To help gather an accurate picture of students’ strengths and needs, we have assembled best practices and a script for teachers to use during benchmark administration.
Best Practices for Test Administration
Benchmark assessments measure students’ progress over time. While the ThinkCERCA benchmark assessment is not a high-stakes test, we hope to gather an accurate picture of students’ strengths and needs through this assessment.
In order to ensure consistent expectations across campus, it is recommended that teachers adhere to the following guidelines.
- Ensure all personal electronic devices are turned off and put away prior to testing.
- Actively monitor student work to ensure students are completing the assignment on their own. Prompt students who may not be actively engaged to return to the task but refrain from giving direct guidance or support.
- Allow up to 60 minutes for students to complete the entire benchmark lesson. Providing more or less than the recommended time may change the validity of the assessment results.
- Adhere to student testing accommodations that would be provided on all assessments for EL, 504, and Special Education students as required by your district. If a student is not provided the accommodation on the state assessment or during class assessments, you should not provide the accommodation for the benchmark assessment.
Please remember that it is important that all teachers adhere to the same set of standards when administering ThinkCERCA’s benchmark assessments to students. Teachers should refrain from the following activities:
- Reading or viewing the passages or prompts before testing
- Revealing the passages or prompts to students prior to the benchmark assessment date
- Explaining or reading the passages or prompts for students
- Changing or otherwise interfering with student responses
- Providing supports (such as sentence stems, completed graphic organizers, etc.) for student responses
Administration Script
You may wish to use the administration script below. Please read the important information and adhere to the instructions between the SAY lines as you read the script to students. You may make modifications to the script when testing students who are allowed certain accommodations. For example, if a student receives an additional time accommodation, modify references to the amount of time allotted for testing.
SAY: Today, you are going to take the Baseline/Midyear/ End of Year Benchmark Assessment. Your writing will be scored by an outside evaluator, so it is important that you do your best work. The only materials on your desk should be your electronic device for the assessment and a pen/pencil and scratch paper.
SAY: You may not have any electronic devices out, other than the device you are using to take the assessment. If you have any devices with you right now, please turn them off and put them away.
SAY: You will have 60 minutes to complete the benchmark lesson. You will be able to highlight text in the passage while reading. You may use your paper as a planning sheet to jot down ideas, plan, and organize (prewrite, cluster, map, or web) what you will write, but make sure that you allow enough time to enter your response in the online testing platform. The writing on your planning sheet will not be scored. Only the response you type in the benchmark lesson will be scored.
SAY: Now, open your device and log in to ThinkCERCA. Raise your hand if you need assistance.
SAY: You will now see “Current Assignments.” Look for the assignment that says, “Baseline/Midyear/ End of Year Benchmark.” Do not open the assessment until I tell you to do so. Raise your hand if you do not see the benchmark.
SAY: Please listen as I review the benchmark rules with you.
- You may not have a cell phone during the benchmark.
- Do not talk to other students or make any disturbance.
- Do not look at another student’s assessment materials.
- Do not ask for or provide help in answering any assessment questions.
- Are there any questions?
SAY: During the benchmark, be sure to read each passage carefully and respond completely to the writing prompt. Remember that your writing should show that you can organize and express your thoughts clearly and that you have responded completely to the writing prompt. Your response will automatically be saved every few minutes while you are actively working on the screen. If you aren’t sure how to spell a word, spell it the best way you can. Manage your time carefully so that you can read the passages, answer the questions, plan your response, write your response, and revise and edit your response. If you finish the test before time is called, go back and check (proofread) your work and make corrections to improve your writing.
If you need to go back to the passage while you are in the “write” stage, click “read.” If you are not done with the assessment at the end of our session, you will need to click the submit button to submit what you have completed, unless instructed otherwise. If you accidentally click the submit button before you are finished, please raise your hand and wait for me to come to you. If you have any questions, raise your hand.
SAY: Now, click the benchmark assessment. This will take you to the passages, check for understanding questions, and prompt. After you complete the reading questions and your best-timed writing draft, you will move to the Review step where you may edit your final writing before you submit. When you are ready to turn in your work, click “Submit.” You will have 60 minutes to complete the assessment. You may now begin working.
Monitor the time allocated. After 50 minutes,
SAY: There are 10 minutes left in the benchmark. If you finish early, remember to check (proofread) your work and make corrections to improve your writing.
After 10 more minutes,
SAY: Stop. Click submit (if not allowing any additional time-be sure to address students who are given extra time). For students who need additional time, please log out without clicking submit. This will allow you to return to this session at a later time.
Supervising Test Administration
Your full attention should be on students at all times during the benchmark, and a testing room must never be left unattended. While students are working, ensure the following:
- Students have cleared their desks or workstations of all materials except for the appropriate assessment materials (pens or pencils, electronic device, paper)
- Students do not have personal electronic devices of any kind during the assessment, even if they do not use them
- Students do not talk to other students or make any disturbance
- Students are working independently