Manual Content

This manual provides information about system requirements and network, hardware, and secure browser configurations for running various testing applications used by test administrators, test examiners, and students in computer-based, in-person CAASPP and ELPAC testing.

Intended Audience

This manual is intended for the following audiences at a school or other test site:

• Technology coordinators who are responsible for configuring the hardware, software, and network in a school’s online testing environment and are familiar with the following concepts:
  • Networking—Bandwidth, firewalls, allowlisting, and proxy servers
  • Configuring operating systems—Control Panel in Windows, System Preferences in macOS, Settings in iOS and iPadOS, and the Linux command line
  • Installing software—Downloading installation packages from the internet or from a network location and installing software onto desktop or laptop computers running Windows, macOS, or Linux operating systems, or Chromebook or Apple mobile devices
  • Configuring web browsers—Settings in Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge
• Network administrators who are familiar with mapping or mounting network drives and creating and running scripts at the user and host level
• Users who install and run the secure browser from an NComputing server and are familiar with operating that software and related hardware

Sections

This manual contains the technology requirements for computer-based CAASPP and ELPAC testing for the 2022–23 test administrations and includes the following sections:

• Introduction (this section), describes this guide.
• System Requirements lists the minimum hardware and software requirements for computer-based testing. Ensure that device hardware complies with these requirements before undertaking the tasks described in this manual.
• Network Configuration provides information about configuring networks and lists helpful networking diagnostic tools.
• System Configuration provides guidance regarding hardware and general software configuration, including the proper infrastructure for printers and WAPs with specifics for LEA networks and student devices.
• Operating System Configuration provides information about configuring the secure browser for computer-based testing on student devices that use a particular operating system. The secure browser prevents students from accessing other devices or internet applications and from copying test information. It also occupies an entire screen.
• Appendix A: Operating System Support Plan for the 2022–23 Test Delivery System lists the operating systems supported for computer-based CAASPP and ELPAC testing and their projected end-of-support dates.
• Appendix B: Scheduling Online Testing provides a worksheet for estimating the required time to administer a computer-based assessment.
• Appendix C: Creating Group Policy Objects to Assign Logon Scripts in Microsoft Windows describes how to create scripts that launch when a user logs on to a Windows computer.