CNYRIC Department Spotlight: Test Scoring

Testing continues to be a hot topic in New York State.

“There’s so much publicity regarding the state’s 3-8 exams,” said Systems Consultant Noelle Hickok. “It’s common to hear about Common Core and exam opt-out on the news and in social media.”

Unlike Regents exams, the 3-8 exams are primarily intended as program evaluation tools to help districts determine if curriculum and instructional practices are meeting student needs. 

“Kids are taking tests that their parents aren’t familiar with because they didn’t take them when they were in school,” said Jeremy Dodds, Data Warehouse project manager. “The state’s 3-8 exams have only been around since 2006, and they are much different than Regents exams or Iowa tests.”

Despite different opinions regarding testing, our Test Scoring department provides 50 districts and 30 non-public schools with leadership and expertise. Combined, our four-person Test Scoring team has more than 40 years of experience. The team, managed by Jeremy Dodds, consists of Noelle Hickok, Monica Nett, Michele Rourke, and Sondra Hotaling.

“We’re very customer service-oriented and districts appreciate the support we provide,” said Noelle.

Team members regularly field phone calls from administrators and teachers who need guidance regarding a variety of testing issues.

The team conducts a mandatory test scoring training workshop every spring to ensure quality control. A representative from every district and non-public school is required to attend.

“Things change frequently in the test scoring world,” said Noelle. “Our team is very adaptive -- we do our best to remain experts in order to support our districts and schools.”

Noelle describes the team as flexible, focused, and cooperative.

Supporting 50 school districts and 30 non-public schools can be overwhelming. The Test Scoring team works collaboratively to efficiently tackle the workload.

“We divide the districts and schools amongst our four-person team,” said Noelle.  “This streamlines the process. If one of us has extra time, we’re able to dive into another district.”

What is the process?
The Test Scoring team is responsible for providing the districts and non-public schools with answer sheets, labels, and supporting documentation. Test scoring services are available for district generated benchmark exams and all New York State grades 3-8 assessments, selected publisher tests, and Regents exams for the January and June administrations.

Services include pre-printed answer sheets, class rosters, shipping labels, and directions. Districts may remotely score their Regents answer sheets, or return to our Test Scoring team for scanning, verification, and reporting.

Assistance with test scoring procedures, data warehousing, remote scoring, and item analysis reporting for Regents exams is also provided.

Test results are exported and electronically stored in the Data Warehouse for reporting and accountability purposes. Additionally, the team hosts test scoring user group meetings for 3-8 testing and Regents exam processing. 

Our Test Scoring department is also the hub for designing the New York State 3-8 answer sheets, as well as supporting scanning and editing applications for RICs around the state.

Thanks to Noelle and Jeremy for providing an overview of our Test Scoring department!