Administering Remote Assessments

Before Testing

TAs should ensure that each student has an SSID. Refer to the SSIDs subtopic for additional information about assigning and communicating SSIDs.

Practice using the secure browser with students before testing begins. The Practicing Remote Administration subtopic provides instructions for this practice. Also view the demonstration videos with students prior to the day of testing, to gain a better understanding of how the test session works.

Start the Test Session

TAs should have students join a video meeting prior to the assessment. Take attendance and verify that each student has their SSID readily available. If a student does not have their SSID, provide it via a breakout room, private chat, or some other means by which the student is the only one receiving the information. Review the SSIDs subtopic for more information about ways to provide SSIDs securely to students.

Before students arrive, log on to the Test Administrator Interface and complete the following steps to select an assessment:

1. Once logged on to the Test Administrator Interface, the [Active Sessions] tab will appear. Select the [Join] button in the Active column (figure 1) to join a previously scheduled session, or select the [Start a New Session Now] button (figure 5) to start a new session.

   

   Figure 1. [Join] button in the Test Administrator Interface

2. Select the [Start a New Session Now] button (figure 2).

   

   Figure 2. [Start a New Session Now] button

3. If the TE is associated with multiple schools, an “Important!” message appears at logon. Select the appropriate institution from the drop-down list in this message and select the [Go] button, as shown in figure 3. This message appears only if multiple LEAs or schools are available.

   

   Figure 3. Message from the Test Administrator Interface

4. Using the Operational Test Selection screen as shown in figure 4, select the assessment(s) to administer during the session. (For complete instructions on how to use the Operational Test Selection screen, refer to the “Beginning an Assessment” section of any of the Directions for Administration scripts.)

   

   Figure 4. Operational Test Selection screen

5. Once all assessments have been selected, select a radio button to indicate the type of test session; options are In Person and Remote or Hybrid (figure 5).

   

   Figure 5. Selecting the session type

6. Select the [Start Operational Session] button (figure 5).
7. The TA should write down the session ID from the Session Information pop-up box, in case the Test Administrator Interface is closed accidentally while students are still testing. If that happens, reopen the web browser, navigate back to the Test Administrator Interface, and enter the active session ID to reenter. Close the Session Information pop-up box.

8. To initiate the remote tools, select the I agree checkbox in the communication widget (figure 6) and then select the [Allow] button. The TA is able to turn off the video and audio (figure 7) until students enter the session if the TA wants to host a video meeting with video and audio enabled on there instead.

   

   Figure 6. Permission box for remote tools

   

   Figure 7. Video and audio toggles

9. Open a video meeting (Zoom, Teams, Google, etc.) with the student(s). You will be able to communicate with students through the video meeting until they log on to the secure browser. Students will need to exit all applications prior to logging on to the secure browser.

During the Video Meeting

Have students join a video meeting prior to the assessment and then take attendance. While students are in the video meeting, ensure they are on video and monitor each student and the room immediately surrounding them. Read each of the following steps aloud:

For the computer adaptive portion of a Smarter Balanced assessment or the CAST:

For the mathematics CAT in grades six through eleven, the CAST, and the ELA PT only:

For the computer adaptive portion of a Smarter Balanced assessment or the CAST:

For all students:

Leave the video meeting open during the testing session in case students have issues with logging on to the assessment. The secure browser does not allow students to remain on the video meeting while testing. However, students can rejoin the video meeting if they are logged off the test for any reason.

EAP Instructions for Students in Grade Eleven

Students in grade eleven taking a CAT will get an additional question at the end of their test sessions for both ELA and mathematics (figure 8). This question appears where students are reminded of any test questions flagged for review. Refer to the EAP background information in the Ending a Test Session subtopic of the Smarter Balanced PT Script topic in this manual.

Figure 8. Sample EAP question for the CAASPP Smarter Balanced for ELA

EAP SECTION—READ TO STUDENTS IN GRADE ELEVEN ONLY

END OF EAP SECTION

During the Test Session

1. Students log on to the secure browser. Verify that the assigned accessibility resources are correct, when applicable. Approve their tests in the Test Administrator Interface.
2. In the secure browser, students complete the Sound and Video Checks.
3. Once the Sound and Video Checks have been completed, students select the [Begin Test Now] button.
4. Monitor the progression of each student through the assessment using the Test Administrator Interface.
5. Monitor each student by watching the video feed, being alert for others in the room providing answers or an indication that a student might be using a device, such as a cell phone, out of sight of the web camera.

Warning Students of the End of a Session

Send out a broadcast message to the students approximately 10 minutes prior to the end of the test session. The message should contain information such as the following, or the following text may be copied and pasted into the broadcast communication widget:

When there is one minute remaining, send the following message to students:

When time is up, send a final broadcast message, like this one:

For students who used scratch paper, request students to tear up the scratch paper prior to leaving the test session. Students can also return to the video meeting to tear up scratch paper.

Ending the Test Session

1. At the end of the test session, confirm that each student has submitted or paused the assessment.
2. Stop the session in the Test Administrator Interface by selecting the [Stop Session] stop sign icon.
3. Log off the Test Administrator Interface.