ISA - FAQ - Test Administration

Unless there is some exceptional circumstance approved by ACER, all schools should test over two days. Consistent administration of the test is important for validity and comparability. The two days do not have to be consecutive - for example the school could arrange to have the first testing morning one week, and the second morning the following week (within the two-week testing window). In addition, the test should be administered in the following sequence:

Morning One Morning Two

Mathematical Literacy Reading

Writing Task A Writing Task B

Do the two testing mornings have to be consecutive?

No, any two mornings within the testing window can be used. The test must be administered to all students at the same time regardless of grade level for test security reasons.

Can we administer the test to some of our students at a different time to the other grades in the school?

The test must be administered to all students at the same time regardless of grade level for test security reasons. This must be strictly observed since some of the test items appear in more than one grade's test booklet. We use common items between adjacent grade levels in any one year, as well as items that are common to consecutive years of administration. For example there may be questions that appear in both the grade 3 and grade 4 booklets in order to provide links between the grades as well as the same item in Grade 4 2011 and Grade 4 2012. These kinds of 'link' items are used to establish the scale, vertically (between grade levels) and longitudinally (over time). It is for this reason that the test should be administered to all students at the same time.

We need to accommodate a student due to religious observance and allow him to sit on a different date. Will he be scored with the rest of the students?

For this student, you will need to complete the Non-standard conditions section appearing under the heading Details provided by the Teacher noting that the student sat the ISA on a different date to your other students. The student will be scored as for the rest of your students and the results for this student will be included in the aggregate scores unless you specifically request otherwise. It will be noted on the student's individual report that the test was administered under special conditions.

Can our school schedule make up days for students who are ill on the day of the tests?

Yes, students who are absent for any part of the test can be granted make up time if the school is able to replicate the testing conditions at another time. We ask that every attempt is made so that students who do sit outside the main testing times do not discuss the assessment with those students who have completed the sections concerned. Concerns include students having the opportunity to learn about the writing prompts and composing their response, students being given the test at the back of the class with the opportunity to talk to others or use support materials, or students not being given the chance to complete practice questions, but simply handed the test to work through on their own.

As long as the students have not had contact with other students and the school is able to find a staff member to administer and supervise the test in standard conditions, then results from make-up tests can be included. If the school cannot support these conditions, then students should not do make-up tests. We also request that where a student does sit outside the main testing group that this be noted in the Non-Standard Conditions section of the test booklet appearing under Details provided by the Teacher.

Should ESL students be included?

There is no obligation to include any student in the ISA program and this is up to the discretion of the school. Where the school considers that participation in the test would be detrimental to a student, ACER recommends against that student's participation. We advise schools not to administer the tests to students who are at the very beginning stages of learning English, or to those who would be likely to be intimidated by doing such a test. However, students outside these two categories, even with low-ish levels of English, may benefit from taking the test as a baseline measure, so they (and their parents) can see their own progress over time in an objective way.

Students exempted entirely from participation need not be registered.

In the case of a student with very limited English, the school may choose any of the following courses:

1. Exempt the student from the testing program.
2. Include the student in the testing program under normal conditions.
3. Administer only one or two of the tests to students with limited English (for example, the Mathematical Literacy assessment only). Please note, however, that the school will be invoiced for each student who completes any part of the assessment at the full participant fee rate.)
4. Include the student in the testing program under standard conditions, but inform ACER of the student's status and request that the student be excluded from aggregated reporting of results (class- and school- level).

Should students with disabilities be included?

In the case of a student with a disability that may affect their performance in the assessment under standard conditions (e.g. vision impairment, ADHD, hand dysfunction, etc.), the school has a number of options.

1. Exempt the student from the testing program.

2. Include the student in the testing program under standard conditions.

3. Include the student in the testing program under standard conditions but exclude their results from the school aggregate. Fill in the exclusion box on the front cover of the testing booklet to explain why it is appropriate to exclude this student from aggregate school results. Students who are excluded will receive an individual report and appear on the class report, but their data will not contribute to the class mean scores or the school mean scores.

4. Include the student in the testing program and arrange special support for the student. The special support could be in the form of, for example, extended time, a scribe, or administration of the tests in a separate area. The school may suggest a particular type of special support or seek advice from ACER. The responsibility for judging that there is a need for special support rests with the school. ACER will support appropriate special support where practical and where the special support is incidental to the construct intended to be measured. Please describe non-standard conditions in the Details provided by the Teacher (if necessary) section on the front cover of the student booklets. Students for whom special support is made will be included in aggregated school results unless there is a request to the contrary.

What special support/accommodations are allowable?

The principle we use in determining acceptable accommodations is “Would this accommodation, if given to a student with no need for special consideration, give them any advantage in doing the assessment?”. If we think about, for example, a student who is visually impaired and uses a booklet with larger text, and imagine giving this booklet with larger text to a student with NO visual impairment, it is clear that this larger text would NOT help them, and so this accommodation would be allowable. Giving a student who did NOT have any need for special accommodations a list of commonly used words would not be likely to offer any advantage: they would likely know these words anyway. This is therefore an allowable accommodation. Other allowable accommodations include a student with discalculia using manipulatives and having a support teacher during the maths test if they are part of that student's special accommodations at school.

Schools can do whatever they want to support students with learning disabilities, but they should exclude these students’ data and be aware that they cannot compare the performance of students who have received this kind of support with the performance of students who have not. If it is helpful to them to find out what these students can do with extensive support, then they should go ahead.

Reading the questions in the reading assessment aloud to the student, is NOT an acceptable accommodation unless the student's results are excluded from school aggregates. This is because any student might benefit from hearing the questions read aloud: if in the course of reading the passage certain words are not understood, and these words are repeated in a question, the hearing of them spoken could easily assist with comprehension.

Please describe all non-standard conditions in the Details provided by the teacher (if necessary) section on the front cover of the student booklets. For students with special accommodations, a note will appear on the student’s individual report to say “this student was administered this part of the ISA under special conditions.” Students for whom special support is made will be included in aggregated school results unless there is a request to the contrary. Excluded students will have their results excluded from class and school means for all testing domains; we cannot exclude results from reading and include for maths, for example.

Can test questions be read to students?

Teachers may read the Mathematical Literacy test questions to students who are unable to do so themselves. Translations of words may be given to non-English-speaking-background students who do not have bilingual dictionaries or other translation devices.

Teachers may read the Writing Task A and Writing Task B prompt to students at any time during the session.

With regards to the reading assessment, because this is a test of reading, it is inappropriate to read aloud material from the student booklet (apart from practice questions and instructions) unless a special accommodation is necessary and that student's results are excluded from school aggregates. Please do not give hints, either about how to approach a question or about what the answer might be. However, if students are uncertain how to show their answers, the teacher may explain this at any time during the test.

May we use translation dictionaries for the writing tasks?

Bilingual dictionaries or other translation devices may be used during the Mathematical Literacy test only. They may not be used during the Reading or the Writing assessments.

May we use the accommodation of extended time?

The method of test analysis used for the ISA is based on the assumption that the test is not timed: that is, students have enough time to complete all the questions that they can do. That is why, at the end of each assessment session (approximate timings outlined in the administration handbooks), teachers are advised to allow an extra few minutes to any students who are still working profitably. Extended time may be given to students if needed. If students take more than 5 minutes longer than the timings indicated, this must be noted in the Non-standard conditions section on the cover of the student booklet and it will be noted on the student report that the student tested under Non-standard conditions.

How much extra time should be provided?

The general principle is that students should have sufficient time to attempt most items in the test by working at a reasonable pace. Students need to understand they must move on if they don't understand something and they should not spend too long on any one question. There is no point giving students extra time when they cannot or no longer wish to attempt the work or they don't know what they are doing. Also, most students' concentration will start to lapse after 40 minutes. If the student is still working efficiently and at a good pace and there are grounds for giving more time, then extra time is warranted, if they have run out of steam it is not.

Is it allowable for students to use laptops for the writing portion of the ISA?

We allow laptops for certain students to complete the ISA writing tasks, such as special education students who have laptops as an accommodation in their education plan. Students must write by hand unless there is need for special accommodation. Where laptops are used there is a difficulty concerning spelling. If the spell check can be disabled on the computer this would be ideal. Otherwise, we will not give a rating for spelling in the narrative writing task, so the report will be incomplete. Use of computer and "use" or "non-use" of spell check should be noted on the 'Non-standard conditions' section of the student booklet where appropriate. Please attach the printed written work with a single staple to the outside of the booklet front cover.

Can we use a scribe for the writing tasks and how does this affect scoring?

A scribe should only be used where the student usually relies on a scribe, and where the lack of a scribe would prohibit the participation of the student in the test. Poor and illegible handwriting does not warrant a scribe. ACER markers are skilled in interpreting student handwriting. With scribed writing, we are able to score the Content and Language (although we trust that the scribe does not suggest ideas or words and is writing/typing the words exactly as the student is saying the words e.g. tenses without making corrections and without punctuation unless the student gives unprompted instructions to include it). With the expository writing, we would also mark the Structure but with the narrative we do not mark the Spelling. So, the student will be missing a Spelling score only. Please ensure that use of a scribe is noted in the Non-standard conditions section on the booklet front cover and if typed pages are included, these should be stapled (with a single staple) to the outside of the booklet front cover.

Can students use graphic/scientific calculators?

ISA follows the OECD PISA policy that “students are allowed to use calculators and other tools as they are normally used in schools” because “students who are used to having a calculator available to assist them in answering questions would be disadvantaged if this resource were taken away.” As a consequence of this, one of the tasks of the test developers is to prepare questions that are not dependent on calculator use for success. This includes scientific and graphics calculators.

Can we make copies of the testing material?

No, the tests are secure and schools give an undertaking not to copy them except under very special circumstances and with ACER's permission. All school personnel who have access to the material sign a confidentiality agreement to this effect. The only way that we can link between the tests and report on growth over time is to repeat some units in different year levels and at different periods of time, so it is extremely important to keep the test content secure. We have sample materials that can be used for practice and we encourage teachers to use the sample materials as models and devise their own questions, based on materials that the class is studying, if the teachers feel students need more practise attempting some kinds of questions.

Why don't you use answer sheets?

We don't use answer sheets because the tests are a mix of open-ended and multiple choice questions so it is just as efficient to score the booklets and it is more reliable for younger students who have difficulty with Optical Mark Readers (OMRs).

International Schools' Assessment (ISA)

FAQ - Test Administration

Is it possible for us to give the test over three days rather than two?