Q: Can students pre-write in their classroom, take their work to the computer lab and enter their responses into the computer?
A: No. Students will see the prompt after they log into the test session. Students may use blank scratch paper, or the computer-based notepad to organize their writing. Students need to write their name on the scratch paper to be collected at the end of the test session and returned in subsequent sessions.
Q: Are there special considerations regarding the testing prompts?
A: Not all teachers and students in grades 5 and 8 will be seeing the prompt on the same day. The writing prompt must not be shared among teachers or students. Testing prompts will be presented by the computer and not by a teacher or student.
Q: Are there tips that will help students in their written responses?
A: Yes.
- Students should punctuate their essays (periods, commas, etc.)
- Students may not use the TAB key to indent – they can either add a blank line or space 5 times to manually tab over for an indent
- DWA tests are un-timed tests
- Scratch paper may be provided to students but it must be blank prior to testing and must be collected before students leave the testing lab and securely destroyed by the STS/Proctor
- Absent students are required to make-up missed tests – it is highly recommended that tests make-up the return of student to school
- If a student needs to go back and insert text into their document they will need to place the cursor where they want to begin inserting text and press the insert key before typing, otherwise they will be in a ‘type-over’ mode
- If a student is ill prior to testing – do not begin their test. Have that student go to the sick room and test them when they return to school and are no longer ill (i.e., if a student complains that they are nauseated, looks ill, etc.). Students should not be allowed to begin the test, leave after testing begins, and return the next day they are back to finish
- Breaks must be short and supervised.
- All students in grades 5 & 8 are required to take the DWA except UAA students and ELL 1st year in the USA between April 14, 2012 and April 15, 2013
- These tests will be graded by actual people who will read the test and grade it using the Achievement Levels provided by the USOE
Students who have ELL plans, 504 plans, or IEP’s may be eligible for accommodations provided they are accommodations that the student has been receiving all year long. Acceptable DWA Accommodations are:
- Directions read aloud in English
- Questions read aloud in English
- Directions signed
- Questions signed
- Screen Reader
- Directions – Oral translation
- Large Print
- Magnification Devices
- Braille
- Reduce distractions to student
- Reduce distractions to others
- Extended time
- Multiple breaks
- Schedule change