Technical Readiness Training

Technical Readiness Training
Hi everyone and welcome to the Technical Readiness Training. My name is Jeramy and I will be leading you through the presentation today. We have a lot to go over in the next two hours so we are going to move along at a good pace. Please feel free to make use of the question and answer area in the lower right hand side to record any questions that you have. At the end of each section I’ll look through the questions and answer them. Also, I’m going to try and show as much as I can live, so time-permitting I will be able to actually show you what I am talking about

Agenda Technical Readiness Training
Introduction to Computer-based Testing (CBT) Resources for CBT System Requirements Chromebooks Components of Computer-based Testing Putting It All Together Best Practices Support Today we will go through all of the different computer-based testing components and dive deep into how they work together to deliver the assessment. South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

General Information

Computer-based Testing (CBT) Overview
SCDE will only allow ACT Aspire computer-based testing in as an accommodation for students that need “oral administrations” on the Writing, Math, and /or optional Science tests Manuals will not be sent for CBT; can be printed from Avocet Essential CBT manuals: Room Supervisor Manual Test Coordinator Manual (covers both CBT and PBT) Technical Readiness Manual In 2015, SCDE will allow ACT Aspire computer-based testing as an accommodation for students that need “oral administrations” on the Math, Science, and Writing assessments. These were previously only available as a Human Reader Read Aloud, but can now be administered as a Text-to-Speech (TTS) accommodation via the computer. Please note, manuals will not be sent for computer-based testing; these can be accessed and printed from Avocet. Go to M > Manuals to locate these. There is a separate Room Supervisor Manual, as well as a Technical Readiness Manual, and proctor caching guides. The Test Coordinator Manual covers both PBT and CBT. South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

Assess CBT Preparedness
Can you deliver CBT? Identify scope How many students are testing? What testing devices will be used? Where will tests be delivered? Do you have sufficient bandwidth? Review technology requirements Verify that testing devices meet minimum requirements Use SystemCheck to assess basic readiness If it is determined that CBT is not a viable solution Place students into PBT test sessions by 3/23 Students can still receive pre-coded answer documents Place students into PBT test sessions after 3/23 Schools will have to hand grid all answer documents South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

South Carolina Schedule
Computer-based Test Session set-up window; deadline is 4/14/15 3/6 - 4/14/15 ACT Aspire tests are administered 4/28-4/30/15 Make-up and optional Science testing occurs 5/1-5/13/15 If it is determined that schools are not able to perform in the CBT due to not meeting the system or bandwidth requirements, you can still receive pre-coded answer documents for paper testing by placing students into a paper based test session before 3/23 South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

Testing Window Spring 2015 Test Schedule Writing, English
April 28 (Tuesday) Reading April 29 (Wednesday) Mathematics April 30 (Thursday) Make-up and optional Science through May 13 As a reminder, here are the specific dates of testing for the Spring assessment. Writing and English are scheduled for Tuesday, April 28; Reading is scheduled for Wednesday, April 29; and Mathematics is scheduled for Thursday, April 30. Make-up testing and the optional Science test can be delivered through May 13. South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

Computer-based Testing
Computer-based Testing (CBT) Uses traditional testing devices Chromebooks Components of CBT ProctorCache SystemCheck TestNav 8 The ACT Aspire Portal Lets start right at the beginning. The ACT Aspire assessment can be delivered in two different ways. As a paper based assessment, and also a computer-based assessment. The computer-based assessment allows students to participate in the summative using a traditional computer (desktop or laptop) and a Chromebook. When delivering the assessment via computer you will be working with a few different components. We will go through each of the components during this training and talk through how they work together. South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

CBT Resources Before we start to look at the actual components, lets talk resources.

ACT Aspire Landing Page
One of the main resources that you can use is the new ACT Aspire Landing Page – Technology Set-up page. This page is going to house all of the major technology documents, quick explanations of the CBT components, links to the ProctorCache installers, and everything you need to get you pointed in the right direction. Lets have a look at the site. <<Show landing page >> Easily locate news, resources, and training South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

Avocet Online indexing of ancillaries, manuals, and program resources
Only the latest version will be posted Requires no log in and can be accessed on your smartphone or device For training and information there are two main resources, Avocet and the Training Management System (TMS) Avocet is the online index of manuals, guides, and program resources. This creates a one stop shop for most of your needs. There is no login for Avocet and you can access the site from smartphone or connected devices. You can visit the site by navigating to the Avocet URL, or from the link on the training section of the Landing page. South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

Technology Coordinator Checklist
Avocet Located under C for checklist ACT Aspire Landing Page Located on the Technology Set-up page A specific resource I want to call out is the tech coordinator checklist on Avocet. This gives you a checklist view through the tasks and setup that you will perform to set up your environment. Another great checklist can be found on page 11 of the proctor caching quick guide. This gives you another checklist specifically geared towards proctor cache setup. <<demo avocet>> South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

Training Management System
Repository for training modules - enables convenient self paced training Transcript feature shows date/time training was taken Requires to log in and can be accessed on your smartphone or device. The Training Management Site is a repository of bite sized training and demonstration videos. You can access the site with your address from most any connected device. <<Demo TMS >> South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

Handy Technical Resources
ACT Aspire Landing Page Technology Set-up page System Requirements: TestNav & ProctorCache A list of minimum system requirements Technology Coordinator Checklist A list of technology activities Testnav 8 Error Codes List of error codes and troubleshooting / resolution steps ProctorCache Quick Guide Steps for configuring ProctorCache Step by Step on last two pages Each of these resources found on Avocet and Landing Page South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

System Requirements All right, lets have a look at the system requirements for the computer-based assessment.

System Requirements – General Requirements
There are a set of general system requirements for the ACT Aspire assessment. TestNav 8 and ProctorCache have their own list of requirements that are more detailed than this general list. We’ll visit each set of requirements when we talk in detail about that testing component. South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

System Requirements Available for Three Systems Locations
ACT Aspire Portal TestNav 8 ProctorCache Locations ACT Aspire Landing Page Technology Set-up section Avocet see each individual component section Online Resources Always Up to Date When looking for system requirements you will want to pay attention to three specific components. Portal ProctorCache TestNav 8 You’ll always be able to find the latest list of technology requirements on our Avocet page. T for TestNav Hardware and Software Requirements and A for the ACT Aspire Portal Users Guide This can also be found on the landing page << show on landing page >> South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

Computer-based Testing Components
The computer-based assessment is comprised of four main technology components working together to smoothly and securely deliver test content to students and preserve the fidelity of student responses.

Computer-based Testing Components
ProctorCache Works with TestNav 8 to reduce bandwidth requirements SystemCheck for TestNav 8 Web-based tool for assessing readiness TestNav 8 Test delivery engine TestNav 8 Early Warning System The ACT Aspire Portal Manage test sessions The components of CBT are ProctorCache, SystemCheck, TestNav 8, and the Administrative Portal. ProctorCache is free software that works with TestNav to reduce the overall bandwidth requirement for computer-based testing, by pre-downloading the entire test content that your students need, and storing it locally in an encrypted format, allowing you to serve test content at local speeds versus internet download speeds. The requirements are very flexible. This does not have to be installed on a server class operating system or very robust computer. In most cases a single proctor cache machine can be used to service many students. [CLICK] SystemCheck is a tool that is used to determine system readiness. No installation is necessary; users simply visit the site with a testing workstation where they can perform quick tests to verify that the workstation meets the minimum browser, OS, and Java requirement to run TestNav 8, the test delivery engine. Users can also perform a connectivity test that allows them to see if the student workstation can retrieve sample test content successfully. [CLICK] TestNav 8 is the secure testing engine that student’s will use to interact with test items. Like SystemCheck, TestNav is completely browser based and does not require an installation or configuration on individual testing workstations. Behind the scenes, an inner-component of TestNav called the Early Warning System maintains test security, and checks for connectivity or content issues. [CLICK] Administrative Portal is a system that administrators will use to manage student data, set up and schedule computer-based tests, and manage test sessions. The Portal is role-based, and users can be prescribed specific roles that will control what functions they have access to, and what they can do in the Portal. All of the components we just went through are compatible with most Windows and Mac OS X operating systems, from Windows XP to Mac OS X Each of the components can be accessed using any of the major modern browsers, IE, Safari, Chrome, and Firefox. Specific versions of the browser being used will depend on the Operating System. South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

Environment Configuration
In order for the assessment to run smoothly, you will perform some setup or configuration steps to your environment. The steps can vary depending on your infrastructure, but for the most part there are some main actions that everyone will perform. When we start getting into the details here it will be a lot of information and a lot of things to think about. As we are going through this material, if you want to take notes it may be worthwhile to jot down things and ideas that pertain to your specific setup and configuration. I’ll tell you everything you need to know, and where to find the resources that you will need. If you need any additional help, or if you want to talk through any setup, make use of our support options. We’ll talk support options at the end of the session.

Identify Testing Devices and Rooms Which computers and labs will you use? Do you need to gather any extra peripherals? Mice / keyboards / power strips Set up temporary testing labs Whitelist URLs and Open Ports Configure your firewalls, security devices, and content filters to allow traffic flow to the URLs and ports listed on the system requirements Determine and Account For Unique Considerations Does your infrastructure have any unique needs or considerations? Do you use upstream proxies? Specific devices that should not be used for testing? Bandwidth shaping or throttling? Before actually diving in, you’ll likely want to do a little planning. Think about what devices you are going to use and where you are going to use them. Do you have to account for any extra equipment or set up any mobile labs or carts? Once you know what you are going to test on, then you can start actually setting up the environment. There are a few URLs and ports that you will need to allow through your firewalls, security devices, and content filters. A list of these exceptions can be found on the hardware and software requirements. We will take a look at the list in just a bit. In addition to whitelisting the ports and URLs, you will also want to think about any special considerations that are unique to your system. Do you have an upstream proxy, are there any specific devices that should not be used for testing? Do you need to account for any special bandwidth considerations? Start to think about these things early so you can take care of them before testing day. South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

Wired or Wireless Use best practices for either type of connectivity. Know the capacity of your access points and take care not to exceed the maximum connections Background Applications and Notifications Pop-ups will pull students out of the test Effort must be made to suppress, disable, or reschedule any application or notification from launching in the background Screensavers Antivirus scan reports Power, , message, or update notifications Reschedule applications that automatically run Install and Verify ProctorCache New installers added to documentation and Landing Page Are you going to be testing with wired or wireless devices? Try to follow best practices for each type of connection. For example, when testing wirelessly, try to keep range in mind. Devices that are positioned on the edge our outside of the maximum range of your access point may take a performance hit. One step you are absolutely going to want to take a look at is suppressing or preventing any background applications or messages from happening. After a student has logged into TestNav and it is in the full screen secure testing mode, any application that opens in the background or any system message that pops up will likely be considered a security concern by TestNav, pulling the student out of the assessment and back to the desktop. You should disable, reschedule, or suppress any of these applications or messages. A prime offender would be screensavers, power notifications, and pop up messages from the taskbar. Any of these items could pull the student out of the assessment. << show virtualbox >> One other thing that you could do at this time is install and verify the ProctorCache service. We’ll take a closer look at that in just a bit. So the main takeaways here are that there are a handful of steps that should be performed to ensure a smooth testing experience. A great resource for this would be the technology Coordinator Checklist, and the information on the landing page. Additionally, be sure to take care of those background applications and messages. I have heard of a lot of instances where students are pulled out of a test when some sort of notification popped up. In a lot of cases this can easily be prevented. South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

Chromebooks Lets look over setting up Chromebooks

Chromebooks Chromebooks Supported for All Assessments TestNav 8 App
Periodic and Summative TestNav 8 App Chromebooks do not use a browser to access TestNav Managed / Unmanaged Instructions can be different if your Chromebooks are managed or unmanaged. Managed Chromebooks – mass configuration Unmanaged Chromebooks – individual configuration Minimal Setup Place Chromebook in Kiosk mode Install the TestNav 8 app and set as a Kiosk Application Instructions recently added to Avocet (under Chromebooks) Chromebooks are supported for both the periodic and summative assessments. Chromebooks differ from traditional testing devices in that students will not log into TestNav 8 using a browser. Instead they will use the TestNav 8 app. So this will require a bit of configuration on the device itself. The actual configuration can be done in two different ways, depending on your Chromebook management options. Chromebooks can either be managed – where a domain of devices are all centrally managed Or Unmanaged – where the device has no formal management other than direct manipulation of the settings on the device itself. With either configuration option, the main result of the steps you perform will be the same: You will be enabling kiosk mode on the Chromebook installing the TestNav 8 app and setting it as a kiosk application These instructions have recently been added to Avocet under Chromebooks and will be added to the Landing page soon. South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

Chromebooks – System Requirements
TestNav 8 App Currently Supports Hardware Any processor, memory, screen size, and screen resolution Software Chrome OS 35 and Higher Install TestNav 8 App App is installed while configuring device No Java or Browser Dependencies Chromebooks and ProctorCaching Students testing on Chromebooks can gather cached content Chromebooks can not be used as ProctorCache machines Before we go into the actual setup steps, lets have a look at the system requirements Currently, any hardware configuration is acceptable. For software, you will need to be on ChromeOS version 35 or higher with the TestNav 8 app installed. There are no java or browser requirements. And while Chromebooks can take advantage of a ProctorCache setup, they can not be used as the actual ProctorCache machine itself. South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

Chromebooks – Setup Overview
Two Setup Methods Managed Chromebooks Can be performed simultaneously on all Chromebooks in your domain Two main steps to complete Preserve local data on Chromebook to retain Student Response File (SRF) and log files on the device Install TestNav 8 app and set it to run as a Kiosk App Unmanaged Chromebooks Steps have to be performed on each Chromebook Requires access to the administrator account for device Device will be backed up to cloud storage and wiped if you do not have access to the administrator account for the device Lets talk setup. Like we talked about before, Chromebooks can either be managed or unmanaged. For Managed devices, all of the setup steps will be performed through the central administration, so all Chromebooks in a domain can be configured at once. For unmanaged chromebooks, the setup steps will have to be performed on each device individually. South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

Chromebooks – Managed Setup
Managed Chromebook Setup Configure device to retain local data Log into your Google Apps for Education account, and log in to the Admin console for your domain. From the Admin console, select Device Management > Chrome > Device settings. In the User Data section, ensure that Do not erase all local user data is selected. Select Save changes, if visible. Enable Kiosk Mode and set up TestNav on the Chromebook In the Kiosk Settings section, verify that Allow Single App Kiosk is selected in the Single App Kiosk drop-down. Select Manage Kiosk Applications > Chrome Web Store. Search for and install the TestNav 8 app from the Web Store Select Add. Then select Save Leave Auto-Login to Kiosk App set to None, and select Save changes, if visible. Managed device setup First you will need to configure the device to retain local data. This will prevent the Chromebook from attempting to delete any files that TestNav creates when it is closed or when the Chromebook is powered off. You’ll enter your administrative console Enter your device settings Ensure that the Do not erase all local user data is selected. Then you will actually install the app and enable Kiosk mode. Once again in the administration console, you enter the Kiosk settings and ensure that Allow single app kiosk is selected Select the manage kiosk applications > Chrome Web Store, search for and install the testNav 8 app. Simply search for the word “TestNav’ and press the ‘install button. Select Add to add TestNav as a kiosk application Make sure that the auto-login option is set to none and save your changes. Once you have performed these steps, the next time your Chromebook is started and joins the domain, the configuration will be pushed out to the device, and the TestNav 8 app will appear in an app drawer on the login page. South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

Chromebooks – Unmanaged Setup
Unmanaged Chromebook Setup Log in to the Chromebook using the owner account. If you do not have the owner account information, back up any important data into cloud storage, and wipe the device. Create a new owner account and log in with that account information Start the Chrome browser Enter chrome://extensions in the browser address bar. Click Enter Select the Developer mode checkbox, and click Manage kiosk applications. This can only be done from the owner account Enter the TestNav ID - mdmkkicfmmkgmpkmkdikhlbggogpicma in the Add kiosk application box. Click Add, and click Done. Sign out of the Chromebook. Unmanaged setup is a bit more involved as it will beed to be done on each individual Chromebook. There is no central management for unmanaged Chromebooks. To start with you will need to log into the Chromebook with the owner account. This is usually the first account that the Chromebook is set up with. If you do not have access to the owner account, you will have to backup the device, and wipe it to return it to its default ‘out-of-the-box’’ state, allowing you to create a new owner account. Once you are logged in with the owner account, you will start the chrome browser And enter the Chrome extensions menu. From there you will be able to enter a developer mode and manage kiosk applications. For the unmanaged setup you will not search for the app, instead you will type in or paste in the TestNav app ID. This is a unique identifier for the TestNav 8 app After you have searched for the identifier, the TestNav 8 app will appear on the screen, select it and click Add, then done. Now when the Chromebook is restarted the TestNav 8 app will be available in an app drawer on the login screen. South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

Chromebooks – Usage Starting the TestNav 8 App Closing the App
After the Chromebook has been configured there will be a TestNav icon in the Apps drawer on the login screen Clicking on TestNav in the App drawer will open TestNav 8 in a full screen mode secure mode On the initial launch of the app, you will be asked to select ‘ACT Aspire’ from a dropdown list. This only has to be done the first time the app is launched Once at the login screen, students can log in with the credentials on their student authorization ticket. Closing the App To exit the app, hold the power button down for a few seconds. The Chromebook will power down and return to the login screen when powered back on. Starting the app is very easy. On the login screen there will be a small app drawer in the lower left side of the screen. The app drawer can be accessed by clicking on the word app from the login screen. A window will expand and you will see the TestNav 8 app listed. Clicking on the app will launch the app and secure the device for testing. Closing the app can be done by holding down the Chromebook power key to log out of the device. When the device is powered back on, it will return to the Chromebook login page. South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

Chromebooks – Usage <<Show App location – demo app and change customer>> South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

ProctorCache

ProctorCache Proctor Cache is Pearson-supplied software that is used in conjunction with TestNav to reduce bandwidth requirements and accelerate the delivery of test content. Proctor caching: allows you to pre-cache test content to your local network before a test; Proctor caching is used with TestNav to reduce bandwidth requirements and accelerate the delivery of test content. What can you do with ProctorCache? Pre-cache content before the test Reduce or eliminate redundant downloads of test content store an encrypted local copy of all pre-cached tests and serves them at LAN speeds Proctor cache configuration will be completed in the ACT Aspire portal, and users will need to have the Technical Coordinator role to access configuration functions. If you used proctor caching for a previous test, please ensure that you have purged your previously cached test content. Instructions for purging cached content can be found on Avocet in the Proctor Cache User Guide on page 7. reduces the burden on your internet service provider (ISP) by eliminating redundancy in requests for test content; and stores an encrypted local copy of all pre-cached tests. South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

ProctorCache Reduces Bandwidth – Accelerates Content Delivery
Minimal Installation, Configuration Flexible Requirements Does not require server class operating system Runs on Mac OS X and Windows Operating Systems Verify Connectivity Use SystemCheck to verify connectivity and throughput between testing workstations and ProctorCache machine ProctorCache Diagnostics Page View status of cached content and connecting clients Refresh, reload, or purge content Proctor caching runs on Windows and Mac OS X It does not require an underlying server-based operating system. It can run on desktop class hardware and a desktop class operating system, which gives districts flexibility on what machines they use for proctor caching. Proctor caching uses TCP Port 80 for communication between the proctor caching machine and the Pearson servers, and ports 4480 and 4481 for communication between testing workstations and the proctor caching machine. Because testing workstations must know a predictable network location for the proctor caching machine, proctor caching requires a fixed internal IP address. Those districts which require internet traffic to pass through an upstream proxy server will have to configure proctor caching to point to their proxy server. For details on setting up an upstream proxy refer to the Windows or Mac “Tips on Proctor Caching” section in the Proctor Caching User Guide. Remember to use the SystemCheck Testing Capacity tab for determining your network capacity during computer-based testing. South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

ProctorCache This diagram illustrates two network scenarios. The scenario on the left illustrates a network setup that does not use proctor caching. Each student is downloading a unique copy of the test content directly from the Pearson servers. The diagram shows that redundant test copies are being downloaded simultaneously over the district’s ISP connection, while students are waiting to test. This heavy use of bandwidth not only affects how quickly the test loads for students, but also the available bandwidth for all other internet-related activities. The right side of the diagram shows the network traffic for a test environment successfully using proctor caching. The test content is precached once in an encrypted format to a local workstation designated in the TestNav configuration setup as the proctor caching computer. Students that are assigned to the proctor caching computer will locally access the test content without utilizing your internet bandwidth, thus decreasing overall network traffic for your district. The closer the configured computers are to the proctor caching workstation, the faster the delivery of content. Districts have the flexibility to decide where to implement proctor caching in the network environment. Based on local network considerations, districts can implement proctor caching machines at the district or school-level. If implementing at a district-level, we recommend considering the added complexity of the connection between the school and the central location. If proctor caching computers are housed at the school where students are testing, then you do not have to worry about an outside connection. Without ProctorCache, each testing computer must individually connect across the Internet to download test content. With ProctorCache, test content is mirrored on a local computer from which the testing computers download test content. South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

ProctorCache – System Requirements
Runs on Windows and Mac OS X Utilizes TCP Ports 80, 443, 4480, and 4481 Proctor caching requires a fixed internal IP address The proctor cache service must be installed, and it has a set of minimum requirements, however the requirements are not robust, allowing great flexibility in the machine that will be used to cache test content. Proctor caching can run on both Windows and Mac OSx operating systems [Macintosh OS X 10.6, 10.7, or 10.8 or Windows XP SP3, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, Windows Server 2012, or Windows 8.] TCP ports 80, 443, 4480, and 4481 must be opened 80 and 443 are also listed in the URL and ports configuration. You do not have to perform twice. Requires a fixed internal IP address After proctor caching is installed, SystemCheck can be used to test connectivity and throughput between the student workstations and the proctor cache machine. South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

ProctorCache - Setup Download Installer
Installers can be found on ProctorCache documentation or the ACT Aspire Landing Page Run Installer and Start Service Service is normally started by default. Shortcuts exist to start or stop the service if necessary Verify Service Is Running Open ProctorCache Diagnostics screen Verify Connectivity With SystemCheck Add caching computer on the Testing Capacity tab Run test to verify connectivity and throughout Installing and verifying the proctor cache service is very simple and only takes a few minutes Users will download the proctor cache installer for their system Run through the minimal installation process Verify that the service is running by visiting the Proctor Cache Diagnostics page - Verify connectivity between the student workstation and the proctor cache machine using SystemCheck These links for the downloads can be found in the proctor cache users guide found on Avocet and the Landing Page.\ <<show install and verify >> South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

ProctorCache – Diagnostics Screen
Select the Contents tab for information about test content and caching status Select the Client List tab to monitor client connectivity The proctor cache diagnostics web is what districts can use to monitor cached content and client connections. Depending on your installation preferences, you can access the diagnostics screen from your start menu on Windows machines, finder on a Mac, or through desktop shortcuts. You can also directly navigate to the proctor cache diagnostics page by typing in the IP address and port in a browser. <<demo live>> Instead of running through slides, lets take a look at the actual diagnostics screen. South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

ProctorCache – Diagnostics Screen - Content
Content is displayed at the Test and Form level. Functionality is available to Refresh, Reload, or Purge selected test content. Clicking on a test name will display the Content Details screen which displays individual items in a test. Content is displayed at the Test and Form level. Functionality is available to Refresh, Reload, or Purge selected test content if necessary, and requires a password. The password is available in the TestNav 8 Proctor Caching User Guide to protect against unauthorized deletion of cached content. <*>Clicking on a test name will display the Content Details screen which displays individual items in a test. <*>The content tab provides status indicators for each item of cached test content. An Ok status means the content is successfully cached The yellow status indicators usually appear when the content is in the process of being cached. Not Loaded means the content is not cached Waiting… means the content is in the queue, waiting to be loaded and Loading… means the content is currently loading Red status indicators indicate problems with cached content. Failed to load content means there was a failure to load content In general, any status in red is a critical problem. Any content with a red status should be checked and reloaded. South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

ProctorCache – Diagnostics Screen - Clients
Clients that have connected to TestNav are listed by IP address. Clicking on a computer will display the Client Details screen which displays information regarding a particular computer connecting to proctor caching The Client List tab provides visibility to which testing workstations have requested test content from proctor caching. <*> Clicking on the IP address or the name of the computer <*> Will show the details of the computer that connected to the proctor cache machine to fetch test content. South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

ProctorCache - The ACT Aspire Portal
Manage proctor cache in the ACT Portal TestNav will detect and use proctor cache settings entered into the Portal No need to configure individual student work stations for proctor caching Set default proctor cache settings for district and schools Default settings can be applied to test sessions There is no need to configure individual student workstations to ‘point’ them to the proctor cache machine where they will gather content. You can direct TestNav to the proctor cache machine that you set up by defining a default proctor cache settings and applying that default to test sessions that have been created, or define a proctor caching machine when you are creating a test session. When students log in to the assessment, TestNav will detect the proctor cache settings that have been applied to the test session and know where to fetch cached content from. By adding proctor cache settings to the Portal you will essentially be directing TestNav to pre-cached content. If no pre-cached content is available, TestNav will gather content directly from the Pearson servers. <<demo live>> Lets actually do this live and see how it works. South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

Setting default proctor cache settings for an organization. Log into the Portal <*>Hover your mouse over Organizations to make the Organizations Drop Down menu appear <*>Select Proctor Cache Settings <*>The Manage Proctor Cache screen will appear Default proctor cache settings will be set for each school Once saved, settings can be applied to any test sessions at that school. Default settings must be entered before tests can be pre-cached South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

Enter fixed internal IP address for the proctor cache machine Enter port 4480 Check Status allows you to quickly navigate to the Proctor Caching Diagnostics page To set a default proctor cache settings for the organization selected, <*>you will enter the fixed internal IP address that is set for the proctor cache machine, and port Port 4480 will always be used. <*>The check status button will allow you to visit the Proctor Cache Diagnostics screen to verify that the proctor cache service is running. Please note that the check status button will not work if you are viewing the Portal from a computer that is not on the same network as the proctor cache machine that you defined. <*>Finally, press Save to save your proctor cache settings. South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

Pre-caching test content will be done from the ACT Aspire Portal by a user with administrator rights. <*>Hover your mouse over Organizations to make the Organizations Drop Down menu appear <*>Select PreCache Tests <*>The Manage PreCache Tests screen will appear <*>Check the checkbox beside each test you would like to pre-cache <*>Press the PreCache button to initiate the caching process Complete instructions for pre-caching can be found in the Proctor Caching User Guide or Proctor Caching Quick Guide. Pre-caching test content gathers all of the test content that students will need Test content is encrypted and stored locally South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

Verify that content has been cached successfully from the Proctor Caching Diagnostics screen Content will be listed on the Tests tab Each subject that you selected should appear here Verify that there is a green ‘OK’ indicator in the Status column for each test form You can verify the status of the cached content by viewing the Contents tab of the Proctor Cache Diagnostics page. Content that you selected from the Manage PreCache Tests screen will appear here with one of the following statuses An Ok status means the content is successfully cached The yellow status indicators usually appear when the content is in the process of being cached. Red status indicators indicate problems with cached content. South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

To apply default proctor cache settings to test sessions that have been created <*>Hover your mouse over Organizations to make the Organizations drop down menu appear <*>Select Manage Test Sessions. A list of previously created test sessions will appear. <*>Press the Checkbox icon in the Action column to <*>apply the default proctor cache settings to that test session. You will see the proctor cache IP address and port number appear in the Proctor cache column and be applied to the test session. Once this is done, student workstations will be directed to this IP address to gather content After they have been saved, default settings can be applied to test sessions at the organization selected. South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

SystemCheck for TestNav 8

SystemCheck Launch SystemCheck from http://SystemCheck.ACTAspire.org
You do not need to install any special software to use SystemCheck. However, SystemCheck is browser based and relies on the Java plugin, so you will need to have Java installed. When you visit the site you will be asked to accept and run a Java applet. Supported Java versions are listed on the TestNav 8 system requirements page. If you have run any readiness checks or tools for other assessments, that is very helpful, but you will still want to run SystemCheck for ACT Aspire. <<demo SystemCheck>> Launch SystemCheck from South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

SystemCheck – Check Your System
Validates system requirements are met on testing workstations Provides steps to verify whether TestNav can run on the workstation To check your student workstation, visit SystemCheck from a browser on the workstation that you want to check. <*>On the Check Your System Tab press the Start button. The test will begin, verifying that the workstation meets the minimum Browser, Java, and Operating System requirements <*>If all of the checks pass, you will see a green checkmark next to the message All Checks Passed. <*>You will also see checkmarks next to each item that the test has assessed. <*>The specific items that were detected on the machine will appear in the results section. If any of the tested items did not pass, you will see a red x next to the line that did not pass, and the results column will list what was detected on the workstation, and what the minimum requirement is. This will enable you to reveal any gaps that you have in individual system readiness and address them before participating in the live operational test. South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

SystemCheck – Verification
One more step that you can take to assess the readiness of the student workstation is Verification. <*>On the Check Your System tab, <*>beneath the “Checks Performed” area, you will see a section titled “Verification.” <*>By following these steps you will actually launch TestNav and verify that it will run on the student workstation. In your browser, go to and enter the supplied login information, which is username for the username and password for the password. Select “Sign In” and then “Start Test Now.” If you see the congratulations screen, you have correctly configured TestNav on the tested workstation. South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

SystemCheck – Testing Capacity
The Testing Capacity tab is going to allow you to perform a real time speed check between the workstation and the Pearson servers. This provides an assessment of the data transfer speeds and will return an estimate of the number of simultaneous testers that could be supported at the time that the test was done. Keep in mind that this result is an estimate and it might not represent the actual transfer speeds during student testing especially if network conditions will be significantly different. <*>By default, this test is going to check the connection between the student workstation that you are running the test on, and the Pearson servers. You can see this by the Direct to Pearson connection that is listed in the Server/Computer column <*>You can also model a network that includes one or more proctor cache computers. This will simulate the connection between the workstation and the proctor cache machine and provide you with a speed test and student estimation counts for that connection. <*>To add a proctor cache computer, install the proctor cache software if you havent done so already, and press the add caching computer button. You will be prompted to enter the information for the proctor cache computer you would like to test. <*>Once you have entered that information, the proctor cache computer will appear at the bottom of the screen in the list of connections to be tested. This process can be completed multiple times if you would like to test the connection to multiple proctor cache computers. Testing Capacity: Bandwidth testing for internet and proctor caching connections Volume estimates for capacity planning Click Add Caching Computer to add your potential proctor caching machine for a local network bandwidth test South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

SystemCheck – Testing Capacity
To begin the speed check, click on the testing capacity tab, and then click start. <*> <*>If one or more of the connections fail, or the test is stopped before it has completed, you will see a large red X towards the top of the screen, and a smaller x next to the connection that failed. <*>On the row of the connection that failed, you can click the I icon next to connection error to see more details about why the connection failed. <*>In most cases your connections will be successful and you will see a green check and the message Test Complete. <*>Based on this bandwidth test you will be provided with an estimated testing capacity. This is calculated using the download/upload speeds and the average test size selected from the dropdown menu. If you add or remove any proctor cache machines, you can run the test again by clicking the start button. Just like on the check your system tab, a print function is also available if you would like to print the results of the test. Tests bandwidth between the workstation and Pearson servers Click Add Caching Computer to add your potential proctor caching machine for a local network bandwidth test South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

TestNav 8

TestNav 8 TestNav is the secure, browser based application that student’s will use to participate in computer-based testing. Students will receive all of the information that they need to access TestNav through a student authorization letter that is printed from the ACT Aspire Portal. These Authorization letters will contain the URL for TestNav, and session specific username and password information for the student. On traditional devices, TestNav 8 is completely browser based and does not require a separate installation. On a Chromebook you will be using the TestNav 8 app. The interface is identical for both the app and the browser based version If the proper readiness steps have been taken, when students login to TestNav8, their PC will be automatically “locked down”, preventing access to anything outside of the test. While in this secure full screen mode, applications that open in the background will cause TestNav to close. You must disable any of these applications from launching in the background and suppress any messages that may appear or students will be exited from TestNav when they open. South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

TestNav 8 – System Requirements
Mac OS X and Windows Supported Mac OS X 10.6 through 10.10 Windows XP (sp3) through Windows 8.1 All Major Browsers Supported Chrome, Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari Version number is dependent on operating system Dependencies Java (version dependent on OS and browser) Pop-ups enabled for ACT Aspire sites Requires read/write file access to local home directory Disable Skype plugin in Windows 7 and Firefox Minimum screen resolution of 1024 x 768 Even though TestNav does not have to be installed, the application still has a few minimum technology requirements. Mac OSX and Windows are supported All major browsers are supported - exact browser version will depend on operating system used Dependencies for TestNav 8 include Java Pop-ups allowed in the browser for ACT Aspire sites– this allows TestNav 8 to go into full screen mode There is a minimum screen resolution of 1024 x 768 While the test is running, TestNav will write to an encrypted temporary file and could create log files on the local student machine. For that reason, students must have read/write access to the home directory South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

TestNav 8 – Setup No Installation Network Configuration
Completely browser based No individual system configuration Network Configuration Firewalls, content filters, spam filters, and any other routing or blocking systems should be set to allow access to the following: *.tn.actaspire.org: 80 *.tn.actaspire.org: 443 *.pearsontestcontent.com S3.amazonaws.com Here are the URLs and ports we talked about earlier. South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

TestNav 8 - Usage Students Visit TestNav 8 URL
Use Authorization Ticket to Log In Printed from ACT Aspire Portal Contains unique session specific login information URL can be passed to the desktop, typed in, or bookmarked Student authorization tickets can be printed from the ACT Aspire portal. Are secure materials, will be collected after each test session. South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

TestNav 8 Early Warning System (EWS)

TestNav 8 EWS – Early Warning System
Designed to alert users of issues that arise during testing Part of TestNav 8 No additional software to install or configure Provides fail-safes to preserve student responses in the event of unexpected network disruptions Early Warning Training Module “TestNav 8.0 Overview” training module on the TMS contains info around Early Warning System Early Warning System Resources Avocet ‘Early Warning and System Error Codes” ACT Aspire Landing Page – TestNav 8 Resources The TestNav early warning system is designed to alert you to any issues that arise during test administration, and to help safeguard against the loss of student responses in the event of a connectivity issue. The (EWS) is functionality that is built into TestNav that runs silently in the background. In the case of a network interruption or an application attempting to take control of the desktop, the EWS on screen pop-up notifications will prompt the student to alert their test proctor. I’ll show you examples of that in a few slides. Since early warning system notifications often involve IT staff, it is important for technical staff as well as administrators and test proctors to have an idea of how it works, and what will trigger an on screen message. South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

TestNav 8 EWS – Student Response File
Student Response File (SRF) EWS Writes to Student Response File in the background Captures student responses locally Periodically Transmitted Responses bundled into packets and transmitted to Pearson servers Verification TestNav 8 will wait for handshake acknowledgement If handshake is not received, multiple attempts are made If transmission is successful process begins with new SRF While a student is participating in an online assessment, the EWS is continually writing to the temporary encrypted SRF file. After a few responses have been saved in the student response file ( SRF) TestNav will send all of the collected response data to Pearson servers. When TestNav sends the response data, it also verifies that the data has been successfully transmitted. In the event that a transmission is unsuccessful, TestNav will attempt to transmit the data again. Once an upload is successful and has been verified, TestNav will create a new empty SRF file and the process begins again. The Early Warning System writes continuously in the background to the student response files (SRF). The SRF file has a response data threshold that, once reached, triggers TestNav to send response data to Pearson servers. Uploading of response data is continuous. If an upload to the Pearson servers fails, student responses continue to be saved locally and TestNav cycles and attempts another upload. If the response data upload is successful, TestNav creates a new empty SRF file and begins the process again. TestNav only deletes an SRF file once it is successfully uploaded to the Pearson servers. South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

TestNav 8 EWS – Scenarios
Scenario 1: Response File Location Unreachable TestNav is unable to read or write to the SRF location Results in an immediate Test Proctor Click Here notification. Scenario 2: Test Content TestNav is unable to download portions of the test. Scenario 3: Student Response Upload Repeated attempts to upload the SRF have failed. Results in a Test Proctor Click Here notification only if the student attempts to Exit or Submit the test. There are three specific events that trigger the Early warning system. We’ll touch on each of the triggers briefly. Scenario 1:TestNav determines that the Save Response File Location is not viable. TestNav requires that there be at least one working save location for the encrypted backup file as a safety precaution against a loss of internet connectivity. If TestNav detects that it can not save to any of the configured save locations it will result in an immediate Test Proctor Click Here notification screen being presented to the student. Scenario 2: TestNav is unable to download portions of the test. TestNav attempts to load the entire test to the testing workstation as quickly as possible in sequential order. If TestNav’s repeated attempts to download a piece of test content are unsuccessful then it assumes there has been a loss of connectivity and this results in an immediate Test Proctor Click Here notification being presented to the student. Scenario 3: TestNav is unable to upload student responses to Pearson. In this scenario, TestNav has already been able to download the test content, and it has at least one valid SRF location to save an encrypted backup file, but an attempt to upload responses has failed after repeated attempts. This also indicates a loss of connectivity, but TestNav will not notify the student immediately. Because TestNav has all the test content to deliver the entire test to the student, and it has at least one valid location to save response to, it will continue to deliver the test, and only results in a Test Proctor Click Here notification being displayed to the student if the student attempts to Exit or Submit the test. In all scenarios, the Test Proctor is to click the Test Proctor Click Here button to view more detailed instructions in regards to the cause of the EWS being triggered. South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

TestNav 8 EWS – Notifications
Prompt Displayed to the Screen Students Should Alert Proctor Note : Technology Coordinators or local staff may be the first contact if these messages appear Interruptions Stop Timer Timer will be resumed when the student logs back in. One of the following screens will appear when scenarios 1, 2, or 3 occurs. Students should be instructed to ALWAYS raise their hand when presented with either of the Test Proctor Click Here screens. They should NEVER click the Test Proctor-Click Here button. NOTE: It may be necessary to contact your local Technology Coordinator to determine the appropriate course of action. When the EWS encounters an issue, a message is displayed on the screen. This initial prompt does not reveal any information about the issue that triggered the message. It simply directs the student to inform their test proctor. Once the proctor clicks the Test Proctor – click here button, the details for the trigger will be revealed. It is important to note that for timed tests, EWS stops the timer during any testing interruptions, and the timer resumes where it left off when the student logs back in. South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

Exemplars Exemplars Online samples of test questions
Booklet provides overview, concepts measured, and answer key Requires login Should not be accessed from tablets or smartphones Exemplars can be found on the landing page under its own tab. Exemplars are a collection of sample computer-based test (CBT) questions available online and in the accompanying answer key. The questions illustrate a variety of content from across grade bands and show different types of test questions and formats. The answer key also explains the concepts being measured and provides an answer key for the exemplar questions. To view the exemplar ACT Aspire CBT questions online, usernames and passwords for the various subject areas can be found on the site. The exemplar test questions should be accessed online with a desktop or laptop computer rather than a tablet or smartphone. <DEMO exemplars> South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

Putting It All Together

Pre-planning for CBT

Big Picture – Before the Test
Work With System Coordinators When are you testing? What devices will you use? Develop Communication Plan Who contacts who? What communication needs to happen? Think About A Contingency Plan What do I do in a blackout? What is the process for a fire drill? Review Documentation Technology Coordinator checklist Compare system requirements with testing devices Review technical component documentation Talk with your System Coordinators and key players to formulate a plan for testing. Identify when you are testing, what time, with what devices. Think about a communication plan, who contacts who to give reports, handle issues, etc. Think of a contingency plan, what do you do if a fire alarm happens or a blackout occurs? Once you have talked it through, start looking at the documentation. Pull up the technical checklist Review system requirements and compare it with your knowledge of the devices in your testing labs. Review Chromebook documentation Review documentation for ProctorCache, TestNav, and the ACT Aspire Portal (for ProctorCaching, but be familiar with other functions as you may be asked for help). South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

Set-up for CBT

Big Picture – Setting Up
Set Up Your Test Environment Configure firewalls, IPS, IDS, content filters, proxy servers Whitelist URLs and ports Disable, suppress, or reschedule background applications and taskbar notifications Set a ProctorCache default in the ACT Aspire Portal Plan Out Testing Rooms Do you have enough devices, power strips, keyboards and mice, headphones (for students with aural supports) Wireless Testing Use best practices when testing wirelessly Set up your test environment Account for and configure firewalls, IPS, and IDS Whitelist URLs and ports If using wireless, Verify that you have sufficient WAP Know the capacity Set up Chromebooks Place Chromebooks in Kiosk mode Install TestNav 8 app Identify a ProctorCache machine and install the supplied software. South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

Assess Readiness

Big Picture – Are you Ready?
Assess or Verify Readiness Use SystemCheck to verify readiness and connectivity Verify ProctorCache default has been applied to all test sessions Verify connectivity to ProctorCache machine Pre-cache test content to the ProctorCache machine Account for any last minute gaps or risks Has anything changes with your software or hardware since environment was configured Have there been any software or hardware updates? Any configuration or image changes Has anything new been installed that may impact testing? Use SystemCheck to verify system requirements on student workstations and verify ProctorCache setup. (About a week or so before testing) Pre-cache test content South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

Deliver the Assessment

Big Picture – Delivering the Assessment
Verify ProctorCache is Working Use ProctorCache Diagnostics screen to verify that students are connecting and content is being served Does not have to be monitored extensively Make Yourself Available Where will you and your team be the most accessible and supportive in the case anything is needed? Celebrate Victories Did things go smoothly? Its not magic, it is everyone’s planning and hard work! (During test week) Monitor testing, assist where necessary South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

Post Assessment Steps

Big Picture – After the Assessment
Purge Cached Test Content Purge cached test content using the Purge function on the ProctorCache diagnostics screen Tests tab (Optional Activities) Uninstall ProctorCache Remove TestNav 8 from Kiosk Mode on Chromebooks Revert any firewall, security, and systems configuration Review with your System and Test Coordinators What went well, what can be improved for next time? (After all tests have been completed) Purge test content from the ProctorCache machine. (optional) Uninstall ProctorCache (optional) Remove TestNav 8 app from Kiosk Mode on Chromebooks (optional) Revert firewall, IPS and IDS devices to pre-testing state Perform an exit review with your System and Test Coordinators. What went well, how can the process be improved? South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

Best Practices

Best Practices Planning Preparing Your Environment
Make use of the Technology Coordinator Checklist Create communication and contingency plans Keep Test Coordinators informed Preparing Your Environment Do you have additional security devices to account for? Have you suppressed system tray notifications? Desktop restoration – thaw / exclude Pearson folder Have some extra mice / keyboards available South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

Best Practices ProctorCache Wireless Testing
Consider setting up a few ProctorCache machines and test connectivity for each Use a wired connection Do not proctor cache to a workstation that will be used for testing Wireless Testing Prevent aggressive roaming of devices Turn off automatic channel switching Are your WAP’s secure – prevent non-testing devices from connecting Consider range and location Be aware of WAP capacity Overloading / ‘popcorn effect’ / degraded performance South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

Best Practices Bandwidth Partner With an Experienced Neighbor
Contact your ISP to let them know when you are testing Do you need to set ‘testing’ rules on your network? Bandwidth throttling Reschedule bandwidth heavy activities Block bandwidth intense sites Partner With an Experienced Neighbor Share best practices and tips South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

Support

Customer Support Phone Support Email Support 888-802-7502
Monday – Friday 7:00 am – 8:30 pm (ET) Support CanStock Photo and Bigstock Photo South Carolina Technical Readiness Training

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