Online Computer Skills

1. Online Computer Skills Fall 2006

2. Topics • Eligible Students • Rights for Types of Users • Changes in Online Test • NC Registration • SIQ • Test Administrator’s Manual

3. Eligible Students • Grade 8 • Students assessed using EXTEND1 will not have to participate and will not be counted in the numerator or denominator for the ABCs performance composite • Students in their first year in U.S. schools scoring below Intermediate High on the reading subtest of IPT should not be forced to participate in this test

4. Eligible Students • Grade 8 • All other 8th grade students should participate – including those who may be in the Occupational Course of Study when they go to high school

5. Eligible Students • High School • Students assessed using EXTEND1 will not have to participate. • Students in their first year in U.S. schools scoring below Intermediate High on the reading subtest of IPT should not be forced to participate in this test

6. Eligible Students • High School • Students who passed the Online Computer Skills test in 8th grade are not to be tested • First year 9th grade students in the Occupational Course of Study are not to be tested. However, they must still meet the Computer Skills requirement as defined in each student’s IEP.

7. User Rights • Students • Elaine has added eligible HS and all 8th grade students to NCRegistration. • If you need a student moved from one Wilkes County school to another, let Elaine or Bob know. This can be done, but only at the LEA level.

8. User Rights • School Test Coordinators Rights • Users • Add or modify users for your school • Delete/disable users for your school • Grante/revoke users for your school • Students • Add a student • Modify a student • Delete/disable a student record

9. Specific Issues • School Test Coordinators Rights • Students • Load students from pre-code (not necessary, Elaine has done this) • Complete SIQs • View Student Recordds • Test Sessions • Reserve a test session • Modify a test session reservation • Login students for test

10. User Rights • School Test Coordinators Rights • Applications You can Access • Online Computer Skills • NCCLAS • NCEXTEND1 • NCESR (teacher review of tests)

11. User Rights • Computer Skills Test Administrators: • Login Students for a Test • Access NCCLAS (you probably want to remove this) • Access NCEXTEND1 (you probably want to remove this) • Access NCESR (you definitely do not want to remove this!)

12. Changes in Online Computer Skills Test • SIQ Completion required before a student is tested. You do not have to have all students completed before the test session, but all students to be tested that day must be completed. In addition, if you have any students you are using as “backups”, their SIQ must be completed. • SIQs should be completed at least 2 days before the student is to be tested. DO NOT PUT A STUDENT in NCRegistration the day before you want to test him/her! The student’s information will quite often not show up until 2 days after it is entered.

13. Changes in Online Computer Skills Test • New Accommodation: • Computer Reads Aloud – Student Controlled • If the student has Test Administrator Reads Test Aloud, this modification can be used • Involves headphones – student must go through simulation first • Bandwidth heavy – don’t try to test more than 2 students in a lab using this modification at the same time!

14. Changes in Online Computer Skills Test • Java • Requires installation of Java 1.5.08 • Technology personnel have been told – verify that computers are being updated • You will see message to update NCDESK whenever necessary

15. HS Students and Online Computer Skills Test • Students to Test or Not Test • 1st year 9th grade students who did not pass the test (or take the test – i.e, possibly moved from another state) last year • You can test students who have not passed either portion of the old test – but you must get a letter signed by the parents/guardians • If a student has passed one portion of the old test – do not test this student using Online CS

16. NC Registration • Registration Guide • Part 1: General Description • Part 2: Technical specifications – may want to share with technology personnel • Part 3: Various assessments that will use NCRegistration – good overview of how each will be used

17. NCRegistration • 2006-07 Assessments on NCRegistration • Computer Skills • Computer Skills Alternate Assessment • NCCLAS – EOC/EOG • Online End-of-Course • Onoine EOC Physics Field Test • NCEXTEND1

18. NCRegistration • Part IV • School Profiles (set up at LEA level) • Part V • Users • Levels • Login • Assigning Users • Deleting Users

19. NCRegistration • Part VI • Students • Computer Skills • Pre-code upload (done by Elaine) • Editing precode files (done by school test coordinator) • Individual Student Registration (if you have to add a student to the list) • Steps for deleting a student • Moving student – if a student moves within the LEA, let Elaine or Bob know • Reset – can be done at the LEA level only. Call Bob to discuss whether or not this is appropriate. It resets the students’ results completely (as if they had never started, although the previous information is held on the SDPI computer)

20. NC Registration • Scheduling • Select a date • Select the time slot • Tell NCRegistration how many students will be tested • If you tell NCRegistration you will test 30 students and only test 29, the slot goes back to the school to be used later. But don’t expect it to be available until two days later. • Time Windows: • Early Morning 7:30 – 10:00 • Late Morning 10:00 – Noon • Afternoon Noon – 3:00 (Notice on page 37 it says Earliest Start Time and Latest Start Time)

21. NC Registration • Scheduling • End-of-Day Stoppage • Unless you identify Multiple Test Sessions as an accommodation for a student, he/she cannot work on the test more than one school day

22. NC Registration • Student Information Questions • Must be completed for a particular student before he/she can be tested. While the NCRegistration manual says one day before testing, always have this completed at least two days before testing. • Click on SIQ button for the student

23. NC Registration • Student Information Questions • Question 1: Title 1 Status • 99% of students will be marked Non-Title 1 School – Not Served • If you have an identified Migrant student in your school who is taking the test, you will mark Non-Title 1 School – MP only.

24. NC Registration • Student Information Questions • Question 2: EC Status • No changes to the list of exceptionalities and/or academically intellectually gifted • Mark only one! • Question 3: If you mark LD or AIG on question 2, you must mark the appropriate areas on this question. It is also used to indicate LEP and students who are Section 504 only.

25. NC Registration • Student Information Questions • Question 4: Accommodations • Mark those that are actually being used by the student • Remember to mark Multiple Testing Sessions if the student is to be tested over more than one day • Questions 5 – 8: These ask about anticipated reading and mathematics grades and the students basic achievement level for these areas. If the student is not enrolled in a math or reading (English 1) class at this time, use N/A.

26. NC Registration • Student Information Questions • Question 9: • Mark if the student took the test during a Makeup session • Question 10: • Is the student basically computer proficient? • Question 11: • Mark for all students – will the student use “Computer Reads Aloud – Student Controlled” modification

27. NC Registration • Part 9: Reports • CSV Score Report – a download to Excel • SIQ Completion – whose SIQ has been completed and whose has not • Student Completion – who has completed the test and who has not • Test Session Date, Test Session Window and Annual Testing Report are available to LEA test coordinator and higher

28. NCDESK • Prior to Test Administration: • Install JAVA 1.5.08 • Update NCDesk (click on previous NCDESK icon and it will automatically update) • Change the Target line for the NCDESK icon to: "C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.5.0_08\bin\javaw.exe" -jar "C:\Program Files\NCDesk\ncdesk.jar“ (ITFs will probably need to do this!)

29. NCDESK • Prior to Test Administration: • Make certain students have an opportunity to use the NCDESK simulation at least one day prior to their test administrations • If the student will be using “Computer Reads Test Aloud – Student Controlled” there is a special simulation and some special files to install. Let Bob know if you think you will have students using this.

30. Test Administrator’s Manual • Highlights (not intended to replace review of the TAM) • Test Simulation Recommendation (page 2) • NCEXTEND1 students are not to be required to participate (page 3) • Transfer students – the key is to test each student at least once a year. The main time this is a problem is the end of the year, if a new student enrolls who has not been tested and needs to take the test.

31. Test Administrator’s Manual • Highlights (not intended to replace review of the TAM) • Test Security – one of the primary concerns on this test is screen shots (copying to a file and placing in Microsoft Word or some other software). Emphasize the whole test is secure. (page 6) • Wireless Connections – must have 64-bit or higher encryption (pages 6 – 7)

32. Test Administrator’s Manual • Highlights (not intended to replace review of the TAM) • Testing Code of Ethics - as always this cannot be overemphasized. David Craig told us yesterday there is already one issue in the state which may cost a teacher his/her job • Keywords • Standard administration (do as the TAM says) • Test security • Preparing students to take the test (ex.: simulation) • Confidentiality of test results • Reporting irregularities and possible misadministrations (page 7)

33. Test Administrator’s Manual • Highlights (not intended to replace review of the TAM) • Requirement to Report Student Scores: must be done within 30 days of receipt of student scores. At this time I am assuming SDPI will provide a quick turnaround on scores, but not a quick turnaround on WinScan files. This means there will not be an Individual Student Report available from WinScan. The school will need to develop a process to inform students/parents. (page 8)

34. Test Administrator’s Manual • Highlights (not intended to replace review of the TAM) • School Test Coordinator’s Responsibilities • Training test administrators • Having administrators and proctors in every site • Test security • Use secure IDs and passwords to access NCDESK site for administration

35. Test Administrator’s Manual • Highlights (not intended to replace review of the TAM) • School Test Administrator’s Responsibilities • Receiving training • Following the TAM and/or instructions for accommodations • Test security • Unbiased administration

36. Test Administrator’s Manual • Highlights (not intended to replace review of the TAM) • School Test Administrator’s Responsibilities • Additional for Online Computer Skills • Verify equipment is in working order • Verify internet is accessible • Latest version of NCDESK is available

37. Test Administrator’s Manual • Highlights (not intended to replace review of the TAM) • Help Desk • On page 14 of the TAM is information that must be provided to the SDPI Help Desk if they are called. Be specific in all regards. • Accommodations • LEP and Students w/Disabilities Accommodations are on pages 15 and 16

38. Test Administrator’s Manual • Highlights (not intended to replace review of the TAM) • Test Administration Information (pages 17 – 21) • The test must be administered as described in the TAM and Students w/Disabilities Guide • Testing environment should not be a large issue since students will generally be in a computer lab. But be sure students using “Read Test Aloud” in any form cannot hear one another. They will be receiving different forms of the test, but confusion could be caused. • Student Emergencies: special instructions due to the nature of the test: • Test materials secured • PAUSE button clicked • Note the time the student left the room • Note the time the student returns • Click on Continue

39. Test Administrator’s Manual • Highlights (not intended to replace review of the TAM) • Test Administration Information (pages 17 – 21) • Testing Irregularities (major areas) • Failing to administer the test as instructed • Violating test security • Not having an administrator and proctor in each site • Cheating • Illness during testing • Changing student answers • Not returning test materials • Not providing an appropriate accommodation or providing one the student is not supposed to have

40. Test Administrator’s Manual • Highlights (not intended to replace review of the TAM) • Test Administration Information (pages 17 – 21) • North Carolina Experimental Section Review (NCESR) • All administrators are asked to complete this • The website will be made available soon • Estimated Test Administration Time • This is a timed test but note the statement in the 1st paragraph “However, all students must be given sufficient time to complete the tests.” This puts it in the same category as other tests that require special provision for continuing a student on the test.

41. Test Administrator’s Manual • Highlights (not intended to replace review of the TAM) • Procedures Prior to Test Day • Test Coordinator completes SIQ information, schedules test sessions, sets up the schedule for the students and verifies NCDESK is up and running on the appropriate computers

42. Test Administrator’s Manual • Highlights (not intended to replace review of the TAM) • Test Day • Start NCDESK on each computer, but no more than 30 minutes prior to the test administration • Update NCDESK, if necessary • Click TEST and login • Select the student for each computer • Do not click start button

43. Test Administrator’s Manual • Highlights (not intended to replace review of the TAM) • General Directions • At the bottom of page 26 are instructions about NEXT SECTION button. When this is clicked, students cannot return to previous section. This should be emphasized prior to student taking the test, possibly during Simulation. • Box at the top of page 27 for Read Test Aloud • Very important box at the bottom of page 27 that details administrator/proctor actions during the administration

44. Test Administrator’s Manual • Highlights (not intended to replace review of the TAM) • General Directions • Cache and Cookies: do not set anything to cache any content. This is a violation of test security. • Addressing Technical Issues

45. Questions?