LEA Process for Verifying and Correcting Accommodations Data

LEA Process for Verifying and Correcting Accommodations Data for 2011–12

Part I. Overview

In order to comply with the requirements of the U.S. Department of Education (USED), all testing accommodations information must be submitted to the state for monitoring purposes. In order to assist the LEAs with tracking the accommodations, the NCDPI will collect required testing accommodations data from each LEA-approved accommodations management system (e.g., CECAS, NC WISE, LEA-approved third-party applications) on the first Monday of each month. Additional details regarding the data collection dates and the purpose of each data collection are specified on the Accommodations Data Collection Schedule available at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/accountability/policies/accom.

A spreadsheet with the data entry method/authoritative source for required testing accommodations data by plan type for each LEA and charter school is updated weekly and is available online at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/accountability/policies/accom. LEAs that undergo any changes in accommodations data entry methods must report this change to their RAC, who will provide this information to the NCDPI.

The process for accommodations data verification and correction consists of multiple stages, described in Part II of this document.

The files described below, which are components of the testing accommodations data verification and correction process, are located on the Status Viewer at: https://www.rep.dpi.state.nc.us/2012/app/lea/status_viewer.cgi

Note: A secure server login is required in order to access the page.

1) ACCOM_DATA_###.TXT File (Third-Party LEAs Only)

LEAs who track accommodations in systems other than CECAS and NC WISE must submit an ACCOM_DATA_###.TXT file monthly to the 2012 folder on the secure server under the subfolder ACCOM. The error checks on this file are minimal and involve a check for file format issues only. (Note: The content will be validated in a different collection [2012-CUR-ACCOM] once data from all sources are combined.) Detailed warnings or errors can be viewed on the Status Viewer under 2012-CUR-ACCOMTP. Student counts are included for each type of accommodations plan for which data from a third-party application has been submitted. Please allow 15 to 30 minutes following the posting of the third-party file for the 2012-CUR-ACCOMTP report to be available.

Note: LEAs who are CECAS Reporting Users and are sending their ECAccommodationsOLTP file in production must submit their file directly to CECAS according to the procedures specified by the NCDPI Exceptional Children Division. These LEAs do not need to submit a separate ACCOM_DATA_###.TXT file to the ACCOM folder on the secure server for their IEP accommodations data.

2) ACCOM###.TXT File (All LEAs/Charter Schools)

The ACCOM###.TXT file is created by combining data extracted from all authoritative source accommodations management systems (e.g., CECAS, NC WISE, LEA-approved third-party applications) within an LEA into one file. The ACCOM###.TXT file is located in the 2012\ACCOM folder on secure server. A detailed report of all errors and warnings can be viewed on the Status Viewer under 2012-CUR-ACCOM in order to determine the next steps required for making any necessary corrections.

A list of the assessment and accommodation codes used in these reports can be found in Appendix A of this document. The codes used in the reports are the same as those found in the record layout for third-party data submission of required testing accommodations.

The corrections to the accommodations data should be made in the applicable authoritative source accommodations management system and within the student’s accommodations documentation (e.g., IEP, Section 504 Plan, LEP plan/documentation, transitory impairment documentation).

Third-party files should be saved as ACCOM_DATA_###.TXT and manually reposted to 2012\ACCOM folder after the necessary corrections have been made. The original third-party file will be overwritten. Users should click ‘Yes’ when prompted with the message, “File already exists, do you wish to overwrite?” Note: If this message is not displayed, the updated third-party file has not overwritten the original file. Therefore, the updated file has not been uploaded to the server.

A new ACCOM###.TXT file will be generated weekly to reflect any changes or updates made to records in NC WISE, CECAS, and third-party files. In addition, a new 2012-CUR-ACCOM report will be generated weekly to reflect all warnings and errors in the updated accommodations data. The updated file and report will be available on Monday morning of each week.

Part II. Recommended Process for Verifying and Correcting Accommodations Data

Figure 1: Chart Outlines the Process for Verifying and Correcting Accommodations Data
Prior to submitting files to the NCDPI for each accommodations data collection date, the NC WISE data managers, Exceptional Children (EC) Directors, Section 504 Coordinators, Limited English Proficiency (LEP) Coordinators, and Testing Coordinators in the LEA must collaborate to update required testing accommodations information in CECAS, NC WISE, and LEA-approved third-party applications to ensure data is accurate. Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) in CECAS must be Closed/Verified prior to the data collection date.
Each individual involved in this process should set a timeline for completion of all assigned roles and responsibilities. Consider the time it will take each individual to complete all necessary responsibilities based on the following recommendations.
LEA Test Coordinator – Recommended Roles and Responsibilities:
·  Following each scheduled accommodations data collection date, check the Status Viewer to review errors and warnings in your LEA’s ACCOM###.TXT file.
·  LEAs submitting third-party file(s) must check the Status Viewer to ensure the ACCOM_DATA_###_TXT file has no errors or warnings and was accepted by the NCDPI Accountability Services Division.
·  Download the LEA’s ACCOM###.TXT file (Optional - See Part III below).
·  Give the Status Viewer Report to your LEA EC Director, Section 504 Coordinator, and LEP Coordinator to correct and/or verify the information provided within it.
·  Corrections made in the authoritative source accommodations management system (e.g., CECAS, NC WISE, LEA-approved third-party application) will be reflected in the ACCOMM###.TXT file weekly. The NCDPI will extract the accommodations data and repost an updated file on the secure server Monday morning of each week.
NC WISE Data Manager/Exceptional Children (EC) Coordinator/Section 504 Coordinator/ Limited English Proficiency (LEP) Coordinator – Recommended Roles and Responsibilities:
·  Obtain a list of Status Viewer errors and warnings from your LEA test coordinator.
·  Securely disseminate these errors and warnings to each responsible party to address the issues and make necessary changes within the authoritative source accommodations management systems and within the student’s accommodations documentation (e.g., IEP, Section 504 Plan, LEP plan/documentation, transitory impairment documentation).
·  Verify that the information on the Status Viewer Report has been corrected and notify your LEA test coordinator that the changes have been updated in the authoritative source accommodations management systems and within the student’s accommodations documentation.
Part III. Downloading ACCOM###.TXT File (Optional)
NOTE: Make sure that required testing accommodations information is up-to-date in the authoritative source accommodations management systems (e.g., CECAS, NC WISE, LEA-approved third-party application) prior to the collection dates to ensure data is accurate.
1.  Double click on the SSH Secure File Transfer Client icon on the desktop.
2.  Connect to the server.
3.  From the right window go to your 2012 folder to the ACCOM folder. There you will find your ACCOM file.
4.  From the left window, navigate to C:\ACCDATA\2012\CUR folder in your local machine.
5.  Manually drag the ACCOM file from the right to the left (i.e. from the server to your local machine under C:\ACCDATA\2012\CUR folder).
6.  Open the ACCOM file using Microsoft Excel by following these steps:
a. Open Excel and click File à Open,
b. Locate the folder where file was saved (C:\ACCDATA\2012\CUR)
c. Select All Files (*.*) under Files of type:
d. Click to highlight the file ACCOM###.TXT and click the Open button.
Part IV. Verifying and Correcting Data using the Status Viewer
In order for the responsible person to be able to correct/update the data within the authoritative source accommodations management system, the LEA test coordinator will need to provide him/her a report or spreadsheet with information regarding the errors and/or warnings.
Errors are critical issues and prevent full processing of the data files; therefore,errors must be corrected before work can proceed toward correcting the data.
Warnings are issues related to the data that are less severe. Warnings often result in a single record being skipped due to a violation of business rules, but they do not prevent processing of the other records. Some warnings do not require immediate correction of the data because a process is in place to modify the dataand make it useable. Other warnings are more severe and result in the skipping of records. To prevent future skipping of records, make corrections to the authoritative source accommodations management system.
Following are possible warnings and errors that may be included in this report or spreadsheet. Descriptions of these warnings and errors can be found in Appendix B of this document.
Possible Warning/Error Messages in 2012-CUR-ACCOMTP Status Viewer Report:
1.  Error: file doesn’t exist, aborting file check
2.  Error: not a text file, aborting file check
3.  Warning: file is UTF-16, converting to UTF-8
4.  Warning: record possibly truncated or contains EOL char in data, skipping record
5.  Error: empty file
6.  Error: no usable records in file
Possible Warning/Error Messages in 2012-CUR-ACCOM Status Viewer Report:
1.  Error: invalid lea code '###'
2.  Warning: data source record number '#' too long, converting to blank
3.  Warning: invalid start date '#' (expecting MM/DD/YYYY), skipping record
4.  Warning: invalid end date '#' (expecting MM/DD/YYYY), skipping record
5.  Warning: start date is blank, skipping record
6.  Warning: end date is blank, skipping record
7.  Warning: student ID is null, skipping record
8.  Warning: student ID is too long, skipping record
9.  Warning: probable false match by student_id: Names differ greatly: '#, #' and '#, #'
10.  Warning: student not enrolled in LEA (found in ######), skipping record
11.  Warning: record submitted by different LEA (###), skipping record
12.  Warning: school code too long, truncating
13.  Warning: school code is blank
14.  Warning: unrecognized school code
15.  Warning: invalid grade '#', converting to null
16.  Warning: invalid plan type '#', skipping record
17.  Warning: invalid accom code '#', skipping record
18.  Warning: invalid test code '#', skipping record
19.  Warning: description length (#) over 255 char, truncating
20.  Warning: invalid test/accom combination '#' and '#', skipping record
Note: More error checks will be added in the future.

Appendix A

Record Layout for Third-Party Data Submission of Required Testing Accommodations

Required testing accommodations data entry into third-party applications must be based on information from the state-approved Review of Accommodations Used During Testing forms for 2011-2012. A hard copy of these forms must also remain on file at the school in students’ accommodations documentation folders for monitoring purposes and to satisfy federal testing and reporting requirements. The forms are available for download at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/accountability/policies/accom.

Format: Tab delimited text file

Filename: ‘ACCOM_DATA_###.txt’ where ‘###’ = 3 character LEA Code, ‘CECAS’, or ‘NCWISE’

Row Logic: One row per student per test code per required testing accommodation

Column Name / Description / Valid Values
Record Number / Record number in file starting with 1 / Number
School Code / LEA/School code of student / 6 character LEA/school code
Student ID / NC WISE student ID / Number (up to 9 digits)
Last Name / Legal last name of student / Text (up to 30 characters)
First Name / Legal first name of student / Text (up to 30 characters)
Grade / Grade level of student / ‘PK’ = Pre-Kindergarten
‘KI’ = Kindergarten
‘01’ - ‘13’ = Grades 1 to 13
Plan Type / Reason for plan / IEP = IEP
S504 = Section 504 Plan
LEP = LEP Plan/Documentation
TID = Transitory Impairment Documentation
PSSP = Private School Service Plan
Accommodation / Required testing accommodation code / 3 character accommodation code (listed in separate chart below)
Test Code / Test code that conveys both subject area (math, reading, etc.) and assessment type (End-of-Grade, NCEXTEND1, etc.). / ACR = ACCESS - Reading
ACL = ACCESS - Listening
ACW = ACCESS - Writing
ACS = ACCESS - Speaking
AL1 = EOC - Algebra 1
BIO = EOC - Biology
ENG = EOC - English 1
MA1 = EOG - Math
RD1 = EOG - Reading
SC1 = EOG - Science
E1M = NCEXTEND1 - Math
E1R = NCEXTEND1 - Reading
E1S = NCEXTEND1 - Science
E0W = NCEXTEND1 - Writing Grade 10
E2M = NCEXTEND2 - Math
E2R = NCEXTEND2 - Reading
E2S = NCEXTEND2 - Science
WTR = W-APT - Reading
WTL = W-APT - Listening
WTW = W-APT - Writing
WTS = W-APT - Speaking
W10 = Writing - Grade 10
CAN or OTH Description / Description of Accommodation if CAN or OTH is selected / 60 Characters
Start Date / Starting date of testing accommodation requirement / MM/DD/YYYY
End Date / Ending date of testing accommodation requirement / MM/DD/YYYY
Accommodation Code / Description
BRL / Braille Edition
RAL / Test Administrator/Computer Reads Test Aloud (In English)
LPR / Large Print Edition
AST / Assistive Technology Devices
BRW / Braille Writer/Slate and Stylus (Braille Paper)
CAB / Cranmer Abacus
DSC / Dictation to a Scribe
ISC / Interpreter/Transliterator Signs/Cues Test
MAG / Magnification Devices
MRK / Student Marks Answers in Test Book
KBD / Keyboarding Devices
HHT / Hospital/Home Testing
MLT / Multiple Testing Sessions
EXT / Scheduled Extended Time
SRM / Testing in a Separate Room
TRD / Word-to-Word Bilingual (English/Native Language) Dictionary/Electronic Translator (LEP only)
CAN / Special NCDPI Approved Accommodation
OIP / One Test Item Per Page Edition
OTH / Other (Pending NCDPI Approval)
RAS / Student Reads Test Aloud to Self
ACD / Responds with Use of Augmentative Communication Devices, Picture Board, etc. (NCEXTEND1 only)
MAN / Adaptations to NCDPI-provided Manipulatives (NCEXTEND1 only)

Appendix B

Possible Error and Warning Messages in 2012_CUR_ACCOMTP Status Viewer Report:

1. Error: file doesn’t exist, aborting file check – Indicates the data collection system has not found a file to import. If this message appears, check to ensure you are submitting the file in your LEA’s 2012/ACCOM/ folder located on the Division of Accountability’s secure shell server.
2. Error: not a text file, aborting file check – Indicates the file is an incorrect file type. Only text (.txt) files are accepted. Please refer to Appendix A for information on the record layout.
3. Warning: file is UTF-16, converting to UTF-8 – Indicates file was improperly encoded. File will automatically be converted. To avoid this warning in the future, submit only UTF-8 encoded files.
4. Warning: record possibly truncated or contains EOL char in data, skipping record – If you get this warning on every record, you may be using an incorrect file format that does not include the proper columns as required by the file specifications. If this is the case, check the export procedure from the third-party application to ensure it adheres to the file specifications. If you get this warning on just a few records, it may mean that the file abruptly ended in middle of a record, or that some data values contain a new line character, which prevents the remaining data values of the same record from being read in. If this is the case, make corrections to the affected records in the authoritative source and submit an updated file.
5. Error: empty file
6. Error: no usable records in file

Possible Error and Warning Messages in 2012_CUR_ACCOM Status Viewer Report: