Phase B Field Test
The Phase B field test window is November 10 - December 20, 2014. The purposes of this field test are
to:
1. Try out testlets that could be used in the spring 2015 operational assessment.
2. Collect data that will be used to continue statistical modeling of the learning map.
3. Solicit feedback from teachers on new assessments and on accessibility.
The test administration, accessibility, and other manuals for 2014-15 cover the procedures for preparing
for and administering tests in detail. This document highlights unique features of the test experience in
Phase B.
Content Assessed
English Language Arts, Grades 3-11
• In all grades, Essential Elements in Reading Literature (RL) and Reading Informational Text (RI) will
be tested.
• In grades 4, 8, and 11, testlets that assess writing and language Essential Elements will also be
available for assessment. Writing testlets include both emergent and conventional versions of
writing. The type of testlet assigned depends on the student’s data entered in the First Contact
Survey. For more information on resources that support writing assessment go to see the Writing
Testlet FAQ on the Educator Resource Page
http://www.dynamiclearningmaps.org/sites/default/files/documents/ERP/dlm_writing_testlet_faq.
pdf
• Alternate forms for students with blindness/visual impairments will be available where appropriate
in grades 3 and 7. See “Test Delivery and Administration” for more details.
Mathematics, Grades 3-11
• In all grades, testlets that cover the Essential Elements in the blueprint will be tested.
• Alternate forms for students with blindness/visual impairments will be available where appropriate
in grades 3, 7, and 11. See the “Test Delivery and Administration” section in this document for more
details.
Preparing for the Tests
Each state’s webpage on the DLM website has links to resources for district staff and test
administrators. Resources may be used for field tests and operational testing.
In districts that did not participate in the Phase A field test:
Data Stewards need to review Educator Portal user accounts for correctness, including email addresses
and user roles.
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Test administrators 1 should use the Test Administration Manual as a guide and must complete the
following activities before they can administer a test:
1. Complete the security certificate and all required training modules in Educator Portal.
2. Review students and rosters in Educator Portal for accuracy.
3. Complete the First Contact survey for each student in Educator Portal.
4. Complete the Personal Needs and Preferences (PNP) Profile in Educator Portal for each student.
In districts that participated in the Phase A field test:
• Data Stewards need to review Educator Portal user accounts for new users to ensure correctness,
including email addresses and user roles.
• Test administrators who participated in Phase A field testing in October do not need to do any
preparations in Educator Portal unless their student(s) need roster adjustments or changes to PNP
or First Contact.
• Test administrators who have students taking ELA assessments in grades 4, 8, and 11 should review
the resources on delivering writing assessments in DLM. See the Writing Testlet FAQ on the
Educator Resource Page
http://www.dynamiclearningmaps.org/sites/default/files/documents/ERP/dlm_writing_testlet_faq.
pdf.
• The KITE client must be installed on the computer or device that students use to take the test.
• We also recommend test administrators follow instructions in the Guide to Practice Activities and
Released Testlets to give their students opportunities to become familiar with testlets before the
window opens.
Test Delivery and Administration
Each student will be assigned up to 4 testlets in English language arts and up to 4 testlets in
mathematics. Some students may receive only 3 testlets in a subject. A list of the Essential Elements on
the blueprint for each grade is provided on the ELA blueprint
http://www.dynamiclearningmaps.org/sites/default/files/ela_ye_blueprint.pdf and the Math blueprint
http://www.dynamiclearningmaps.org/sites/default/files/math_ye_blueprint.pdf.
Test Delivery Process
• All testlets are assigned at the same time. (The system does not adapt between testlets during this
field test.) Testlets are assigned automatically after the teacher submits the First Contact Survey.
The linkage level for testlets assigned to the student is based on the First Contact Survey responses.
• If the survey is completed before the window opens, testlets should be available on November 10.
• If the survey is completed after the window opens, test assignment may be delayed 24-48 hours.
• Test administrators should follow the procedures for teacher-administered and computer-delivered
testlets as described in the DLM Test Administration Manual.
• Testlets may be administered one at a time, or more than one may be completed in a single session.
See the DLM Test Administration Manual for additional guidance.
This fall, Testlet Information Pages (TIPs) become available for the first time. These PDF documents
provide the test administrator with important information about each testlet. During Phase B, follow
this process to retrieve TIPs:
1
also called teachers or examiners in some states
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Use your student’s KITE login information to view a list of the tests assigned.
Write down the names of each test on the list. All tests will begin with “FT” and the subject
(ELA or Math) and will end with a number.
o Log out of KITE.
o Go to the TIPs link on your Educator Resource Page:
http://dynamiclearningmaps.org/content/erp_ye. Choose the right subject (ELA or math)
and grade.
TIPs have the same name as the test names as they appear in KITE. Locate the TIP for each testlet your
student was assigned. Download or print each TIP.
o
o
Accessibility Notes
For students who use the Text to Speech support (called synthetic spoken audio in Educator Portal PNP
section), most Phase B testlets will be delivered without text to speech enabled. Educators should use
the human read aloud option to read testlets aloud to students when the synthetic read aloud is not
available.
For students who are blind or who have visual impairments:
• Braille field tests will be delivered in Phase C (January 2015).
• Most DLM testlets are designed to be accessible to students who are blind or who have visual
impairments. In some cases, alternate forms of testlets are more appropriate. To receive those
forms when they are appropriate, the student’s PNP (“Access” column) must have “alternate form –
visual impairment” checked on the “other supports” tab.
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Alternate Forms available during Phase B include:
• Grade 3, ELA and math
• Grade 7, ELA and math
• Grade 11, math
To receive these forms in Phase B:
• The student’s First Contact Survey must be complete and the PNP must indicate this support need
no later than Wednesday, November 12.
• If the survey is completed before the window opens, testlets should be available on November 12.
• If the survey is completed by November 12, testlets should be available by November 14.
• When available, DLM will assign alternate test forms.
• The test administrator should look for testlets with “BVI” in the name, especially when there are two
testlets with very similar names:
At the End of the Field Test
•
•
•
Delete or shred each TIP for every student.
If one or more of your students received a writing testlet (grades 4, 8, or 11), please go to
http://tinyurl.com/dlm-b-writing to complete a short survey about that experience.
If you have feedback about accessibility of testlets for certain students, please go to
http://tinyurl.com/dlm-b-access to complete a short survey about that experience.
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