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Overview of Infrastructure Trials: For Returning Staff

This session provides an overview of infrastructure trials for returning staff. It covers the purpose of the trials, who should participate, recommended windows for conducting trials, and steps for technology coordinators.

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Overview of Infrastructure Trials: For Returning Staff

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  1. Overview of Infrastructure Trials:For Returning Staff The Office of Student Assessment Services February 13, 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. • We will attempt to answer all questions asked during the session; after the session, all questions will be answered and emailed out to participants. • This session is being recorded and will be available online in about one week at: • MCAS Resource Center ― mcas.pearsonsupport.com/training • 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. 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.

  7. Recommended Windows to Conduct Infrastructure Trials It is recommended that schools complete their Infrastructure Trial and download ProctorCache software according to these windows:

  8. Training Site 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. • 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. • User accounts need to be setup for each site in order to gain access. • If you need access to PAN (either the training or live site), please reach out to your District or School Test Coordinator.

  9. 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 Accommodations for students who will be using them during testing. • Administer practice tests to students using TestNav. • Conduct follow-up activities and review lessons learned with the test administration team.

  10. Tasks for Technology Staff 02

  11. 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

  12. 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 computer-based testing window. • Download the Guide to the Infrastructure Trial from the MCAS Resource Center. • Information for setting up ProctorCache configurations and precache by test • Pre-Administration Tasks for Technology Staff (should be posted soon) • Tech set-up page

  13. 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.

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

  15. Tasks for Test Coordinators 03

  16. Steps for Test Coordinators • View training modules • Import Students via SR/PNP • Edit student records (if needed) • Assign student tests • Create/Edit PAN Sessions • Print student testing tickets • Void student tests • Mark tests complete • Stop PAN Sessions

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

  18. Demonstrations • Generate Sample Students • Update Student Record • Create PAN Sessions • Add/Remove Student from PAN Sessions • Human Reader PAN Sessions • Prepare/Start PAN Sessions • Print Test Tickets • Unlock/Lock PAN Sessions

  19. 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 sessions. • Once complete, click Generate. Repeat until all groups of sample students have been created (e.g., Grade 3 Math, Grade 4 Math)

  20. 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.

  21. Create PAN Sessions • Testing > Sessions > Create/Edit Sessions • Complete all of the required fields, including selected 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.

  22. Add or Remove Students from a PAN Session • Testing > Students in Sessions> Add a Session • Choose your 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.

  23. 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.

  24. 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.

  25. 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.

  26. Print Test 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.

  27. 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.

  28. 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.

  29. Administration and Next Steps 04

  30. 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.

  31. 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.

  32. 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.

  33. 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 will be used to allow the search for a SRF on the student’s original testing device • 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.

  34. Demonstrations • Resume students • Mark students’ tests complete • Stop PAN Sessions

  35. 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.

  36. 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.

  37. After The Infrastructure Trial • Document and report any technical issues • Share any notes regarding the need for support with the District Test Coordinator/School Test Coordinator • Meet with technology coordinators and test administrators for a debrief • Report any issues that cannot be resolved with assistance to the MCAS Service Center • Purge test content from your precaching machine.

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

  39. A District’s Perspective: Swampscott Public Schools 05 • Contact information • Lytania Mackey Knowles • Director of Technology & Digital Learning • mackey@swampscott.k12.ma.us • Catie Porter Roberts • Digital Learning Specialist & Professional Development Coordinator • porter@swampscott.k12.ma.us

  40. Swampscott’s Perspective • Our biggest concern was – Could our network handle the load of students accessing the test nav app at once? • We often struggle with shared access points when students in two classrooms next to each other are attempting to get online. • Solution: We created coverage maps of access points to identify potential areas of weakness before the testing (see next slides) • We test in five schools, but not at the same time. The maximum number of students testing at a time is only 400.

  41. Building with Adequate Wi-Fi Coverage – easily able to identify potential problem areas

  42. Building with Poor Wi-Fi Coverage – will need to add additional access points

  43. Swampscott’s Perspective December/January: • Map out access points for Wi-Fi coverage for each building. Often, technology adds new things to the infrastructure of a network that a building principal or leader does not know about. • Make sure principals/test coordinators understand how it all works in your building. You are the ones to call DESE when things go wrong. February/March • Create spreadsheets with logistical information, and use a different color for each test administrator to make it easier to see mixed testing groups from the same homeroom. • Set up PAN Sessions in the training site, just like you would with the blue (live) site. • Use a template so it’s easy to search for them. Room #s are vital. Grade_ Subject_ Teacher_ Rm____ (Gr 3 Math White 201)

  44. Swampscott’s Perspective • Treat the Infrastructure Trial as if it is a real testing situation. • Test administrators should be testing in the rooms they will be in during MCAS testing. • Students should be provided the correct accommodations. • Have the special education coordinators/ team chairs/ admin check on any rooms providing accommodations. • Elementary/Middle: To alleviate student anxiety, we have students and test administrators meet before the Infrastructure trial – we set up a “lunch bunch” or other opportunity. • Make adjustments for live testing based on lessons learned in the Infrastructure Trial.

  45. Swampscott’s Perspective • Each tech person/test coordinator should carry a clipboard/device during walk-throughs. • Keep a log of CBT issues and resolutions. Review it each year before testing, and design trainings to prevent similar issues. (See Swampscott template MCAS call log) • Pre-plan a post Infrastructure Trial meeting with tech team and the principal/test coordinators. • Provide extra training for staff who are less comfortable with computers.

  46. Swampscott’s Perspective • Computers • Plan ahead for the devices required for test administrators who do not have a laptop. Also, read-aloud rooms need an extra computer (1 is for proctoring from PearsonAccess Next, the other is to log into the read aloud version of the test on the TestNav app) • Navigating PearsonAccess Next • Do not let test administrators click on resume upload. Have them call a member of the tech team before doing a “resume upload.” • All tech team members, principals and test coordinators should learn how to filter and sort in Pearson to identify potential problems as soon as possible.

  47. Resources, Support, and Next Steps 06

  48. Resources in the MCAS Resource Center

  49. Resources on the DESE Website and MCAS Resource Center

  50. Spring 2019 “Office Hours” Sessions Register at www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/training.html.

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