A Microsoft Word version of this letter is available for download
and PRINTING. |
Date: January 22, 2008 To the Administrator Addressed: Subject: Update for Senate Bill 1871 Electronic Submission of Kindergarten Data The Texas Education Agency (TEA) Division of School Readiness and Partnerships is pleased to recognize the time, work and effort that kindergarten teachers and school district personnel statewide have given to fulfilling the SB 1871 mandate; your commitment to this endeavor is greatly appreciated. The 80th Texas Legislature, under SB 1871, amended provisions relating to the School Readiness Certification System. A new provision requires the superintendent of each school district to electronically report each kindergarten student’s raw score on the kindergarten reading instrument beginning in the 2007-2008 school year. This law states that TEA “shall collect each student’s raw score results on the reading instrument administered under Section 28.006(d) and shall contract with the State Center for Early Childhood Development (SCECD) for purposes of this section.” The purpose of this letter is to provide an update of options districts may use to submit the required data. This applies only to districts using TPRI/Tejas LEE as their diagnostic reading instrument. Districts not using TPRI/Tejas LEE as the kindergarten student diagnostic will be provided with instructions regarding how to submit the required data at a later date. Data Security The social security number (SSN) field in the system is optional and districts may input a student ID number or the SSN. After the initial entry of student IDs or SSNs into the system, an internally generated, globally unique number is attached to individual student data and the student ID number or SSN is not used for the research. The student ID number or SSN, as well as the student diagnostic assessment data, is required to be purged at the conclusion of the data analysis for the purposes of the project. No individual student records will be maintained at the State Center or OZ Systems after the conclusion of the research. Procedures for Data Submission An electronic import process has now been developed by OZ Systems for TPRI data and will be available in Microsoft Excel format for districts to electronically transfer locally developed database information. Campus administrators are encouraged to contact their central offices to determine whether the district plans to transfer the data electronically or whether campuses will submit the data themselves. School districts may use this option by following the step-by-step instructions in the attachment provided. It will be the district’s responsibility to align local data systems with the data transfer application provided and ensure that all data fields are complete and accurate. Although the information is optional, districts are encouraged to complete social screener information on all students for whom they have submitted data. For specific information on submitting Tejas LEE data electronically, contact OZ Systems. Help information for all data entry methods is available at 866-336-3025 or schoolhelp@oz-systems.com. Deadline for Submission For Information andAssistance For specific information about the School Readiness Certification System (SRCS), contact Layne Waxley at the SCECD at 713-500-3730 or at Thomas.L.Waxley@uth.tmc.edu or Gina Salazar at TEA at 512-463-9068 or at gina.salazar@tea.state.tx.us. Sincerely, Gina S. Day Attachment: Instructions for TPRI Data Import Tools Instructions for TPRI Data Import Tools To assist Texas school districts in complying with SB 1871, OZ Systems is providing two methods for submitting TPRI assessment results to the TEA. The first is for classroom teachers. The second is for district or campuses who wish to upload TPRI student level data electronically. For district or campus submissions: Use the new import tool available at www.txkindergarten.com/importtools. Application users will be prompted to answer questions that will lead to the correct tool to match current district or campus data collection methods.
Each of these three spreadsheet options request the following demographic data fields for every student:
Each spreadsheet has three tabs:
Each spreadsheet will accommodate 9,999 student records. For districts with more than 9,999 kindergarten students, a second spreadsheet should be used. Help information for all methods of data entry is available at 866-336-3025 or schoolhelp@oz-systems.com. |