1. Test Information Distribution Engine (TIDE)
Training Module
Welcome to the online training module for the Test Information Distribution Engine, also known as TIDE. This training module includes many examples of TIDE’s features. In addition, the TIDE User Guide on the WCAP portal has additional information about features in TIDE.
August 14, 2017
Copyright © 2017 American Institutes for Research. All rights reserved.

2. Objectives Preparing for Testing
This presentation contains a script in the notes section. If you are accessing this information with a screen reader, be sure you are reading the notes section as well as the text contained in the slides.
Preparing for Testing
Activating your new TIDE account and logging in to TIDE
Navigating the TIDE interface
Understanding account permissions
Managing user accounts
Managing student information and test settings
Administering Tests
Managing appeals
Monitoring test progress
After Testing
Managing test incident codes and resolving discrepancies in the Discrepancy Resolution System (DRS) tab in TIDE.
This presentation will address numerous topics in TIDE, including tasks that typically take place when preparing for testing, during test administration, and after testing has concluded.
The TIDE User Guide, which is posted under the Resources section of the Test Administrators and Test Coordinators User Cards of the WCAP Portal, includes all the information we will cover here. We recommend that all TIDE users download the TIDE User Guide and refer to it the first time they navigate through the TIDE system.
TIDE is also used to generate test participation reports, and this function will be covered in a separate training module.

3. Activating a TIDE Account
As part of the TIDE system roll-over for the new school year all user passwords have been reset. Existing users will have to request a new password when logging in for the first time for SY17-18 by following the instructions in the TIDE User Guide, under the Activating Your TIDE Account section. Users were able to login to TIDE beginning August 14.
If you are being added to TIDE as a new user, you’ll receive a TIDE activation . This contains your user role, an activation link, and a second link to request a new activation . The activation link is only valid for 15 minutes. After that time, the activation link will expire, and you will need to click the second link to request a new activation .
When you click the activation link, the Reset Password page will appear, where you can create a password that you will use to access TIDE and other AIR systems. In the Password and Confirm Password fields, type a password for your account. Passwords have a length requirement and must include different character types; see your TIDE User Guide for details.
After entering your new password, click Submit. Return to the Login Page and log in using your and new password. When you log in, a form for adding a security question will appear. Select a security question and enter an answer. You will be required to add three security questions in order to proceed. You’ll need this information in order to reset a forgotten password.
Please note that if an account is created for an incorrect address, it will need to be deleted, and a new account created for the user.

4. Logging in to TIDE
To log in to TIDE, go to the WCAP portal ( Click the appropriate user card. On the next page, click the TIDE system card. Enter the username and password you created when activating your account. Click Secure Login to go to the TIDE Administration Details page.

5. Logging in to TIDE pt 2
When logging in to TIDE, you will need to enter information for Administration Details in order to be directed to the home page. You will first select which Test Administration you would like to access, the example in the slide displays Fall Most TIDE functions are available regardless of the administration selected when logging in, such as adding student settings. However some TIDE functions, such as material orders and appeals, require selecting a specific administration.
The selections for your User Role, State, and District will populate if you are a district user. If you are an SC or TA, your school information will also populate, in addition to User Role, State, and District.

6. Banner
A banner appears at the top of each TIDE page showing the current test administration and your current user role. On the upper-left corner of the screen there is a drop-down list for accessing other AIR applications.
On the upper-right side of the screen you will also find a Help button that displays the TIDE User Guide, a Manage Account drop-down list where you may set up your account details, and a Logout button.

7. Resources
To download resources that may be needed for online testing, such as the voice pack and THSS materials used to score interim assessments, click the Resources drop-down list in the upper-right side of the banner.
There are several resources available at this location. The teacher hand scoring materials for the Teacher Hand Scoring System (THSS) are available here to assist users in becoming familiar with the materials prior to having access to them in THSS. These are the same materials that can be accessed in the THSS system. An overview presentation which explains how to use the materials for each of the content areas should be viewed first. Then grade level files which contain a reference guide, and the Training Guide and Exemplar documents for each hand-scored item, should be downloaded and reviewed. The overview presentation and the reference guides are only available here in TIDE. The Training Guide and Exemplar documents will be available in THSS with each item.
The Julie Voice Pack is also available at this location. This should be downloaded for all students who need this for text to speech. Information on software installation and technical requirements are available at this location.

8. TIDE Banner: Inbox
To access secure documents and student data files you have previously exported in TIDE, click the Inbox button in the banner. From the inbox you can download, archive, or delete previously exported files. For more information on this feature, see the TIDE User Guide.

9. TIDE Banner: Manage Account
The Manage Account drop-down list allows you to change the role you are using in TIDE (if you have been assigned multiple roles), update your contact information, or reset your password.

10. TIDE Home Page
The TIDE home page appears after you log in. The home page is designed to reflect the stages of the testing process as directly and simply as possible. Each of TIDE’s three sections list menus for the tasks available in that section. For example, the Users menu contains options for adding users, viewing/editing/exporting users, and uploading users. 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.

11. Overview of TIDE Tasks: Preparing for Testing
Tasks in the Preparing for Testing section are typically performed before testing begins. This category includes tasks for managing records for users, students, test settings, and rosters. This category will also include tasks for placing orders for paper testing materials and for setting up test windows.
TIDE can also group students into rosters. A roster is a collection of students sharing a similar characteristic who are assigned to a specific teacher. Rosters typically represent classrooms, but can also be used to group students with special needs or students participating in particular activities or programs. Once scores are calculated, users can use ORS or AIR Ways to view how a roster of students performed as a group.
Additionally, TIDE allows users to place and manage orders for paper test materials and manage test windows.

12. Overview of TIDE Tasks: Administering Tests
Tasks in the Administering Tests section are typically performed during the administration window.
District Test Coordinators may use TIDE to create and view appeals which include invalidating a test, resetting a test, or reopening a test.
TIDE can also be used to monitor test progress and generate test participation reports.

13. TIDE Tasks: After Testing
In the After Testing section, you can perform data cleanup operations, such as entering test incident codes to applicable students for reason not tested.

14. Navigation Toolbars
When you enter any task page, a navigation toolbar appears at the top of the page. This toolbar allows you to access each task and action that was available on the dashboard. To view the task menus for a particular TIDE category, click the icon for that category above the toolbar.
Some pages in TIDE are divided into multiple panels. Each panel contains a group of related settings and fields that you can edit. You can click the minus sign in the upper-left corner of a panel to collapse it, or click the plus sign in a collapsed panel to expand it. Additionally, a floating Go To Section toolbar appears on the left side of pages with multiple panels. This toolbar includes a numbered button for each panel in the form. You can hover over a button to display the label of the associated panel and click the button to jump to that panel.

15. Help Text
Most pages in TIDE have help text that describes the page and how to use it. To show or hide detailed help text on a page, click the gray more info link under the page title.

16. District Administrator School Test Coordinator Information Specialist
Roles and Permissions
Task
District Coordinator
District Administrator
School Test Coordinator
Test Administrator
Information Specialist
Viewing Students Details  
Adding User Accounts 
Viewing and Editing User Details
Working with Rosters of Students
Generate Plan and Manage Testing Reports
Your TIDE account is assigned a role, and that role has certain permissions. This table gives an example of the permissions associated with roles. For example, a district-level user may be able to perform tasks that are not available to a school-level user.
Permissions also limit the scope of data access by a user. A district-level user can work with data pertaining to that district, and a school-level user can work with data pertaining to that school.
For a detailed list of user roles and associated permissions, see the TIDE User Guide.

17. Users
Before testing begins, and throughout the school year, TIDE is used to manage user accounts for TIDE itself, the TA Interface within the Test Administration site, the Online Reporting System (referred to as ORS), and other AIR systems.
Depending on your role, the Users task menu allows you to add users; view, edit, or export users; and upload users from an external file.

18. Add Users
District Test Coordinators, District Administrators and School Test Coordinators can manually add new users from the Add User page. Fill out the information in the form, and click Save. The fields marked with an asterisk are mandatory. The new user’s address will serve as their username when logging in to any AIR system.

19. Upload Users
A second way to add new users in to TIDE is to use the Upload Users page to compose an upload file in Excel or CSV format and then upload that file. This method is easiest if you have many new users and you don’t want to add them one at a time from the Add User page.
The easiest way to compose an upload file is to download an available template by clicking Download Templates. You may also access files that you have previously uploaded by clicking the blue plus sign to expand the Upload History panel. Open the template, enter information for the users you wish to add using Excel or another program, and save the file in Excel or CSV format. Detailed instructions for composing an upload file can be found in the TIDE User Guide.
Once you return to TIDE, click Browse, and select the file you just saved.
To see a list of the files you have previously uploaded, first click the blue plus sign to expand the Upload History panel.
Click Next to upload the file. A file preview page will appear, allowing you to verify you uploaded the correct file. If the preview is correct, click Next to continue.

20. Upload Users, continued
Next, TIDE will validate the file and display any errors or warnings according to the legend on the page. Click the orange error icons and blue warning icons in the validation results to view the reason a field is invalid. If a record contains an error, that record will not be included in the upload. If a record contains a warning, that record will be uploaded, but the field with the warning will be invalid.
To complete the upload, click Continue with Upload.
To upload a different file, click Upload Revised File.
To cancel the upload, click Cancel.
If your file contains a large number of records, TIDE will process it offline and send you a confirmation when complete. While TIDE is validating the file, do not press Cancel, as TIDE may have already started processing some of the records.
To view a PDF file listing the validation results for the upload file, click Download Validation Report in the upper-right corner.
When the upload is complete, a confirmation page will appear with a message that summarizes how many records were committed and how many were excluded.

21. View/Edit/Export Users
The View/Edit/Export User page includes a form for setting selection criteria to retrieve users. In this example, the required criteria are the user’s role, district, and school. Other criteria are optional, such as the first or last name. Click Search to continue. The search panel will automatically collapse, and your search results will appear below.

22. View/Edit/Export Users, continued
After clicking Search, TIDE will display all the users satisfying the search criteria. If your user role permits, you can edit a user’s information by clicking the green pencil icon. Another page will appear where you can edit and save information.
To export user information, mark the checkboxes next to the users you wish to export and click the green export button above the search results.
To delete users from TIDE, mark the checkboxes next to the users you wish to delete and click the orange trash can button above the search results.
To make the search form re-appear and search for additional users, click the plus sign in the Search Users panel, which appears as a blue bar.
For more detailed information on managing users, see the TIDE User Guide.

23. 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.

24. View/Edit/Export Students
The View/Edit/Export Student page includes a form for setting selection criteria to retrieve students. Required criteria, such as the district and school in this example, are marked with asterisks. Other criteria are optional, such as the external ID and the student’s first or last name.
You can further refine your criteria by entering additional demographic information or test settings in the Additional Search panel.
The students you can retrieve on this page are limited by your role’s scope. For example, if you are a district-level user, you can retrieve students enrolled within your district. If you are a school-level user, you can only retrieve students enrolled within your school.
Click Search to continue.

25. View/Edit/Export Student, continued
After you click Search the search panel will automatically collapse, and your search results will appear below. You will see a message asking whether you would like to view the results of your search, export the list of students to your inbox, or modify your search criteria and try again. If you choose to export the results to your inbox, you will receive an when the file is ready for you to download.

26. View/Edit/Export Students Results
TIDE will display all the students satisfying the search criteria. You can edit a student’s information, including test settings, accommodations, and access to off-grade level interim assessments, by clicking the pencil icon with a green box around it.
Print or export student information by selecting the desired students and clicking the Print or Export button above the search results.
In this view, the search panel is automatically collapsed above your search results. To make the search form re-appear and search for additional students, click the plus sign in the Search Students panel, which appears as a blue bar. For more detailed information on managing students, see the TIDE User Guide.

27. Student Supports
On the Student Information page, the organization of the student supports has been updated for

28. Student Supports, continued
There is a question mark next to each support and when selected, there will be a pop up box with a description of the support.

29. Frequency-Distribution Reports
A frequency-distribution report pulls demographic and enrollment information based on the selected criteria.
To generate a report from the Frequency Distribution Report page, select a district and school from the drop-down lists (if available). Mark checkboxes in the Select Demographics panel to filter the report for additional demographics and accommodations, as desired.
Click Generate Report to display a frequency distribution report using the selected criteria.

30. Frequency-Distribution Reports, continued
TIDE will display the frequency-distribution report in grid format. This example shows a report by grade and gender.
To display the report in tabular format, click Grid.
To display the report in graphical format, click Graph.
To display the report in both tabular and graphical format, click Grid & Graph.
To download the report as a PDF, click the Printer button.

31. Test Settings and Tools
TIDE keeps track of student test settings, such as font size and text-to-speech. The Test Settings and Tools task menu allows you to view, edit, export or upload test settings and tools.

32. View/Edit/Export Test Settings and Tools
The Test Settings and Tools page includes a form for setting selection criteria to retrieve a student’s test settings and tools. Required criteria, such as the district and school in this example, are marked with asterisks. Other criteria are optional, such as the student ID and the student’s first or last name.
You can further refine your criteria by entering additional demographic information or test settings in the Additional Search panel.
The students you can retrieve on this page are limited by your role’s scope. For example, if you are a district-level user, you can retrieve settings for those students enrolled within your district. If you are a school-level user, you can only retrieve settings for those students enrolled within your school.
Click Search to continue.

33. View/Edit/Export Test Settings and Tools, continued
After you click Search, the search panel will automatically collapse, and your search results will appear below. You will see a message asking whether you would like to view the results of your search, export the list of student test settings to your inbox, or modify your search criteria and try again. If you choose to export the results to your inbox, you will receive an when the file is ready for you to download.

34. View/Edit/Export Test Settings and Tools Results
TIDE will display all the students satisfying the search criteria. Because not all columns can fit on the screen at once, you may need to click the blue arrow on the right side of the screen to scroll right and display more information. You can edit a student’s test settings and accommodations, by clicking the pencil icon with a green box around it.
In this view, the search panel is automatically collapsed above your search results. To make the search form re-appear and search for additional students, click the plus sign in the Search for Test Settings and Tools to Edit panel, which appears as a blue bar. For more detailed information on managing student test settings and tools, see your TIDE User Guide.

35. View/Edit/Export Test Settings and Tools Results, continued
Print or export student information from TIDE by selecting the desired students and clicking the Print, Export, or Delete button above the search results. The Export button feature is currently unavailable in TIDE. This feature will be available soon.

36. Upload Student Settings
DC, DA, and SC users may also edit test settings and tools in TIDE by using the Upload Student Settings page to compose an upload file in Excel or CSV format and then upload that file.
The easiest way to compose an upload file is to download an available template, which you can do by clicking Download Templates and selecting either Excel or CSV. AIR recommends that most users select Excel format.
Open the template using Excel or another program, and enter the information for each student you wish to add. Enter the information into each column from left to right, using one row per student, per test setting. Save the file when you are finished. Detailed instructions for composing an upload file can be found in the TIDE User Guide. To see a list of the files you have previously uploaded, click the blue plus sign to expand the Upload History panel.
When your file is ready to upload, return to TIDE, click Browse, and select the file you just saved.
Click Next to upload the file. A file preview page will appear, allowing you to verify that you are uploading the correct file. If the preview is correct, click Next to continue.

37. Upload Student Settings, continued
TIDE will validate the file and display any errors or warnings according to the legend on the page. Click the orange error icons and blue warning icons in the validation results to view the reason a field is invalid. If a record contains an error, that record will not be included in the upload. If a record contains a warning, that record will be uploaded, but the field with the warning will be invalid.
To complete the upload, click Continue with Upload.
To upload a different file, click Upload Revised File.
To cancel the upload, click Cancel.
If your file contains a large number of records, TIDE will process it offline and send you a confirmation when complete. While TIDE is validating the file, do not press Cancel, as TIDE may have already started processing some of the records.
To view a PDF file listing the validation results for the upload file, click Download Validation Report in the upper-right corner of the page.
When the upload is complete, a confirmation page will appear with a message that summarizes how many records were committed and how many were excluded.

38. 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.

39. Add Roster
You can manually create a roster on the Add Roster page. To add a new roster, select the district and school to which the roster belongs. Enter a roster name and select the name of the teacher who should be associated with the roster.
In the Test Settings and Tools panel and Additional Filters panel, refine the list of available students by selecting additional criteria from the drop-down lists and checkboxes. Then click Search Students.

40. Add Roster, continued
In the Add/Remove Students to the Roster section, the students in the left column are available to be added to the roster, and students in the right column are currently in the roster.
To add a single student to the roster, click the green plus sign next to a student in the left column. You can add multiple students to the roster by marking checkboxes next to the students you want to add, and then clicking Add Selected. Add all available students to the roster by clicking Add All.
To remove a single student from the roster, click the orange X next to a student in the right column. You can remove multiple students from the roster by marking checkboxes next to the students you want to remove, and then clicking Remove Selected. Remove all students from the roster by clicking Remove All.
When you are finished adding students, click Save to save the roster.

41. Upload Rosters
A second way to add new rosters into TIDE is to use the Upload Rosters page to compose an upload file in Excel or CSV format and then upload that file.
This task is performed by following the same steps used to upload new users and students: download a template file, enter information into the template, save, and click the Browse button to locate the file and upload it in to TIDE.

42. View/Edit/Export Rosters
The View/Edit/Export Rosters page includes a form for setting selection criteria to retrieve rosters. In this example, the district and school criteria are required. Click Search to display a list of rosters matching your criteria.
Print, export, or delete rosters from TIDE by selecting the desired rosters and clicking the Print, Export, or Delete button above the search results.
Click the pencil icon next to a roster to view or edit its details. The Edit Roster form will appear. This form is similar to the form used to add rosters, and you may edit the roster name, teacher name, and students in the roster in the same way that you would for a new roster.

43. Test Windows
The Test Windows task menu allows you to add customized test windows; view, edit, or export test windows; and upload test windows from an external file. As this application is finalized additional details will be included in the TIDE User Guide.

44. Add Test Window
You can manually create a customized test window on the Add Test Window page.
Begin by selecting the type of entity for which you want to add a test window: District or School. Then, from the District and School drop-down lists (as available), make selections for the district and school. Enter a name for the test window in the Test Window Label field, and enter the test window’s start and end dates. Click Add Test Window to continue.

45. Add Test Window, Continued
Next, add tests in the Add/Remove Tests section. To add a single test to the window, click the green plus sign next to a test in the left column. You can add multiple tests to the window by marking checkboxes next to the tests you want to add, and then clicking Add Selected. Add all available tests to the window by clicking Add All.
To remove a single test from the roster, click the orange X next to a test in the right column. You can remove multiple tests from the window by marking checkboxes next to the tests you want to remove, and then clicking Remove Selected. Remove all tests from the window by clicking Remove All.
Click Save to save the new test window. The new test window will take effect immediately in the TA Interface.

46. View/Edit/Export Test Windows
The View/Edit/Export Test Windows page includes a form for setting selection criteria to retrieve test windows. Select the district and/or school associated with the test window you wish to retrieve and enter additional criteria as desired. Click Search to display a list of test windows matching your criteria. The search panel will automatically collapse, and your search results will appear below.
Click the pencil icon next to a test window to view or edit its details. The Edit Test Window form will appear. This form is similar to the form used to add test windows. You may edit the test window label, start and end dates, and tests in the same way that you would for a new test window.
Delete test windows from TIDE by selecting the desired windows and clicking the trash can icon.

47. Upload Test Windows
A second way to add new test windows into TIDE is to use the Upload Test Windows page to compose an upload file in Excel or CSV format and then upload that file. This task is performed by following the same steps used for uploading new users and uploading new students.

48. Appeals
In the Administering Tests section of the TIDE dashboard, the Appeals task menu allows you to view pending appeals. DCs and DAs may create, upload, and export appeals. Appeals are approved only by the state.
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, if a student’s test is paused, and then the test is automatically submitted before the student can complete it, an appeal must be created to reopen the student’s test. Not all users may create appeals and approve appeals. These tasks are restricted to certain user roles, as determined by your state. For information on your state’s particular permissions, policies, and procedures, please consult the TIDE User Guide.

49. Create Appeals
The first step to create an appeal is to click the Create Appeals page and select the type of appeal you want to create. The TIDE User Guide lists the available appeal types and explains the implications of each.
Next, search for the test result for which you wish to create an appeal. From the drop-down lists and in the text field, enter your search criteria and click Search. TIDE will display the search results below.
Mark the checkbox next to each test result for which you wish to create an appeal, and click Create. To create the appeal, select a reason and click Submit.

50. Status of Appeals Appeal Status Description of Status Error Occurred
An error occurred while the appeal was being processed.
Item Information Sent
Information regarding a Report Problem with Item appeal was sent to the designated recipients.
Pending Approval
Appeal is pending approval.
Processed
Appeal was successfully processed and the test opportunity has been updated.
Rejected
Another user rejected the appeal.
Rejected by System
Test Delivery System was unable to process the appeal.
Requires Resubmission
Appeal must be resubmitted.
Retracted
Originator retracted the appeal.
Submitted for Processing
Appeal submitted to Test Delivery System for processing.
After an appeal is created, its status can change throughout its life cycle. This table describes the possible statuses an appeal can have.

51. View/Approve/Export Appeals
You can review submitted appeals from the View Appeals Requests page. Select an appeal type and status and enter additional search criteria as desired. Click Search to display appeals matching your criteria.

52. View/Approve/Export Appeals pt2
When you click Search, the search panel will automatically collapse, and your search results will appear below.
To view the approval and processing status of an appeal, click the green comment icon in the Status column.
To retract or resubmit an appeal: mark the checkbox next to it, click Process, and then select the action you wish to perform.
The approval of an appeal will update the test opportunities and results accordingly. Rejecting an appeal will continue the processing of test results as if the appeal were never submitted.

53. Upload Appeals
A second way to add/create new appeals in TIDE is to use the Upload Appeals page to compose an upload file in Excel or CSV format and then upload that file. This task is performed by following the same steps used to upload new users and students.

54. 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.
Several types of participation reports are available:
The Plan and Manage Testing Report details all of a student’s test opportunities and the status of those test opportunities.
The Test Completion Rates Report summarizes the number and percentage of students who have started or completed a test.
And the Test Status Code Report displays all the non-participation codes for a test administration.

55. Plan and Manage Testing
Plan and Manage Testing reports detail all of a student’s test opportunities and the status of each test opportunity. Because the report lists testing opportunities, a student can appear more than once on the report.
To generate a report from the Plan and Manage Testing page, first go to the Step 1: Choose What panel and select a test and administration. Optionally, you may also choose a test name, enrolled grade, or test settings.
Next, in the Step 2: Choose Who panel, select a district and school, if applicable. Optionally, you may also choose a teacher from the Teacher drop-down list.
Finally, in the Step 3: Get Specific panel, choose one of the three available options as desired and select parameters for that option.
Click Generate Report to view your Plan and Manage Testing report, or click Export Report to open the report in Excel.

56. Plan and Manage Testing pt2
Clicking Generate Report will display the report and collapse the Report Criteria panel. Because not all columns can fit on the screen at once, you may need to click the blue arrow on the right side of the screen to scroll right and display more information.

57. Plan and Manage Testing pt3
Which students have not yet tested?
Which students have paused tests?
This slide illustrates some common questions that can be answered using the options available in the Step 3: Get Specific panel.
To find students who have not yet tested, select the first radio button and search for students who have completed their first opportunity in the selected administration.
To find students who have paused tests, select the second radio button and search for students on their first opportunity in the selected administration with a status of paused.
To find out if all students in a test session submitted their tests, select the third radio button and search for students by test session ID between the dates when the test session took place.
Did all the students in a test session submit their tests?

58. Test Completion Rates
The Test Completion Rates report summarizes the number and percentage of students who have started or completed a test.
To generate a report from the Test Completion Rates page, choose whether to generate a District or Institution report from the Report drop-down list. Select a district and school from the corresponding drop-down lists, if available. If desired, select a test name.
To view the report on the page, click Generate Report. The report will appear below the Report Criteria panel. To open the report in Excel, click Export Report.

59. Test Status Code Report
If students do not start or complete tests to which they are assigned, school officials assign non-participation codes to those tests indicating why students did not start or complete the test.
The Test Status Code report displays all the non-participation codes for a test administration. To generate a report from the Test Status Code Report page, select a test and administration from the drop-down lists. To view the report on the page, click Generate Report. The report will appear below the Report Criteria panel. To open the report in Excel, click Export Report.

60. Data Cleanup: Participation Codes
In the After Testing section of the TIDE dashboard, the Data Cleanup task menu lets users enter participation codes to explain student non-participation and resolve test discrepancies.

61. Participation Codes
A test incident occurs when a student does not take a test as scheduled.
You assign a code to explain the non-participation.
Non-participation codes persist until they are changed.
L2 Basic is indicated for a student at this location in TIDE.
There are circumstances in which a student did not participate in an expected test or participated in a test but in a non-standard way. Examples could include a student inadvertently taking an incorrect test, a parent opt-out, or the student not receiving appropriate instruction prior to the test. In such instances, you need to assign a non-participation code to the student’s test so that the Online Reporting System can accurately explain the non-participation. L2 Basic is indicated for a student at this location in TIDE.
Please note that once you apply a participation code, that code persists until it is changed. Participation codes are only entered for students for Summative assessments. They should not be entered for the Interim Assessments.
For a list of participation codes and their descriptions, please consult the TIDE User Guide on the WCAP Portal.

62. Participation Codes, Continued
To view or edit a student’s test incident codes from the Participation Codes page, select a district and school from the drop-down lists, if available. You may enter a student’s first or last name, external ID, or assessed grade if desired. You can further refine your criteria by entering additional demographic information or test settings in the Additional Search panel.
Click Search to retrieve a list of students matching your selected criteria. Click the pencil icon for the student whose non-participation codes you want to edit.

63. Non-Participation Codes
A pop-up window will appear, listing the student’s demographic information in the Student Information panel and the student’s available tests and special codes in the Special Codes panel.
From the drop-down lists in the Special Codes panel, select the special code for each available test, as required, and click Save.

64. Resolving Discrepancies
After a student submits a paper test, TIDE performs checks for a variety of discrepancies. The possible discrepancies are Student Not Found, Student Tested Out of Grade and Duplicate Tests.
To resolve a Student Not Found discrepancy, click the icon on the left. The Student Not Found window will appear. If the student with whom you want to associate the test exists in TIDE, click the icon under Associate.

65. Resolving Discrepancies pt2
For a Student Tested Out of Grade discrepancy, if you want to ignore the discrepancy and forward the test for scoring, click the icon in the Ignore column. If you want to invalidate the test, click the icon in the Invalidate column. In the dialog box that pops up, click Continue. You return to the listing of discrepancies. The discrepancy you resolved shows Processing in the Status column and disappears from the list when processing is complete. This image does not display the Status column.

66. Resolving Discrepancies pt3
For a Duplicate Record discrepancy, the duplicated test can be invalidated by clicking the icon under Invalidate. To reassign the duplicate test to another student, click the icon under Reassign. TIDE will then display a list of search fields to retrieve the other student.

67. Contact Your Help Desk
You can contact the Help Desk for assistance with any technical issues you encounter.
When contacting the Help Desk, please be ready to provide:
Any error messages that are appearing (including codes)
Your operating system and browser information
Your network configuration information
Your contact information for follow-up by phone or
Any other relevant information, such as test names or content areas, student IDs, session IDs, and search criteria
Washington Help Desk, American Institutes for Research
Tel ,
You can find the TIDE User Guide and other helpful resources on your state assessment portal. However, if you still require assistance with troubleshooting a technical issue, you may also contact your Help Desk. When contacting your Help Desk, please be ready to provide the following information:
Any error messages that are appearing (including codes)
Your operating system and browser information
Your network configuration information
Your contact information for follow-up by phone or
Any other relevant information, such as test names or content areas, student IDs, session IDs, and search criteria
The following slide provides contact information assigned to users.

68. Further Information
If you need additional information, please visit the WCAP Portal ( where you can find the TIDE User Guide. Please direct questions regarding state assessments and protocols to:
Test Administrators, contact your School Test Coordinator
School Test Coordinators, contact your District Test Coordinator
District Test Coordinators, contact OSPI at
Thank you for viewing this training module. If you need additional information, please visit the WCAP Portal ( where you can find announcements and copies of the TIDE User Guide. For further assistance, please consult your Help Desk or

69. Revision Log
Updates to the Module after August 16, 2017 are noted below.
Section
Slide
Description of Change
Revision Date
Throughout the year, if updates are needed to this module, the changes will be detailed in the revision log on the PowerPoint. Any changes will be communicated in the Washington Assessment Weekly newsletter as well