Score Entry – Basic Process
See “Score Entry Options” below for links to more detailed instructions.
Step 1: Validate information for each student recently added to the Class List.
Step 2: Set the assessment date and form.
- Follow these instructions for how to set the assessment date and form.
- Set the wrong form? See instructions for how to change the assessment date and form.
- Administrators may follow these instructions if they choose to preset the form for the entire district.
- Teachers should set the assessment date for the day that assessment starts. This is simply the date that will appear on this teacher’s reports for this assessment window.
Step 3: Choose a score entry option (below), and enter scores.
- Click here to understand the PALS Online System icons appearing next to student names before and after score entry.
Step 4: Check reports (available after required tasks are entered) to make sure data was entered accurately.
See the Managing Student Records page for information about how to delete scores for a student for the current assessment window (e.g., if scores were entered for the wrong student, or if disability status needs to be changed).
Score Entry Options
Regular Score Entry versus Quick Scoring
- “Regular score entry” used to be called the Online Assessment Wizard. This method allows teachers to bypass the paper score sheets and enter item-level data directly into the online system during assessment. It also provides prompting for which tasks are required and what administration sequence to follow. With regular score entry, item-level reports are available.
- “Quick Scoring” used to be called “Traditional Score Entry.” It’s often used by teachers who choose to use the consumable (paper) score sheets and then enter scores afterward, and who do not use item-level data or reports to plan instruction.
Optional tasks
- All tasks that are not required tasks are optional tasks.
- Optional task scores do appear on reports, but may not affect the IORL diagnosis provided by the system for students in grades 1-8.
- All PALS-PreK tasks are optional, unless local policy states otherwise.
Screening-only option for PALS Plus and PALS español 1-3
- Click here to learn more about the screening-only option if your district uses PALS only for screening purposes, does not need diagnostic reports, and wants to reduce assessment time.
Just entering progress monitoring scores for a specific skill? Click here to learn how to use PALS Quick Checks.
Late Score Entry
It happens. For a fee, our office can enter current-year scores after the score entry deadline using the process outlined in our Late Score Entry Policy.