Administering TIMSS in your school

Step 4: Complete the Student Tracking Form

The TIMSS Student Tracking Form, which lists all students in the selected class, is essential to ensure that test and questionnaire data can be linked back to student demographic information. The form contains space to record student participation in the test and questionnaire (similar to an attendance sheet). The test administrator is responsible for completing the form on assessment day.

Once CMEC receives the assessment data, it is verified against the information recorded on the Student Tracking Form. The school will be contacted in the case of any missing or inaccurate information.

 

Watch this video to learn about the completion of the Student Tracking Form.

Click here to preview a sample of a completed Student Tracking Form.

The Student Tracking Form contains several columns that need to be completed on assessment day (note that you should not complete the “Birth Date” and “Sex” columns):

Special Education Needs (SEN)

The Student Tracking Form contains a special education needs column that reflects information that the school previously provided. In the event a student’s situation has changed, the special education needs codes need to be updated. Please consult Student with Student with Special Education Needs for a list of SEN codes and permitted accommodations.

Participation Status

The column dedicated to recording student participation status is divided into two sections, one for the “Regular Session” and the other for the “Makeup Session.” Each of these is divided into two columns, one for the test and one for the Student Questionnaire. Both the Test and Questionnaire columns under “Regular Session” must be filled out with a participation code for each student. When a makeup session is held, the columns “Test” and “Questionnaire” under the “Makeup Session” heading must also be completed for each student who was absent from the regular session.

If a student needs to leave early or arrives late, they should be recorded as present for the corresponding section of the assessment (test or questionnaire).

Participation codes are as follows:

 

	Code P	Student participated in the session. (A student should be marked as having participated even if they were present during only one of the two segments of the testing session.)
	Code A	Student was absent from the session.
	Code SA	Student participated in the session with special accommodation.
	Code R	Parental refusal of student’s participation.
	Code NA	Student left the school permanently.

 

Session Number

The session number must be recorded for each student who participated. In order to assess all students in a class, more than one session may be administered. The session number reflects the chronological session that each student attended. For instance, the session number for students who participated in the first regular session is “1”; the session number for students who participated in a subsequent session, either a regular or a makeup session, is “2.” Typically, schools administer between one to three sessions. However, schools may administer as many sessions as necessary to ensure that all sampled students have been provided the opportunity to participate in TIMSS within the administration window (March 10 to April 17, 2025).

Date

Enter the date of the assessment administration for each student who participated. If a student participated in a makeup session, the date entered for them should be the date of the makeup session. Please ensure dates are accurately recorded to reflect the actual date of the assessment administration.

New Students in the Class

It is possible that a new student, whose name was not submitted on the Student Identification Form, is participating in the assessment. For any new students, the test administrator can provide them with one of the three extra Student Login Forms included in the “Student Login Forms” file received by email. The last three login forms in the file are anonymous and are provided for any new students.

Each new student will need to be manually added to the Student Tracking Form. On the Student Tracking Form, please record their name, birth date, and sex beside the line number that corresponds with the line number on their Student Login Form. You will find this number at the top of the Student Login Form. For example, if the new student’s line number is 11 on the Student Login Form, then enter their name, birth date, and sex in line number 11 of the Student Tracking Form. The line number on both the Student Login Form and the Student Tracking Form must match. (Do not worry about locating the new student’s provincial number.) A spare Home Questionnaire Login Form (with the matching line number) should also be provided to the parent/guardian of the student.