Administering a Computer-based Test Session for the Listening, Reading, and Speaking Domains (All Grade Levels) and the Writing Domain (Grade Levels Three Through Twelve)

Computer-based Assessments:

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

Online Practice and Training Tests:

• Golden Yellow—Smarter Balanced training tests
• Pink—Smarter Balanced practice tests
• Golden Yellow—CAA training tests
• Pink—CAA practice tests
• Golden Yellow—CAST training tests
• Pink—CAST practice tests
• Golden Yellow—CSA training tests
• Pink—CSA practice tests
• Golden Yellow—ELPAC practice tests
• Pink—ELPAC training tests
• Golden Yellow—Alternate ELPAC training tests
• Pink—Alternate ELPAC practice tests

A test session must be created before students can log on to the secure student browser. For a student to take a specific test, the test 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.

Entering Student Responses into the System

A student may enter responses into the testing device using a mouse, keyboard, or other assistive technology.

In the Listening and Reading domains, students are required to select a response for an item before they can move on to the next item. All items must have responses before a student can submit the test.

The Writing and Speaking domains do not require a student response for each item to submit the test.

Pause Rules

The pause rules that follow apply regardless of whether the student or the TE pauses the test, or there was a technical issue (for example, power outage or network failure) that resulted in the student being logged off. For the computer-based Initial ELPAC, there will only be pause rules for the Listening and Reading domains. This means the following:

• When a Listening or Reading test is paused for less than 20 minutes, the student must still log back on to the student interface to resume testing. The student will be able to review, but not change, any previously answered items. Upon resumption, the student is automatically directed to the first page that has an unanswered item.
• When a Listening or Reading test is paused for more than 20 minutes, the student must still log back on to the student interface to resume testing. Upon resumption, the student is automatically directed to the first page that has an unanswered item. The student will not be able to view and change any previously answered items.
  • For a student to resume testing and change previously answered items, the LEA must submit a Grace Period Extension Appeal. Without the Grace Period Extension Appeal, the student will not be permitted to review or change any previously answered items, even if the items are marked for review. An assessment is reopened or reset within 24 hours of the Appeal’s approval.
• Any highlighted text and notes in the digital notepad will be saved when a test is paused.

The Writing domain for grade levels three through twelve and the Speaking domain for all grade levels do not have pause rules. This means the following:

• When the Writing or Speaking test is paused for more than 20 minutes, the student must log back on to the student interface to resume testing. In addition, the student can continue entering responses or review or change any previously answered items.
• Any highlighted text and notes entered in the digital notepad will be saved when a test is paused.

Test Timeout (Due to Inactivity)

As a security measure, students and TEs are automatically logged off after 30 minutes of test inactivity. For students, activity is defined as selecting an answer or navigation option in the assessment (for example, selecting [Next] or [Back] or using the Questions drop-down list to navigate to another item). Moving the mouse or selecting an empty space on the screen is not considered activity. This timeout also results in the test being paused automatically.

For TEs, activity means that a student or students are registering test activity. As long as students are testing, the TE will not be logged off. The TE should be monitoring the Test Administrator Interface for inactivity, as a paused or inactive test may indicate that student may need assistance.

Before the secure browser logs the student off the test, a warning message will be displayed on the screen. If the student does not select [OK] within 60 seconds after this message appears, the student will be logged off. Selecting [OK] will restart the 30-minute-inactivity timer.

Figure 1 provides an example of the message that appears in a test timeout warning:

Figure 1. Test timeout warning message

Test Expiration Rules

“Opportunities” refers to the number of times a student can take a test within a range of dates. “Test session” is a timeframe in which students actively test in a single sitting.

For the Initial ELPAC, a student only has one opportunity to take each domain of the test. The test remains active until the student completes and submits the test or until the test expires, whichever occurs sooner. The expiration rule is 30 days after a student first accesses the test for the Listening and Reading domains and 30 days for the Speaking and Writing domains. Once a test opportunity expires, the student cannot complete or review the test unless a Re-open Appeal is submitted through STAIRS.

Beginning the Test

Follow these instructions to administer the Initial ELPAC. The TE must create a test session before students can log on to the secure browser (but no more than 30 minutes prior or the system will time out). When a TE 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. A walkthrough of these logon instructions is also provided in the DFA.

The TE also has the option to schedule a test session for a future test date in the Test Administrator Interface. The TE would select the [Upcoming Sessions] tab and then select the [Schedule a Session] button to select dates for the test session using the calendar tool. After selecting the future dates, the TE would select the tests to add to this session and then select the [Save Session] button. The future session would then show in the Upcoming Sessions table.

The basic workflow for administering computer-based tests is as follows:

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

The TE completes the following steps to begin the assessment:

1. Navigate to the ELPAC website on a supported web browser.

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

   

   Figure 2. [Test Administrator Interface for All Online Tests] button

3. For training test administration, select the [Practice & Training Tests] button.

4. Log on to the Test Administrator Interface using the TE’s TOMS sign-in credentials, as shown in figure 3.

   

   Figure 3. Test Administrator Interface Logon screen

5. If the TE is associated with multiple schools, an “Important!” message appears when the TE logs on. The TE must select the appropriate school from the Select your School/District drop-down list in this message and select the [Go] button, as shown in figure 4. The TE may only select one school or district at a time. The TE will only be able to administer tests available for the selected school or district. To select a different school or district, the TE must log off and then log back on.

   

   Figure 4. Message from the Test Administrator Interface

6. The Test Selection window, as shown in figure 5, color-codes tests and groups them into various categories. A test group may include one or more subgroups. All test groups and subgroups appear collapsed by default. Select the “Initial English Language Proficiency Assessments (ELPAC)” test group to begin.

   

   Figure 5. Operational Test Selection window

7. To select tests for the session, 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 (or [Expand All]).
   2. To collapse a test group, select the [Minus] minus-sign [] icon (or [Collapse All]).
   3. To select individual tests, mark the checkbox for each test that is to be included.

   

   Figure 6. Expanded Operational Test Selection screen

8. Either use the filtering feature to open specific grade level, grade span, or content-area assessments; or, to start the test or tests listed in the “Tests Selected” section on the right, select the [Start Operational Session] button. These features are also indicated in figure 6.
   1. Select the [Add Filter] button [] to access the filter panel.

   2. Expand the available filter categories by selecting a [Plus] plus-sign [] icon.

      

      Figure 7. Sample Operational Test Selection screen with filtering option

   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 8), which also presents the screen that displays after the [Apply Filter(s)] button was selected.

      

      Figure 8. Sample Operational Test Selection screen with filtering applied

   6. Select the [Start Operational Session] button to start the test.

9. Inform students of the test session ID. The session ID is automatically generated upon selecting the [Start Operational Session] button in the previous step. Write the session ID, as shown in figure 9, in a place where all students can clearly view for group administrations; provide the written session ID directly to the student for one-on-one administrations; or, for K–2 students, enter the session ID directly into the secure browser to help them log on. The current session ID also appears on the Test Administrator Interface screen saver, when the screen saver is active.

   

   Figure 9. Session ID at the top of the Test Administrator Interface

10. Instruct students to open the secure browser, if it is not already open, and log on using the Student Sign In web form. For K–2 students, perform the sign-in steps for them.

11. Student
    Sign in using the Student Sign In web form, as shown in figure 10. Students enter their first name and their SSID as it appears in CALPADS. Students enter the session ID as it appears on the Test Administrator Interface.

    

    Figure 10. Student Sign In web form

12. Test Examiner
    Ensure that all students have successfully entered their information.

13. Student
    Verify identity by selecting [Yes] or [No], or as shown in figure 11.

    

    Figure 11. Is This You? screen

14. Test Examiner
    Inform students of the test type (for example, Initial ELPAC Grades 3–5 Reading Test) in which they are participating today.

15. Student
    Select the test to take, as shown in figure 12. Note that after a student has completed and submitted a domain test, that test can no longer be selected.

    

    Figure 12. Your Tests selection box

16. Student
    Wait for the TE’s approval, as shown in figure 13.

    

    Figure 13. Waiting for Approval dialog box

17. Test Examiner
    Approve students for testing by selecting the [Approve] check mark [] icon in the Actions column for individual students or the [Approve All Students] button, as shown in figure 14.

    

    Figure 14. [Approve All Students] button on the Approvals and Student Test Settings screen

18. Test Examiner
    Select the [View ] eye [] icon, as shown in figure 15, to view and adjust the student’s test settings for the current test opportunity. (For example, if the student had been assigned the designated support to turn off any universal tool(s), the TE can toggle the universal tools on and off.) “Custom” in the See Details column indicates the student has been assigned test settings. Refer to the Accessibility Resources section of this manual for the embedded resources that are available for the Initial ELPAC.

    

    Figure 15. [View] icon on the Approvals and Student Test Settings screen

19. Test Examiner
    

    Take one of these steps; buttons are shown in figure 16.

    1. To confirm the settings, select [Set] at the top of the student’s Test Setting screen. The TE must still approve the student for testing.
    2. To add or confirm the settings and approve the student, select the [Set & Approve] button.
    3. To return to the Approvals and Student Test Settings window without confirming settings, select [Cancel].

    

    Figure 16. Part of the Test Settings page for a selected student

20. Test Examiner
    If the settings are incorrect, the TE should select [Cancel]. The TE must report the incorrect test settings, such as an accommodation, to the site ELPAC coordinator, who will update them as required in TOMS and reschedule the student’s testing. The update, once made, may take up to 24 business hours to appear in the Test Administrator Interface. After a student’s test settings are corrected, the student must sign in and request approval again. For the Initial ELPAC, TEs can assign a designated support that a student might need for testing directly on the Test Settings page for the student.

21. Test Examiner
    For the Listening, Reading, and Writing (grade levels three through twelve) domains, have students run the Sound and Video Playback Check.

    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). This requires logging off the secure browser to check the device’s volume settings and then logging back on to the secure browser.
    4. If the student is still experiencing issues, contact the site ELPAC coordinator or school technology coordinator.

22. Student
    The Sound and Video Playback Check page (that is, the screen) appears for tests with audio files (figure 17).

    

    Figure 17. Sound and Video Playback Check screen

    To check audio and video settings:

    1. The student or TE plays the video and listen to the audio by selecting the [Play] arrow [] icon.
    2. Depending on the sound and video quality, the student does one of the following:
       1. If the student can view the video and hear the sound, the student selects [I could play the video and sound]. The Instructions and Help page appears.
       2. If the student cannot view the video and hear the sound, the student selects [I could not play the video or sound]. The Video Playback Problem page appears, giving the student two options:
          • The student can select [Try Again]. They will return to the Sound and Video Playback Check page.
          • The student can select [Log Out]. The TE should troubleshoot the device and headphones or move the student to another device with working audio and video.

23. Student
    If the Speaking test was selected, there will be a Recording Device Check before the Sound and Video Playback Check (figure 18). Follow the on-screen instructions to make sure the recording device is working. If the student’s testing device does not have the ability to record, the student may select the [Skip Recording Check] button. Please note that once the test has started, the instance of a red rectangular box with an X in place of the [Microphone] button may indicate either that the device is not capable of recording or that there is a poor network connection. The test may need to be resumed after the issues have been resolved. The Speaking test must still be administered and scored locally.

    

    Figure 18. Recording Device Check page

24. Student
    If the student has the TTS accommodation set up in the test settings screen in TOMS, the Text-to-Speech Sound Check page appears (figure 19). On this page, students verify that TTS is working properly on their device. Students can only use TTS within a supported secure browser. However, because of the nature of Listening, Writing, and Speaking domains, where test questions are audio-recorded or read to students, there is no need for this accommodation to be assigned to a student.

    

    Figure 19. Text-to-Speech Sound Check page

    To check TTS functionality:

    Students select the [TTS Speaker] speaker [] icon and listen to the audio.

    1. If the voice is clearly audible, students select [I heard the voice].
    2. If the voice is not clearly audible, students adjust the settings using the sliders and select the [TTS Speaker] icon again.
    3. If students still cannot hear the voice clearly, they select [I did not hear the voice] and close the secure browser. The TE can work with students to adjust their audio or headset settings. They can sign in again when the issue is resolved.
    4. To continue without testing TTS, students select [Skip TTS Check].

25. Student
    The Instructions and Help page is the last step of the sign-in process (figure 20).

    

    Figure 20. Instructions and Help page

    Students may use the Test Settings page to review settings that were approved for the student to use during the test (figure 21). Students may use the Help Guide to understand how to navigate the test and use test tools or alert the test examiner of an incorrect test setting by selecting the [Request Changes] button.

    

    Figure 21. Review Test Settings screen

26. Student
    Select [Begin Test Now] (indicated in figure 20) to begin testing.

27. Test Examiner
    Follow the scripts in the DFA as the administration gets underway. Please note, all DFAs contain stopping markers, which are instructions placed at various items. They indicate that the test may be stopped if the student has not answered any questions correctly or has not responded to any questions up until that item. If this occurs, the TE should select the [Submit Test] button at the top left on the student testing interface to log off of the test. No further testing is required for the student in that domain. Continue with the instructions in the following subsections, Monitoring Student Progress and Ending a Test Session. If the question with the stopping marker is answered, then the [Submit Test] button disappears when the next question appears. When the student has reached the last question in the domain, the [Submit Test] button will reappear.

Monitoring Student Progress

Test Administrator Site Layout

Figure 22 displays the layout of the Test Administrator Site during an active test session. Note that the majority of Initial ELPAC testing is administered one-on-one.

Figure 22. Test Administrator Interface layout

Essential Features

The following are essential features in the Test Administrator Site:

1. Session ID
2. [Select Tests] tab
3. [Approvals] tab
4. Tests without issue table

Figure 23 and table 3 provide an overview of the major features available in the Test Administrator Site.

Figure 23. Top of Test Administrator Interface screen

Alert Messages

The CDE can send statewide alerts that appear as pop-up messages on the Test Administrator Site. Refer to the sample in figure 24.

Figure 24. Record of alerts

Test Selection

It is very important that TEs monitor student progress throughout the test session. This includes verifying that students are participating in the appropriate domain and type of test for example, the Initial ELPAC Grades 3–5 Writing Test). The TE monitors the test each student is taking by referring to the Tests without issue table in the Test Administrator Interface (figure 25). Note that the list of student names can be sorted by column headings.

TEs should verify that they have selected the correct test forms for the student’s correct grade level when starting a test session, and that the student has selected the correct test form and grade level as well. The TDS delivers the correct assessment to the student that is based on the student’s grade level.

In the event a student is taking an incorrect test, the TE should pause the student’s test. The TE should then instruct the student to log off and log on again to select the correct test. The Test column is indicated in figure 25.

Figure 25. Monitoring student progress in the Test Administrator Interface

How to Monitor Student Testing

A TE may also use the Test Administrator Interface to view the testing progress of any student. This screen will not show test questions or scores but will let the TE know the percentage of questions that have been delivered to each student.

At the start of the test, all the students in the session are listed in the Tests without issue table. If the Test Administrator Interface detects that a student requires assistance, such as a student having a pending print request or a student’s test having been paused because of an environment security breach or because of the launch of a forbidden application, the Tests with potential issues table appears at the top listing the students who need intervention.

The Progress column is called out in figure 26. Student sessions can be sorted by selecting any of the linked column heads.

Figure 26. Monitoring student status in the Test Administrator Interface

Table 4 describes the columns in the Tests table. To sort the table by a given column, select that column header.

Table 5 describes the codes in the Status column of the Tests table.

* Statuses marked with an asterisk (*) appear when the student is not actively testing. The student’s row grays out in such cases.

Test Security

Once students have started their computer-based Initial ELPAC test, the TE should monitor the room to ensure that all test security conditions are maintained. If the TE witnesses or suspects the possibility of a test security incident, the site ELPAC coordinator and LEA ELPAC coordinator should be contacted immediately in accordance with the security guidance provided in the Test Security for the Initial ELPAC section of this manual.

Enabling Screen Saver Mode

Because the student test progress tables in the Test Administrator Interface may contain sensitive student information, such as SSIDs, there is a screen saver built into the Test Administrator Interface. The screen saver is active in the web browser application window either when the TE activates it or after five minutes, if the TE is not active in the Test Administrator Interface. It turns off when the TE returns the device’s focus to the web browser window by, for example, moving a mouse’s cursor over it. It will also turn off automatically if the test session times out because of TE or student inactivity.

The screen saver masking hides data from view and shows the session ID, as presented in figure 27. When students are awaiting approval when the screen saver is active, this information is included under the session ID.

Figure 27. Sample session ID in the Test Administrator Interface screen saver

The TE can turn the screen saver on manually by selecting the Toggle Screensaver option from the Menu drop-down list. The Toggle Screensaver option is indicated in figure 28.

Figure 28. Toggle Screensaver option

How to Approve Print Requests

Students using the print-on-demand tool can request printouts of test passages and questions. When students send print requests, the request notification appears in the Tests table (figure 29). The print-on-demand designated support must be assigned in the test settings in TOMS.

To approve print requests:

1. Select the [Print] printer [] icon in the Actions column of the Test with potential issues table. The Student Print Request window appears (figure 29).

   

   Figure 29. Student Print Request window

2. Review the print request and take one of the following actions in the Student Print Request window (figure 29):
   • To approve the request, select the [Approve] check mark [] icon in the Action column. Proceed to step 3.
   • To deny the request, select the [Deny] “X” [] icon in the Action column. In the window that appears, enter a brief reason for denying the request and select the [Deny] button. Entering a reason for denial is optional. Do not proceed to step 3.
3. A printer dialog box opens with a cover page and the items that were selected to print.
4. Select [Print] to print the requested test elements.

Viewing Approved Requests

To view approved requests:

1. Select Approved Requests from the Menu drop-down list. The Print Requests window opens (figure 30), listing print requests by student.

   

   Figure 30. Approved Requests option on the Test Administrator Interface

2. The Approved Requests window opens, listing print requests by student. To print the list of approved requests, select the [Print] button (figure 31).

   

   Figure 31. Approved Requests window

Ending a Test Session

After answering the last item in each domain, select the [Next] button to get to the Test Review page prompting the student to review answers for all items available to the student prior to submitting the test. Mark for Review, noted by a blue flag, is provided as a reminder to the student that the student had a question or concern about a particular item. In figure 32, item 7 is marked for review.

Figure 32. Test Review page

The student is permitted to review all items—marked or unmarked—within the constraints of the pause rule. Students may return to a previous question and modify their response if the test was not paused for more than 20 minutes.

Once students have reviewed their answers, they must select [Submit Test] to submit their tests (figure 32). Once students have selected [Submit Test], students will not be able to review answers. In the case of one-on-one administration (K–2 and Speaking domain), the TE selects the [Submit Test] button to submit the tests.

For the Initial ELPAC administration, there are stopping markers for each domain, as noted in the DFAs, that can be used if needed for one-on-one test administrations. The [Note] upside-down triangle [] icon indicates the stopping marker for a specific domain. If there had been no responses or correct responses up to the stopping marker, the TE may stop administering the domain by selecting the [Submit Test] button at the top of the Student Interface screen to submit the test.

After students submit the test, the Test Summary page (that is, screen) appears, displaying the student’s name, the test name, and the completion date (figure 33).

Figure 33. Test Summary page

TEs should select the [Stop Session] button (figure 31) to end the test session; when selected, the Important! message box appears (figure 34). However, ending the test session will pause any student test in the session that is still in progress.

Figure 34. Important! message box

When finished, TEs can log off the Test Administrator Interface by selecting the [Name] drop-down list at the top right and then selecting Logout. TEs should also collect any scratch paper and follow procedures for local secure destruction as outlined in the Handling Secure Printed Materials subsection.

Logging Off

Use caution when logging off the Test Administrator Interface as this will log off other related systems (for example, TOMS). To log off the Test Administrator Interface, select the [Name] drop-down list in the top-right corner of the screen, and then select Logout (figure 35).

Figure 35. Logout option under the [Name] drop-down list

The session will close, and the TE will be directed to the ELPAC website after the TE logs off.

Following Test Administration

Destroying Test Materials

As a reminder, those printed and paper test materials identified in the Test Security section must be securely destroyed immediately following each test session and may not be retained from one test session to the next. The only exception to this is scratch paper, which should be handled according to the guidance provided in the Handling Secure Printed Materials subsection.

Reporting Testing Improprieties, Irregularities, and Breaches

Throughout testing, ensure that all test security incidents were reported in accordance with the guidelines in the Test Security section in this manual (that is, LEA ELPAC coordinators or site ELPAC coordinators must follow the ELPAC STAIRS/Appeals process in TOMS).