Additional Scantron Q & A

K12 Course will be available to all families. Detailed information is available in the
course.
How does the Scantron Performance Assessment wor! The Performance Assessment
is a web-based computer-adaptive test-that lets your teacher quickly pinpoint the
proficiency level of your student: the computer will adapt the assessment based on your
childs answers/ability. or e!ample: "f your child answers a series of questions
correctly# a more difficult series of questions will eventually be $iven. "f the child
answers incorrectly a less difficult series of questions will be $iven until the assessment
finds the childs true ability level.
"hen will Scantron assessments be administered% &our school will contact you
re$ardin$ dates and lo$in information. 'ut all students $rades (-)* will take the
Performance *eries assessment in the fall +or upon enrollment, and a$ain in the sprin$
after -ay .
st
. This will show the childs academic $rowth level durin$ the school year
and then year after year.
Am # allowed to hel$ m% child% &o. "t is important that the child complete the
assessment independently. This will show the childs true ability level. This is not a
/hi$h stake testin$ situation. The purpose of this assessment is:
.. To show the $rowth of the child durin$ the course of the year and throu$hout their
0.1 e!perience
1. To provide your child with an individual learnin$ plan based on your childs
stren$ths and weaknesses.
"h% can # not assist m% child% *ince *cantron uses the students2 own responses to
determine the difficulty of subsequent questions# assistance will quickly $et your child
into a level he/she cannot complete successfully. "t is important that you allow the testin$
software to tar$et the specific instructional level of your child so that the questions adapt
to your childs individual ability.

"hat am # allowed to do! &our child may need help with tasks that do not directly
affect the content of the test. *toppin$ and startin$ a test for a bathroom break or
stoppin$ a test if you notice your child becomin$ fati$ued. &ou may also assist in
enterin$ information at lo$in such as student and school "3.
"hat should # not do! The followin$ types of interactions will not help your child and
should be avoided durin$ the assessment:
4 5emindin$ your child of the time
4 Askin$ your child about the assessment
4 )elpin$ your child with words or problems that are too difficult for them
4 5eadin$ any part of readin$ passa$es to the child
4 )elpin$ your child narrow their answer choices
4 Providin$ any help with readin$ passa$es or question content or meanin$
4 )overin$ over the child as they are assessin$
How is the assessment scored% 6nlike other assessments# it is not scored on the basis of
how many questions the students answers correctly. The incorrect answers provide 7ust
as much information as the correct answers. "t is intended that your child will &'(
know the answer to all questions. All students will e!perience questions above their
ability level and for which they will be unable to answer. The difficulty of the questions
will ad7ust itself based on the answers your child provides. Please do not hel$ %our
child)
How should # encoura*e m% child! Please tell your child that they should e!pect to
see some challen$in$ questions for which they will not know the answers and they should
simply $uess and move to the ne!t question. 3o not help your child by pointin$ to the
screen# readin$ to them# $ivin$ hints# etc.
"ill this assessment be used to determine how # am doin* as a learnin* coach! This
assessment will not be used to 7ud$e you as a learnin$ coach or more importantly to
solely make decisions about your childs course placement# promotion# or participation in
any special pro$rams. This assessment will $ive you specific information on your childs
stren$ths and weaknesses as well as assist you and the school staff on plannin$
appropriately for your childs education.
How lon* will it tae m% child to tae the Performance Series Assessment!
Performance Series (PS) assessments do not use time limits. As a result, the length of
time to administer the assessment varies based upon the performance of each individual
child. The assessment takes an average of one hour to complete per subject area.
Hoever, if a student!s abilit" level is significantl" different than their assigned grade
level, the assessment ma" take longer to adjust for this difference. Students ma" take
longer than one hour to complete the assessment, especiall" during the first
administration of the assessment. #hen the child takes the ne$t assessment for a second
time in the spring, the assessment ill kno here to begin for each individual child
based on their initial assessment. Please note: students can and should be encouraged
to use the stop button and then resume the test. No student should test over one
hour per sitting. The child is provided ith a to eek indo in hich to complete.
8e thank you# the learnin$ coach# for the hu$e contribution of time you make to helpin$
your child+ren, $row each year. &our teacher will share all of the results from the
Performance *eries Assessment with you. &ou and your child will en7oy viewin$ their
educational $rowth at the end of the school year.
#f %ou have an% further +uestions, $lease contact %our teacher.