Student Achievement Module FAQ

General

What is SAM?
SAM, the Student Achievement Module (housed within TCS), was introduced during the 2021-22 school year. The module is used to collect various credentials earned by students; however only information pertaining to the Seal of Biliteracy is currently collected. 

In the future, what additional credentials will be collected in SAM? How can school districts prepare their Student Information System?
The Record Layout (available on the Student Achievement Module page) has been designed to allow scalability while minimizing updates on the school district end. Additional Codes will be added to the following fields as SAM expands, however the field length will remain the same. This is a similar process to when new codes are added to other existing fields in CSDE applications.

• Credential Category/Series – one potential area of expansion is the collection of various types of Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certifications. Currently only the Seal of Biliteracy code is accepted, which is why only one code is listed in Table C.
• Credential/Test Vendor – this code list will be dependent on what is added to the Credential Category/Series
• Credential Specialization – the codes that pertain to the Seal of Biliteracy all begin with “BL” and are followed by a three-digit number. The same convention will be used for future codes, for example, prefixing automotive codes with “AU.”

The module validation will then be updated as needed, such as only allowing Credential Specialization Codes that begin with “BL” when Credential Category/Series is the Biliteracy Code “BC001.” Three reserved fields are also built into the layout should any additional expansion be needed.

Is there a SAM User/Certifier role? 
This module does not have a separate role in Directory Manager. The TCS User and TCS Certifier roles are used for SAM.

Can an individual other than the current TCS Application Manager(s) complete this upload? 
Yes. Your LEA Security Manager for Directory Manager can assign additional TCS User roles to those who will be responsible for this module. Note that those with the TCS User role will have access to both the TCS application and the Student Achievement Module.

Does SAM need to be certified?
Yes – there is a certification page within the SAM module.

Who should certify SAM? 
As with all other applications, an Administrator holding an 092 or 093 must complete certification.

Seal of Biliteracy Reporting Questions

General

What is the Seal of Biliteracy?
Visit the Connecticut State Seal of Biliteracy web site for more information on what the Seal is, it's guidelines, and FAQs pertaining to the Seal.

Did my school district report data last year? 
Log into SAM and select the prior year on the right side of the green page header of the header. You can then view or download any data reported that year.

If we did not report last year, does my school district need to report this year? 
Contact your Director of World Languages, Director of Multilingual Learners or Director of Bilingual Programs to see if any students attempted to earn Seal of Biliteracy in your district. If there were any attempts those records must be reported regardless of if your district reported records in any prior year.

Which school districts should report data in this collection?
Every district with a high school should offer the opportunity for students to earn the Seal of Biliteracy – however there may not be any students who attempt the test in a given year. Contact your Director of World Languages, Director of Multilingual Learners or Director of Bilingual Programs to see if any students attempted to earn Seal of Biliteracy in your district.

Which Records to Report

Should school districts wait until a student earns the Seal before reporting their record? (i.e. they passed the test, but not yet completed the English language component)

All grade 10-12 students who took the test between July 1 and June 30 of the collection year should be reported regardless of their English Language component status. Once they graduate, SDE can determine if that portion has been fulfilled via Teacher Course Student (TCS) and the Public School Information System (PSIS).

If a single-part test is given more than once, should all attempts be reported? 
Yes. each attempt should be reported.

Some tests are multi-part, does the SDE want records for each part? 
No. Once all parts are administered the overall outcome should be reported.

Should all attempts be reported if a school district does not award the Seal of Biliteracy to any students? 
Yes

If a student takes two different tests for a single language should both be reported? 
Yes. Each outcome should be reported.

Should a student be reported if they passed their test in a prior school year?
No. Only report tests that took place during the collection school year.