THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234

Deputy Commissioner
Office of Instructional Support
89 Washington Avenue Room 875 EBA
Albany, New York 12234

Tel: (518)474-5915
Fax: (518)486-2233

March 2016

TO:

District Superintendents
Superintendents of Public and Nonpublic Schools
Principals of Public and Nonpublic Schools
Leaders of Charter Schools

FROM:

Angelica Infante, Deputy Commissioner

Office of Instructional Support
Peter Swerdzewski, Assistant Commissioner
Assessment, Standards, and Curriculum

SUBJECT: Transition to Allow Students Who are Productively Working to

Continue to Test for the 2016 Grades 3-8 English Language Arts and
Mathematics Tests
In the memorandum, Changes for the 2016 Grades 3-8 English Language Arts and
Mathematics Tests, the New York State Education Department (NYSED) announced
the transition to allow students who are productively working to continue working on
their exams past the estimated testing times provided by NYSED for the 2016 Grades
3-8 English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics Tests. This change was in response
to extensive feedback from educators throughout the State about the inability of
students to work at their own pace on the ELA and mathematics tests. This change will
offer students further opportunity to demonstrate what they know and can do by
allowing them to work at their own pace.
The purpose of this memorandum is to provide additional guidance on the
implementation of this policy.
Estimated Average Working Times
In general, the transition to this new approach to testing means that as long as students
are productively working, they should be allowed as much time as they need within the
confines of the regular school day to complete that days test booklet. For planning
purposes only, below are estimated average times that most students will need to
complete test sessions.
1

For ELA and mathematics, students are estimated to need the following amounts of
time:
ELA Grade
Grades 3-4
Grades 5-8

Estimated Testing Time

Approx. 60-70 mins. of working time each day per session
Approx. 80-90 mins. of working time each day per session

Math Grade
Grade 3

Estimated Testing Time

Approx. 50-60 mins. of working time each day to complete sessions 1 and 2
Approx. 60-70 mins. of working time to complete session 3
Approx. 50-60 mins. of working time each day to complete sessions 1 and 2
Approx. 80-90 mins. of working time to complete session 3
Approx. 70-90 mins. of working time each day to complete sessions 1 and 2
Approx. 80-90 mins. of working time to complete session 3

Grade 4
Grades 5-8

Some students will take more or less time than the estimated averages provided above
for both ELA and mathematics. Please plan accordingly to allow students who are
productively working to complete the test at their own pace each day. The
approximations provided above are an estimate that can be used for planning purposes
only.
Students who finish the test before other students may check their work. When a
student is ready, the test materials may be collected by the proctor. Once the student
checks his or her work, or chooses not to, test materials may be collected by the
proctor. After a students test materials are collected, that student may be permitted to
read silently. This privilege is granted at the discretion of each school. No talking and no
other schoolwork is permitted. Once all students complete the test, you may end the
session.
Given that the spring 2016 tests have no time limits, schools and districts have
the discretion to create their own approach to ensure that all students who are
productively working are given the time they need to continue to take the tests. If
the test is administered in a large-group setting, school administrators may prefer to
allow students to hand in their test materials as they finish and then leave the room. If
so, ensure that students leave the room as quietly as possible so as not to disturb the
students who are still working on the test.
Testing Accommodations Extended Time
Because the 2016 ELA and mathematics tests are untimed, the accommodation of
extended time will in essence be available to all students including all students with
disabilities and English Language Learners. However, students with disabilities who
have flexibility in scheduling, such as breaks at specified intervals, indicated as an
accommodation in their Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) or Section 504
Accommodation Plans (504 Plans) must be provided such accommodation.

Supervised Lunch Breaks

It is recommended that schools schedule the test sessions either at the start of the
school day or immediately after lunch so that most students will have a sufficient block
of time to complete each test session. It is further recommended that schools group
together for testing those students who are expected to require more time to complete a
test session than the pre-lunch or post-lunch block of time provides. Schools may
arrange for such students to have a carefully supervised lunch break during any of the
test sessions if necessary. The test materials should be collected from the students
prior to the start of the lunch break and returned to those who had not completed the
test following the supervised lunch break. The school may permit these students to talk
with each other and with the supervising adults during the lunch break but must be
instructed that they may not discuss the test content during this time. So that their tests
will not have to be invalidated, the proctor should not return the test materials to any
students who during the lunch break violated the instruction not to discuss the test
content.
Limitations in Timing
As long as they are working productively, students should be allowed as much time as
they need only within the confines of the regular school day to complete each test
session. Schools are not expected to extend the school day in order for students to
complete a test session. In addition, schools may not extend a test session beyond its
scheduled day unless the student has multiple-day testing as a specified testing
accommodation in his or her IEP or 504 Plan.
__________________________________________
The transition to untimed testing is just one of the efforts that NYSED is making to
improve the quality of the States assessments and the experience that students have
when taking these tests. We appreciate all that schools do to help put these changes
into practice.
For questions and guidance on how to implement this new policy, schools and districts
are asked to contact their regional District Superintendents office. District
Superintendents will provide the technical guidance and support to help ensure their
member districts are able to carry out this new policy within their unique local and
regional constraints.
District Superintendent Office
Albany-Schoharie-Schenectady-Saratoga Counties and BOCES (Capital
Region)
Broome-Delaware-Tioga Counties and BOCES
Cattaraugus-Allegany-Erie-Wyoming Counties and BOCES
Cayuga-Onondaga Counties and BOCES
Clinton-Essex-Warren-Washington Counties and BOCES (Champlain Valley)
Delaware-Chenango-Madison-Otsego Counties and BOCES
Dutchess County and BOCES

Phone Number
(518) 862-4901
(607) 766-3802
(716) 376-8246
(315) 253-0361
(518) 536-7340
(607) 335-1233
(845) 486-4800

Erie County and BOCES (Erie One)

Erie-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Counties and BOCES (Erie Two)
Franklin-Essex-Hamilton Counties and BOCES
Genesee-Livingston-Steuben-Wyoming Counties and BOCES (Genesee
Valley)
Hamilton-Fulton-Montgomery Counties and BOCES
Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego Counties and BOCES
Jefferson-Lewis-Hamilton-Herkimer-Oneida Counties and BOCES
Madison-Oneida Counties and BOCES
Monroe County and BOCES (Monroe One)
Monroe-Orleans Counties and BOCES (Monroe Two)
Nassau County and BOCES
Oneida-Herkimer-Madison Counties and BOCES
Onondaga-Cortland-Madison Counties and BOCES
Ontario-Seneca-Yates-Cayuga-Wayne Counties and BOCES (Wayne-Finger
Lakes)
Orange-Ulster Counties and BOCES
Orleans-Niagara Counties and BOCES
Oswego County and BOCES
Otsego Northern Catskills BOCES
Putnam-Westchester Counties and BOCES (Putnam-Northern Westchester)
Rensselaer-Columbia-Greene Counties and BOCES (Questar III)
Rockland County and BOCES
St. Lawrence-Lewis Counties and BOCES
Schuyler-Steuben-Chemung-Tioga-Allegany Counties and BOCES (Greater
Southern Tier)
Suffolk County and BOCES (Eastern Suffolk)
Suffolk County and BOCES (Western Suffolk)
Sullivan County and BOCES
Tompkins-Seneca-Tioga Counties and BOCES
Ulster County and BOCES
Washington-Saratoga-Warren-Hamilton-Essex Counties and BOCES
Westchester County and BOCES (Southern Westchester)

(716) 821-7001
(716) 549-4454
ext 4029
(518) 483-6420
(585) 658-7903
(518) 736-4300
(315) 867-2023
(315) 779-7010
(315) 361-5510
(585) 383-2200
(585) 352-2410
(516) 396-2200
(315) 793-8561
(315) 433-2602
(315) 332-7284
(845) 291-0110
(585) 344-7903
(315) 963-4222
(607) 588-6291
Ext. 14
(914) 248-2300
(518) 477-8771
(845) 627-4701
(315) 386-4504
(607) 654-2283
(631) 687-3006
(631) 549-4900
(845) 295-4015
(607) 257-1551
(845) 255-3040
(518) 746-3310
(914) 937-3820

Schools or districts within the Big 5 cities may contact the following:
Buffalo
Rochester
Syracuse
Yonkers
New York City Department of Education

(716) 816-3035
(585) 262-8328
(315) 435-4486
(914) 376-8234
Contact Borough
Assessment
Implementation
Director

Questions about testing programs, policies, and procedures may be sent to

[email protected].