State Assessment News & Updates

• Feb. 17 - March 19 - Observance of Ramadan - Please keep this in mind and be aware of any special needs for families who participate in fasting. Let me know if you have questions.
• Feb. 23 - 27 - STAAR Alternate 2 & STAAR Test Administrator Manuals arrive on campus
• Feb. 24 - March 11 - PfISD TELPAS Window (note this window is different across the state)
• March 4 - SAT at high school campuses
• March 27 - Work Session (register in Kickup)

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.

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 TELPAS, TELPAS Alternate or STAAR Alternate 2 by adding the student's information to the request form linked below.

This is not required for TELPAS or TELPAS Alternate as I am already routinely checking Skyward for newly enrolled/identified students. However, it can be helpful if you will add the student to this list.

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.

If you receive any requests from anyone not enrolled on your campus to participate in Spring STAAR, please refer the request to Kelly and provide the link below to the family.

Eligible students may be enrolled in a virtual (online) Texas school. This can be a recruiting tool if we offer to test them at their neighborhood campus. Homeschool students (not enrolled in a Texas school) are not eligible to participate in STAAR.

Additionally, students who are not currently enrolled in any school, but have not previously passed one or more EOC assessments are eligible to test.

OOS/OOD requests may be submitted on the PfISD form available on our website.

• You may need to place an additional order at this time if there have been changes since verification of student eligibility in December.
• Consider newly enrolled students and/or newly identified students. If a student has withdrawn since December, you may repurpose those materials for another eligible student or keep them (unused) secured throughout the window.
• Find your list of materials here. Review this list before ordering additional materials.
• Find the appropriate form number for your campus on the materials list linked above. If you are not receiving any of the materials you need to order, you will use the "any form" option on the order form.
• Additional orders are expected to arrive after spring break, during the administration window.
• Do not provide notice that you're receiving "extra" materials. The materials listing are what you are receiving and that cannot be changed.

SA 2 materials have landed in PfISD and will be delivered to campuses next week if your Secure Storage Form was submitted as requested. Be sure you have trained your front office staff to receive these materials and hold them until you are available to secure them in your documented secure storage.

Receiving materials is a 3-step process, detailed below. (Note that updates may be made to this document. I'm currently waiting on the "list" of materials that I can upload into Testhound.)

You will need to have a barcode scanner ready to complete the final step of receiving your materials in Testhound. Additional information to receive materials in Testhound is available at this link.

Additional information will be provided next week. Stay tuned.

All 3 steps must be completed within 2 school days of receiving materials on campus.

• At this time, the campus coordinator has made contact with families regarding students receiving homebound services who participate in SA2.
• If you need help to determine a testing plan, call me with information from the homebound teacher about the services that are currently in place.

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

🏆Thanks to Jacque, Mike, Kel, Amanda, Cheryl, Veronica & Jorgelina for selecting an appointment.🏆

Test Administrator Manuals for Spring STAAR administrations will be delivered with STAAR Alternate 2 materials later this week.

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.

The much-requested TELPAS Check-in Checklist is ready for you. There are a number of items you have already completed and can initial.

Be aware that when you initial an item complete, this implies you have carefully verified the task is complete and accurate.

Watch for an email with instructions to access your secure folder for submitting documents. This is coming soon.

You will continue to add and verify "years" for newly enrolled students.

• Instructions are available here.

Please verify that students are properly identified in TIDE to participate in TELPAS Alternate. You may need to work with your ARD facilitator and STAAR coordinator. Second graders have also been identified in TIDE. Call with questions about TELPAS Alternate.

• Instructions are available here.

I have revised the procedure for uploading holistic ratings. Many of you have requested to rearrange the form to match the order of the TELPAS Ratings Roster, and I have finally accomplished this!

I will share you campus spreadsheet with instructions soon. The instructions will include a brief video with instructions on completing the spreadsheet.

Holistic ratings are due complete in TIDE by March 12.

You may also want to watch the 12 minute video linked below that addresses how to upload into TIDE.

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.

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

• Setting up Rooms & Test Administrations - February 25, 10-10:30
• Make-up Testing/Marking Students Absent - March 11, 10-10:30
• 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

Here's your February To Do List from Central Texas Gardener. Find the complete list at this link.