1. English Language Proficiency Test Test Administrator Training

2. Objectives During this sessions district administrators will:
Understand the role of the test administrator
Become familiar with the ELPT administrative portal
Access resources for administration

3. Agenda
DTC Tasks in TIDE Appeals Monitoring Progress Test Administrator Interface

4. DTC Tasks in TIDE

5. Overview of AIR Systems
Test Information Distribution Engine (TIDE)
Stores student demographic information and test settings
Used to manage user accounts for all systems
Test Delivery System (TDS)
Used by TAs to administer tests and monitor students
Includes interface used by students to navigate through test

6. TIDE Home Page
Each of TIDE’s two sections list menus for the tasks available in that section. To expand a task menu and view its set of related tasks, click the down arrow on the end of that menu. To perform a task, click the name of that task listed in the menu.

7. Users
Before testing begins, and throughout the school year, TIDE is used to manage user accounts for the following:
TIDE
TA Interface
Online Reporting System
Other AIR systems
When entering users, DTCs should use
the six digit school site code. The Users
task menu allows you to view
and export users.

8. Students
TIDE manages student information and keeps track of which assessments students are eligible to take.
The Students task menu allows you to:
add students;
view, edit, or export students; and
upload student test settings.

9. Orders
The Orders task menu allows District Coordinators to manage orders for paper and pencil test materials in their district.

10. Test Settings and Tools
TIDE keeps track of student test settings, such as background color choices. The Test Settings and Tools task menu allows you to view, edit, export, or upload test settings and tools.

11. Rosters
The Rosters task menu allows you to add rosters; view, edit, or export rosters; and upload rosters from an external file. Once test scores are calculated, roster information is used to generate reports of how students in the roster performed as a group.

12. Appeals

13. Appeals
In the Administering Tests section of the TIDE dashboard, the Appeals task menu allows you to view pending appeals; create new appeals; view, approve, or export appeals; and upload appeals.
In the normal flow of a test opportunity, a student takes the test in the Test Delivery System and then submits it. Next, the Test Delivery System forwards the test for scoring, and the Online Reporting System reports the test scores.
Appeals are a way of interrupting this normal flow. Reasons for appeals can vary. For example, a student may need to retake a test or have another test opportunity. A Test Administrator may need to invalidate a test because of an impropriety.

14. Creating Appeals
The Create Appeals page is where District and School Test Coordinators can create an appeal for a test.
Steps to creating an appeal:
Select the type of appeal
Search for the test result
Mark the checkbox next
to each test result
Enter a reason for the
appeal and hit submit

15. Status of Appeals

16. Upload Appeals
District Coordinators may also create new appeals in TIDE by using the Upload Appeals page to compose and upload a file in Excel or CSV format. This task is performed by following the same steps used to upload student test settings.

17. Monitoring Testing

18. Monitoring Test Progress
The tasks available in the Monitoring Test Progress task menu allow you to generate various reports that provide information about a test administration's progress. These reports were previously available in the Online Reporting System.
Type of Reports:
Plan and Manage Testing Repot
Details all of the student’s test opportunity and the status of those opportunities.
Test Completion Rate Report
Summarizes the number and percentage of students who have started or completed a test.

19. Test Administrator Interface

20. Logging in to the Test Administrator (TA) Interface
To log in to the TA Interface, go to your portal. Click the appropriate user role card. On the next page, click the system card used for operational or practice test administration. Enter your username and password, and then click Secure Login to continue.

21. Test Administrator Interface: Overview
Test Administrator Interface shows the Test Selection window open by default. From the Test Administrator Interface, you can do the following:
Create and manage test sessions
Look up students
Access help information

22. Test Administrator Interface: Overview
Once a test session is started the session ID will appear at the top of the TA interface. The test administrator must approve the students for testing. The test session table appears in the center of the TA interface, displaying students’ testing progress.

23. Create a Test Session
The first step to administer a test is to create a test session. Test sessions should be created less than 20 minutes prior to the start of testing. To create a test sessions use the following steps:
Select the test(s) to administer.
Select the start session button in the lower left corner.
Write down the session ID for students to enter in the test delivery system.

24. Student Lookup
If a student is having trouble logging in, use the Student Lookup feature to verify that the student’s login credentials are correct. You can use either the Quick Search or Advanced Search option to view the information entered for the student in the TIDE.

25. Common Login Errors

26. Approving Student Entry
Once the Test Administrator starts the test session and students log in, he or she must approve students’ test settings before they can access their tests. It is very important to pay close attention to the test name prior to approving to be sure that students selected the appropriate test.

27. Denying Student Entry
The Test Administrator should deny students entry into the session in these circumstances:
• The student is not supposed to enter this session.
• The student’s demographic information is incorrect.
• The student’s required accommodations appear to be incorrect and the TA needs to gather more information.
Denying the student entry into the test session will not prevent other approved students from beginning their tests.

28. Audio Playback Check
After selecting a test requiring audio, students will see a “Sound Check” screen. They will be prompted to click the sound icon and indicate whether the sound was audible by choosing either the “I heard the sound” or “I did not hear the sound” button. If students click “I heard the sound”, they will proceed to the test. If they click “I did not hear the sound”, they will receive a message advising them to tell the Test Administrator that they are having an audio problem.

29. Microphone Device Check
After verifying the test audio is functioning, students taking ELPT will need to verify their microphones are functioning as well. First, they should click the microphone icon on this screen. Students should say their names into their microphones, and then click the stop button. When students click the stop button, the icon will be replaced with a green play button. Students should click the play button to hear their recording. If students clearly hear their names, they should click the I heard my recording button to proceed to the test. If the audio is not clear, students should click the I did not hear my recording button and receive a message advising them to tell the TA about the microphone problem.

30. Test Instruction and Help Screen
After confirming that their microphones are working, students will see the Test Instructions and Help Screen. When students click Begin Test Now, they will be presented with the first question of the test.

31. Test Items with Audio Many test items contain audio clips.
Audio will automatically play once the page with the item or stimulus loads.
Students can pause or replay audio by clicking the corresponding button.
Only one audio clip can play at a time.

32. Speaking Items
The process for recording a speaking response mirrors the steps the student takes during the microphone check process.
Press the microphone to start recording.
Click the stop button when finished speaking.
Click the green play button to listen to the response.
If needed, click the microphone again to re-record the speaking response.

33. Context Menus Context menus allow students to: Mark items for review
View item tutorials
Send print requests to the TA (if available)
Access additional features depending on test settings and item types

34. Mark Items for Review
To flag an item for later review, students select Mark for Review in the content menu. After marking an item for review, the drop-down navigation menu will show “marked” next to the item number. Additionally, the item number at the upper-left of the item will appear with a folded corner and a small flag icon.

35. Item Tutorial
Students can select the item tutorial to see how they should answer a particular item (i.e; select an answer, drag and drop, or type a response).

36. Pausing and Test Timeout
Pausing a Test
Students returning to a paused test during the test window can finish their test, revisit any items, and change their answers if desired.
Test Timeout Due to Inactivity
As a security measure, after 20 minutes of test inactivity, students are logged out and their tests are paused automatically.
Inactivity is determined by whether the student is interacting with the test by selecting answers or using navigation tools.
Students will receive a warning message prior to being logged out and must click OK on the pop-up message within 30 seconds in order to avoid automatic logout and pausing of their test.

37. Ending a Test Session
When students answer the final question on their test, the End Test button will appear in the upper-left section of the screen, along with a message advising them that the test has been completed and is ready to be submitted. If students click the Next button at this point, they will see a pop-up message advising them to click the End Test button when they have completed reviewing their answers. They may also click the Back button to go back and revisit previous items.

38. Pausing and Stopping Sessions
Pause Individual Student’s Test
Affects only one student
Test session continues for all other students in the session
The student whose test is paused may rejoin the test session before it ends.
Stop Test Session
Affects ALL students in test session
All unsubmitted tests are automatically paused.
If a session stops, it cannot be resumed. You must start a new session if students need to resume testing.

39. Logging Out of the Test Administrator Interface
To log out of the Test Administrator Interface, click the Logout button in the upper-right corner of the screen. It is preferable to log out only after stopping your active test session, as logging out will cause all in-progress tests to be paused. Regardless of when or how you log out or navigate away from the Test Administrator Interface, student data will NOT be lost. If the Test Administrator needs to access another application, we recommend opening it in a separate browser window.

40. Troubleshooting

41. District Support
The Assessment team offers multiple avenues of support to districts, schools, and teachers seeking information or assistance about assessment administration and accountability.
Weekly Newsletters
Assessment and accountability information and deadlines are released each week in the district newsletter.
Weekly Assessment & Accountability Calls
Each Tuesday at 1:00 PM these webinars are held to provide training, updates, and important information to DTCs and Accountability Contacts.
Assessment Library and Accountability Library
The Assessment Library contains resources for DTCs including the Assessment Schedule and the Assessment and Accountability Month-by-Month Checklist. The Accountability Library contains resources for accountability contacts including the School Performance Score (SPS) calculators as well as information on data certification and federal accountability.

42. District Support Monthly Educational Technology Calls
The third Thursday of each month a webinar is held for district technology personnel to provide training, updates, and important information related to technology readiness and digital literacy.
All stakeholders are encouraged to assessment and accountability questions and/or concerns to
Assessment Hotline
For immediate assistance regarding assessment and accountability, district-level staff may call the Assessment Hotline at
All stakeholders are encouraged to technology readiness questions and/or concerns to either