ISASP FAQs: 2020-2021 - Iowa Statewide Assessment of ...
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Updated: 1/28/2021
ISASP FAQs: 2020-2021
*The responses to the questions are based on the information that we have at this time. Responses may be updated as we gather more
information.
Question Response
General
Districts can administer the ISASP test between March 15th – May
28th, 2021. Best practice is to define a 2–3 week testing window.
Can districts choose when to administer the ISASP? The testing window for spring 2021 was extended to provide
additional flexibility to schools and districts. It allows for an
opportunity to reschedule the testing window if local conditions
warrant.
Mathematics: Grades 3-11
English Language Arts (Reading and Language/Writing): Grades 3-
What subjects and grades are included in the ISASP?
11
Science: Grades 5, 8, 10
What are the approximate test times? Recommended testing times are in the Test Administrator Manual.
The costs are outlined in the ISASP Costing Information document
What are the costs to administer the ISASP Test?
on the Bulletins page of the ISASP Portal.
Scratch paper can be securely destroyed locally and should not be
Should scratch paper be returned to Pearson?
returned to Pearson.
Test Design
The test blue prints are on the Test Preparation page of the ISASP
Do the tests assume understanding of the Iowa Core Standards?
Portal.
Questions have been written to be neutral with regard to calculators.
How do the paper and online test compare when online uses one
Use of a scientific or graphing calculator will not enhance
type of calculator?
performance.
1Updated: 1/28/2021
Rulers and protractors are not available as online tools. No
Can paper-and-pencil students bring their own math tools? questions on the ISASP Mathematics test requires the use of rulers
or protractors.
Will the test be norm-referenced or criterion-referenced? The ISASP is a standards-based, criterion-referenced assessment.
Our district has a high rate of students moving in and out. How Student enrollments can be updated throughout the testing window.
close to our testing window will we be able to update student
registrations?
Student Registration
Our district has a high rate of students moving in and out. How Student registrations can be updated throughout the testing window.
close to our testing window will we be able to update student
registrations?
PearsonAccessnext will support manual entry of students who need to
How will home school students be enrolled for testing? test. Testing locations will need to work with ITP to enroll students
who do not have a state ID.
All students must be registered for testing in PearsonAccessnext
regardless of testing mode and online students must be placed in a
test session in PearsonAccessnext.
To receive pre-ID labels and an initial shipment of materials,
next
Do students need to be enrolled in PearsonAccess if we are only students must be registered for paper testing by January 22nd, 2021.
testing paper-and-pencil? Students roster data will be uploaded based on the date indicated in
the district’s response to the ITP Testing Mode Survey.
Schools will need to place an order for additional materials for
students registered for paper testing after January 22nd (pre-ID labels
are not available with this method).
The receiving district (where the student has been sent and is
How do schools handle student enrollments for open-enrolled attending) should test the student. Students in special programs
students placed in programs like Eldora and Rabiner? should be tested by the district the programs are affiliated with or
the appropriate AEA.
2Updated: 1/28/2021
Students may be tested in the same manner as your district’s
students. PearsonAccessnext provides a variety of enrollment codes.
How do we test a student who attends our school, but the student’s
Please see the Student Registration File layout on the
home is not in our district?
PearsonAccessnext page of the ISASP Portal for a complete list of
codes.
How do we test a student who attends school in a different state? Contact Iowa Testing Programs (ITP) for assistance.
Schools can complete a Student Registration File import or
manually create new students in PearsonAccessnext. All students
How do I enroll a new student?
testing must be loaded into PearsonAccessnext and online students
must be placed in test sessions prior to the beginning of testing.
Accommodations will have to be assigned in PearsonAccessnext,
If our student data is uploaded from the SRI, can we import the
either via file upload for multiple students at once, or manually for
accommodations separately?
each student in the user interface.
The easiest way to check for accuracy is to perform a Student
Registration Export to get a file extract with all registered students;
What is the best way to check on the accuracy of student
go to “Setup” -> “Import/Export Data” in PearsonAccessnext. You
information in the PearsonAccessnext system?
can also check individual students manually in the user interface; go
to “Setup” -> “Students” and then search for the students of interest.
Accountability and Testing Requirements
Will full academic year still be an important consideration as it was Students who attend a partial academic year will be included in
under NCLB? accountability determinations.
Students should take the assessment in the grade in which the
Is out-of-level testing still allowed? student is registered to participate.
All students who are enrolled prior to the test date and during the
How will the State determine participation?
assessment window will be required to be assessed.
3Updated: 1/28/2021
The ISASP will be used for state and federal student accountability
purposes in the 2020-2021 school year. The Iowa Assessments are
Does the ISASP replace the Iowa Assessments and are the Iowa still offered and may be continued to be used (for Social Studies,
Assessments still available? ACT predictions, primary grades, off-grade Science, longitudinal
studies).
A Student Registration File export in PearsonAccessnext should be
completed to verify student registrations. Students with the value
How do I check if my student is testing online or paper? “1” in the Online Testing column (column P) will be registered as
online.
Transfer and New Students
If a student enrolls in our district after we have finished testing, are No. If a district has finished testing, the State does not expect that
we required to test the student? student to be assessed.
Your district should contact the previous district to ensure you are
If a student enrolls in our district, is it our district’s responsibility to able to register the student, then add this student to a test session. If
contact the previous district to un-enroll them? the previous district has already added the student to a session,
contact ITP for assistance.
Training
Training will be completed in the ISASP Training Management
Have the upcoming training dates been set? System (TMS): https//ia.tms.pearson.com
Every educator who will administer the ISASP will need to take the
Do teachers need to retake the training modules? Or will the Test Administration Training module for spring 2021. All modules
modules they took last year suffice? have been updated to reflect the requirements of this year's testing.
Can the test administrator training be completed by teachers in a There is a group training option within the ISASP TMS. Please refer
large group? For example, could teachers in a building meet and to the ISASP TMS User Guide for instructions on how to administer
watch a large screen to complete this training? the training and document each educator who attended.
Test Security
4Updated: 1/28/2021
Each district should establish written procedures for test security.
Districts can refer to Chapter 2 of the Test Administrator Manual,
Are districts required to have a written policy on test security? the Test Security Training located in the Test Administration
Training module, and the State of Iowa Test Security Manual.
The required Test Security Training is incorporated into the Test
Administration Training module. All educators who perform any
Where can we find the required Test Security Training? tasks associated with ISASP will be required to review the Test
Administration Training module.
For TMS to document completion of a training module, you must
view all the slides.
Once you log in to TMS, you can access a record of your completed
How do we document completion of the required Test Security
training modules by selecting the User icon next to your name on
Training?
the upper-right, then selecting View Completed Trainings from the
drop-down menu. This record can be printed. Admin users can
download a report in TMS to verify completed trainings for all users
at a district.
To answer whether a person can proctor the ISASP or not, three
questions must be answered in the affirmative:
1. Does the person hold a current license from the BOEE?
2. Is the person accountable to the Iowa Teaching Standards or
Who can proctor and monitor a test? the Iowa Educational Leadership Standards?
3. Has the person been appropriately trained by the district and
agrees to comply with the test security requirements found in
the Test Administrator Manual and the State of Iowa Test
Security Manual?
5Updated: 1/28/2021
External monitoring will be conducted in spring 2021. The list of
Will the Iowa Department of Education be conducting external schools has been updated and is included in the State of Iowa Test
monitoring this spring? Security Manual (Appendix K).
Practice Tests
Practice tests are located on the Test Preparation page of the ISASP
Where are the practice tests located? Portal. Practice tests are only available online.
It is strongly advised that students access the practice tests prior to
testing so they become familiar with the item types and the online
When should students complete the practice test? testing experience. Students typically benefit from taking the
practice tests a month or two prior to operational testing.
General Testing
Proctors may exercise their professional judgement to determine
When can we discontinue the assessment for a student who is not
when a student is no longer making progress and if the test should
making progress?
be stopped.
If a student has not finished a test subject and all other students Students who are not able to complete a test subject during the
move on to another test the next day, should the student who is not scheduled time must be provided additional time on that initial test
finished with the previous subject move on to the next subject? day to complete the test.
Due to test security issues, every effort must be made to ensure
Must a test be finished the same day it began?
students finish the test on the day it began.
6Updated: 1/28/2021
For online Language/Writing, the test is broken up in three sections
to allow for breaks or multiple day testing.
For students taking the paper-and-pencil version of
Language/Writing, the test is broken up in three sections to allow
Does the Language/Writing test need to be completed the same for breaks or multiple day testing:
day? • Language Section 1 (test book and writing section 2 answer
document)
• Writing Section 2 (writing section 2 test book/answer
document)
• Writing Section 3 (writing section 3 test book/answer
document)
No, only manuals and instructions for the spring 2021 ISASP should be
Are any manuals or instructions from previous years usable?
used during this test administration.
Remote Testing
Remote testing is defined as an administration where the student
completes the ISASP online from their home or other agreed upon
What is remote testing and when will it be offered? off-site location determined by the district. It is offered during the
last two weeks of the State Designated testing window: May 17,
2021 – May 28, 2021
The ISASP Administration Decision Tree is the guidance schools
and districts will use to determine if a student can be tested with
remote testing.
What is the decision tree?
The expected mode of administration is in-person, proctored
ISASP. However, there may be situations that allow for remote
testing. The decision tree will specify what conditions will allow for
remote testing.
7Updated: 1/28/2021
The preferred mode of administration is in-person, proctored
testing. The remote testing option is for students who are in a
remote learning model. As you follow through the decision tree, one
of the first questions asked for students learning remotely is whether
Is remote testing optional or will districts be required to offer it? the student can take the test in-person at a district-designated site.
Review the ISASP Administration Decision Tree located in the
ISASP Modes of Administration for Spring 2021 bulletin.
Review the ISASP Administration Decision Tree located in the
Which students can take the remote testing version of the ISASP? ISASP Modes of Administration for Spring 2021 bulletin.
The last two weeks of the testing window refers to the last two
When are the “last two weeks of the testing window?” weeks of the State Designated testing window: May 17, 2021 – May
28, 2021
For situations where the school or district cannot determine if
I have students that do not fit within the guidance of the decision
remote testing is allowed, contact the Iowa Department of
tree. Can they be tested with remote testing?
Education for further guidance.
Review the ISASP Administration Decision Tree located in the
ISASP Modes of Administration for Spring 2021 bulletin.
Can a student be tested with both in-person, proctored testing and
remote testing? In the vast majority of cases, a student will have all tests
administered with in-person proctoring or all tests administered
remotely.
Follow through the decision tree for a student who is receiving
instructions remotely, is unable to attend in-person, proctored
May a student who needs embedded accommodations take the testing, and needs accommodations that are embedded in the online
ISASP using the remote testing option? assessment. If the decision tree ends with the remote testing option,
the student may take the ISASP with remote testing during the last
two weeks of the testing window (May 17, 2021 – May 28, 2021).
8Updated: 1/28/2021
Yes, students testing remotely will need to be put into special test
Will districts need to identify students who will test remotely? sessions in PearsonAccessnext. There will be more guidance
forthcoming on this topic.
Will districts be able to identify those who took ISASP as remote The student data file that will be available in PearsonAccessnext will
testers? provide a means to identify remote testers.
Accessibility and Accommodations (Paper and Online)
Designated supports are not intended to be universal tools turned on
for all students or entire grades, but rather determined on an
individual basis based on student need. The intent of these tools is to
provide extra support to a student who might not otherwise be able
How do we select the appropriate accommodations for students? to access the assessment without these designated supports. The
Iowa Statewide Assessment System Accessibility Manual includes a
Personal Needs Profile Planning Tool which should be used by
educators and instructional teams to determine the appropriate
designated support for a particular student.
The Mathematics and Science tests will be available in Spanish.
ELA (Reading, Language/Writing) will not have a Spanish version.
Are there translated versions of the test?
Students testing in Spanish must be placed in an online test session
for online testing.
Only students who are designated as English learners (ELs) may
Who can utilize the Spanish versions of the assessment? take the test in Spanish if it has been determined appropriate by a
team of local educators.
For students taking a Spanish version of the test, answers written in
Will responses in Spanish (short answers or extended responses) be
Spanish or English will be scored. For ELA (Reading,
scored?
Language/Writing) only responses written in English will be scored.
The Accessibility and Accommodations Manual is posted on the
Where can I find a full list of the available accommodations?
ISASP Portal.
The ISASP is not a timed test. All students should be given ample
Is extra time able to be given to IEP/504 Plan students?
time to take each test in accordance with test security policies.
9Updated: 1/28/2021
Speech-to-text is not available in TestNav. Speech-to-text requires
Can students use speech-to-text for testing? third party software and proctor transcription of student responses
into either TestNav or the paper-and-pencil answer document.
The directions in the Test Administrator Manual for the
Mathematics and Science tests include English and Spanish
Will the directions for administering the assessment be available in directions. The Spanish online version of the test will have
various languages? directions in Spanish. All other local translations should be done in
accordance with Appendix B in the Accessibility and
Accommodations Manual.
The Calculator Policy is found on the Bulletins page of the ISASP
Is there a calculator policy for the ISASP?
Portal.
Districts may use a locally-developed method to document the
What type of documentation is required to be kept for accessibility
decision-making process used to assign supports to students. The
features? Can districts use any form/spreadsheet?
documentation should be retained locally.
Paper-and-Pencil Testing
Paper-and-pencil versions of the tests will be available each year.
How long will paper-and-pencil tests be available? The expectation is that districts will move to online testing.
Paper-and-pencil tests will be administered with a test book and a
How is paper-and-pencil testing administered? separate scannable answer document. All materials will be returned
to Pearson for scoring.
10Updated: 1/28/2021
For paper-and-pencil testing, initial shipments of materials will be
shipped in two waves, based on the start date of the District
Designated testing window.
Why do I have to enter students who will be testing paper into test The first wave will be sent the week of March 1st for those testing
sessions in PearsonAccessnext? between March 15th – April 9th, 2021.
The second wave will be sent the week of March 29th for those
testing between April 12th – May 28th, 2021.
Paper materials will not be automatically sent for students moved to
paper testing after the January 22nd, 2021 deadline. An additional
If I switch students from online testing to paper testing after the order for materials must be placed. Pre-ID labels are not available
January 22nd deadline, will I receive paper materials for these for students added to paper testing after the January 22nd deadline,
students? so student information will need to be hand-gridded on to the
answer documents.
Accessibility and Accommodations (Paper)
Braille is available for all tests. Braille student responses must be
transcribed into a scannable answer document for scoring. Please
contact the Iowa Department for the Blind for Braille materials at
this link:
Are there Braille versions of the test?
https://idbimclibrary.blog/test-order-information/test-student-
assessment-order-form/
Large print is available for all tests; however, all responses circled
in large print test books must be transcribed into a scannable answer
Are there large print versions of the test? document for scoring. Large print tests can be ordered during the
additional materials order window. See the Important Dates
document in the Bulletins page of the ISASP Portal.
11Updated: 1/28/2021
Online Testing
The goal is to move to 100% online testing for all Iowa districts and
schools. Some schools may not be ready to make the transition
Is online testing required?
immediately. Paper-and-pencil tests will be available at an
additional cost during the transition.
No, the ISASP may be given online in a computer lab (or similar)
Is 1-to-1 required to administer the test online?
environment.
Depending on the accommodation, schools may find it easier to
Do students with accommodations need to be setup in a different
manage testing if students with accommodations are setup in a
test session?
separate test session.
Students registered for paper testing prior to the January 22nd
If I switch students from paper testing to online testing after the
deadline will receive paper materials. These students can be moved
January 22nd deadline, will I still receive paper materials for these
to online testing, but there will be a fee for excess unused paper
students?
materials.
Educators must assign students to sessions for online testing. These
sessions are created locally by schools in accordance with their
testing schedule. Educators can organize the students into any
How are students placed into the correct test sessions?
groups desired.
Educators with the PearsonAccessnext user role of Proctor or
Who prints the student testing tickets?
Coordinator can print test tickets for online testing.
Accessibility and Accommodations (Online)
Text-to-speech (or computer audio) is only available to students
Is text-to-speech available for any student? who have been assigned that Designated Support in
PearsonAccessnext.
The online directions are included as part of the verbal directions
Can text-to-speech be utilized for the online directions?
read to students in the Test Administrator Manual.
12Updated: 1/28/2021
Text-to-speech is available for Language/Writing and Math (all
What grades can utilize text-to-speech? grades), as well as Science (grades 5, 8, 10), and Reading (grades 6-
11).
Human reader is an acceptable accommodation for the paper-and-
Can a human reader be utilized for the online test as opposed to pencil test only, and only for Language/Writing and Math (all
text- to-speech? grades), as well as Science (grades 5, 8, 10), and Reading (grades 6-
11).
Technology
Information about technical requirements may be found in the
What devices/platforms will be supported for online testing? TestNav System Requirements on the TestNav 8 Online Support
page.
Yes, it may be possible to offer the test via iPads. Information may
Can we test online using iPads? be found on the Set Up TestNav on iOS on the TestNav 8 Online
Support page.
Yes, it may be possible to offer the test via Chromebooks.
Can we test online using Chromebooks? Information may be found on the Set Up TestNav on Chrome OS on
the TestNav 8 Online Support page.
The infrastructure trial can be conducted in the training admin in
PearsonAccessnext.
How do I complete a Local Infrastructure Trial? Directions on how to complete an infrastructure trial is located on
the Technology Setup page of the ISASP Portal. The infrastructure
trial can be completed at any time but is available starting December
4th, 2020.
13Updated: 1/28/2021
Schools experiencing error codes during their infrastructure trial
should reference the TestNav Common Error Codes page to resolve
How do I know if everything went well during my Local issues. If issues persist, please contact Pearson Customer Support. If
Infrastructure Trial? you have successfully completed the trial without receiving any
error messages, you may assume your district is ready to complete
online testing.
ISASP’s testing platform and servers are designed to accommodate
Does TestNav and PearsonAccess next
have the capacity to handle all as many concurrent Iowa users as possible on any given date.
the current users across the state? Districts may choose to test anytime during the State Designated
testing window.
Reporting
OnDemand Reports (preliminary student level results) for the spring
2021 ISASP will first become available in late April 2021. After this
date, OnDemand Reports for newly completed tests may take 2-3
When will test results be reported? weeks to be added, depending on the mode of administration.
For a list of important reporting events, please see the Important
Dates document in the Bulletins page of the ISASP Portal.
Students who respond to one or more questions on a test will receive
How many questions must a student answer to receive a score?
a score.
Some students will have started a test (logged into a test and
responded to questions) but will not be able to complete it (refusal,
illness, moving out of state). Any such test started should be marked
When should I mark an online test as complete?
complete. Students still in Ready status in sessions at the end of the
district’s testing window will need to be removed from those
sessions.
DNR should be utilized for a student tests that had started testing
How is Do Not Report (DNR) used? Will my student receive an
but should not have tested. Tests marked as DNR will not receive
ISR if the test is marked DNR?
any score including an ISR.
14Updated: 1/28/2021
The test session name will not limit the viewing or sorting of student
How will the naming of test session impact the ability to view and results. However, the Class Name listed on the student registration
sort student data when it is received? will determine the grouping and sort order of the Student Roster. If
no name is listed students will be sorted by grade and subject.
Spring 2019 data and reports will be available in PearsonAccessnext.
Users can go to Reporting Resources page of the ISASP Portal and
click on the drop-down in the 2019 Reporting Resources box.
How can I access ISASP data and reports from the spring 2019
administration?
Users will need to log in to PearsonAccessnext, confirm their
administration is set to 2018-2019 in the top-right of the page, and
then select Reports > Published Reports.
The ISASP spring 2021 reporting will not include item analysis
reports. However, new for the 2021 Individual Student Reports are
Will ISASP from spring 2021 give more specific data on types of Writing Rubric Scores that show students' scores on each of the four
questions missed for science, math and ELA? writing elements based on their essays from the Writing section, as
well as scores on items in each subject organized by the items'
alignment to Depth of Knowledge (DOK).
Will the Writing Rubric Scores and DOK be provided as part of an The Writing Rubric Scores and DOK will be provided via the
imported data set (put in another system for ease of access for student data file.
staff)?
Will we get school scores for Writing Rubric? Similar to what the The Individual Student Report will present the average district score
individual students get? for each of the four elements of Writing.
15Updated: 1/28/2021
The ISASP spring 2021 Individual Student Reports will feature
growth charts. These charts display the range of scores included in
each achievement level. The change in ranges reflects the increasing
expectations of students in higher grades.
Following the spring 2021 ISASP administration, student growth
Will there be any information to judge whether or not a student has
will best be monitored by comparing proficiency levels from the
made a sufficient amount of growth?
2019 administration to 2021 performance. ISASP scores across
multiple consecutive years will be needed to conduct an empirical
study of growth and establish growth expectations. Policy-related
considerations with respect to growth for accountability purposes
will be evaluated and reviewed by the Iowa Department of
Education.
Students in grades 5, 8, and 10 will be presented with Science scores
Will there be a growth chart for Science like ELA and Math? earned. This year's grade 10 students will also have the scores they
earned from the grade 8 Science test in 2019.
The proficiency standards approved by the State Board of Education
Will proficiency be adjusted due to statewide school closures from
in 2019 will remain in effect moving forward, or until a change in
last spring?
the Iowa Core Standards occurs.
Metadata with student identifiers have been added to ISR PDFs
which allow some software to parse the ISRs into individual reports
Has there been any enhancements that would enable districts to automatically. Users without this functionality can open an ISR
share Individual Student Reports with families digitally? PDF, select a student's ISR pages to print and then select "Save as
PDF" to extract an individual student's report into a standalone file
which can then be shared as the school sees fit.
Can we get percentage by achievement levels for grade levels The Achievement Level Summary reports will provide the
and/or cohort groups? percentages of students in disaggregated categories.
16Updated: 1/28/2021
OnDemand Reports for the spring 2021 ISASP will first become
available in late April 2021.
Are there electronic reports available in a reporting system or are
At the end of the testing window, when all ISASP tests have been
the reports all PDFs plus a single data file download?
scored and processed, PDFs of the final reports that include state-
wide results will be made available for download as well as the
district student data file.
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