Administer an Online Test Session

Each assessment is displayed in the Test Administrator Interface using a differently colored background, as follows.

Computer-based Assessments:

• Red—Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments
• Indigo—California Alternate Assessments (CAA)
• Brown—California Science Test (CAST)
• Green—Smarter Balanced Interim Assessments
• Mint—California Spanish Assessment (CSA)

Online Practice and Training Tests:

• Golden Yellow—all training tests
• Pink—all practice tests

If a TA has mistakenly selected and administered the summative assessment when intending to administer an interim assessment or practice or training test, the TA should stop the test and notify the testing coordinator. The LEA CAASPP coordinator or CAASPP test site coordinator will need to report the incident using the CAASPP STAIRS/Appeals process.

Open the Test Administrator Interface and Approve Students for Testing—All Assessments

The TA must create a test session before students can log on to the Student Testing Site. For a student to take a specific test, it must be included in the test session.

This section contains information on how to start a test session, add tests to the session, verify students’ test settings, approve students for testing, and monitor their progress.

Beginning an Assessment

Follow these instructions to administer the CSA unless a student is assigned the non-embedded designated support for Simplified Test Directions. The TA must create a test session before students can log on to the Student Testing System (but no more than 30 minutes prior or the system will time out). When a TA creates a test session, a unique session ID is randomly generated. This session ID must be provided to the students before they log on and should be written down.

The process for administering computer-based tests is as follows:

1. The TA selects tests and starts a test session in the Test Administrator Interface.
2. Students sign in and request approval for tests.
3. The TA reviews students’ requests and approves them for testing.
4. Students complete and submit their tests.
5. The TA stops the test session and logs off.

For information about the testing process from a student’s perspective, refer to the subsections Signing In to the Student Testing Site and Features of the Student Testing Application.

1. Test Administrator
   Navigate to the CAASPP website on a web browser.

2. Test Administrator
   Select the [Test Administrator Interface for All Online Tests] button, as shown in figure 1.

   

   Figure 1. [Test Administrator Interface for All Online Tests] button

3. Test Administrator
   Log on to the Test Administrator Interface using the sign-in credentials, as shown in figure 2.

   

   Figure 2. Test Administrator Interface Logon screen

4. Test Administrator
   Select the [Start a New Session Now] button (figure 3); this appears on the right side of the screen.

   

   Figure 3. [Start a New Session Now] button

5. Test Administrator
   If the TA is associated with multiple institutions (school sites), an “Important!” message appears after selecting the [Start a New Session Now] button. The TA must select the appropriate institution from the drop-down list in this message and select the [Go] button, as shown in figure 4. The TA may only select one institution at a time from the list. Students who have the session ID and are enrolled in a different school than the one the TA selected will also be able to test in the same test session as students in other schools, if the TA has roles in multiple schools. To select a different institution, the TA must log off and then log back on. Regardless of their test site, students who are testing in person should be supervised at all times.

   

   Figure 4. Message from the Test Administrator Interface

6. Test Administrator
   The Operational Test Selection screen, as shown in figure 5, color-codes tests and groups them into various categories. A test group, such as “California Spanish Assessments (CSA),” may include one or more subgroups. All test groups and subgroups appear collapsed by default.

   

   Figure 5. Operational Test Selection screen

7. Test Administrator
   To select a test or tests for the session, first select the test name and then use one of the following on-screen icons; these are indicated in figure 6:

   1. To expand a collapsed test group, select the [Plus] plus-sign [‍] icon.
   2. To collapse a test group, select the [Minus] minus-sign [] icon.
   3. To expand the list of all tests, select the [Expand All] outward arrows [] icon.
   4. To select individual tests, mark the checkbox for each test to be included.

   

   Figure 6. Expanded Operational Test Selection screen

8. Test Administrator
   Either use the filtering feature to open specific grade-level or content-area assessments; or, to start the test, select the [Start Operational Session] button. These features are indicated in figure 6. Take the following steps to use the filtering feature:

   1. Select the [Add Filter] button [] (indicated in figure 6) to access the filter panel.
   2. Expand the available filter categories by selecting a [Plus] plus-sign [] icon (indicated in figure 7).
   3. Check the criteria to filter.
   4. Select the [Apply Filter(s)] button [] (indicated in figure 7).
   5. Remove the filter by selecting the [Remove Filter] “X” icon [‍] (indicated in figure 7).
   6. Select the [Start Operational Session] button to start the test.

   

   Figure 7. Sample Operational Test Selection screen with filtering

9. Test Administrator
   Inform students of the test session ID. The session ID is automatically generated upon selecting [Start Operational Session] in the previous step. Write the session ID in a place where all students can clearly refer to it during group administrations. The current session ID also appears on the Test Administrator Interface screen saver when the screen saver is active. A sample of a session ID is shown in figure 8.

   

   Figure 8. Sample session ID on the Test Administrator Interface

10. Test Administrator
    Read the following SAY statement.

    SAY:

    Hoy tomarán la prueba de California en español para el grado [mencionar grado]. Yo les daré el número de identificación de la sesión que se requiere para iniciar la prueba. Antes de iniciar la prueba, revisaremos algunas reglas que hay que seguir.

    Deben responder a cada pregunta en la pantalla antes de seleccionar [SIGUIENTE]. Si no están seguros de la respuesta, contesten lo que piensen que es la mejor respuesta. Si desean revisar la respuesta más adelante, marquen la pregunta para revisarla antes de pasar a la siguiente sección. Podrán regresar y cambiar la respuesta durante esta parte de la prueba.

    Podrán hacer una pausa en cualquier punto de la prueba seleccionando [PAUSA] en lugar de [SIGUIENTE] después de contestar una pregunta. Levanten la mano si necesitan hacer una pausa en la prueba y pidan permiso antes de seleccionar [PAUSA].

11. Test Administrator
    Read the following SAY statement and all subsequent SAY statements to everyone.

    SAY:

    Por favor, tengan en cuenta que esta prueba está dividida en dos secciones. Cuando lleguen al final de una sección, se les pedirá que revisen sus respuestas antes de continuar. Una vez que terminen con sus respuestas y pasen a la sección siguiente, no podrán regresar a ninguna de las preguntas de la sección anterior.

    Sus respuestas deben ser su propio trabajo. Por favor, mantengan los ojos en su prueba y recuerden, no deben hablar durante la prueba. Si tienen un teléfono celular o smartwatch, deben guardarlo y mantenerlo apagado.

    Si terminan la prueba antes del tiempo indicado, por favor levanten la mano y permanezcan sentados en silencio.

12. Test Administrator
    Logon tickets may be provided to each student. The logon tickets should provide the students’ SSID. Note that logon tickets are secure testing materials and should be securely destroyed after testing.

13. Student
    Log on to the Student Testing Site through the secure browser.

14. Test Administrator
    Direct students to sign in using the Student Sign-In screen. It is not necessary to read any italicized, asterisked sentences to students testing over multiple days who have already heard these instructions at least once.

    SAY:

    Ya estamos listos para iniciar la sesión. Cuando hayan empezado la sesión, tendrán que esperar hasta que yo inicie la prueba antes de comenzar. Estaré comprobando que hayan introducido correctamente la identificación de la sesión de prueba y el resto de la información.

    Incluyan su nombre completo, no sus apodos, seguido de su número de estudiante SSID. A continuación, introduzcan la identificación para la sesión. *Levanten la mano si necesitan ayuda para escribir esta información en el teclado.

    SAY:

    Ahora seleccionen [SIGN IN]. Cuando se haya iniciado la sesión correctamente, verán una pantalla con su nombre y más información personal. Si toda la información en la pantalla está correcta, seleccionen [Yes] para continuar. Si la información está incorrecta, levanten la mano y muéstrenme lo que está incorrecto.

15. Student
    Sign in using the Student Sign-In screen, as shown in figure 9.

    

    Figure 9. Student Sign In screen

16. Test Administrator
    Ensure that all students have successfully entered their information.

17. Student
    Verify identity by selecting [No] or [Yes], as shown in figure 10.

    

    Figure 10. Is This You? screen

18. Test Administrator
    Inform students of the test type (for example, CSA) in which they are participating today.

    SAY:

    En la siguiente pantalla, seleccionen CSA [mencionar grado]. Cuando hayan seleccionado su prueba, verán una pantalla con una barra en movimiento y un mensaje diciendo que están esperando la aprobación del administrador de la prueba. Por favor esperen en silencio mientras compruebo y apruebo cada una de sus pruebas.

19. Student
    Select the test to take, as displayed in figure 11.

    

    Figure 11. Your Tests selection screen

20. Student
    Wait for the TA’s approval, as displayed in figure 12.

    

    Figure 12. Waiting for Approval screen

21. Test Administrator
    Approve students to test by selecting the [Approve] check mark [‍] icon in the Actions column for individual students or the [Approve All Students] button, as shown in figure 13. Select the [Details] eye [] icon, also in figure 13, to view and adjust the student’s settings (universal tools) for the current test opportunity. (For example, if the student had been assigned the designated support to turn off any universal tool(s), the TA can toggle the universal tools on and off.) “Custom” in the Details column indicates the student has been assigned test settings.

    

    Figure 13. Approvals and Student Test Settings screen

22. Test Administrator
    Have students run the sound check.

    SAY:

    A continuación, verán una pantalla que les pedirá que comprueben que el sonido y el video en sus computadoras están funcionando. Colóquense los auriculares y seleccionen el botón triangular [PLAY]. Si oyen la música y ven las notas musicales moviéndose, seleccionen el botón [SÍ, PUDE REPRODUCIR EL VIDEO Y SU SONIDO]. Si algo está incorrecto, levanten la mano.

    SAY:

    Si todo está correcto, haz clic en [CONTINUAR].

23. Student
    Complete the audio and video checks with headphones. Test with the listening items audio and video check, as shown in figure 14.

    

    Figure 14. Sound and Video Playback Check screen

24. Test Administrator
    If audio issues occur, do the following:

    1. Ensure headphones are securely plugged in to the correct jack or USB port.
    2. If the headphones have a volume control, ensure the volume is not muted.
    3. Ensure that the audio on the device is not muted (often via a control panel or settings window).

    If the student is still experiencing issues, contact the CAASPP test site coordinator or school technology coordinator.

25. Test Administrator
    Tell students how to take the test.

    SAY:

    Antes de que aparezca la prueba en la pantalla, podrán ver una página de tutorial que les permitirá ver las herramientas de la prueba y los botones que se pueden utilizar durante la prueba o que aparecerán en la prueba. Si seleccionan el botón [VER LA GUÍA DE AYUDA] ahora mismo, podrán ver la página del tutorial. También pueden encontrar esta información durante la prueba seleccionando el botón de ayuda [?] en la esquina superior derecha de la pantalla.

    Si quieren ver sus configuraciones ahora mismo, seleccionen el botón [VER CONFIGURANCIONES].

    Cuando estén listos para comenzar su prueba, seleccionen [COMENZAR LA PRUEBA AHORA] en la parte inferior de la pantalla.

26. Student
    Select [Comenzar la prueba ahora], as shown in figure 15, to begin testing.

    

    Figure 15. Instrucciones y ayuda screen

27. Test Administrator
    Navigate students through the three survey questions. If students are unsure of the response that they need to input, help them provide the correct answer. Do not let any student move ahead when going through the survey questions. Make sure all students are on the same survey question, and that they are providing the appropriate response. The SAY text for the survey questions that follow is provided in both English and Spanish and may be read in either language.

    SAY:

    This is the first segment of the test. There are three survey questions you will need to answer with my guidance. These questions are very important. Once we are done with question three of the survey, you may continue testing.

    Esta es la primera sección de la prueba. Hay tres preguntas de una encuesta que deberán contestar con mi ayuda. Estas preguntas son muy importantes. Una vez que hayan contestado las tres preguntas, podrán continuar con la prueba.

    Question one asks, “Did you receive instruction in Spanish in the current school year?” If you do not know which answer to select, please raise your hand and I will help you with the answer.” If you do not know which answer to select, please raise your hand and I will help you with the answer.

    La pregunta número uno dice: «¿Recibiste educación en español durante el presente año escolar?» Si no saben qué respuesta elegir, por favor levanten la mano y les ayudaré con la respuesta.

    Now we are all on question two. Question two asks, “Which program were you enrolled in?” If you do not know which answer to select, please raise your hand and I will help you with the answer.

    Ahora estamos todos en la pregunta número dos. La pregunta dos dice: «¿En qué tipo de programa escolar estuviste matriculado/inscrito?» Si no saben qué respuesta elegir, por favor levanten la mano y les ayudaré con la respuesta.

    We are now on question three of the survey. The question asks, “What percentage of your school day instruction was provided in Spanish?” If you do not know which answer to select, please raise your hand and I will help you with the answer.

    If you have four periods in the day and you take a course that is taught in Spanish, select the option that indicates “25%.” If you are in program where you are in class for six hours and you are taught in Spanish for two hours, select the option that indicates “33%.”

    Ahora estamos todos en la pregunta número tres de la encuesta. La pregunta tres dice: «¿Qué porcentaje de tu educación diaria recibiste en español?» Si no saben qué respuesta elegir, por favor levanten la mano y les ayudaré con la respuesta.

    Now that we have completed the survey, you may proceed with the test.

    Ahora que hemos completado la encuesta, pueden continuar con la prueba.

28. Test Administrator
    Continue with the instructions in the next subsections, Monitoring Student Progress and Ending a Test Session.

Monitoring Student Progress

Test Selection

Test Administrator
It is very important that TAs monitor student progress throughout the test session. This includes verifying that students are participating in the appropriate content area and type of test (CSA).

The TA monitors the test each student is taking by referring to the Tests table in the Test Administrator Interface, shown in figure 16. Note that the list of student names can be sorted by linked (underlined) column headings. This site will not show test items or scores but will show the TA the percentage of items that have been delivered to the student.

In the event a student is taking an incorrect test, the TA should pause the student’s test. The TA should then instruct the student to log off and log on again to select the correct test. The Test column is indicated in figure 16.

Figure 16. Monitoring student progress in the Test Administrator Interface

Test Security

Once students have started the CSA, the TA should monitor the room to ensure that all conditions of test security are maintained. If the TA witnesses or suspects the possibility of a test security incident, the TA should contact the CAASPP test site coordinator, the LEA CAASPP coordinator, or both of these coordinators immediately in accordance with the security guidance provided in this manual.

Student Directions During Testing

While the Test Administrator Interface is designed to refresh automatically every minute, the TA can refresh it manually at any time by selecting the [Refresh Now] button at the top right corner of the page.

If the TA notices that a student is off task, the TA may say the following statement to the student, verbatim, to keep the student focused.

If a student is concerned about an item, direct the student to review a tutorial by reading the following script verbatim.

Ending a Test Session

1. Test Administrator
   When there are approximately 10 minutes left in the test session, the TA should give students a brief warning.

   SAY:

   Nos estamos acercando al final de esta sesión de la prueba. Por favor, revisen ahora las preguntas que han completado o que han seleccionado para revisar. No envíen su prueba a menos de que hayan contestado todas las preguntas.

   SAY:

   Si están trabajando en un grupo de preguntas para un mismo pasaje de lectura, por favor contesten todas las preguntas de ese grupo.

   SAY:

   Avísenme si necesitan más tiempo.

2. Test Administrator
   After answering the last item in each segment, each student is presented with a screen prompting the student to review answers within that segment of the test prior to submitting. The Mark for Review function is provided as a reminder to the student that the student had a question or concern about a particular item. However, a student cannot return to items in segments that have been submitted.

   After answering the last question, students must submit their tests. If students would like to review their answers before submitting their test, they can do so by selecting [TERMINAR PRUEBA]. Once students have reviewed their answers, students must select [FINALIZAR PRUEBA] to submit their tests. Once students have selected [FINALIZAR PRUEBA], they will not be able to review their answers.

3. Test Administrator
   Read the following SAY statement.

   SAY:

   Esta sesión de prueba se ha terminado. Si no han terminado la prueba, seleccionen PAUSA y podrán terminarla en otra sesión.

   [Para la prueba CSA: podrán regresar y cambiar sus respuestas cuando regresen a la prueba, siempre y cuando regresen a la prueba dentro del tiempo permitido para la CSA].

   Si han contestado a todas las preguntas y han terminado de revisar sus respuestas, seleccionen [FINALIZAR PRUEBA]. Ahora recogeré sus materiales.

TAs should select [Stop Session] to end the test session and pause any student test in the session that is still in progress. When finished, TAs can log off the Test Administrator Interface by selecting the [Logout as Name] button at the top right. TAs should also collect any used scratch paper.

Logging Off

To log off the Test Administrator Interface, select the [Logout as Name] button in the top-right corner of the screen on the corner on the Test Administrator Interface system banner (shown in figure 17).

Figure 17. Single Sign-On system banner

Once the Test Administrator Interface is closed, the TA will not be able to resume the test session and will need to create a new test session to continue testing.