Frequently Asked Questions - Paper Administrations
Can highlighters be used during testing?
Highlighters are permitted on the assessments but should not be used on student responses. Although marks made by highlighters will not be scored, using them on bubbled or written responses introduces the possibility of smearing the pencil marks and skewing the intended response.
What should I do if a student’s booklet is damaged/is defective?
The student should be provided with a new booklet with the same form number and allowed to continue testing. Any work completed by the student must be transcribed verbatim into the new answer booklet by the test administrator after the student has finished a section. The new answer document should have a District/School label applied and the student's demographic information hand-bubbled as it appears in PIMS. A Do Not Score label should be placed on the damaged booklet, and it should be returned to DRC with the school's unused materials.
What ancillary materials should schools provide to students taking the PSSA and Keystone assessments?
For Mathematics, all grades should have the formula sheet provided by DRC, scratch paper, and grid paper.
Grade 3 - ruler provided by DRC
.Grade 4 - protractor provided by DRC.
ELA and Science should have scratch paper and the Constructed Response Scoring Guidelines.
All scratch and grid paper along with any paper including formula sheets on which students have written must be returned to the SAC. The SAC should ensure that any scratch and grid paper along with any paper on which students have written is shredded. All formula sheets, rulers and protractors should be returned to the SAC. Once all testing has been completed, these may be given to classroom teachers and reused. Formula sheets may be reused only if students have not written on the formula sheets.
How do I schedule a pickup for return to DRC?
Access the PA Assessment Box Return System at www.astship.com or call UPS at 1-866-857-1501.
Do I need to put a label on the booklets teachers used for demonstration?
Teacher demonstration booklets are considered blank and should be returned with the school’s other unused materials. If a teacher has written or bubbled any information onto the booklet, a Do Not Score label should be applied. If the booklet is completely blank, no label needs to be affixed.