1. Test Administrator Interface & Student Interface
Florida Standards Assessments
Updated Spring 2018

2. Test Administrator Interface and Student Interface (Secure Browser)SB
Identifies a slide where activity occurs in the Test Administrator Interface (Practice and/or Operational).
Identifies a slide where activity occurs in the Student Interface (Secure Browser).

3. Test Administrator Interface for Computer-Based Testing
This section covers the Test Administrator (TA) Interface that is used to administer the Computer-Based Florida Standards Assessments. Practice tests for the computer-based FSAs are administered through the TA Training Site. The TA Training Site functions identically to the live testing site and is designed to provide TAs and students with opportunities to become familiar with the online testing environment they will experience when administering and taking the FSAs online. TAs will use the Training Site to start Practice Test Sessions.

4. Test Administrator Preparation for Computer-Based Practice Tests
To administer computer-based practice tests, you will need to:
Install the secure browser on student workstations or devices.
Create a Test Session through the TA Training Site and provide the Session ID to students.
Before TAs can administer practice tests, they must ensure that the appropriate technology preparations for computer-based testing have been made. The secure browser is available for download from the FSA Portal and instructions are available for both manual and network installation for Macs, Windows, Linux, and mobile devices.
TAs should also start a Practice Tests Session through the TA Training site prior to beginning the session and provide to students as directed in the scripts, which are available on the FSA Portal (

5. Test Administrator Preparation for Computer-Based Testing Overview
To administer computer-based operational tests, you will need to:
Install the secure browser on student workstations or devices.
Ensure that students who will be participating in computer- based testing are entered in TIDE.
Create a Test Session through the TA Interface and provide the Session ID to students.
Provide students with a test ticket. When students log in, ensure they enter their username and first name as they appear on the test ticket.
Before TAs can administer online assessments, they must ensure that the appropriate technology preparations for computer-based testing have been made. The secure browser is available for download from the FSA Portal and instructions are available for both manual and network installation for Macs, Windows, Linux, and mobile devices.
It is recommended that TAs review student eligibility in TIDE prior to the testing date.
On the test day, TAs will need to set up a test session and provide students with the Session ID. Also, each student will need to have a test ticket in order to take a computer-based test. Be sure students enter their username and first name exactly as they appear on their test ticket.

6. Accessing the Test Administrator Interface
The Test Administrator Interface is accessed from the Test Administration icon on the FSA Portal.
Access the FSA Portal at
Click Test Administration
Click Administer the FSA or TA Training Site
Sign in using your username ( address) and password
TAs will use their FSA login to access the Test Administrator (TA) Interface or TA Training Site.
To access the TA Interface, go to the FSA Portal and click the Test Administration icon. On that page you will find access to two Test Administrator systems: the Operational/Live TA Interface and the TA Training Site.
The training site offers users the ability to practice administering a test in a non-operational environment. The TA Interface gives you access to live testing.

7. About Test Sessions Session IDs: Students:
Generated dynamically on the day of testing
Linked to the Test Administrator
Operational (Live) test Session IDs begin with “FL”
Practice test Session IDs begin with “TRAIN”
Students:
Data travels with the student
Can move from one TA to another and start where they left off
Request admission to the session as part of the login process, and do not need to be added to sessions in advance

8. Create a Test Session – Select Test(s)TA
After you log in to the TA Interface, you will see this screen.
From this screen, you will select the test(s) to add to a session. Click the plus signs to expand the lists of available tests, or click “Expand All” in the top right corner to view every available test at once.
After you have selected all applicable tests, click “Start Operational Session” (or “Start Practice Session”) to start the session.

9. Provide Session ID to StudentsTA
The Session ID is generated automatically.
Provide the Session ID to students.
Write down the Session ID in case you need to refer to it later.
When you create a test session, the Session ID will be generated and appear at the top of the screen.
Provide the Session ID to students. Write this down clearly on a board or other place where all students can see it.
Please note that all practice test session IDs begin with the word TRAIN and live test sessions begin with FL. This will help you distinguish between the LIVE and TRAINING TA Interface sites.
It is also very important that TAs write down the Session ID for their records. They will need this ID in order to re-enter the test session in case they inadvertently navigate away or are logged out.
A red Stop button will display after you have started a session.
Sample Practice Test Session ID
Sample Operational Session ID

10. Approving Students to Test – Approvals Button
Before students log in:
The Approvals button is not clickable and displays “Approvals (0).”
After students log in and request approval:
The Approvals button is clickable and displays “Approvals (#).”
After the TA has started the test session and given the students the Session ID, students will begin the login process. Before students start logging in, the Approvals button is not clickable and says “Approvals (0).”
After students begin logging in and requesting approval, the Approvals button will become clickable, and will say “Approvals (#).”, This button will continue to refresh as new students await approval to the test session. You can also manually refresh this screen by using the Refresh button on the right side of the screen.
Test administrators must Approve students before they can begin testing. This process includes viewing each student’s test settings and verifying that they are correct. To view students awaiting approval, click the Approvals (#) button to access the Approvals and Student Test Settings screen.

11. Approving Students to Test – Approvals Screen
After you have clicked the Approvals button, the Approvals and Student Test Settings screen appears:
Click the See Details icon [ ] to view student test settings.
Click the Approve icon [ ] to allow a student to begin testing.
Click the Deny icon [ ] to reject a student request to take a test.
Use the Approve All Students button to approve all students listed.
The Refresh button updates the list of students awaiting approval.
When you click Approvals, the Approvals and Student Test Settings screen opens and displays each student who is awaiting approval for entry into your session. You will see each student’s name, username, whether the test settings are standard or custom, the See Details icon, and the option to approve or deny each student.
Students with standard test settings are students whose test settings are set to default. Students with custom test settings are those who have at least one test setting that is not the default (e.g., Text-to-Speech). Please note that you cannot update accommodations from this screen; updates must be completed in TIDE prior to the administration.
Note: This screen does not automatically refresh. Therefore, students logging in to a session after the TA has already opened the Approvals and Student Test Settings screen will not appear. To update the list of students awaiting approval, click the Refresh button in the top row of the Approvals and Student Test Settings screen.
If a student’s demographic information is incorrect, then that student should not test. If this occurs, contact your school assessment coordinator.

12. Student Lookup FeatureTA
Click Student Lookup.
The Student Lookup feature can be used to see student demographic information that may be helpful if a student is having difficulty logging in. Students can be looked up by district, school, grad, and first or last name. Note that the search results do not contain test enrollment information. That information is contained in TIDE.
Click the Student Lookup button and then select a district and school from the drop-down lists. Select a specific grade or All Grades. Enter a student’s first name and/or last name if you are looking for a particular student. Partial names are allowed (e.g., enter “Fi” into the last name field to search for students whose last name begins with “Fi”). You can also complete the search without entering a student’s name. Click Search. If the search results finds matches, the information will be displayed in the second column. To see more information about a student, click the Test Settings icon next to his or her name in the Details Column. A third column showing the student’s information will appear.

13. Student Login SB
After the secure browser is opened, students will use the information from their test ticket to log in.
Students will be shown a screen to confirm their demographic information.
Students will be asked to select a test. The first time the student signs in, the arrow will be solid. When a student is resumed or signs in for a subsequent session, the arrow will be around a clock.
A test confirmation page will appear, and students will then await approval from the Test Administrator to enter the test.
The secure browser should be opened on each student’s computer or device before testing begins. Students will use the information from their Test Ticket to log in to the test. Students will be asked to confirm demographic information about themselves, and then will select a test. On day one of the assessment, there will be a solid arrow in front of the test name. On day two of the assessment, the arrow will be around a clock and Resume will appear before the test name. A test confirmation page will appear, and students will then await approval from the TA to enter the test.

14. Monitor Student ProgressTA
After students have logged in and the Test Administrator has approved them to begin testing, the test session table at the bottom of the screen will display each student currently logged in to the session.
After students have logged in and the test administrator has approved them to begin testing, the Students in Your Test Session table will display each student currently logged in to the session.
Also included in the table is a column that lists each Student Status in the test session. Statuses can range from Approved to Completed and are used by the TA to help keep track of student testing. The last column contains the Pause Test button, which will stop a student’s test and log him or her out. When a student’s test is paused, the Student Status column will display how long the test has been paused (in minutes) and the Pause Test column displays an info button that TAs can click for information about how the test was paused.
Please note that if a student’s row is grayed out, this indicates that the student is not actively testing. This occurs when the student’s test is paused or the student has submitted the test.
For more detailed information about the columns in the table or statuses, please see the Test Administrator User Guide.

15. Exiting a Test Session SB
Students will click the End Session button to log out after finishing Session 1.
Students taking two sessions on Day 2 will request approval to enter the next session after clicking the End Session button.
Students will not be able to move into Session 2 of any test until Day 2 of testing.
Students will click the End Session button to log out of the test after finishing Session 1.
Students finishing Session 2 of a three-session test will request approval to enter the next session after clicking the End Session button.
Students will not be able to move into Session 2 of any test until Day 2 of testing.

16. Submitting a Test SB
After reviewing items in the last session of the test, students will select End Test to begin submitting their test.
It is important for students to select End Test instead of Pause so they will show as Completed/Reported in the TA Interface and in Participation Reports.
When students have completed Session 2 (or Session 3 of middle grades mathematics assessments), they will review their work.
After checking their work, students will select End Test.
They will see a pop-up window saying that they have reached the end of the test. If ready to submit the test, students will select Yes to continue to the Review screen.
Students will then select Submit Test on the Review screen.
A pop-up window will ask them to confirm that they want to submit the test. Once they select “Yes,” students cannot return to the test.

17. Stopping a Test SessionTA
When students have completed testing for the day, click the stop icon to end the test session.
When you stop a test session, any student tests that are still active are automatically paused.
A test session cannot be re-opened once it has been stopped.
Test administrators must stop sessions manually. When students have completed testing for the day, click the stop icon to end the test session.
Stopping a session automatically pauses any student tests which are still active in the session.
A test session that has been stopped cannot be re-opened. If students need to access the test after a test session is stopped -- for example, if the test session is accidentally stopped before students have completed testing -- the TA must create a new test session and provide the new session ID for students to use to log in.

18. Timing Out/Network Interruption
As a security measure, test administrators are automatically logged out of the TA Interface after 90 minutes of test administrator and student inactivity. Do not create your session until immediately prior to testing. 
Note:
The test administrator should set up the session no more than 90 minutes before students begin to test.
Test administrators will not be logged out as long as students are actively testing.
As a security measure, test administrators are automatically logged out of the TA Interface after 90 minutes of TA and student inactivity. Therefore, the test administrator should set up the session no more than 90 minutes before students begin to test. Test administrators will not be logged out as long as students are actively testing; TAs are free to monitor the room without being logged out as long as students are still taking the test.
If the TA is logged out due to inactivity or a loss of internet connectivity, the same TA must create a new test session and provide the new Session ID to the students in order for the students to continue testing.

19. TA Training Site and Student Practice Test
Test administrators and students should use the TA Training Site and the Student Practice Test to familiarize themselves with the FSA testing interfaces.
Test administrators can set up a practice session and practice approving tests with accommodations, approving students to test, monitoring students, and ending a test session.
Students can practice signing in using their username, first name, and TRAIN session ID; familiarize themselves with the different types of questions; and practice reviewing their responses and submitting their test.
Test administrators and students should use the training sites available to them to familiarize themselves with the FSA testing interfaces.
Test administrators can set up a practice session and practice approving accommodations, approving students to test, monitoring students, and ending a test session.
Students can practice signing in using their username, first name, and TRAIN session ID; familiarize themselves with the different types of questions; and practice reviewing their responses and submitting their test.

20. FSA Resources and Help Desk
FSA Portal:
Support:
Toll-Free Phone Support:
Hours:
Monday–Friday (except holidays)
7:00 a.m.–8:30 p.m. ET
Please visit the portal and review the resources and guides available there. For any other questions regarding FSA assessments, contact your district assessment coordinator or the FSA Help Desk.