The following Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and responses aim to provide quick, easy to digest information relating to our new Sirius STAAR Assessment Bank and Test Builder product (SSAB & TB).
When was SSAB launched? When did it become available for purchase?
SSAB was formally launched for purchase on January 2, 2024.
Where can I learn more about SSAB including general details?
Learn more about SSAB at https://siriuseducationsolutions.com/, especially at this link. You’ll find all you need, including a short video, that can help you understand features, advantages, benefits, and pricing. Please reach out to your account executive to schedule a demo or to learn more. If you do not know who to contact, you can reach your account executive at this link.
Who are the ideal administrators/education leaders who will use the assessment bank and test builder application?
Any current assessment administrators, including assessment directors, discipline-specific course planners and leaders, as well as other school leaders involved in district benchmarking should consider learning more about SSAB and Test Builder.
Can I customize assessments to fit my classroom needs?
Sirius designed SSAB & TB to support many different use cases that correspond to your testing needs. It can be used for formative, summative, CBAs, practice tests, and even exit tickets.
How does SSAB integrate with Single Sign On platforms?
Materials created at the district level with SSAB & TB are best delivered to teachers when the district provides SSO and Rostering of all DAs, SAs, Teachers, Students and classes. If you are a self registration district, we do not recommend using SSAB & TB district wide.
Does SSAB work with Eduphoria, DMAC, or similar platforms?
Not directly. Our items cannot currently be imported to other systems.
Sirius Online provides as robust experience parallel to STAAR, including TEKS reporting on performance and standards, student engagement (tool use, time on task, use of translate or text to speech, etc.) and general usage.
Our platform also has hints, feedback, and rationales when students go back to review work (like our practice activities, but only after students take the assessment), which no other platform provides.
Finally, districts are able to export item analysis data for ingestion into your LMS or other reporting applications.
Can we enter the Sirius items into our own LMS or testing platform?
No. The items available in our test banks, along with our Pre-Built tests, are not available for use in your own LMS or testing platform.
Can we print the test banks?
No. The items cannot be printed. Nor can the tests that are created in SSAB. They are all designed to work for on-screen, online administration exclusively.
Can we edit or add our own items?
No. The items cannot be edited, nor can you make your own items.
How many new question types does your bank have?
Over 25% of the Sirius items represent new STAAR question-item types, including Short and Extended Constructed Response items.
What makes Sirius items high quality?
Items match the new STAAR 2.0 tests in all the details (content, format, and rigor).
Are there any special required steps prior to setting up training?
An SSAB Coordinator will need to provide information, including names and email addresses of “Assessment Administrators” in a survey (i.e., those who will need access) prior to setting up the training. We also ask that administrators have had prior SES 101 and 102 training prior to attending. This requirement can be met through completion of our eLearning modules if administrators have not attended prior training. Please access this survey if you are a Sirius Assessment Administrator or Coordinator in charge of setting up the training session.
Is training required before use?
SES 301 – Authoring and Publishing Assessments using Sirius STAAR Assessment Bank and Test Builder for Education Leaders – is required prior to use of the Assessment Bank and Test Builder application.
For more on Sirius Professional Learning, please review information at this link.
What does training include?
Training includes brief demos and on-hands work in a 1.5 hour session. Following training, participants do additional practice and complete specific tasks using the practice folders and tests that they created in the session.
Is there additional training provided after the first session?
Additional follow up sessions can be designed based upon need. If more in-depth academic consulting is in order, we can work with districts to set up additional training via our SES 302: Assessment Bank and Test Builder Follow Up course.