Today’s Areas of Focus:

Roster verification season is coming!

We’ll highlight some common pitfalls that result in no teacher-specific data so that you can help your LEAs avoid the trap!

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Questions? Email pdepvaas@iu13.org

Roster Verification

Avoiding Common Pitfalls

Questions? Email pdepvaas@iu13.org

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The RV + PIMS Connection

• Roster verification is the process that links teachers to their students. It’s these linkages that allow PVAAS to analyze growth specific to a teacher’s group of students.
• The Staff Student Subtest collection in PIMS is the collection that pre-populates teachers and their rosters into PVAAS for review and revision by teachers, principals, and LEA leaders.

Questions? Email pdepvaas@iu13.org

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Staff Student Subtest PIMS Submission

From your LEA �to PIMS to PVAAS RV:

PIMS Staff Student Subtest�is used to initialize linkages and pre-populate rosters in PVAAS Roster Verification system!

PIMS Collections for PVAAS

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PIMS Staff Student Subtest:

Submission Deadline:� March 2, 2026 - by Noon

Questions? Email pdepvaas@iu13.org

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What happens?

Submission Deadline:

March 2, 2026

Questions? Email pdepvaas@iu13.org

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Why Doesn’t the Teacher Have Data?

• If you hear that a teacher that should have data doesn’t have data, here are some common reasons why a teacher doesn’t have data and ways the LEA can work within their Staff Student Subtest collection to support an accurate roster verification process this year.

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Questions? Email pdepvaas@iu13.org

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Pitfall #1: The Missing Teacher

• Sometimes, when the Staff Student Subtest is submitted in PIMS, there’s a teacher missing from the list.
• Occurs often when there is a missed “flag” in the student information system noting which courses are designated as aligned to PSSA or Keystones.

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Questions? Email pdepvaas@iu13.org

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What if a Teacher is Missed?

• No roster means no PVAAS teacher-specific data!
• No teacher-specific data means a break in the 3-year Growth Composite.

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• Missed teachers do NOT receive emails prompting them to log into PVAAS to complete roster verification.
• Missed teachers do NOT appear on a principal’s list for approval.

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• Beware of the Trap! Principals are often asked to check if the list of teachers is correct. Is the principal confirming that the teachers on the list are correct? Are they also looking for those missing?

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Questions? Email pdepvaas@iu13.org

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Find The Missing Teacher

PRIOR to the submission of the Staff Student Subtest on March 2:

Run the PIMS PVAAS Validation Reports!

• Count of Students by Assessment Type: Is that the number of students I’d expect to see? Is it lower? If so, I could be missing a teacher.
• PSSA & Keystone Summary: Do I have all of the PSSAs and Keystones represented? Are Keystones separated into Winter-tested and Spring-tested? If not, I could be missing a teacher.
• PSSA & Keystone Summary by Teacher: Are all of the teachers listed for the appropriate assessments (and by Winter-tested and Spring-tested)? If not, I could be missing a teacher.

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Questions? Email pdepvaas@iu13.org

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Pitfall #2: The Keystone Spring-Winter Mega-Roster

• For Keystones, rosters are specific to the test administration (Winter, Spring, Summer).
• Sometimes in error, all of the students get organized under the Spring Keystone testing window, even if they took the assessment in the Winter.
• Occurs often when there is a misunderstanding about the implications of using a single roster for multiple test administrations.

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Questions? Email pdepvaas@iu13.org

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What if All Testers Appear on One Roster?

• PVAAS analysis looks for a student’s test record in the testing administration listed in the roster. If a student is rostered as a Spring tester, PVAAS looks for the student’s test record in the Spring file.
• If there is no matching student test record for the administration on the approved roster, the student is dropped from the analysis.
• Results in less student data included in the teacher-specific analysis.

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• Beware of the Trap! Including all students on one roster for convenience, without understanding how student scores are matched.

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Questions? Email pdepvaas@iu13.org

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Fixing the Spring-Winter Mega-Roster

PRIOR to the submission of the Staff Student Subtest on March 2:

Run the PIMS PVAAS Validation Reports!

• PSSA & Keystone Summary: Do I have all of the Keystone administrations represented? Are Keystones separated into Winter-tested and Spring-tested, when appropriate? If not, I could be missing a roster.
• PSSA & Keystone Summary by Teacher: Do all of the teachers have a Winter-tested and Spring-tested roster when appropriate? If not, I could be missing a roster.

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• Note: All Science (PSSA grades 5 and 8 & Keystone) participates in RV!!

Questions? Email pdepvaas@iu13.org

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Pitfall #3: Premature Application of Business Rules

• PDE has approved business rules that PVAAS uses to yield teacher-specific reporting.
• Sometimes, schools try to apply these business rules on their own.
• If they think the teacher does not meet the n-count
• If they think that the student won’t have a score
• If they think that the teacher won’t be here next year
• Then, things change and they request a re-run of reporting.

Questions? Email pdepvaas@iu13.org

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Leave the Business Rules to Us!

• PVAAS analysis occurs after appropriate business rules have been applied.
• Examples of business rules:
• N-count of 11 students on a roster
• 600% (6 FTE) or more total instructional responsibility on a roster
• Test record exists in the same testing administration as indicated on the roster
• And many more! See Statistical Models & Business Rules for a complete list.

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• Beware of the Trap! Trying to apply the n-count business rule to exclude teachers (or students) from participating in roster verification.

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Questions? Email pdepvaas@iu13.org

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Show Us How Your System Works

• Roster verification is intended for LEAs to provide a snapshot of how responsibility is shared in their system.
• Why does this matter? If an LEA excludes a teacher from roster verification who should have some responsibility, the other teacher claims more responsibility than is appropriate for the system that they’re working in.
• Provide PVAAS with an accurate depiction of how responsibility is shared and we will conduct the analysis appropriately.

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Run the PIMS PVAAS Validation Reports!

• Under-claimed students: Do I expect to see this number of students underclaimed? If so, I could be missing a portion of responsibility that should be claimed by a different teacher.
• PSSA & Keystone Summary by Teacher: Do all of the teachers who have responsibility in Domains 1 & 4 have rosters? If not, I could be missing a teacher who should claim responsibility.

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Questions? Email pdepvaas@iu13.org

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Help for RV!

Resources to Support the Data Conversations

Questions? Email pdepvaas@iu13.org

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Find Roster Verification Resources

Head to pvaas.sas.com for the phase windows and a direct link to all RV resources!

PIMS & RV Webinar

Register here!

https://iu13.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_SSYKxzdFSOKG-cgD_20kBw#/registration

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Looking for 1:1 Support?

PVAAS Offers 2 Types of Roster Verification 1:1 Data Consultations!

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Help with PIMS Data Collections for PVAAS (for PIMS/Data Administrators)

Choose Staff Student Subtest

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Working with PEERS or Roster Verification (for LEA/ School Administrators)

Choose Roster Verification Assistance

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Sign up for a consultation at:

https://pde1on1datasession.as.me/

Contact PVAAS:

For local support:

Your Local IU PVAAS Point of Contact

(Link found on �Contact Us page)

For accessing or navigating the website:

Your SAS EVAAS Support Team

(Link found on �Contact Us page; �select PVAAS Technical Support)

For policies or use of reporting tools:

Your PVAAS Statewide Team for PDE

(Email pdepvaas@iu13.org)

Questions? Email pdepvaas@iu13.org

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Thank you!

The mission of the Department of Education is to ensure that every learner has access to a world-class education system that academically prepares children and adults to succeed as productive citizens. Further, the Department seeks to establish a culture that is committed to improving opportunities throughout the commonwealth by ensuring that technical support, resources, and optimal learning environments are available for all students, whether children or adults

and the �PVAAS Statewide Team for PDE

For more information about PVAAS, visit PDE’s website at www.education.pa.gov

For questions about PVAAS, contact the PVAAS Statewide Team at pdepvaas@iu13.org

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