Achievement Paper-Based Testing Reminders
February 17, 2023
Reminders included below are for schools administering paper-based assessments this spring, including AASA, AzSCI, ACT Aspire, and/or ACT.
AASA

Students in paper-based testing schools must be added to PearsonAccessNext (PAN) no later than today, February 17, 2023, to receive preprinted ID labels. Student demographic information will need to be bubbled in on test booklets for any students added in PAN after this date. Additional labels are not available to order and may not be printed from PAN.

Preprinted labels will be delivered in a separate shipment than paper test booklets. Both shipments should arrive in the same week. If additional paper test booklets are needed, an order may be placed during the Additional Order window, March 24 - April 5, 2023. Please place any additional orders early to ensure they are delivered in time for testing.

Grade 3 Paper-Based Testing
Grade 3 students in paper-based testing schools will be required to complete the Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) test unit on a landline speaker telephone in a one-on-one test administration. There is no option this year to move Grade 3 students in paper-based testing schools to the online ORF test in TestNav.

After testing is completed, Grade 3 scorable test materials must be packaged and returned separately from Grades 4-8 scorable test materials. Please see the AASA Test Coordinator's Manual for packaging and shipping details.
AzSCI

Because AzSCI is set up as an online-only test, any paper testing is treated as Special Paper Version testing. Districts and charters who have been approved for AzSCI paper testing will receive additional information next week after ADE has uploaded students to PearsonAccessNext. This separate email will detail the tasks to be completed to prepare for AzSCI paper testing.
ACT Aspire

Students in paper-based testing schools must be added to PearsonAccessNext (PAN) no later than February 24, 2023 to receive preprinted ID labels. Student demographic information will need to be bubbled in on answer documents for any students added in PAN after this date.

Preprinted labels will be delivered in a separate shipment than paper test booklets and answer documents. Both shipments should arrive in the same week. If additional paper-based testing materials are needed, an order may be placed during the Additional Order window, March 20 - April 7, 2023. Please place any additional orders early to ensure they are delivered in time for testing.
ACT

ACT has found that some writing test booklets were printed with an incorrect barcode, which affects Pearson's check-in process but will not affect test coordinators, room supervisors, or students. ACT is blocking out those barcodes and reprinting the correct code. This printing will completely cover the incorrect barcode. If you receive any writing test booklets with a black box on them, this is the reason for the black box, and testing can proceed as usual.

Schools that administer standard time paper tests in the first ACT testing window, on March 21, have the following options for makeup testing. 
  • Administer makeup testing online using any of the remaining online test days in the first window - March 22, 23, 28, 29, or 30. Please see the ACT document, Switching from Paper to Online Testing, for steps that must be completed prior to online makeup testing.
  • Administer paper-based testing in the second ACT testing window, on April 4. If this option is utilized, new paper test booklets must be ordered during the Additional Order window for Test Window 2, March 21-24, 2023. Test booklets from Test Window 1 may not be used for Test Window 2 as this would result in test invalidation.
  • Makeup testing may also be administered online using any of the remaining online test days in the second window - April 4-6 and 11-13.
Schools that selected Test Window 2 will have only one paper test date for standard time testing, April 4. Any makeup testing must be administered online using the remaining online test days in that test window - April 5, 6, 11, 12, or 13.

Districts will begin receiving materials for paper testing next week, beginning February 20, if the earlier shipping date was selected. Depending on the test date selected in PAN, the shipment may include only non-secure test materials, or it may include all materials. If only non-secure materials are delivered, the secure materials will arrive the week before the start of testing.
For questions about AASA, please contact us at AASA@azed.gov.
For questions about AzSCI, please contact us at AzSCI@azed.gov.
For questions about ACT Aspire and ACT, please contact us at Testing@azed.gov.
Audra Ahumada
Deputy Associate Superintendent of Assessment
Arizona Department of Education

Joseph M. Guzman, Ph.D.
Associate Superintendent of Assessment,
Standards, Accountability, and Research
Arizona Department of Education