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Overview of Infrastructure Trials: For New Staff

Learn all about Infrastructure Trials for computer-based testing, including purposes, participation, recommended timings, training sites, and main steps. Understand the importance of Infrastructure Trials in ensuring smooth testing operations.

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Overview of Infrastructure Trials: For New Staff

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  1. Overview of Infrastructure Trials:For New Staff The Office of Student Assessment Services February 15, 2019

  2. Presenters • Scott Kelley, Data & Reporting Specialist • Jodie Zalk, Test Administration Coordinator • Elizabeth Pennington, Project Manager at Pearson • Joseph Henkelman, Level 2 Technical Support at Pearson • Swampscott MCAS Team: • Lytania Mackey Knowles • Director of Technology & Digital Learning • Catie Porter Roberts • Digital Learning Specialist & Professional Development Coordinator

  3. Logistics for This Session • Questions may be asked at any time using the Questions feature on the GoToWebinar screen. • Questions about a specific student should be sent by email to mcas@doe.mass.edu. • Some questions may be covered during the course of the presentation. • We will take breaks to answer questions during the session. • After the session, we will email questions and answers to participants. • This session is being recorded and will be available online in about one week at the MCAS Resource Center • In the section entitled “Training Sessions Previously Offered This School Year”

  4. 01 Introduction 02 Tasks for Technology Staff 03 Tasks for Test Coordinators CONTENTS 04 Administration and Next Steps 06 05 Resources, Support, and Next Steps A District’s Perspective

  5. Introduction 01

  6. Computer-Based Testing Components • PearsonAccess Next • Online test management system for principals, test coordinators, and technology coordinators to manage user accounts, student registration, and computer-based test sessions. • TestNav8 • Online testing platform used by students to take the computer-based MCAS assessments • ProctorCache • Software that allows for precaching of test content on a designated precaching machine located at the school or district. ProctorCache is recommended in order to reduce bandwidth requirements and provide a more seamless testing experience for students.

  7. Introduction What’s the purpose, and who should participate? Why should our school do an Infrastructure Trial? • Purpose of an Infrastructure Trial: • An opportunity for districts, schools, and students to prepare for the computer-based tests by simulating test day network utilization • It is recommended that any schools conducting computer-based tests administer an infrastructure trial, especially schools who have not done CBT in the past. • Who should participate: test coordinators, technology coordinators, test administrators, students • The Infrastructure Trial confirms that: • TestNav is configured correctly. • ProctorCache software is set up correctly. • Devices can successfully run TestNav and that online test content can pass through the content filters at the school. • The network can bear the full load. • Participating staff understand their roles during an MCAS computer-based administration. • Students are familiar with the computer-based tools and format.

  8. Recommended Windows to Conduct Infrastructure Trials It is recommended that schools complete their Infrastructure Trial and download ProctorCache software according to these windows. (Schools may conduct a Trial beyond these dates).

  9. Training Site and User Accounts for PearsonAccess Next • Infrastructure trials are done through the PAN training site: trng-mcas.pearsonaccessnext.com/customer/index.action • Users with accounts from last year may need to reset their passwords to enable their accounts by clicking “Forgot Password” on the login page. • User accounts need to be set up for each site individually in order to gain access. • Usernames and passwords are always the same between the live and the training sites. If you reset a password on one site, passwords will be reset on both sites. • If you need access to PAN (either the training or operational/live site), please reach out to your District or School Test Coordinator.

  10. Main Steps for the Infrastructure Trial • Set up and configure the test management and test delivery environment in the PAN training site. • Generate sample students and create PAN Sessions in the training site. • Assign any accommodations students may need to try out in the Trial. • Administer practice tests to students using TestNav. • Conduct follow-up activities and review lessons learned with the test administration team.

  11. Demonstrations • PearsonAccess Next • Operational (live) site • Training site • MCAS Resource Center • Infrastructure Trial Guide

  12. Tasks for Technology Staff 02

  13. Steps for a Technology Coordinator • View online training modules and attend training sessions • Review the technology specifications • Identify any gaps in technology capacity • Prepare devices and materials • Setup ProctorCache • Precache content • Purge content after testing

  14. Getting Started • Review technology specifications for student devices and ProctorCache machines • Before updating a device’s operating system, schools should confirm it is listed on the TN8 requirements page. • It is strongly recommended that schools do not make changes to their infrastructure in the time period between conducting a successful trial and the end of the CBT window. • Resources for the Technology Coordinator • Infrastructure Trial Readiness Guide MCAS Resource Center • Information for setting up ProctorCache configurations and precache by test • Pre-Administration Tasks for Technology Staff recording of the February 12 session (should be posted soon) • Technology set-up page • System Requirements for ProctorCache and ProctorCache download • Over 96% of districts used ProctorCache in 2018; it is recommended for 2019.

  15. Before Conducting the Trial • It is recommended to conduct a preliminary system test before doing a full infrastructure trial. To do so: • Create sample student records and tests in the training site • Put them into PAN Sessions • Log in to TestNav with the student credentials to confirm that you are able to connect to the precaching computer.

  16. Questions & Answers (Use the “Questions” feature to ask questions or to request any demonstrations in PearsonAccess Next.)

  17. Tasks for Test Coordinators 03

  18. Steps for Test Coordinators • View training modules • Edit student records (if needed) • Assign student tests • Create/edit PAN Sessions • Print student testing tickets • Mark tests complete • Stop PAN Sessions

  19. Steps for Test Administrators • View training modules • Confirm students have the correct test form assigned by using the Session Student Roster (recommended) • Start, Pause, Stop, and Resume testing in PAN • Lock and Unlock PAN Sessions • Monitor student progress in the PAN Sessions • Close down testing devices

  20. Demonstrations • Generate Sample Students

  21. Generate Sample Students • Setup > Students > Generate Sample Students • Populate all of the fields, including New Group Name, which will be used when adding students to PAN Sessions. • Once complete, click Generate. Repeat until all groups of sample students have been created (e.g., Grade 3 Math, Grade 4 Math) • Groups are ONLY used in the Infrastructure Trial (not actual testing), and are to help schools assign a large number of sample students to PAN Sessions. • Group Names should include to the test session for the subject and grade, for ease of finding them.

  22. Demonstrations • Create PAN Sessions

  23. Create PAN Sessions • Testing > Sessions > Create/Edit Sessions • Complete all of the required fields, including selecting a precaching computer if one has been configured for your site. • Under Students, change the dropdown to the Group option, select your group, and click Create.

  24. Demonstrations for Accommodations • Update a Student Record (e.g., with Accommodations) • Add an Accommodation for a Student • Add a Student Using an Accommodation to a PAN Session • Human Reader/Human Signer PAN Sessions • Proctor Testing Ticket

  25. Add Accommodations to a Student Record • To edit a student record and add accommodations: Setup > Students > select the checkbox next to the student name and choose Manage Student Tests from the Tasks menu. • Choose the test on the left hand side, select the accommodations and click Save.

  26. Add or Remove Students from a PAN Session • Testing > Students in Sessions> Add a Session • Choose your PAN Sessions and click Add Selected. Choose Add Students to Sessions or Remove Students from Sessions, and click Start. • Find the student and select the checkbox next to their name. Click Add or Remove.

  27. Edit PAN Sessions – Human Reader/Human Signer • Students who are assigned a Human Reader or Human Signer accommodation must be placed in a PAN Session designated as Human Reader or Human Signer because these tests require assigning a proctor testing ticket. • Testing > Sessions > find your PAN Session and select the checkbox > Create/Edit Sessions • Select the Proctor Reads Aloud option and choose the Human Read-Aloud or Human Signer option in the Form Group Type dropdown. Click Save.

  28. Proctor Testing Tickets • Sample Proctor Testing Ticket for Human Reader and Human Signer accommodation

  29. Demonstrations • Prepare/Start PAN Sessions

  30. Prepare PAN Sessions • PAN Sessions must be prepared by the test coordinator before they can be started. This step assigns the test forms to the students. • Testing > Students in Sessions > Find the PAN Session and select the checkbox to see the Session Details screen. Click the blue Prepare Session button.

  31. Start the PAN Session • After you have prepared your session, you will see a green Start Session button on the Session Details page. Click that to start the session. • Once started, a session cannot be stopped until all students are in Complete or Marked Complete status.

  32. Demonstrations • Testing Tickets

  33. Print Testing Tickets • Students require testing tickets to log in to TestNav and access test content. • To print the student testing tickets, go to Testing > Students in Sessions > Add a Session > search for and select your Session, click Add Selected, then select the Resources dropdown. • Note: Testing tickets are secure and need to be tracked for the Infrastructure Trial (if using live data) and during actual testing.

  34. Demonstrations • Unlock/Lock PAN Sessions

  35. Unlock PAN Sessions • On the Students in Sessions screen, while looking at your selected Session, you can unlock each test session by sliding the lock bar to the right.

  36. Unlock Individual Students • Students can also be unlocked one at a time if needed. This is done by selecting “unlock” from the lock dropdown next to the student’s name.

  37. Questions & Answers (Use the “Questions” feature to ask questions or to request any demonstrations in PearsonAccess Next.)

  38. Administration and Next Steps 04

  39. Conducting the Trial • Test coordinators will be responsible for: • Directing test administrators and students to testing locations • Distributing testing tickets • Monitoring administration • Technology coordinators will be responsible for: • Ensuring proctor caching software is running • Monitoring network performance for slowdowns or ISP bandwidth usage • Infrastructure trials should take approximately 60 minutes to administer.

  40. Demonstrations • Resume students • Sorting/filtering in PAN

  41. Sorting/Filtering PAN Sessions Students in Sessions > Toggle Secondary filters > Student Test Status Filtering the student test status will show a specific status. There is also an option to sort by test, so if you have a number of sessions/students it will drill down the information.

  42. Monitoring PAN Sessions • Test administrators can use the Students in Sessions page to monitor students as they progress through each test session. • The top of the Students in Sessions page contains a status bar for each test session.

  43. Student Status Key (CBT TAM page 118) • The following table lists the statuses that may appear for each student in a session and a description of each status.

  44. Resume Student Tests • Students who exit out of TestNav without completing a test session must have their tests resumed by a test administrator. (Students cannot sign back in otherwise.) • To resume one student’s test: Testing > Students in Sessions > select Resume from the drop drown next to the student’s name • To resume multiple students’ tests: Select the checkboxes next to the students’ tests to be resumed, select Resume Student Tests from the Select Tasks menu, and click Start. Select the students’ names again and then click Resume.

  45. Resumed Upload • In most cases, resuming a student in PAN will allow a student to log back in to TestNav • TestNav will automatically look for any saved responses and upload them to Pearson. • If a student is inadvertently logged out of TestNav and resumes testing on a device that does not have a Saved Response File (SRF) Resumed-Upload forces TestNav to check for the SRF on the testing machine when the student logs back in to continue • When a student logs in with Resumed-Upload status, a staff member must be present. TestNav will prompt the student/staff member to locate the saved responses from the designated save location and upload them to TN before resuming testing.

  46. Demonstrations • Mark students’ tests complete • Stop PAN Sessions

  47. Mark Students’ Tests Complete • Students will show in Complete status when they submit their responses in TestNav • Student tests are marked complete when a student has not finished testing in the usual manner or has not submitted their responses correctly. • Marking a test complete indicates the student is DONE with testing. • A test session cannot be stopped until all students have a status of Complete or Marked Complete. • On the Mark Student Test Complete page you must enter a reason.

  48. Marking Tests Complete

  49. Stopping a PAN Session • Once all students are in Complete or Marked Complete status, click “Stop Session” to stop a PAN Session.

  50. Stop PAN Sessions • Before a PAN session can be stopped, all of the students in that Session must either have the status of Complete or Marked Complete. • You may need to remove any students in Ready status from the PAN Session who received testing tickets but did not log into the test. • Once all students are in a Completed or Marked Complete status, select the Stop Session button on the Students in Sessions page.

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