faq'SWriter and Reviewer FAQ
How should I differentiate between long phrases and short phrases? Short phrases are considered to be 5 words or less and should be ordered alphabetically. Long phrases/sentences should be ordered by length, shortest to longest. I need to emphasize a word or phrase. How should I do that? Words of emphasis should be bolded, not CAPITALIZED. How should I order my multiple choice questions? Make sure you order your multiple choice questions according to the flow chart which can be found in both of the Guides to Writing & Reviewing. How do I determine the readability level? The readability levels need to be at or below the grade level for which the bench mark is tested. There is a whole section on this in both of the Guides to Writing & Reviewing. You can also use the following website to determine readability: https://readability-score.com/. What should I do with my copyright permissions? Save a copy of your copyright permissions for yourself as well as send one to Justin Seabolt @ [email protected]. How should I differentiate between short answers and extended answers? Short answer items are graded using the 3 point (0, 1, 2) scale, should take between 2 and 5 minutes to answer, and writers should include the rubric and sample full credit response. Extended response items are using the 5 point (0, 1, 2, 3, 4) scale, should take between 10 and 20 minutes to respond, and writers should include the rubric only. Do I have to create my own scoring rubric? You can but we have generic rubrics that you can use that are found in both of the Guides for Writing and Reviewing. Am I allowed to use “all of the above” or “none of the above” in my Multiple Choice items? No Am I able to approve my own items if no one else is doing so? No, do not approve your own items. Does the complexity level have to be followed? Yes, the complexity level must be followed and you should refer to your Webb’s DOK Wheel (found in both of the Guides to Writing & Reviewing) if you need any help. If we don’t write to the correct level, we will be unable to use those items. I don’t agree with the complexity of an item that I am writing. What should I do? If you disagree with the complexity of an item that you are reviewing, please email Justin the UIN and he will make the final decision. What are the guidelines for a reviewer to fix/edit an item? If an item can be edited/fixed in under fifteen minutes, as a reviewer you should be making those edits. There are two exceptions to this rule: One would be a disagreement in complexity, which then you should see the above question. The second reason would be if the item does not match the benchmark. In this case, you would automatically reject the item. If it happens that you have to reject the item, you must provide very specific feedback to the writer as to why you are rejecting the item and provide a suggestion for fixing the item. Make sure that you refer to your Item Writer and Reviewer Checklist and your Item Specs guide when reviewing. Do I have to sign up for an item before it is written? You must sign up for any item that you wish to write before writing that item. How many items can I sign up for at one time? 10 I don’t see an Item Writer Sign Up for the course that I want to write for. Can I write an item without the Sign Up being available? If there is not an Item Writer Sign Up for a course then that means that we do not have item specs/blue prints for that course. Do not write items for a course we do not have an Item Writer Sign Up for. What do I do with the UIN? It is very important that you include the UIN on the Item Writer Sign Up for each item that you write. If you do not know how to find your UIN, please refer to your Guide for Writing & Reviewing. How many standards am I able to attach to an item I am writing? Make sure you are only attaching one standard per question. Is there a document available that acts as a “help guide” of some sort? Yes, the Guide for Writing & Reviewing in the IBTP is available under the Writer and Reviewer Resources page. There is a guide for Equella (grant) and one for Eduphoria (non-grant). These guides contain a full list of resources and materials that will help to explain how to use Equella or Eduphoria, how to find your UIN, and many other extremely important details. Please access this as often as possible. Are there other materials available that the guide may not cover? Yes, there are other materials listed on the Writer and Reviewer Resources page under the Writing & Reviewing Guide such as a Bias & Sensitivity Guide, Copyright Request, etc. |
Account Information, Paperwork, Invoices FAQ
Why do I not have access to my writer and/or reviewer account yet? (GRANT) We check weekly with the DOE on the status of your writer and/or reviewer account. They have a heavy workload and are working as fast as possible in order to get your accounts created. We ask that if you are waiting for an account, please be patient with us as we work to get this created for you. While you are waiting, please ensure that you have taken both surveys. If you need those links, see below: o http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/GBMD9WC o http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BDFKD3B Why do I not have access to my writer and/or reviewer account yet? (NON-GRANT) In order to work on non-grant courses, you must have permission from your district representative. Once you have permission, Justin will create your Eduphia (non-grant) accounts. If do not know who your district representative is, email us and we will let you know. I am new to CFAC. What do I need to submit to you in order to participate? If you are first starting out, whether you are grant or non-grant, we need you to fill out all of the following forms: the FLDOE Security Agreement, an Originality of Work form, the Pearson NDA form, and all three of the Vendor forms (Information, Certification, and W9). The Vendor forms have samples forms listed below them and it is absolutely crucial that the forms are filled out exactly like the sample forms. What should I do if my mailing address changes? If you move or are changing your mailing address, you have to resubmit all three Vendors forms and they need to be fully completed. I will be working on more than one course for CFAC. Should I submit an Originality form for each course? No, you only need to submit one Originality form to us. You can list each course on the one form or you may generalize which courses you are working on (i.e., ELA, Math, Science, etc) How does the invoice process work? (Grant only) The process for invoicing is fairly easy once you get the hang of it. We cannot stress enough the importance of reading the instructions on how to properly complete the invoices – without reading this first, you may not fill out your invoice correctly, which will result in the invoice possibly being rejected. The first invoice that you will need to submit to us for payment is your Online Training invoice, if eligible. Hannah will send you an email containing your Online Training PO and invoice information (PO #, invoice #, and item(s) to invoice us for) . You will complete to appropriate invoice template with that information, then submit the invoice to Hannah for payment. How often do I submit an invoice? (Grant only) We run a report about every two weeks (with some exceptions that we will make everyone aware of) that will pull all of the information containing how many items you have written and/or reviewed. Once the report has been run, we will input that information in to our Google Doc that lists all of the POs that we have for you. After the information is input into our Google Doc, Hannah will then email you (it will look very similar to your online training invoice email) with the PO#, invoice#, and the amount of items that you need to invoice us for. We highly suggest that you review the instructions each time you complete an invoice template. Should I just fill out the invoice when I receive the email from Hannah? (Grant only) No, you should be checking the information that Hannah sends you against your own records. Sometimes typos are made because we do this invoicing process by hand and we have hundreds of POs that need to be invoiced. There is a difference between my records and the information that Hannah sent me. Can I submit an invoice for the amount of items that I have recorded? (Grant only) No. If you feel there is a discrepancy, please email Hannah regarding that. It could be something as simple as a typo mentioned above, or not all of your written items have been approved, etc. Do not submit an invoice for items that are different than what is emailed to you – the invoice will be not be accepted. When should I submit my invoice? (Grant only) You should submit your invoice as soon as possible. If you wait to submit the invoices, it causes an issue with back logs in our accounting department and in our own records. How soon will we be paid after we submit an invoice? (Grant only) If an invoice is entered in by our accounting department before Wednesday morning, the check for that will be cut on Thursday and mailed out on Friday. If the invoice is entered in after Wednesday morning, a check will be cut and mailed out the following Thursday and Friday, respectively. Depending on how your postal service is/where you are located in Florida will determine how soon the check is delivered to you after it is mailed out. How do I get paid for my non-grant work? Justin submits reports to your districts every two weeks. From here, it is up to your district to decide their individual process for compensation. |