Overview

This portion of the guide provides information about supported hardware, software, and version requirements and how to configure JAWS. General information about administering an assessment to a student with a braille accommodation and printing test material is also included.

Assistive Technology

Braille assessments administered in the TDS may require the use of multiple assistive technology devices and applications, including the RBDs and screen readers used by students to read and navigate test content, along with the embossers used by TAs and TEs to emboss test content.

RBDs are used to read text-only content on the Smarter Balanced for ELA and mathematics, the CSA, and ELPAC. Braille embossers are needed to emboss any content with images in ELA assessments, the CSA, and ELPAC, as well as advanced content in mathematics and science assessments. RBDs must be properly set up before they can be used by students. For information about installing and setting up RBDs, refer to the product’s provided instructions and manuals.

The TDS includes several embedded resources that facilitate braille testing, such as braille presentation settings, various print resources for embossing content, and streamlined mode, which arranges test content vertically.

Test Settings

Verify that all test settings are correct. Contact the site CAASPP coordinator, site ELPAC coordinator, LEA CAASPP coordinator, or LEA ELPAC coordinator to have them set if they are not.

  • Confirm that streamlined mode, permissive mode, zoom, and questions and stimuli test settings are correct.
  • If the field for the student’s test presentation is not set to Braille and the student uses the braille accommodation, the TA or TE should not approve the assessment. The student’s information must be updated in TOMS before the student can test. If the assessment was approved before the test settings were corrected, the LEA CAASPP coordinator or site CAASPP coordinator must complete the STAIRS process to file a report and then, when prompted, an Appeal to have the assessment reset.
  • The options for Braille Type may be in the Approvals and Student Test Settings screen. The Braille Type options for each content area are as follows:
    • Mathematics:
      • UEB Contracted or Uncontracted with Nemeth Math
      • UEB Contracted or Uncontracted with UEB Math (technical)
    • ELA and ELPAC domains: UEB Contracted (grades three through twelve) or UEB Uncontracted (kindergarten through grade two)
    • CSA: UEB Contracted
    • Science: UEB Contracted, UEB Nemeth Math
  • Emboss Request Type is a test setting that determines whether embossing requests are generated automatically, without student input, or manually, with student input. The default options for each content area are as follows:
    • Mathematics: Auto-Request (As students move through the assessment, embossing requests will automatically appear on the Test Administrator Interface.)
    • All other content and domain assessments: On-Request (Students must manually request embossing of passages and questions as they move through the assessment.)

Content to Review

The following bulleted list contains brief descriptions of each section in this chapter of the guide.

  • Technology Requirements outlines the supported operating systems and hardware and software requirements for students and TAs or TEs, including test settings in TOMS for consideration.
  • Testing Students Requiring Braille provides an introduction to testing with braille, including a screen capture of the sample interface that students will use and how a student submits a print request; how TAs or TEs configure embossing software; and details about BRF and PRN file types and how to configure them. Information on how to delete temporary downloaded files is also provided.
  • Configuring and Navigating Assessments with JAWS includes instructions for configuring JAWS to work with the secure browser and student keyboard commands.
  • Configuring and Navigating Assessments with VoiceOver includes instructions for configuring VoiceOver to work with the secure browser and student keyboard commands.