2013-14 TEST ADMINISTRATION MANUAL On-line Administration 4041 N. Central Avenue, Suite 1200 Phoenix, AZ 85012 Phone: 602.506.3866 • Fax: 602.506.3753 Table of Contents Introduction........................................................................................................................................................................... 1 Purpose and Design of the Assessment .......................................................................................................................... 1 Definition of Roles............................................................................................................................................................... 1 Statement of Security......................................................................................................................................................... 2 Before Testing ..................................................................................................................................................................... 3 • Preparing Materials ............................................................................................................................................... 3 • Preparing the Environment ..................................................................................................................................... 3 • Preparing Students................................................................................................................................................... 3 During Testing ...................................................................................................................................................................... 4 • Starting the Test........................................................................................................................................................ 4 • Monitoring Testing .................................................................................................................................................... 6 Accommodations ................................................................................................................................................................. 7 • AIMS Testing Accommodations Guidelines .......................................................................................................... 7 • Additional Accommodations ................................................................................................................................... 7 Completing and Exiting the Test ...................................................................................................................................... 8 Appendix A – Taking On-Line Assessments Appendix B – Power Point of Student Instructions Appendix C – FAQ’s for On-line Testing Introduction Congratulations. You will soon be implementing a MCESA Content Specific Assessment that is a collaborative effort by teachers, administrators, policy makers, and students. This assessment has undergone a rigorous development process to ensure validity and reliability. Please read this manual carefully. It is designed to assist you with creating a smooth and efficient testing experience for students, thereby collecting the most accurate data. Purpose and Design of the Assessment The MCESA Content Specific Assessments were created to measure student achievement in traditionally non-tested courses. The assessments are a matched pair of a pre-assessment and a post-assessment that are both aligned to the Arizona State Standards for the course. The post-assessments contain items that align to the end-of-year content standards. Forty percent of the pre-assessments align to beginning of year content standards for measuring students’ in-coming knowledge. Sixty percent of the pre-assessments align to end of year content standards. Definition of Roles Test Coordinator – the person responsible for scheduling the test administration dates and coordinating all preparations including communicating information about log-in user names and passwords and testing procedures. Test Administrator – the person(s) responsible for administering the test to students and proctoring the student testing experience. MCESA Test Administration Manual Administration 2013-2014 Page 1 of 8 Statement of Security Because this assessment was designed to be used to measure student growth as a part of teacher effectiveness models, it is imperative to adhere to professional security measures. Listed below is an excerpt from the test security agreement for the MCESA Content Specific Assessments. Please note that items 5-10 apply to on-line test administration and 1-4 apply to paper administration. 1. Access to test books and answer documents shall be restricted to assigned Test Coordinator(s) during the prescribed assessment administration. 2. All test books and answer documents shall be kept under lock and key and in possession of the Test Coordinator except during actual test times. 3. Test books and answer documents shall be checked out or delivered and signed for by the Test Administrators no sooner than the date of testing and returned at the end of each day of testing. 4. Test books and answer documents shall be kept secure until they are distributed to students. 5. Only teachers and students in participating classes shall be allowed to access and use MCESA Content Specific Assessments. 6. The MCESA Content Specific Assessments shall not be examined, read, or reviewed. 7. No content of the test shall be disclosed, hand-copied, electronically stored, photographed, or photocopied. 8. No test item shall be discussed at any time. 9. No student responses shall be examined, read, or reviewed. 10. Ethics and professionalism regarding test administration will be upheld throughout the entire test administration window. MCESA Test Administration Manual Administration 2013-2014 Page 2 of 8 Before Testing Preparing Materials In order to log-in and take an on-line assessment, students will need to know their user name and password. Test Administrators should be prepared to support students in learning their user name and password. Young students may need a card or slip of paper on which their information is written in order to remember it and type it correctly. Test Administrators should have a copy of the user names and passwords available during the testing session to support students who may have forgotten or need help entering their information. To expedite the testing session and allow more time for students to take the test, a test proctor could enter student usernames and passwords prior to students entering the testing location. For the 2013-2014 administration of MCESA Content Specific Assessments, the user name will be the student’s SAIS ID and the password will be the student’s SAIS ID plus four-digit birthdate – mm/dd. Preparing the Environment Careful preparation of the testing environment is an important step to ensure that the assessment measures student knowledge of the standards. A room that is quiet and free from distracting noises or interruptions should be scheduled for the testing session. The seating arrangements should support students in working individually, not collaboratively, on the assessment. Assigning students specific seats is a good strategy for maintaining a room where students work individually. Also, any bulletin boards, posters, or signs that could cue student answers should be removed or covered. Each MCESA Content Specific Assessment contains 50 items and is designed to be administered in one class period of approximately 40-60 minutes. Preparing Students Students who are taking an on-line test should be familiar with the process to access the URL of the test delivery system, log-into the system, and select their appropriate test. See Appendix A for the guidance document from Public Consulting Group (PCG) called ‘Taking On-line Assessments’ for specific directions about how students access their tests in this system. It is recommended that students view a demonstration of the process if they have never seen the PCG system before. This demonstration should occur prior to the testing session so as to allow the maximum amount of time for taking the actual test. For a demonstration of PCG’s system, please refer to the Power Point presentation available through the Test Coordinator. A copy of this presentation is shown in Appendix B. Before students take their test, they should be informed of the purpose of the assessment and what to expect. Questions that students are likely to ask include 1. Why am I taking this test? 2. How long will it last? 3. Where will we take the test? 4. Does this count for my grade? MCESA Test Administration Manual Administration 2013-2014 Page 3 of 8 An appropriate script for communicating with students is provided here, but the script may be modified to include district specific information. You will be taking a test to show what you know about _______ (insert subject area or course name) _________. In this test, you will be working on your own, answering questions on the computer. Try your best to answer the questions. During Testing Starting the Test Upon entering the testing room, students should leave backpacks and electronic devices in a designated location. Students should then sit in the appropriate seat for taking their test. The name of the test to be taken should be displayed on the board to ensure that students select the correct assessment for the testing session. The chart below shows the names of the MCESA Content Specific Assessments that could be assigned to students. Pre-assessments 3rd Grade Music Pre 2013-14 Beginning Band Pre 2013-14 3rd Grade Visual Arts Pre 2013-14 HS Dance Pre 2013-14 8th Grade Visual Arts Pre 2013-14 HS Theater Pre 2013-14 3rd Grade Physical Education Pre 2013-14 HS PE Pre 2013-14 8th Grade Physical Education Pre 2013-14 HS Visual Arts Pre 2013-14 6th Grade Social Studies Pre 2013-14 HS Economics Pre 2013-14 7th Grade Social Studies Pre 2013-14 HS Government Pre 2013-14 8th Grade Social Studies Pre 2013-14 HS US American History Pre 2013-14 Beginning Choir Pre 2013-14 HS World History Pre 2013-14 *Field Test participants may see the name of the test followed by Form A, B, or C Post-assessments 3rd Grade Music Post 2013-14 Beginning Band Post 2013-14 3rd Grade Visual Arts Post 2013-14 HS Dance Post 2013-14 8th Grade Visual Arts Post 2013-14 HS Theater Post 2013-14 3rd Grade Physical Education Post 2013-14 HS Physical Education Post 2013-14 8th Grade Physical Education Post 2013-14 HS Visual Arts Post 2013-14 6th Grade Social Studies Post 2013-14 HS Economics Post 2013-14 7th Grade Social Studies Post 2013-14 HS Government Post 2013-14 8th Grade Social Studies Post 2013-14 HS US American History Post 2013-14 Beginning Choir Post 2013-14 HS World History Post 2013-14 *Field Test participants may see the name of the test followed by Form A, B, or C MCESA Test Administration Manual Administration 2013-2014 Page 4 of 8 Ask students to listen to all directions before logging in and beginning their tests. An appropriate script for communicating with students is provided here, but may be modified to include district, school, or class specific information. In a moment you will log-into the system to begin your test. You will be working independently. You may not use any personal electronic devices during this test. This test is not timed, and you will have the entire class session to work on it. Read each question and answer choice carefully. Choose only one answer for each question. While you are working or when you are finished, you may revisit any of the questions on your test. After you have completed the test, raise your hand and I will come to your seat to give you permission to submit your tests. At that time you will click the submit button. When you finish, remain quiet so that others can concentrate on their test. If you have a question, please raise your hand. You may begin. Please log in and choose the test called _________________. The school’s technology team may put a shortcut on each computer for students to access the test. If students do not have a shortcut on the desktop, the log-in page to take the assessment can be accessed by going to your district’s URL listed below. https://ade-alhambra.d2sc.com/ https://ade-adjc.d2sc.com/ https://ade-balsz.d2sc.com/ https://ade-gilabend.d2sc.com/ https://ade-isaac.d2sc.com/ https://ade-mobile.d2sc.com/ https://ade-nadaburg.d2sc.com/ https://ade-pesd1.d2sc.com/ https://ade-roosevelt.d2sc.com/ https://ade-tolleson.d2sc.com/ https://ade-wilson.d2sc.com/ It is a good strategy to stagger start the students. For example, have students wearing a white shirt begin first. Then wait 60 seconds and have another set of students begin. This strategy often supports electronic testing systems with their efficiency and also helps to reduce cheating if students are not always on the same item as their neighbor. MCESA Content Specific Assessments are intentionally not delivered with randomized items, because they are designed to present students with easier and harder questions in a specific order. Students may have multiple assessments assigned to them. Ensure that each student has selected the appropriate assessment. MCESA Test Administration Manual Administration 2013-2014 Page 5 of 8 Monitoring Testing While students are working on the test, quietly move about the room to monitor students to ensure they are not talking with each other, examining the work of others, using any personal electronic devices or visiting websites other than the test delivery site. Also monitor students to ensure they are progressing though the test and recording their answers correctly. At the bottom of the screen, students will see a navigation bar showing the number of items completed and the number of items on the test. Depending on the hardware used, it may be necessary for students to scroll across this navigation bar to see that the total number of items on the test is 50. It may be necessary to remind students to maximize the window if your browser is not set to automatically display full size windows. If the test has reading passages, the student will see the passage repeated at the beginning of each associated item. In case of emergencies such as the bathroom, it is recommended that only one student leave the room at a time. Test Administrators may only answer questions that relate to the directions of the assessment, not the content of the course or test. For hardware or internet technical problems during testing, call your school or district technical support team. For other technical issues including application problems, call the ADE Help Desk (602-542-2222). For long-distance outside of Maricopa County, use this toll-free number 1-866-577-9636. Test Administrators should inform students when they have 10 minutes and 5 minutes of testing time remaining. A quiet test environment will support students in concentrating on their work. Therefore, it is recommended that students who finish the test early are provided an additional activity such as reading or completing work quietly at their seat. Providing computer free-time or games after the testing session may discourage students from putting forth their best effort on the test. MCESA Test Administration Manual Administration 2013-2014 Page 6 of 8 Accommodations The following excerpt from AIMS Testing Accommodations: Guidelines for 2012-2013 describes the Universal Test Administration Conditions that should enable all Arizona students to have an appropriate testing setting to support their success on the assessment. These conditions are applicable to the administration of MCESA Content Specific Assessments. AIMS Testing Accommodations: Guidelines for 2012-2013 Universal Test Administration Conditions are specific testing situations and conditions that may be offered to any student in order to provide him/her a comfortable and distraction free testing environment. Universal Test Administration Conditions include:  Testing in a small group, testing one-on-one, testing in a separate location or in a study carrel,  Being seated in a specific location within the testing room or being seated at special furniture,  Having the test administered by a familiar test administrator,  Using a special pencil or pencil grip,  Using devices that allow the student to see the test: glasses, contacts, magnification, special lighting, and color overlays,  Using devices that allow the student to hear the test directions: hearing aids and amplification,  Reading the test quietly to himself/herself as long as other students are not disrupted,  Wearing noise buffers after the scripted directions have been read,  Having the scripted directions included in the Test Administration Directions repeated (at student request) and having questions about the scripted directions or the directions that students read on their own answered. (They may also be displayed in writing on the board.) While some of the items listed as Universal Test Administration Conditions might be included in a student’s IEP as a required testing accommodation, for testing purposes these are not considered testing accommodations and are not limited to only students with IEPs. Additional Accommodations All teachers are expected to implement any testing accommodations specifically noted on student Individual Education Plans (IEP) or 504 Plans. Also, English Language Learners may have access to a native language dictionary. MCESA Test Administration Manual Administration 2013-2014 Page 7 of 8 Completing and Exiting the Test When students complete their test, it is essential that they submit their assessment. According to the scripted directions, students must notify the Test Administrator that they have completed the test and are ready to submit. The Test Administrator should check that all items have been completed and can then give permission for the student to submit the test. The student will click the submit button. If students were not able to complete their test before the end of the testing, then they should NOT submit, but instead click the SAVE button and log out. A make-up session to complete the remaining questions should be arranged according to the school plan. (Save button: For specific instructions on test taking and saving, see Appendix A an d B.) After submitting or saving the test, the student should log out of the PCG program. Explain to students that they may not discuss the content of the test with an peers, teachers or parents. MCESA Test Administration Manual Administration 2013-2014 Page 8 of 8 Appendix A Taking Online Assessments PCG Terms Save – Using the Save button only saves any answers that have been entered. It does NOT score. Submit – Using the Submit button completes the testing session. The test may not be reopened. Exit – Using the Logout button properly closes the session with the server. TO DO LIST 1. Log in. 2. Click on active Assessment link. 3. Take test. 4. Submit test. 5. Log out. Log in as a student, using the login and password you have been given. Choose Student At-A-Glance Click on the student’s folder to show the contents. Click on the Assignments link. Click on the Assessments link under the class in which you need to take a test. © PCG Education, 2013 Proprietary and Confidential 1 Taking Online Assessments | 2 The right side of the screen will display all assessments assigned in that class, both available and completed. If necessary, scroll down until you find the available assessment (it will be a blue hyperlink), then click on it. Take the Test. Answer each question by clicking in the bubble to the left of the answer you think is correct. If you need to stop the test for some reason, click the Save button (diskette icon) , then close the window. When you are finished, click on the Submit You will see the screen refresh, then see confirmation that the test has been submitted: Close the screen (red x) Log out by clicking the “logout” link at the top right of the screen: © PCG Education, 2013 Proprietary and Confidential button. Appendix B: Power Point of Student Instructions MCESA Content Specific Assessments: Taking On-Line Assessments Instructions for Students Access the Website Select the icon on your desktop OR Go to this URL: https://ade-districtname.d2sc.com (For district name, insert the actual name of your district.) Log in using the user name and password you have been given. Click on Student At-A-Glance. Click on your folder. Click on Assignments. Click on the Assessments link. (Select the correct class.) Find the test that you need to take. Click on Take Assessment – blue link. You will see one question presented at a time. Every question has four answer choices. You may have to scroll down to see everything. Take the test. • Use • You can also click on the numbers • A blue number • A gray number • A white number • You may have to scroll to the right to see all the boxes for a long test. to go from question to question. to move to another question. indicates the question that you are on. indicates that you have answered a question. is an unanswered question. Save • As you go from question to question, the system will save your answers. • You can also use the icon to save. Submit • Double check that you have answered all the questions. • Raise your hand to get teacher permission to submit your test. • Use the icon on the last question to submit the test. • If you leave any questions unanswered, you will see the following message. • Choose Cancel and go back and answer those questions. Submit and Log Out • After answering all questions and with teacher permission, use the icon to submit the test. • After you submit, you will see a confirmation stating that your test has been submitted. • Close the screen (red x) . • Log out of the system. Appendix C: FAQs for On-Line Testing Page # 1. How do students access the website to take the test? ................................................................................................... 1 2. What do I do if a student cannot log in with the user name or password that was provided? ...................................... 1 3. What do I do if a student clicks on the folder to access the assessment but nothing happens? .................................... 2 4. What do I do if students are able to log in, but the expected test does not appear? ..................................................... 2 5. What do I do if the student’s test freezes while taking the test? .................................................................................... 3 6. What do I do if internet problems or other technical difficulties come up in the middle of a test and the student is unable to continue taking the test online? ...................................................................................................................... 3 7. What do I do if I am having difficulties with the entire class and cannot proceed with testing on the specified date? . 3 8. What do I do if a student accidentally submitted a test but is not finished answering all questions? ........................... 3 9. What do I do if a student started the wrong test? .......................................................................................................... 4 10. What do I do if students want to continue an incomplete test? ..................................................................................... 5 11. What do I do if students want to retake a completed test? ............................................................................................ 5 12. What do I do if students are not done at the end of the testing session? ...................................................................... 5 13. What do I do if students try to submit after completing all questions and they get a notification that one item has not been answered? ........................................................................................................................................................ 5 14. Who do I contact for help? .............................................................................................................................................. 6 Appendix C: FAQs for On-Line Testing 1. How do students access the website to take the test? Your technology team may put a shortcut on each computer for students to access the test. If students do not have a shortcut on the desktop, the log-in page to take the assessment can be accessed by going to your district’s URL listed below. Be sure that web security filters allow access to the URL. https://ade-alhambra.d2sc.com/ https://ade-adjc.d2sc.com/ https://ade-balsz.d2sc.com/ https://ade-gilabend.d2sc.com/ https://ade-isaac.d2sc.com/ https://ade-mobile.d2sc.com/ https://ade-nadaburg.d2sc.com/ https://ade-pesd1.d2sc.com/ https://ade-roosevelt.d2sc.com/ https://ade-tolleson.d2sc.com/ https://ade-wilson.d2sc.com/ 2. What do I do if a student cannot log in with the user name or password that was provided? Double check that the student used the correct user name and password. The user name will be the student’s SAIS ID and the password will be the student’s SAIS ID plus four-digit birthdate. Student User Name: SAIS ID Student Password: SAIS ID +mmdd Example for student born on January 1st User Name - 12345678 Password - 123456780101 You can call the ADE Help Desk (602-542-2222) to verify the student’s information. If after three attempts the student cannot log in, the student’s account will be locked. If this happens, contact the ADE Help Desk to reactivate the account (602-542-2222). 1 Appendix C: FAQs for On-Line Testing When calling the ADE Help Desk, please be prepared to provide the following information:  District name  School name  Student first and last name  Student SAIS ID  Student birthdate (month/day)  Name of exam (grade level, subject area) 3. What do I do if a student clicks on the folder to access the assessment but nothing happens? If the student is using Internet Explorer version 9 or 10, there may be a compatibility issue. Click on compatibility icon found near the address bar. The student will then be able to click on the folder and expand its contents. If this does not resolve the issue, contact the ADE Help Desk (602-542-2222). 4. What do I do if students are able to log in, but the expected test does not appear? Have the student log out and contact the ADE Help Desk (602-542-2222) immediately to have the test released to that student. Once the ADE Help Desk has released the test, the student can log back into the system, click on the link to access the assessment, and take the test. When calling the ADE Help Desk, please be prepared to provide the following information:  District name,  School name,  Student first and last name,  Student SAIS ID and birthdate,  Name of exam (grade level, subject area). 2 Appendix C: FAQs for On-Line Testing 5. What do I do if the student’s test freezes while taking the test? First, try to navigate to another question using the navigation bar at the bottom of the screen or the arrows. If that is not possible, then press alt+tab to toggle back to the PCG Assessments page. Select Take Assessment again to reload the test. If the test is still frozen, then close the test and log out of PCG. Then log in again and reselect the test. The system automatically saves the student’s answers during testing and the student should be able to return to the last question he was working on. 6. What do I do if internet problems or other technical difficulties come up in the middle of a test and the student is unable to continue taking the test online? The system will automatically save the student’s answers as the student takes the test one question at a time, so all responses up until the point of disruption will be saved. Once the issue has been resolved, the student can log back into the system and complete the test. To help you identify possible causes of your technical difficulties of issue, follow these steps: a. If the technical issue is isolated to one student’s computer try to identify the cause of the problem (internet issue, loose cords, hardware problem, etc.) Contact your district or school technical support staff for help as necessary. b. If an error 500 message (or other software error message) is displayed, contact the ADE Help Desk (602-5422222). ADE Help desk staff will ask for detailed information. Please note the exact wording of the error message. c. If there are internet or technical difficulties with the entire class, contact your district or school technical support staff. If you cannot continue the testing session with the entire class, notify your district Testing Coordinator of the issue and get guidance on rescheduling the testing session. 7. What do I do if I am having difficulties with the entire class and cannot proceed with testing on the specified date? If there are technical difficulties with the entire class or if there are internet issues, contact your district or school technical support staff. If you cannot continue the testing session with the entire class, notify your district Testing Coordinator of the issue and get guidance on rescheduling the testing session. 8. What do I do if a student accidentally submitted a test but is not finished answering all questions? Contact the ADE Help Desk (602-542-2222) immediately to have the link to that student’s test reactivated. Once the ADE Help Desk has released that test again, the student can log back into the system, click on the link to access the assessment, and complete the test. When calling the ADE Help Desk, please be prepared to provide the following information:  District name, 3 Appendix C: FAQs for On-Line Testing  School name,  Student first and last name,  Student SAIS ID and birthdate,  Name of exam (grade level, subject area). 9. What do I do if a student started the wrong test? If the student did not submit the test, have the student close out of that test by clicking the “X” at the top right side of the test window. Once the test window is closed, the Assessments screen will appear. The student can then click on the link to the correct test. 4 Appendix C: FAQs for On-Line Testing If the student started taking the wrong test and accidentally submitted it, contact the ADE Help Desk (602-5422222) to provide notification that the student submitted the wrong test. ADE Help Desk staff will remove any inappropriate data and check the tests that are released. When calling the ADE Help Desk, please be prepared to provide the following information:  District name,  School name,  Student first and last name,  Student SAIS ID and birthdate,  Name of exam that was accidentally submitted and should be reassigned (grade level, subject area). 10. What do I do if students want to continue an incomplete test? Students may complete an incomplete test if the testing window has not closed and if the test has not yet been submitted. Students should follow the normal login process. When they see the list of available tests, the incomplete test name should appear. When students select the test, it will resume. Their answers from previous sessions will appear in the test. 11. What do I do if students want to retake a completed test? Students are not allowed to retake a test after it has been submitted. 12. What do I do if students are not done at the end of the testing session? Students should save their test and then close the window and log out of the system. Follow the school or district plan for make-up testing. 13. What do I do if students try to submit after completing all questions and they get a notification that one item has not been answered? Use the navigation bar at the bottom to verify that all questions have been completed. If not, then the student should complete the questions. If all questions were completed and the prompt indicates that there is still one incomplete question, click to a different question, verify that the last question was saved (turned blue on navigation bar), and then go back to the last question to submit the test again. 5 Appendix C: FAQs for On-Line Testing 14. Who do I contact for help? For hardware or internet issues, call your school or district technical support team. For other issues including application problems, call the ADE Help Desk 602-542-2222. For long-distance outside of Maricopa County, use this toll-free number 1-866-577-9636. 6