Hand Scoring Training

To score student responses, users will need access to the training guides, exemplars, and other training material from TOMS. These materials are available to anyone with TOMS credentials. After users log on to TOMS, users should select the [Resources] tab (figure 1).

MyTOMS home page with the Resources tab circled.

Figure 1. MyTOMS [Resources] tab

Users then land on the Secure Materials page for access to the Interim Assessment Secured Materials (figure 2).

Interim Assessment Secure Materials web page

Figure 2. Secure Materials web page

The resources associated with Interim Assessment Secure Materials - Training include a variety of resources (figure 3). The workshop presentations, materials, and facilitator’s guides offer in-depth training on hand scoring student responses in ELA and mathematics. These are intended to be used within a group setting with other educators.

Interim and Formative Assessment Training Series materials.

Figure 3. Training materials

The resources associated with Interim Assessment Secure Materials - Hand Scoring Training Guides include the training guides and exemplars for all interim assessment items that require hand scoring. The Training Guide file contains:

  • Stimuli—passages, short scenarios, or source material
  • Item Stem—questions to which students are responding, also called “prompts”
  • Target Specific Scoring Rubric—standardized set of criteria used to score student responses
  • Condition Codes Table—explains how to score unusual responses
  • Metadata Table—claims and targets assessed by the item
  • Grade-Level Conventions Chart—explains which conventions students are expected to know (ELA full write only)

The Exemplars file contains:

  • Prep Sets—scored sample student responses to a constructed-response item; includes an annotation to explain reasoning for the assigned score
  • Check Sets—sample student responses with a separate answer key; to be used as part of hand scoring training to check for consistency and calibration among scorers
  • Key—answers to items in the Check Sets

To find the desired training guides and exemplars, users select the content area and grade. The associated items that require hand scoring will then display underneath with links to the training guides and exemplars for each item. In figure 4, ELA and Grade 6 have been selected.

Training Guides and Exemplar links

Figure 4. [Training Guides] and [Exemplars] links

Once training on hand scoring has been completed, educators are ready to begin hand scoring interim assessment items.