PSAT Instructions and Time Line 2015
August:
o Set dates for the PSAT Registration period. Sign ups begin the Monday after the
Guidance Counselors have visited the junior classrooms. (9/22/14) This is usually the last full week of September. Signups will end on the Wednesday in October one week prior to the test. (10/8/14)
o Determine fees for PSAT. Confirm with Brian Safine. (We are charging $25, Lost Gatos is charging $30.)
o Update the binder sign, the PSAT volunteer instructions and the student instruction sheet based on the new dates and fees.
o Make enough colored copies of the student instruction sheet and have parent volunteers staple them to the front of each Student Guide. These guides are handed out to each student as they register for the test.
September:
o Look for the PSAT Student Guides and Exams to arrive from the College Board have the boxes brought to the College and Career Center. Inventory the Guides and Exams against your order form from June and make sure you have received the correct amount.
o Check in the Guidance Office to be sure there are enough Money/Rent Receipt books for the PSAT signups. If not, order from Southwest Supply.
o Run a list of current Juniors and a list of current Sophomores from Aeries
a) Click Query in Aeries. LIST STU LN FN IF GR = 11 (10 for Sophomores)
b) Click Run to get the list of names
c) Put the List into and Excel spreadsheet by clicking Tools>Office Links>Analyze with excel.
d) Add Column Headings as Follows:
Last Name / First Name / Today's Date / Shift / Method of Payment / Vol. Initials / AccommodationsAM / PM / Cash / Check #
e) Save a copy of the file in the PSAT folder and make a hard copy of the list for each grade
f) Three hole punch the pages.
g) Make an additional Wait List page for ninth graders who want to take the exam.
h) Put all of these pages in the PSAT Registration binder in the College and Career Center.
o (Week of 9/15) E-mail sign up procedures to CCC Volunteers.
o (Week of 9/15) Solicit proctors
o (9/22 – 10/10) Have the parent volunteers register students in the College and Career Center and check the sign up lists weekly and compare them to the receipt books to make sure everyone’s name was highlighted that signed up for the test.
o (Week of 9/22) Review extended time roster
o (Week of 9/22) Check to see we have 3x5 cards.
October: **Start collecting 20 mail crates.
o (Week of 10/6 Buy 20 Kleenex boxes for crates and make sure to have 20+ water bottles..
o (9/29) Check with Julia and make room assignments and give list to Julia and Brian Moran.
o (10/1) Inform Teachers of Room Use and ask how many seats in their rooms.
o (10/7) Remind Proctors and do Teacher Roster
o (Week of 10/13) Assign Rooms
o Week of 10/13 – Use Microsoft word to do a mail merge to run labels for students taking the test. Also run labels with school code, address and date of test. Have CCC Volunteers put stickers on 3 x 5 index cards and fold in half for each student taking the PSAT. The card has two labels on it. One with the students first and last name and the second with the school code, address and date of the test. There is a sample in the PSAT folder. (Cards are needed because these test are NOT pre-ided. Cards will be put in proctors’ bins to put on the students desks. )
o (Week of 10/13) Send Reminders to English Teachers and through School Messenger.
o (10/13) Check with Brian to see how many students will be placed in each classroom (33, 32, 31 or ….). He needs to know how many proctors he has before this number can be determined.
o (10/13) Prep mail crates with Test Booklets, Pencils, Kleenex boxes, water for proctors, proctor instructions.
o (10/13) Contact the students who put their names on the wait list and see if they are still interested in taking the test. If they are, ask them to bring in their money by the end of lunch on Wednesday.
o (10/13) Using the soft copies of the original grade level lists delete the names of the students who have not signed up for the test. Print off a copy of the list and have the parent volunteers check the typed list against the sign up lists from the binder. Make corrections as needed.
o (10/15) After lunch on Thursday make up the lists that will be posted on the door.
o (10/16) Give hard copies of Student Lists to Brian.
o (10/16) Post list on front office door Thursday afternoon preceding the test (10/18/14).
o (10/16) Inform kids with accommodations of room assignments. DO NOT POST!
o (10/17) Make copies of the juniors, and students other than juniors, door signs on bright colored paper and give them to Brian and put in crates.
o (10/17) Inform proctors of particulars (Refer to Brian’s e-mail from last year)
o (10/18) Inform Brian Moran that Alarms should be turned off for Sat. 10/20.
o (10/18) Add to mail crates: Rosters, Room Signs, and Index Cards.
o (10/18) Purchase snacks for proctors for morning of test.
o (10/21) After the test read the shipping instructions and send the tests back to College Board.
o (10/21) Send request to pay proctors to D.O
o Log in to www.collegeboard.com/school fill out the remittance report form online, print it off and submit it along with a check request and envelope to Brian.
November/December:
o Order manila envelopes with self stick tabs for Results mailing.
o Run Labels with name and address of students who took the PSAT.
· Do a query for 10th and 11th graders. LIST STU FN LN AD CY ST ZC if GR = 10. Hit RUN. Then do the query for 11th grade.
· Export each to excel. (RUN>TOOLS>OFFICE LINK>ANALYZE WITH EXCEL
· Save the file and then create a new column to tag the students with an * from the list of who took the PSAT. Sort those and delete the others who did not take the PSAT.
· Go to Microsoft Word to create labels. Open Windows>Open New Document>Tools>Mail Merge
o Go to Post Office with a sample of the mailing to get the amount of the postage.
o Get a check from Activities for postage amount
o Call to reserve postage ahead of time, then take check to PO and purchase postage
o Stuff Envelopes with Letter, test results, test booklet and small card from College Board.
· Stuffing Envelopes: One person verifies and coordinates name on test result sheet and test booklet with label on envelope. Other person stuffs envelopes. Total time to stuff approximately ½ day.
May or June:
o Order PSAT tests and Student Guides for next October’s PSAT from the College Board (www.collegeboard.com/school ). The login and password is in the College Board file folder in Brian’s office. (V3J6SE)
This is the formula that was used for ordering the 2011 PSAT tests. Current sophomores (355 x .60% = 213), current juniors (342 x .80% = 274), total 487. In past have also added 12% of total for overage (did not do for 2011). College Board allows 20% overage before they charge an additional fee. In other words if we order 505 tests we will not be charged an additional fee as long as we test 404 students.