Managing Non-Participation (Special) Codes
There are circumstances in which a student did not participate in an expected test or participated in a test but in a non-standard way. Examples include a student inadvertently taking an incorrect test, a parent opt-out, or the student not receiving appropriate instruction prior to the test. In such instances, you need to assign a code to the student's test so that Reporting System can accurately explain the non-participation.
There are two types of non-participation (special) codes: non-participation and participation. A student is considered to have participated in a test after answering one question on any test. Table 38 lists the non-participation (special) codes and their descriptions.
Table 38: Non-Participation (Special) Codes and Their Descriptions
| None |
Participation |
Student took the test under standard testing conditions. |
| Absent |
Non-participation |
Student was not present during any part of the test administration period and was not able to make up the test. |
| Year 1 EL |
Non-participation |
English learners who enrolled in a U.S. school within the last twelve months prior to the beginning of the test have a one-time exception from the ISAT ELA test. |
| Refusal - Student |
Non-participation |
Student chose to give up during testing or refused to start the test. |
| Refusal - Parent |
Non-participation |
A parent or legal guardian has requested that the student not take the test. |
| Medical |
Non-participation |
Student is unable to test during the testing window due to an unanticipated medical circumstance. |
| Withdrawn |
Non-participation |
Student withdrew from the school and did not return. |
| Invalidated |
Non-standard participation |
Student took the test in a manner that violated the test’s construct. For example, due to the wrong grade being listed for the student in TIDE, the student took a test at the wrong grade level. |
| Dual Enrolled |
Non-standard participation |
Student is enrolled in multiple districts/schools for assessment purposes. |
Once you apply a non-participation (special) code, that non-participation (special) code persists until it is changed. For example, if an absent student returns to school during the test window and will now test, the non-participation (special) code will need to be changed to “None” in order for the student to be able to test.