 14-22 - SPRING BREAK! 🌷
• March 23 - First Day of STAAR Alternate 2 - testing must begin today
• March 27 - Work Session (register in Kickup)
• March 27 - STAAR Alternate 2 is 25% complete

Reach me at my desk most days from about 7:30-4:30. I'm always happy to stay later if you let me know you need help after 4:30pm.

Each user is responsible for securing an assigned user account and ensuring it is kept secure. User accounts, in any system, are not to be shared for any reason. As the campus coordinator for state assessments, you are responsible for oversight of certain user accounts.

A few basic rules...

• Usernames and/or passwords must be kept secure and will not be shared.
• It is not acceptable for any user to allow someone else to use their account.
• User rights must be aligned with the user's position.
• In TIDE, most campus users will be assigned the TE user role and assigned to a group of students via rosters.

In TIDE, some user accounts have been deleted.

• You are not authorized to assign Campus Coordinator rights to any user. These accounts will be deleted.
• Principal user rights may be assigned only to principals, assistant principals or administrative interns. Any others will be deleted.
• The Campus Report Viewer may be used sparingly and must be aligned to the user's job description.

Hotline Direct is the new system for Cambium to let us know if a student types troubling content as a response or on the notepad or sticky notes within the online testing platform. I notify the campus principal and the campus coordinator when an alert is received. These require immediate attention.

❌ I will no longer be sending you a notice via email with a wonky spreadsheet attached. ❌

When an alert is received for your campus, I will give you and your campus principal access to the Hotline Direct module (in TIDE) so you can view and address the alert. I'll send you an email and you can then login to TIDE and choose the "Hotline Direct Assistant (HDA)" user role when you log in (picture above). Alternatively, you will also be able to click the tile at https://www.texasassessment.gov/testing-personnel.html (pictured below).

You can learn more by watching this 5-minute video.

You will not have access to Hotline Direct until a notice is received for your campus.

You can access HDA from texasassessment.gov or by using the "System Switcher" menu in the upper left corner of TIDE.

When you're in HDA, here's an idea of what it looks like. Watch the video linked about to learn how to navigate.

I am routinely looking for new students in Skyward to add to TIDE. I will look for students newly identified as EB and add this to TIDE after it is correctly marked in Skyward.

Newly enrolled students are not eligible to participate in TELPAS until I have verified their EB status is correct in TIDE.

You may continue to add new students as needed according to the instructions on our Quick Guide. You may also use the request form below. You are not authorized to edit EB or SE fields in TIDE.

🔥Hot tip: If the student was previously enrolled in another Texas campus or district, including within PfISD, call me with the student's TSDS ID. I can very easily transfer the student for you. This can help to avoid mistakes.

You can request to add students for STAAR Alternate 2 by adding the student's information to the request form linked below.

If you know the student is transferring from another Texas school, you can also call me to see if I can quickly transfer for you.

During the Preview window, March 5-12, test administrators are allowed to check out materials and keep them in their room until the end of the school day. When not in use, materials must be secured in a locked cabinet or drawer.

Materials must be returned to the campus coordinator no later than the end of the school day during the preview window.

Make a plan with each test administrator to ensure materials in use during the preview window are secured when not in use and returned to you at the end of the day.

🚫There is no preview allowed on Friday, March 13.🚫

Sign up for your check-in appointment at this link. You may revisit to change your appointment as needed.

The following need to sign up immediately: Latoiya, Lisa, Felicia, Milton, Cari

Make a copy of the slides and customize for your campus. As you prepare to train campus staff, notice sections of the slides in red that require your attention.

Test administrators must have access to their manual prior to attending training. You can provide link to the .pdf or the hard copy. If you provide the hard copy, be sure you have a system in place so manuals aren't lost before testing. If sharing the .pdf, I recommend you download the .pdf, save it in your Google Drive and share a link to your saved copy.

I have ordered reference materials for grade 3-8 math, Algebra I and grade 8 science. Expect these to be delivered to you by March 27. Please call me no later than April 2 if you have not received these.

Every student taking one of these tests will receive a hard copy of these reference materials. For math, students will also receive the grade-appropriate grid paper.

Important: If you happen to have old copies laying around, be sure to destroy any copies of the grade 8 science reference materials. This year's version is updated to reflect the new TEKS, and it's important you use the updated version.

If you need to make additional copies, find them at this link. (Please don't run copies now! Wait to receive your delivery.)

Access Key Date below to keep your work on schedule. Please check the document periodically for updates. A printed copy is not your best friend.

Our TELPAS coordinators did a nice job with the administration. It seems like we're finishing in better shape this year on several campuses.

Please take a look at the reporting timelines. Use your Calendar of Events to see the complete details. Work with your campus principal to ensure you have a plan in place for the reporting window.

I'll remove TELPAS campus coordinators from this mailing list after spring break.

Below are photos from our STAAR campus coordinator training.

Please email me with any of your campus plans to work on addressing test anxiety - students and staff. You might want to make a plan with a counselor and others on campus.

If you're looking for some books to help ease anxiety related to upcoming administrations, here are some suggestions. I purchased about 10 of these for each elementary school, and they should be available in the library or from the counselor. I have a few extras of some titles in my office, and you can call me to borrow. Find the list at this link.

TELPAS coordinators have set a high bar with no errors on seating charts. There are so many moving parts to TELPAS, especially at elementary campuses, so this is quite an accomplishment!

Thank you!

When you copy seating charts to save in your designated folders, please ensure they are legible. If the writing is light, you may need to darken the copies. Colored paper can also be problematic. Please make sure these are legible before your save them in your folders.

I have updated a set of generic seating charts that you can use for consolidation. You'll want to print these to have available.

You may also choose to reassign students in Testhound and print a new seating chart. However, this is not required!

These seating charts are only allowable for consolidated test sites.

What is your plan to ensure technology is in good working order, updated and ready for test days? Routine technology checks are recommended. Schedule a day for everyone to launch the Secure Test Browser (or something else) in class and establish a reporting system for teachers to document the check. You'll need to have a system to capture any problems and submit "Technology Help" requests if any devices are not functioning properly.

Schedule your campus technology checks at least 4-6 week prior to a test administration to allow time for any repairs or troubleshooting.

Campus coordinators for state assessments should be reading the weekly Principals' Newsletter. Additionally, I will send a weekly email most weeks. Please be sure to schedule time to read each weekly email.

If you need to catch up on my weekly email, find links on the Resources page of our PfISD State Assessments website. You'll find last week's email there if you missed it.

Find the archives of the weekly PfISD Principals' Newsletter at this link. If you're not receiving these, ask your principal to get you added to the mailing list.

Find the link and/or preregister at this link (must be logged in to Testhound).

When logged into Testhound, click "Help" to find more information and links to register or access recordings.

• From "Help", navigate to
• "Register for a Live TestHound Educational Session" or
• Watch a Recorded Testhound Educational Session.

Upcoming Sessions

• Verifying Accommodations, March 18, 10-10:30
• Campus Reports, March 25, 10-10:30am
• Testhound Tune-Ups (live work sessions, bring your questions)
• Mondays, 2:30-3pm
• Thursdays, 9-9:30am
• Additional Tuesday & Wednesday sessions have been added in March/April

Here's a gardening checklist from Central Texas Gardener for those working outside next week. (Please come work on my yard!)