Using the School Online Assessment Registration (SOAR) Test Week

1. Using the School Online Assessment Registration(SOAR) Test Week

2. Quick links If you are very familiar with SOAR, try these quick links: • Principal’s SOAR checklist here • Test week tasks: • overview here • Check In details here • Check In FAQs here • Check Out details here If you are a new SOAR user, please follow through the SOAR - New User presentation first.

3. SOAR checklist

4. SOAR checklist

5. Test week tasks In Term 2, principals or the NAPLAN coordinator must use SOAR to: • add visiting students and identify all exempt students • identify all students who were absent or parent withdrawals • indicate the correct barcode for any recently enrolled or visiting students • indicate any special provisions accessed by students • count and check in all completed test books • indicate the return of test books by Australia Post.

6. Student Management Before accessing Check In, in Student Management: • add new students who have recently enrolled • add visiting students • delete any students who left the school • change the participation status to exempt for any students who were exempt from all tests. These students will not appear in Check In. • Click to delete a student. • Click to add a new student. • Click to add a visiting student.

7. Assessment Roll Before accessing Check In, collect the completed Assessment Rolls showing: • absent, parent withdrawn and exempt students • barcodes for test books used by recently enrolled students and students visiting the school • comments on student illness or behaviour • students who used special provisions, including Braille, large print, black and white, coloured paper. This is the last slide if you are very familiar with SOAR - press ESC to finish.

8. Check In • The Check Inprocess must be done after students have completed the NAPLAN tests.

9. Check In When Check Inis first chosen, click the cohort (3, 5, 7 or 9). A summary of the Check Instatus for each of the tests will appear below the cohort chosen. Click the test which is being checked in. The school below has not yet ‘checked in’ any of the Year 3 tests.

10. Check In There are 7 steps to Check In. • To move forward in Check In click • To return to a step click • After each step press • Each step has a link for further information.

11. Check In - Step 1 Step 1 - Students who did not complete the test Each student is assumed to have completed the test, so the default is Present. In Step 1, use the drop-down menu to indicate students who were: • Absent • Parent withdrawn • Exempt (Disability) - significant intellectual delay orsevere functional disability • Exempt (LBOTE) - being less than 12 months in an Australian school and LBOTE.

12. Check In - Step 1 To find a student you can filter or display all students. Filter by Last name Display all students Roll class sort matches Assessment Roll

13. Check In - Step 1 In Step 1, there is a drop-down menu to indicate the participation status for each student. Students who were marked as exempt in Term 1 will not appear in the Check Inlists. • Click Save this Step then Next Step.

14. Check In - Step 2 Step 2 - Review of Non-Participating Students This screen lists all students from Step 1 who were not present for the test that is being checked in. If the information is not correct, click Previous Step, below the student list, to return to Step 1. • Click Export to Excel to print a spreadsheet which lists the non-participating students.

15. Check In - Step 2 • Keep a copy of the excel spreadsheet to refer to in Check In - Step 7 and for analysing the students’ results when the reports are released in September. • Click Previous Step if the information is incorrect or Next Step to go to Step 3.

16. Check In - Step 3 • Step 3 - Assign Barcode to recently enrolled or visiting students Recently enrolled or visiting students must use a spare non-personalised test book for each test. Step 3 allows you to assign barcodes from the non-personalised books to students who do not have overprinted test books. The list of available barcodes will automatically appear in SOAR for the school to match with the book used by any new or visiting student.

17. Barcode of test book. Match to the barcode in the drop-down list. Check In - Step 3 Only students who did not use a personalised book will appear in the list in Step 3. • Use the drop-down to show if the book was: • from the local office • photocopied from black and white master • a non personalised book

18. Check In - Step 4 • Step 4 - Students accessing Special Provisions The following codes are used on the Assessment Rolland in Step 4 to indicate students who accessed special provisions.

19. This student had extra time (ET). Check In - Step 4 • Next to the students who used special provisions, click on the box under the support provided. • Once the special provisions are indicated, click Next Step.

20. Check In - Step 5 • Step 5 - Students with comments • In this screen you can enter any comments that may be important when analysing the students’ results in September, such as: - incidents at the school on test day - comments about a student’s illness - comments about behaviour

21. Check In - Step 5 • If the same comment applies to all students, type the comment in the box below the list, then click Assign this comment to all students. • Once the comments have been added for students, click Save this Step then Next Step.

22. Check In - Step 6 • Step 6: Students with identical names • This screen will identify students in the same cohort with identical names. • The Student Report for students with identical names will be printed with each student’s date of birth. Click Next Step.

23. Check In - Step 7 • Step 7: Confirming the number of books This screen will reconcile all students who are: • enrolled • visiting • absent • parent withdrawal • exempt • - using special print tests, such as Braille, large print. • SOAR will then calculate a return count for each test book type. This must match the total number of test books that have been returned from the test administrators.

24. Click to review the non-participating students shown in Step 2. Check In - Step 7 This screen will also indicate the number of special print book types that are being returned. • Confirm the count in Step 7 by clicking the check box, then click Next Step.

25. Check In - Step 7 Books to be returned Students who use: - large print - Braille - black & white photocopy - coloured paper copy of the tests must have their personalised test book attached to their special print book and both books returned for processing. Where only one of the tests in a flip book has been attempted, the book must be returned, so the completed test can be marked.

26. Check In - Step 7 Books to be kept at school Students who: • are absent • are exempt • are withdrawn by parents • have left the school since the personalised tests books were printed • have abandoned a test due to illness or injury must have their personalised test book kept at the school.

27. Check In - Complete Check Inis finished for one test. Click on the Finish button to save all changes. This message will appear.

28. Check In - Complete Check Inwill be updated to show that this status of the test is Pending and the test books will be placed in the queue for processing. Then repeat steps 1-7 for each cohort and each test (Writing, Language Conventions, Reading, Numeracy calculator allowed, Numeracy non-calculator).

29. Check In - FAQs I have no students, so what should I do? Should I do Check In every day? What should I do if all my students are exempt? What should I do for the students who have done the ‘catch up’ tests? You do not need to Check in or Check out. Some larger schools find it best to Check in every afternoon, other smaller schools prefer to leave all the SOAR work until the last day. Click this button on the Check In screen. Change those students’ details on the corresponding hardcopy of the Assessment Roll, then change those student’s details in Check in, following Steps 1 to 7, and remember to save at the end.

30. Check In Comments This screen is used to review and print the comments that were recorded in Check InStep 5. Click on the Year and Test Type to be viewed, then click View Comments.

31. Check In Comments The comments for the selected test will appear on the screen. Schools can print the list of comments by clicking the or button above the list.

32. This school has already checked in Year 3 • - Language Conventions • - Reading • - Writing Check In Completion This screen provides a summary of the Check Instatus for each test.

33. Check Out This screen allows you to: • indicate the number of boxes being returned for processing • assign a return sticker barcode for each box beingreturned • indicate the Post Office where the boxes being returned will be lodged • print and save a copy for your records. Check out should be updated or completed on Friday, after students have done any ‘catch up’ tests.

34. Click the test being checked out. • Click the number of boxes being sent. Check Out 1. Indicate the number of boxes being returned for processing.

35. Type the name of the Post Office where the boxes were lodged and the date. • Click the barcodes which were placed on the boxes. Check Out 2. Indicate which barcodes are being used and assign a matching return eParcel sticker to each box. 3. Indicate the Post Office where the boxes were lodged.

36. Check Out • For information on organising and returning completed test materials refer to the Handbook for Principals. • Note: • NSW only: All boxes are returned to the local post office with the return stickers securely attached. • ACT only: Use the process for returning test materials outlined in the ACT Handbook for Principals. • Do not attempt to return any test material using the DET internal mail/courier system. This may results in the loss of all test books.

37. Resources All SOAR resources including manuals, Powerpoints and checklists are available online. Government schools https://detwww.det.nsw.edu.au/directorates/schoimpro/EMD/naplan_publications.htm Non-government schools http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/naplan/nongov EMSAD contact details Phone: 9707 6221 Email: naplan.nsw@det.nsw.edu.au