Achievement District Test Coordinator Updates and Reminders
March 11, 2022 |
Achievement District Test Coordinators,
Thank you for all of your work administering the AASA Writing Stand-Alone Field Test (SAFT). Over 437,000 online tests were completed in grades 3-8 during the SAFT test window. We are also finishing up the first ACT test window this week. Over 11,000 online ACT tests have been completed in this window.
Spring 2022 testing continues with the AzSCI test window opening later this month, followed by AASA, ACT Aspire, and ACT Test Window 2 in April. Please see below for important updates and reminders! |
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The Spring 2022 AASA Test Administration Directions (TAD) and Test Coordinator's Manual (TCM) are now posted on our website, on the AASA webpage and on the Achievement District Test Coordinator's webpage, under the dropdown for "Spring 2022 Manuals and Checklists". Please note there is a separate TAD for computer-based testing and for paper-based testing.
AASA test sessions can be prepared in PearsonAccessNext (PAN) beginning March 28. Please note the "Prepare Sessions" button is still appearing in PAN from the Writing SAFT; however, this button is not currently functional, and you will receive an error if you attempt to prepare AASA sessions prior to March 28.
Testing groups that were created for the Writing SAFT will remain in PAN for AASA; however, students must be re-added to the testing groups for AASA. |
AASA Test Units and Sessions
Students in Grades 4-8 will have three test units for ELA: Writing, ELA 1 (Reading), and ELA 2 (Reading); and two test units for Math: Math 1 and Math 2. In PearsonAccessNext (PAN), there are two sessions at each grade level - one for ELA and one for Math. The separate units are contained within these sessions. See screenshot below. |
Students in Grade 3 are set up in PAN a little differently due to the Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) test. Grade 3 students will have a separate session in PAN for each ELA test unit: Writing, ELA 1 (Reading), ELA 2 (Reading), and ORF. See screenshot below. For Grade 3, there will be two test units for Math: Math 1 and Math 2. As with Grades 4-8, these units will be in one Math session. |
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Testing Tickets for Online Testing
Each test session will have a separate testing ticket. Therefore, students in Grades 4-8 will have one ELA testing ticket and one Math testing ticket. Districts/schools may choose to print multiple copies of the testing tickets in order to provide students with a separate testing ticket for each test unit. We have heard from some districts who are printing the testing tickets for different test units on different colored paper in order to distinguish between them. This is not required but is an option.
Because students in Grade 3 will have four separate ELA test sessions in PAN, there will be four separate corresponding testing tickets for ELA. Grade 3 students will have one testing ticket for Math due to having only one Math session in PAN.
Testing tickets are secure test materials and must be kept in secure, locked storage when not in use. Testing tickets must be collected from students following each test unit and securely destroyed after testing. |
Paper-Based Testing Information
Paper-based testing materials are scheduled to be delivered in districts March 21-24. Please note that paper test booklets and Pre-ID labels will ship separately. Both will arrive during this week but in separate packages and possibly on different dates.
Please inventory materials upon receipt. If additional materials are needed, an Additional Order may be placed in PAN beginning March 25. All additional orders will be reviewed by ADE prior to approval.
Tracking numbers are starting to post in PAN now as materials are shipped. If your district will be on Spring Break when your delivery is scheduled, you may contact the carrier with the posted tracking numbers and reschedule for a date when you will be available for the delivery.
If you have any questions about AASA, please contact us at AASA@azed.gov. |
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Hard copies of Test Coordinator's Manuals and Test Administration Directions will not be sent to districts or charters for AzSCI. These manuals are posted electronically on our website and in PearsonAccessNext. A limited number of copies are available to order during the AzSCI Additional Order window, if needed. The Additional Order window for AzSCI is open now and closes on April 7.
AzSCI test sessions can be prepared in PAN beginning March 14.
Correction to AzSCI Test Coordinator's Manual - Steps for AzSCI Test Irregularities
On Page 7 of the AzSCI Test Coordinator's Manual, the steps to be completed for any AzSCI test irregularities are provided. Step #2 should state: "School Test Coordinators must notify Achievement District Test Coordinators of any test irregularities that occurred during testing."
There is not a specific form to be completed for this step. Achievement District Test Coordinators must report any testing incidents or irregularities in PAN within 24 hours of the incident.
If you have any questions about AzSCI, please contact us at AzSCI@azed.gov. |
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For issues during ACT testing, please contact ACT at 319-337-1567. This is an Arizona-specific ACT number, and any technical issues or concerns that occur during testing will be prioritized.
Please see the ACT website for information about students completing MyACT. Resources are included under Step 4: Preparation, under the heading "Complete Non-Test Activities". Students may complete the non-test information in MyACT before testing and up to two days after students finish testing. This may be completed on a separate date from actual testing. Students who set up a MyACT account will have the opportunity to send their ACT scores to up to 4 colleges or scholarship agencies for free and will receive their test results 11-14 days faster than waiting for paper score reports.
Schools administering ACT during the second ACT test window may begin creating and assigning students to sessions on March 30.
If you need to add students to your rosters in PAN for ACT testing, you will need to submit a Support Request to ACT using the Enroll or Unenroll Students file. Complete this template, then in ACT's PAN site, go to Support > Support Requests, then create a request to make the change. ACT will use the template to import and format the student data for you.
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Hard copies of manuals will not be sent to districts for ACT Aspire. All manuals are available electronically on the ACT Aspire page of the ACT-hosted website for Arizona.
Sessions for ACT Aspire were not automatically created when students were uploaded to PAN by ADE. This step will need to be completed by schools/districts.
Reminder: Live Q&A chats with Aspire experts have been scheduled from February - May 2022. Please attend one of these sessions if you have questions about Aspire. Following each session, a recording will also be available on demand. You can register for any of the sessions here.
Please reference the Aspire Accessibility Supports Guide for information about Aspire accommodations, designated supports, and English learner supports. The test coordinator is responsible for documenting these supports on the Personal Needs Profile (PNP) and maintaining documentation securely on file for one year after testing.
Use the Aspire Personal Needs Profile (PNP) file to:
- Assign accommodations for online testing
- Create test sessions and assign students to sessions
- Create testing groups/classes (optional)
More information about the Aspire PNP file can be located under Step 3: Accommodation on the ACT-hosted Aspire webpage.
If you have any questions about ACT Aspire, please contact us at Testing@azed.gov. |
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