Phase B Tests
The Phase B testing window is November 10 - December 20, 2014. This window includes some
operational tests and some field tests. All of these tests are selected through the Instructional Tools
Interface (ITI) in Educator Portal.
The purposes of the 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. Receive 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
A list of Essential Elements available in Phase B is provided on the Educator Resource Page:
http://dynamiclearningmaps.org/content/erp_im.
English Language Arts, Grades 3-11
• In all grades, Essential Elements in Reading Literature (RL) and Reading Informational Text (RI) will
be available for testing.
• 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 codes will begin with “EE.EW” or “EE.CW” in ITI. 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 see the FAQ available 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 the “Test Delivery and Administration” section in this document 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 “Test Delivery and Administration” for more details.
How Do I Decide Which Essential Elements To Test In Phase B?
If your state has provided guidance about what to test in Phase B, follow those instructions.
If you do not have specific guidance from your state on what to test during Phase B, consider these
recommendations:
1. Consider the full blueprint and the Essential Elements you will choose for the student for the entire
year.
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2. Review the list of EEs available in Phase B.
3. Try to select 1/4 to 1/3 of the EEs for the student’s entire assessment that year. For example, if you
need to choose 9 Essential Elements for the student this year and 6 of the EEs available in Phase B
are on the student’s list, try to assess 2-3 of them so you can focus on the others during Phase C. If
you need to assess 8 EEs and only 3 from your student’s list are available, assess 2 or 3. Testing up to
1/3 of the EEs in phase B will help balance the test administration time required between Phases B
and C.
4. Where you have choices, select the EEs where the student has already received instruction and is
ready for assessment. Remember that all Phase B EEs will also be available during Phase C.
How Do I Decide Which Linkage Levels To Test In Phase B?
1. The system will recommend a linkage level for the student based on First Contact Survey
responses. You may accept the recommendation or choose a different level. Use the mini-maps
and node descriptions for each EE to find the best level for each student on each EE.
2. Choose a level where the student has received instruction and would be capable of showing
whether or not s/he had mastered the skills.
3. You will be able to choose from these levels: Initial Precursor, Distal Precursor, Proximal
Precursor, and Target.
4. You will not be able to choose Successor level testlets yourself. However, if you choose the
Target level, you may receive a Successor level field test testlet.
5. See pages 59-60 in the TEST ADMINISTRATION MANUAL for more guidance.
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Using the Instructional Tools Interface (ITI) In Phase B
The basic steps for using ITI in Educator Portal are:
1. Create a plan (one plan for each EE for each student).
2. Save the plan and deliver instruction.
3. Confirm the plan to assign a test.
4. Retrieve the Testlet Information Page (TIP) about the assigned test.
5. Retrieve the student’s username and password from the instructional plan history.
6. Administer the assessment.
See the “Use the Instructional Tools Interface” section of the TEST ADMINISTRATION MANUAL beginning on
page 107 for step-by-step instructions. Additionally, look for TEST ADMINISTRATION MANUAL 2014-15
RELEASE NOTES with updates to those procedures and screen shots.
Only the Essential Elements available for testing in Phase B will be in ITI. Other EEs will not appear on
the list.
Testlets at different linkage levels within the available EEs will be released on a rolling basis through
November 17. As soon as they are available, you may select them in ITI. If you choose a linkage level for
an available EE and receive an error message, check back again on or after November 17. The error
message reads, “Assessment content is not available at this time for this Essential Element and Level.
Please either check back in the future or select a different level or another Essential Element.”
Remember that the instructional information in 2014-15 is limited to the mini-maps and nodes at each
linkage level for the Essential Element.
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.
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.
1
also called teachers or examiners in some states
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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.
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:
Test Administration
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With the exception of alternate forms for students with blindness/visual impairment as described
above, each testlet is assigned when the test administrator confirms the choice of EE and linkage
level in ITI.
Tests delivered during Phase B will be a combination of operational testlets and field test testlets. All
testlets should be administered as though they are operational.
Each EE may be assessed once across phases B and C. Please do not attempt to repeat assessments.
Test administrators should follow the procedures for teacher-administered and computer-delivered
testlets as described in the DLM TEST ADMINISTRATION MANUAL.
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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, retrieve
the TIP for each testlet in ITI on the confirmation screen after confirming the test assignment. Download
or print each TIP. When you are ready to test, match the test name on the TIP with the test you choose
in KITE.
At the End of Phase B
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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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