TFAR
Texas Formative Assessment Resource
Texas Formative Assessment Resource
Table of Contents
How To Access TFAR
How To Access TFAR
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Using Google Chrome or Firefox, navigate to texasassessment.gov
Select “Educators” from the menu bar.
Then, scroll down the page and select the “Texas Formative Assessment Resource (TFAR)” tile.
Log In Procedure
Did you know...
Your campus test coordinator will create accounts for your campus staff members?
Once the account is created the new account holder will receive an automated email from noreply@cambiumassessment with links and instructions for completing the account set up.
If you can not find the email from cambium or deleted it because you thought it may be spam, click on Reset Password? to receive a new mail and finish registering for TFAR access.
Navigating TFAR
The TFAR Dashboard
Quick Links
Item Link | Description |
Create New Item | Opens the item builder page where you can create a new item. |
Find Items by Standard | Opens the Items tab with the filter panel focused on the Standards search bar, so you can easily locate items aligned to a specific standard. You need to enter a standard name or key and click Apply in order to display the items. |
Review Items | Opens the Items tab, filtered to show you only the items submitted to a shared library that still need to be reviewed and approved. |
View Items I Created | Opens the Items tab, filtered to show you only your own items that were created or edited within the last 30 days. |
View Items Shared With Me | Opens the Items tab, filtered to show you only the items that other Authoring users created and shared with you within the last 30 days. |
View Shared Libraries | Opens the Items tab with the Libraries, Grade, and Subject filters expanded so that you can easily locate the items in a shared library, such as SAMPLE LIBRARY. Shared libraries consist of premade items provided by Assessment Program that you can add to your tests. You will need to apply filters in order to view these items. |
Quick Links
Test Link | Description |
Create New Test | Opens the test builder page, where you can create a new test. |
Find Tests by Standards | Opens the Tests tab with the filter panel focused on the Standards search bar, so you can easily locate tests with items aligned to a specific standard. You need to enter a standard name or key and click Apply in order to display the tests. |
View Tests I Created | Opens the Tests tab, filtered to show you only your own tests that were created or edited within the last 30 days. |
Items
Creating Original Items
Click the Create New Item link on the Items card
Selecting Item Properties
When the item builder appears, replace the default item name with a more descriptive name for the item, this will make finding items easier when building tests or checks for understanding as your item bank builds from year to year. Then select the grade level, subject and Content Standard/Student Expectation from the available fields. Carefully selecting these fields will assist you when searching for items that address a particular standard when building unit tests, reviews, or when creating tests in future school years.
Item Types
A variety of item templates are available. The templates displaying an edit icon, which looks like a pencil, need to be scored by hand in the Reporting system.
Select the template for the item type you want to create.
The templates can be arranged alphabetically or by the default order of common types
Item Types
The table shown to the right indicates all new question types and the subject areas and grade levels where they could appear on the summative test.
Question Type | Math | Reading Language Arts | Science | Social Studies |
Equation Editor | Grades 3–8 EOC | | | |
Text Entry | Grades 3–8 EOC | Grades 6–8 EOC | Grade 8 EOC | |
Inline Choice | Grades 3–8 EOC | Grades 3–8 EOC | | Grade 8 EOC |
Hot Spot | Grades 3–8 EOC | | Grades 5, 8 EOC | Grade 8 EOC |
Hot Text | | Grades 3–5 | | Grade 8 EOC |
Drag and Drop | Grades 3–8 EOC | | Grades 5, 8 EOC | Grade 8 EOC |
Multipart | | Grades 3–8 EOC | Grades 5, 8 EOC | Grade 8 EOC |
Match Table Grid | Grades 6–8 EOC | Grade 8 EOC | | Grade 8 EOC |
Multiple Choice / Multiple Select | Grades 3–8 EOC | Grades 3–8 EOC | Grades 5, 8 EOC | Grade 8 EOC |
Short Constructed Response | | Grades 3–8 EOC | Grades 5, 8 EOC | Grade 8 EOC |
Extended Constructed Response | | Grades 3–8 EOC | | |
Item Type Tutorials
There is a tutorial video embedded for each item type that provides step by step instructions for creating the item
Item Builder
There are three steps on the item builder page.
The Compose Item Prompt section is where you build your question or write the directions students will follow to respond to an item. Enter the prompt in a text box at the top of each template. You can use the toolbar in the text box to format the text and insert media elements, such as images, videos, and tables.
Sections two and three are explained on the next several slides.
1
2
3
Response Area
The response area of the item (step two) is where students interact with various interactive features in order to answer the question or respond to the stimulus.
When you click the More Info button, instructions for completing the section will drop down, along with a link that takes you to that portion of the system User Guide.
The “Hamburger icon” opens the Rationale Section where you can add a rationale for each answer option.
Answer Key Determine the number of points associated with the item.
The answer key section is used to determine how many points an item is worth and how the student’s response will be scored. The section shows a preview of the item’s response area, where you should enter a valid response and select the number of points (Maximum Score) the response is worth. To allow points for a partially correct answer, click on the Add Tab button, which looks like a plus sign, and create more answer keys. You can explain each valid response in the Explanation box. The Include Scoring Description checkbox lets you add a reader-friendly description of the scoring criteria and an example of a valid response, which will be available in Reporting for this item.
Creating Tests
Creating Your Test
There are three options available for creating a test.
Creating Your Test
To create a new test:
If choosing the option “Select From Library”, you can use the available filters to narrow your search. Available Filters include:
Once the desired filters have been set, select to view the available items.
The column heading are live allow you to sort the items according to the information provided in the column (i.e. publication date, author, standard, item type, etc. ).
Selecting the “carrot” will open the item description providing additional detail on the item.
Selecting the button provides an item preview.
Selecting “Add Item to Test” will perform precisely as it states and add the item to the test you are creating. Continue adding items until the desired number of items have been added to the test being created.
The third option for creating a test in TFAR is the Test Generator Wizard.
The Test Generator Wizard allows for the creation of a test of quiz from
existing items in a matter of minutes.
Select the Standards to be assessed.
To select multiple standards for the exam, select a standard from the drop
down menu options and select align to standard and repeat the process until
all desired standards have been selected
Select, “Next Step
The number of available item for each standard will be displayed on the
screen. Select the number of items that you would like to add to the exam for
each standard listed, select “Optional Test Properties “ to add tools such as an
embedded calculator, Dictionary or Thesaurus and then select “Generate Test”.
Review the exam to verify that it is the desired content. Item order and layout, then select “Publish Test”
To publish the test, click Publish Test. If this button is not clickable, make sure the test does not include any blank pages and that you have saved changed to each item on the test.
Accommodation are now associated with test attributes loaded for other state assessments. Selecting the TDS View when publishing test connects the test to the TIDE accommodations.
For grades 3-8, select the Universal option for your content area.
Workgroups and Sharing
Create workgroup for sharing tests and authored items
and begin entering members names.
Create workgroup for sharing tests and authored items
After all members have been added, select Save.
Sharing Exams
Sharing Exams and Items
Items can be shared with individuals or with Workgroups.
To share an item:
choose share from the
options
Sharing Exams and Items
If sharing with an individual/s select the Institution (campus) for the the person you are sharing the item with. If sharing with a workgroup you do not need to select an institution.
Sharing items or exams in Authoring will allow each member of the workgroup edit and publish their own version of the exam.
If administering campus-wide, this will result in the exam results being separated into individual data sets for each teacher or campus in the CRS.
Sharing Exams and Items
Published Tests can be shared to the TDS.
Sharing a Test to the TDS allows the individual or group with whom the test was shared to create a Test Session in the TDS for the shared Exam.
When students take an exam shared to the TDS, all student data will be included in the same data set.
This allows campus staff the option to view performance between campuses, teachers or individual classes.
Support
Support
Or contact your Student Assessment team:
Blake bemmons@pasadenaisd.org
Janette jmontemayor@pasadenaisd.org
Patty pfraga@pasadenaisd.org
Guided Practice
Credits.
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