ACCESS Testing - Scheduling Considerations

As you prepare master schedules for ACCESS testing, make sure to keep in mind that the ACCESS is a federally and state mandated assessment. Local schools must adhere closely to the guidelines for administration of such assessments. The adminstration of the ACCESS must be approached with the same care and diligence as all other state-mandated assessments.

The test may only be administered duing the test window of January 17th - March 2nd. All ELLs who are enrolled during the test window MUST be administered the ACCESS. Participation on the ACCESS is an AYP accountability measure for the district.

Testing Environment

• Schedule the listening, reading and writing sections of the test in a classroom with ideally, no more than 22 students.
• Sequencing of test administration is not required in a particular sequence. No single section, however, may be administered over separate days.
• The classroom must be conducive to testing with only the student/s to be assessed and the examiner.
• Ensure there will be limited interruptions within the school on the testing day/s. (Make sure to check that the fire drill is not scheduled for that day.)
• Local school administration should monitor all group administration sessions.
• Seating arrangements for group testing must ensure that each student has adequate workspace for the test booklet, with sufficient space between students to discourage copying and to permit them to handle the materials comfortably. Seating arrangements for the speaking assessment is outlined in the ACCESS Administrator's Guide.
• Testing rooms should be well lit, have adequate ventilation, a comfortable temperature, and freedom from interruption. Place a "Testing --Please Be Quiet" sign on the testing room.

Test Examiners

• All staff administering the ACCESS test must be certified and currently employed in CCSD.
• All staff administering the speaking portion of the ACCESS or the Kindergarten ACCESS must hold the ESOL certification or ESOL endorsement.
• All staff administering the ACCESS must have completed the online training from the WIDA website, which includes the successful completion of the online quizzes with 100%. The training and the quizzes are required to be completed annually regardless of whether or not hte staff member has completed the training in a previous school year. (Contact Beth Kartheiser to obtain the user name and password for the training.)
• Examiners must compete the Nondisclosure and Confidentiality forms. The Nondisclosure form is located in the ACCESS Administrator's Guide and the Confidentiality form is in the Test Coordinator's Packet (posted in Blackboard).The local school test administrator must maintain the originals of these forms.

As you schedule testing administration plans, keep in mind the following information:

1. Listening:  25-30 minutes, machine scored
2. Reading: 35-40 minutes, machine scored
3. Writing:  75 minutes (only 30-35 minutes for Tier A for grades 1-2), rater scored
4. Speaking:  15-20 minutes, test examiner scored

For more information on the ACCESS administration, please see the Test Coordinator's Handbook from the Office of Accountibility and the GaDOE State Assessment Handbook.