A couple of items to consider:

1. An assistant DTC or back-up DTC is considered "Best Practice," but it is not required.

2. How would your district function if you as the DTC had to quarantine during any STAAR testing windows? Do you already have a plan?

3. Keep in mind that anyone who serves in the role as DTC, must be a TRAINED DTC.

4. Districts may also want to consider training more than one CTC per campus this year as well. Once again, that is not a requirement.

5. How would your individual campuses function on STAAR test day if your CTC had to quarantine? Would you as a DTC be able to step into that roll? Do you already have a plan?

6. Also keep in mind that anyone who serves as the role as the CTC must receive specific CTC training from the DTC. Plan now to reduce stress during a hectic testing season.

As we are winding down for Thanksgiving break, be sure to mark on your calendars the following:

• December 1st is the last day to order additional materials for the December EOC.
• December 4th is the last day for CTCs to train the test administrators for the December EOC.
• DTC and your superintendent need to submit part 1 of your Oath online if each party has not already done so. Click on the hyperlinks for the oaths
• HS CTCS and HS test administrators who are giving the December EOC should also complete their oath after they have received training.

For the fourth year, Texas is requesting a waiver from the United States Department of Education (USDE) regarding the 1.0 percent threshold on the percentage of students statewide who participate in alternate assessments aligned with alternate academic achievement standards (i.e., STAAR Alternate 2). This waiver request is for the 2020–21 school year.

TEA is accepting comments regarding this waiver request via email to assessmentwaiver@tea.texas.gov. The public comment period begins Tuesday, November 17, 2020, and ends Thursday, December 17, 2020, at 5:00 PM (CT). Note that TEA will not respond to individual comments but will incorporate the comments as it is finalizing the waiver request before submission to the USDE.

This is a reminder that the deadline to select a data collection/registration option for the 2021 TELPAS administration is December 11, 2020. There are two data collection options. Districts may choose to have student data loaded to the STAAR Alternate 2, TELPAS, and TELPAS Alternate Assessment Management System based on Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) data, or districts may submit a locally created student registration data file containing all K–12 English learner (EL) students. For more information about the data collection options, refer to the TELPAS section of Review student records in the District and Campus Coordinator Resources.

For details about indicating your selection or uploading files, see the STAAR Alternate 2, TELPAS, and TELPAS Alternate Assessment Management User’s Guide in the Texas Resource Center. The window to submit district-created student registration data files will open January 11, 2021.

Test booklets, answer keys, and raw score to scale score tables for the spring 2020 EOY assessments and the fall 2020 BOY assessments are available on the Texas Resource Center. To access these materials, select the Test Preparation tab and select the “EOY” or “BOY” option to see the released test materials for that assessment.

For questions and assistance regarding the information in this communication, contact the Customer Service Center using the live chat feature, the Pearson Customer Support Form, or by calling 800-627-0225.

The STAAR progress measure is calculated based on a student’s gain score—the scale score difference between the current year and the prior year. Since STAAR testing was suspended for spring and summer 2020 due to the impact of COVID-19, this year’s calculation differs slightly and measures progress across two years, from 2018–2019 to 2020–2021.

The 2020–2021 STAAR progress measure will be included on STAAR Report Cards and in the Student Portal as applicable to help parents gauge their child’s academic performance from 2018–2019 to 2020–2021.

The 2020–2021 STAAR progress measure outcomes will be provided on STAAR data files. Whether they will be used for 2021 academic accountability evaluations in the School Progress and Closing the Gaps domains in the same manner as in the past has yet to be determined.

For more information on the STAAR progress measure and its use in 2020–2021, see the communication sent from the Performance Reporting Division.

This training module was created for Test Administrators. It is designed to supplement the mandatory training required of all Test Administrators. The training consists of two training videos and twelve questions about the content covered in the videos. The module should take about an hour to complete. A Certificate of Completion will be available at the end of the module. Individuals will be prompted to fill in their first and last name and date of completion prior to printing or saving a copy of the certificate. Note that any unsaved certificates will not be retrievable at a later time.

TA Module

The following training webinars are coming soon. Select the link to register for the training.

Webinar information and registration links are also available on the Training webpage.

• The “December 2020 Material Returns” webinar will take place Tuesday, December 1, 2020, 1:30–3:00 p.m. (CT).
  

For questions or assistance regarding the information in this communication, contact the Texas Assessment Support Center at 855-333-7770, STAAR3-8@ets.org, STAAREOC@ets.org, or via live chat through the Assessment Management System.

Two webinar training opportunities will be available in January 2021 to provide an overview of the STAAR Alternate 2, TELPAS, and TELPAS Alternate Assessment Management System and the TELPAS Online Training Center and to help you prepare for the spring administrations.

The webinars include information on changes and key dates.

Each webinar will be offered at two different times but will include the same information. Districts will receive an additional email in January when registration for the webinars opens. Dates and times for these webinars are listed below.

STAAR Alternate 2 and TELPAS Alternate

Tuesday, January 26

Wednesday, January 27

10:00–11:30 a.m. (CT)

10:00–11:30 a.m. (CT)

TELPAS and TELPAS Online Training Center

Tuesday, January 26

Wednesday, January 27

2:00–3:30 p.m. (CT)

2:00–3:30 p.m. (CT)

For questions and assistance regarding the information in this communication, contact the Customer Service Center using the live chat feature, the Pearson Customer Support Form, or by calling 800-627-0225.

Registration is open for the 2021 TSNAP Best Practices Forum.

Join the next generation to learn about best practices surrounding assessment and accountability during the virtual conference.

Register here...

Performance Reporting is collaborating with national accountability experts, accountability advisory groups, U.S. Department of Education staff, and state legislative staff to determine options for 2021 accountability ratings. The agency plans to publicize requests for changes to the federal accountability system in December for public comment followed by a January submission. Similar to last year, the 2021 Academic Accountability Framework is scheduled for release in February/March, followed by the 2021 Accountability Manual public comment period in April.

In the meantime, you may follow the 2021 development process.

Performance Reporting has received multiple inquiries about the potential impacts of STAAR answer document score codes on 2021 participation rates. The participation rate calculation for reading and mathematics as well as the most frequently asked questions are provided below:

The target participation rate is 95 percent of students taking a state-administered assessment in reading and mathematics. Participation measures are based on STAAR and TELPAS assessment results.

• STAAR Alternate 2 students with a No Authentic Academic Response (NAAR) designation are included as participants.
• Students with the medical exception or medically exempt designations are not included in the participation rate calculation. This includes both STAAR and STAAR Alternate 2 students.

The participation rate is calculated as follows using codes from the Consolidated Accountability File (CAF).

Number of answer documents with a score code of S + Number of STAAR Alternate 2 testers with a score code of N + Number of A or O reading answer documents with a scored TELPAS or TELPAS Alternate assessment + Number of A or O mathematics answer documents with a scored TELPAS or TELPAS Alternate assessment for year 1 asylee/refugees and SIFEs

---divided by---

Number scored (S) + Number absent (A) + No authentic academic response (N) + Other (O)

If a campus marks an answer document with a score code of O (not scored) and an agency use code of 0 (remote instruction—not testing in person), would that test still be included in the denominator for the participation count?

Under traditional federal participation rules, yes. The agency is seeking a federal participation waiver for 2021 accountability; however, without a participation waiver granted from the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) all Os will be included as non-participants.

If a campus were to mark an answer document with a score of A (absent) and submit the medical exclusion due to COVID or quarantine and the exclusion was approved, would that test be removed from the participation calculations?

Yes.

Is the purpose of the agency use code of 0 to be able to identify these specific O codes for not scored from the other O codes that are normally included (cheating, ill during testing)?

Yes, the agency would like to be able to differentiate between traditional As/Os and As/Os that were a result of virtual learning, quarantine, or COVID-19.

The 2019–20 TAPR will be released on November 19, 2020. Please note, that due to the cancellation of 2020 spring STAAR testing, 2020 STAAR data will not be included. The report will display 2018 and 2019 STAAR data.

Additionally, the Enrollment section in Profile is new this year. The definitions below describe the nuances between Membership and Enrollment. If comparing the data shown from this year’s report to previous reports, use the data displayed under Membership. Prior year reports used the Membership definition in the Profile section.

Enrollment: Students reported as enrolled as of the last Friday in October (October 25, 2019).

Membership: Membership differs from enrollment, as it does not include those students who are served for less than two hours per day. A student is in membership if he/she is enrolled and is either

• scheduled to attend at least two hours of instruction each school day or
• participating in an alternative attendance accounting program.

For example, the count of Total Students excludes students who attend a non-public school but receive some services, such as speech therapy—for less than two hours per day—from their local school district.

An October 29, 2020 To the Administrator Addressed correspondence provided an update about College, Career, or Military Readiness Outcomes Bonus (CCMR OB) thresholds, rule adoption, and funding.

The proposed threshold percentages of annual graduates who demonstrate college, career, or military readiness for each of the following cohorts are as follows:

• 11% of annual graduates who are educationally disadvantaged
• 24% of annual graduates who are not educationally disadvantaged
• 0% of annual graduates who are enrolled in a special education program regardless of whether the annual graduates are educationally disadvantaged

Because of the required administrative rulemaking process, these thresholds are not yet final.

Performance Reporting will release 2018 Annual Graduates CCMR OB Student Listings in TEA Login (TEAL) Accountability by January 1, 2021. This listing will be considered final and will be used by the State Funding Division to settle up fiscal year 2019–20 CCMR OB funding.

Preliminary 2019 Annual Graduates CCMR OB Student Listings will also be released in TEAL Accountability by January 1, 2021, and will be used to generate preliminary 2020–21 CCMR OB funding.

Intervention & Submission calendars were posted on August 13th on the TEA website. The calendars may be accessed at the links below.

• Visit the District Accountability Intervention and Guidance webpage and choose District Interventions Matrix.
• Visit the Campus Accountability Intervention and Guidance webpage and choose Campus Interventions Matrix.

Texas Education Agency
Student Assessment Division
1701 N. Congress Avenue, Room 3-122A
Austin, Texas 78701
Phone: (512) 463-9536
Fax: (512) 463-9302

ETS Customer Service
(STAAR Grades 3–8, EOC, and Interim Assessments):
Phone:(855) 333-7770
Email:
STAAR3-8@ets.org
STAAREOC@ets.org

Pearson's Customer Service Center
(STAAR Alternate 2, TELPAS. and TELPAS Alternate):
Phone: (800) 627-0225
Email: TxPearsonAccess@support.pearson.com

Assessment, Accountability & School Improvement Specialist

Regional Testing Coordinator

Region 6 Education Service Center

Email: jhassell@esc6.net
Website: https://www.esc6.net/
Location: 3332 Montgomery Rd, Huntsville, TX, USA
Phone: 936-435-8355