Module 0: Preparation

Welcome to your coding course for family engagement! Here’s a few things to know before we get started:

  • This is a self-paced course, which means you work on your schedule, at your own pace. There are additional practice opportunities built into each module. We recommend that you get to know which items are easier for you and which are harder– and take advantage of the extra practice opportunities for the harder items!
  • For every scoring item, there are multiple practice opportunities including 1) a scoring practice opportunity with ten questions and feedback; 2) an additional practice opportunity with ten questions and feedback; 3) two combined practice opportunities with five questions from each item and feedback.

Getting Certified

To get certified you have to:

  • Get an 80% or higher score (16/20 or better) on the twenty question certification test for EACH of the nine items.
  • Get an 85% or higher overall score across all nine items (153 of 180 or more questions right).
  • Get an 80% or higher on each of two segmenting certification test (16/20 or better on each quiz)

Practice is up to you! If you are struggling with an item, we recommend more practice. If you are doing well with an item, feel free to move on. You can go through the items in any order. When you are ready to take the certification test on ALL items, let the lead coder know and you will be given the access codes for the certification tests. Note that all tests are very, very open book! Use whatever resources will help you pass– when you are coding, we want you to draw on examples, tip sheets, and our scoring guide to help you be accurate!

Tips for Success

  • Get to know the scoring guides (below under resources). When you are unsure about how to score or segment an item, look both at the descriptors on the detailed scoring guides and also the five examples for each level. Which one does your item most strongly resemble?
  • Get to know the guidelines for segmenting transcripts as well. Before transcripts are scored, they need to be divided up into scoring items and this guide explains how!

Resources

Here are some resources that you are welcome to use throughout: