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 tests 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 assessment 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

CAST, the CAA for Science, and the 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 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.

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 assessments. Refer to the CAAs for ELA and Mathematics subsection for additional information on multistage adaptive testing.

General Rules of Computer-Based Testing

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 assessments, there may be segments. For example, the Smarter Balanced for Mathematics assessments 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 (that is, 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, 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 (for example, 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 assessments. 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.
• CAST is a single assessment 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 test session.
• In the CAA for Science administration:
  • An embedded PT should be administered throughout the school year, immediately after related instruction.
  • There are three 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 on the basis of how well students perform on the initial set of items. Some students may be presented with fewer items than others, depending on how the student performs 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 assessment.

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 assessment is composed 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.

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 CAST in addition to the Smarter Balanced assessments for ELA and mathematics. Otherwise, students in grade twelve who are required to take CAST will take only CAST, as will those students in grade ten who are assigned to take 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

Note the following about CAASPP test administration 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.
• The CAA for Science testing window is automatically set, opening in mid-September through the final day of the LEA instructional calendar or June 30, whichever comes first. The Activate checkbox for the CAA for Science administration window is checked by default in TOMS and cannot be edited.

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

CAST administration, which is untimed, is estimated to take approximately two hours. 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 assessment after the end of a segment.

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

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. Assessments 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 immediately 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. Assessments may be administered to a student over as many testing sessions and days as required to meet the needs of that student. The three embedded PTs can be administered in any order, at any time, throughout the year following the start of the test administration window in September. It is strongly recommended that each embedded PT be administered immediately after instruction of the related content.

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 two-and-one-half to four-and-one-half hours. Note that the CSA is an untimed assessment 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 1 illustrates the flow of test administration, where the CAT should precede the PT.

Figure 1. Recommended order of administration

Duration and Timing Information

ELA and Mathematics

The scheduling recommendations for ELA and mathematics assessments are included in table 4. 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. The amount of time between beginning and completing each assessment within a content area should be minimized.
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 assessments 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. The amount of time between beginning and completing each assessment within a content area should be minimized.
3. The number of items will vary on the CAT and PT portions of each student’s Smarter Balanced assessment.
4. The assessments 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 5. Note that the duration, timing, break and pause rules, and session recommendations may vary by assessment.

Additional Administration Recommendations for Science:

1. For 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 three of the separate embedded PTs so the student can be counted as participating.
   1. Administration should occur immediately 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. The amount of time between beginning and completing the assessment should be minimized.
4. The assessments 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. Assessments 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 6.

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 the following:

• 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 assessments for 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] navigation tab 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 assessment.

The release of ELA and mathematics results must be authorized individually (for example, 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.