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Copyright © 2017 by the Connecticut State Board of Education in the name of the Secretary of the State of Connecticut.

CMT/CAPT Science: Test Administration Manual

for Online Testing

Published March 2, 2017

Prepared by the American Institutes for Research®

CMT/CAPT Science Test Administration Manual for Online Testing

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Table of Contents Connecticut Resources and Help Desk Information ............................................................................... ii

Section I. Overview of the CMT/CAPT Science ........................................................................................ 1

I.I Ensuring Test Security ................................................................................................................... 1

I.II Security of the Test Environment .................................................................................................. 2

Section II. General Test Administration Information ............................................................................... 4

II.I Assessment Participation .............................................................................................................. 4

II.II General Rules of Online Testing .................................................................................................... 5

II.III Testing Schedule ........................................................................................................................... 6

Section III. Prior to Test Administration ................................................................................................... 9

III.I Technology Requirements ............................................................................................................ 9

III.II Online Practice Tests .................................................................................................................... 9

III.III Establishing Appropriate Testing Conditions .............................................................................. 10

III.IV Summary of Tasks to Complete Prior to Test Administration ..................................................... 11

Section IV. Day of Test Administration ................................................................................................... 14

IV.I Start a Test Session, Approve Students, Read Directions ........................................................... 14

IV.II CAPT Science: Testing Over Multiple Sessions or Days ............................................................... 23

IV.III Summary of Tasks to Complete During Test Administration ...................................................... 24

Section V. After Test Administration ...................................................................................................... 26

V.I Destroying Test Materials ........................................................................................................... 26

V.II Reporting Testing Irregularities ................................................................................................... 26

Section VI. Universal Tools, Designated Supports, and Accommodations for Online Testing ........................................................................................................................................................ 27

Section VII. Test Improprieties, Irregularities, Breaches ...................................................................... 28

Section VIII. Appeals ................................................................................................................................. 29

Frequently Used Terms ...................................................................................................... 30

Secure Browser for Testing ............................................................................................... 33

Universal Tools, Designated Supports, and Accommodations ..................................... 35

CMT/CAPT Science Online Administration Resources .................................................. 38

CMT/CAPT Skills Checklist ................................................................................................ 40

School Test Coordinator’s Checklist ................................................................................ 41

Test Examiner’s Checklist ................................................................................................. 43


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Connecticut Resources and Help Desk Information

Connecticut Comprehensive Assessment Program Portal

http://ct.portal.airast.org

This website is the home page for all CMT/CAPT Science assessment administration information.

Connecticut Comprehensive Assessment Program Help Desk

1-844-202-7583 | [email protected]

The Help Desk is open Monday–Friday 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time outside of the testing window, and Monday–Friday 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time during testing.

The Help Desk may be contacted for situations and questions including the following:

Online testing environment down or unavailable; user accounts not available or users not able to administer tests;

Student information or test session incorrect or missing;

Issues with loading student data or student settings into the Test Information Distribution Engine (TIDE);

Appeals functionality in TIDE;

Preparations for online testing; downloading the secure browser, voice packs, etc.;

Password resets for district and school users; and

Inaccurate test settings (designated supports or accommodations).

When contacting the Help Desk, provide the representative with as much detail as possible about the issue(s) encountered and the system on which it occurred. This should include the following:

Type of device being used for the test;

Any error messages that appeared (code and description);

Operating system and browser information;

Network configuration information;

Your contact information for follow-up, including e-mail address and phone number; and any relevant and authorized student and school information, including statewide student identifier (SSID), grade level, and content area.

http://ct.portal.airast.org/


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Section I. Overview of the CMT/CAPT Science This Test Administration Manual (TAM) is intended for staff who play a role in the online administration of the Connecticut Mastery Test and Connecticut Academic Performance Test in Science (CMT/CAPT Science). The roles include District Test Coordinators (DCs), School Test Coordinators (SCs), Teachers (TEs), and Test Administrators (TAs). In this manual, Test Examiner refers to a staff member administering a test, a Teacher or a Test Administrator. All testing staff should be thoroughly familiar with the contents of this manual prior to test administration.

Note: Multiple TIDE roles have the ability to create a test session and administer a test. Refer to the User Role Permissions for Online Testing brochure to verify role access to the TA Interface.

This manual provides procedural and policy guidance to implement the CMT/CAPT Science online assessments. The appendices of this manual contain important information that can be used as stand-alone materials and are easily extracted for printing or distribution. For a list of frequently used terms associated with the CMT/CAPT Science assessments, see Appendix A: Frequently Used Terms. For specific questions not addressed in this manual, please contact the Connecticut Help Desk.

Note: There is a separate Test Administration Manual (TAM) for CMT/CAPT Science tests that are administered on paper for Large Print and Braille students. TAM for CMT/CAPT Science paper administration is available on the Connecticut Comprehensive Assessment Program Portal:http://ct.portal.airast.org.

Students will be administered the CMT/CAPT Science assessment as an online test. Only Large Print (LP) and Braille students will take the CMT/CAPT Science assessment on paper.

I.I Ensuring Test Security

The security of assessment instruments and the confidentiality of student information are vital to maintaining the validity, reliability, and fairness of the results.

All CMT/CAPT Science materials are secure with the exception of the CMT/CAPT Science Practice Tests, CMT/CAPT Skills Checklist, Test Administration Manuals, and CAPT Science periodic tables.



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Violation of test security is a serious matter with far-reaching consequences. Breaches of test security include, but are not limited to, taking screen shots or pictures of test questions, coaching students, giving students answers, and/or changing students’ answers. Such acts may lead to the invalidation of an entire school district’s student test scores, disruption of the test system statewide, and legal action against the individual(s) committing the breach. A breach of test security may be dealt with as a violation of the Code of Professional Responsibility for Teachers, as well as a violation of other pertinent state and federal laws and regulations. The Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) will investigate all such matters and pursue appropriate follow-up action. Any person found to have intentionally breached the security of the test system may be subject to sanctions including, but not limited to, disciplinary action by a local board of education, the revocation of Connecticut teaching certification by the State Board of Education,* and civil liability pursuant to federal copyright law.

*See Section 10-145b (j) (1) of the Connecticut General Statutes, which reads in relevant part as follows: The State Board of Education shall revoke any certificate, authorization or permit issued pursuant to said sections if the holder is found to have intentionally disclosed specific questions or answers to students or otherwise improperly breached the security of any administration of a statewide examination pursuant to Section 10-14n.

I.II Security of the Test Environment

This section describes security requirements for the test environment during various stages of testing. The test environment refers to all aspects of the testing situation while students are testing and includes what a student can see, hear, or access (including access via technology).

Individuals who have witnessed, been informed of, or suspect the possibility of a test security incident that could potentially affect the integrity of the assessments or the data must immediately report the incident to the District Test Coordinator.

Refer to Section VII. Test Improprieties, Irregularities, Breaches for more information about prohibited behaviors that may give a student an unfair advantage or compromise the security of the assessments.

Testing Rooms

All testing must take place in a classroom setting. The CMT/CAPT Science should not be administered to any group of students that exceeds a normal class size. There is no minimum number of students allowed within a setting.

The testing room should be well lit and properly ventilated. The room must be large enough to comfortably accommodate the number of students to be tested. Students should be spaced far enough apart that they do not feel cramped and there is no opportunity for copying. There should be a reliable watch or clock with a second hand in the room.


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All materials that are content-related or conceptually related to the subject areas being assessed must be covered or removed from the view of students during test administration. This includes information posted on bulletin boards and classroom walls. Failure to follow this policy is a security breach.

Distractions should be minimized. An effort should be made to eliminate any possible distractions such as bells, telephones, and outside noises during the test administration.

Rooms designated for a time extension accommodation should be selected prior to testing and be appropriately staffed with trained personnel.


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Section II. General Test Administration Information This section provides an overview of who should be tested, testing schedules, and guidance for the online testing environment. Use this section to become familiar with what students will experience in accessing the assessments, understand how to prepare for the assessments, and review general rules for online testing. Test Examiners should become familiar with this section well in advance of the start of testing so that materials for login, accommodations, and exemptions described below can be assembled.

II.I Assessment Participation

CMT/CAPT Science Participation Requirements

All grade 5 and 8 students enrolled in a Connecticut public school must participate in either the standard CMT Science or CMT Skills Checklist Science. Connecticut General Statutes (Section 10-14n) mandate that all public school students enrolled in grade 10 participate in the CAPT Science each year.

Connecticut General Statute 10-14n:

(2) For the school year commencing July 1, 2013, and each school year thereafter, each student enrolled in grade five, eight and ten in any public school shall, annually, in March or April, take a state-wide mastery examination in science.

All students participating in the CMT/CAPT Science assessment will receive the test online with the exception of Large Print (LP) and Braille students who will take the test on paper.

Makeup Testing

Some students may be absent for the CMT Science or for one or both CAPT Science test sessions. Accordingly, Test Examiners must report the names of absentees for the test session to the District Test Coordinator so that appropriate makeup sessions can be scheduled. It is the responsibility of the District Test Coordinator to schedule makeup sessions and to make sure that students understand which sessions to attend. It is the local school district’s responsibility to ensure that each absentee participates in the appropriate makeup testing during the testing period of March 27 – April, 28, 2017. Makeup testing must follow the same conditions as regular testing and must conclude by April 28, 2017.

Attemptedness Rules for Participation

CMT/CAPT Science tests taken online will be considered “attempted” if a student has answered at least one item. If a student logs into the test session, but does not answer any items, the test will be considered “Left Blank.”


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Paper Testing: Large-Print and Braille

The paper version of the CMT/CAPT Science tests will be available to Large Print and Braille students only. As there will be no answer documents available, students should record their answers in their test booklets using any necessary accommodations. Following the completion of the test, student answers must be transcribed into the Data Entry Interface (DEI) by the Test Examiner. Please refer to the Test Administration Manual (TAM) for paper test administration for Large Print and Braille students.

II.II General Rules of Online Testing

This section provides a brief overview of the general test administration rules for different portions of the assessment as well as information about test tools and accommodations. For more information, refer to the Test Administrator User Guide located at the Connecticut Comprehensive Assessment Program Portal: http://ct.portal.airast.org/

Basic Online Testing Parameters

All students must complete the CMT/CAPT Science online.

Students MAY skip answers and go to the next page when taking the CMT/CAPT Science online. Students may need to use the vertical scroll bar to view all items on a page.

Students may mark items for review and use the Questions drop-down list to return to those items.

Pause Rules

If a test is paused, the student is required to log back in to the student interface. Once logged back in, the student is presented with the page he or she was working on when the test was paused. The student can go back to view items he or she previously responded to if necessary.

Any highlighted text will remain, as long as the student logs back in to the test using the same operating system.

Any notes on the digital notepad will not be saved when a test is paused regardless of how long the test is paused.

In the event of a technical issue (e.g., power outage or network failure), students will be logged out and the test will automatically be paused. The students will need to log in again upon resuming the test.



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Test Timeout (Due to Inactivity)

As a security measure, students and Test Examiners are automatically logged out of the test after 30 minutes of inactivity. Activity is defined as selecting an answer or navigation option in the assessment (e.g., clicking [Next] or [Back] or using the Questions drop-down list to navigate to another item).

Before the system logs the student out of the assessment, a warning message will be displayed on the screen. If the student does not click [Ok] within 30 seconds after this message appears, he or she will be logged out. Clicking [Ok] will restart the 30-minute inactivity timer.

Caution: As a security measure, Test Examiners are automatically logged out after 30 minutes of user inactivity in the session, which will result in the closing of the test session. This includes inactivity by both the Test Examiner on the TA Interface AND students within a test in the test session.

Test Expiration

A student’s test session for CMT/CAPT Science will expire at the end of the testing day.

II.III Testing Schedule

The DC/DA is responsible for determining the testing schedule for the entire district. The testing schedule should include the testing dates, the days of the week, and the time of day for each test session your district will administer this year. Accordingly, each Test Examiner should receive the complete CMT/CAPT Science testing schedule from the DC well in advance of the start of testing. The testing schedule for administration of the CMT/CAPT Science will be acceptable if the following applicable conditions are met:

1. All testing must occur within March 27 – April, 28, 2017, inclusive. Sessions may be scheduled on any day within the five-week window.

2. Individual students in a given school DO NOT need to be tested on the same day and at the same time. Testing sessions should be scheduled throughout the testing window accounting for availability of computer labs at a given school.


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3. Testing must occur during the regular school day in a regular classroom setting. The test may not be administered to a large group of students that exceeds a normal class size. There is no minimum number of students allowed in a test session.

4. It is preferable to schedule testing early in the school day. If possible, testing should not be scheduled for any day immediately preceding or following weekends or school events that will overly excite the students. An effort should be made, prior to testing, to eliminate any possible distractions such as bells, telephones, fire drills, and outside noises.

5. Individual students must complete a CMT online test session in a single day.

6. For the CAPT Science, the two sessions may be administered on the same day or on separate days. When administering the two sessions on the same day, a break of at least 15 minutes should be provided between sessions.

7. The CMT/CAPT Science online practice tests are available for all students. The CMT/CAPT Science online practice tests allow students to become familiar with the online testing system, including the tools available for responding to questions.

8. Students testing with identical time extensions may test in the same room.

9. Makeup testing for students who were absent from the test session must occur during the testing window of March 27 – April, 28, 2017.


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CMT Science Testing Schedule

The standard 2017 CMT Science consists of the following test sessions:

Test Grade Testing Time Directions Time Total Time

CMT Science Practice Test 5 and 8 10 minutes – 10 minutes

CMT Science 5 65 minutes 10 minutes 75 minutes

CMT Science 8 70 minutes 10 minutes 80 minutes

CAPT Science Testing Schedule

The standard 2017 CAPT Science consists of the following test sessions.

Test Actual Testing Time Directions Time Total Time

CAPT Science Practice Test 15 minutes – 15 minutes

CAPT Science Session 1 50 minutes 15 minutes 65 minutes

CAPT Science Session 2 50 minutes 15 minutes 65 minutes

CAPT Science Sessions 1 and 2 may be administered on separate days. A Test Examiner is required to approve a student before entering the Session 2. Refer to Section IV.II CAPT Science: Testing Over Multiple Sessions or Days for more detail.


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Section III. Prior to Test Administration

III.I Technology Requirements

Prior to assessment administration, District Test Coordinators (DCs) and/or School Test Coordinators (SCs) should meet with their Technology Coordinators and review the technology infrastructure at their schools to ensure that it meets the minimum requirements for administering the CMT/CAPT Science online assessments.

The Secure Browser

The secure browser is designed to support test security by prohibiting access to external applications or navigation away from the assessment. Devices that will be used for testing must be equipped with a secure browser prior to the assessment.

The Secure Browser is updated each year and therefore the current version must be downloaded and installed even if the device was used for testing in a prior year.

Technology Coordinators are responsible for ensuring that each device to be used for testing at the school is properly secured by installing the most current secure browser. If secure browsers were not installed on computers used for testing, contact the District or School Test Coordinator. Secure browsers can be downloaded from the Connecticut Comprehensive Assessment Program Portal: http://ct.portal.airast.org/secure-browsers/.

III.II Online Practice Tests

In preparation for the CMT/CAPT Science tests and to expose students to the various item-response types, it is highly recommended that all students in each tested grade level (5, 8, and 10) access the Practice Tests, available through the Connecticut Comprehensive Assessment Program Portal at http://ct.portal.airast.org.

Teachers are encouraged to use the CMT/CAPT Science Practice Test to familiarize students with the testing format. These practice tests will not be scored.

Test Administrator Login for the Practice Tests

The Test Administrator (TA) Practice & Training Site provides an opportunity for Test Examiners to practice starting a test session using a practice test. Access to the TA Practice & Training Site requires TIDE login credentials. This site may only be used by District Test Coordinators, School Test Coordinators, Test Administrators and Teachers who are registered users in TIDE.

http://ct.portal.airast.org/secure-browsers/



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To access the Test Administrator Practice & Training Site, go to http://ct.portal.airast.org and click the CMT/CAPT Science icon. Then select the TA Practice & Training Site. Enter your e-mail address and password when prompted. For additional information about how to access a practice test session, refer to the Test Administrator User Guide located at http://ct.portal.airast.org.

Do NOT use the live Student Interface or TA Interface for practice tests. Doing so constitutes a test security incident (breach). For all practice test sessions, use the TA Practice & Training Site.

The practice tests can be used as a “guest” without login credentials; however, if users want to access either of these sites as a Test Examiner, a login is required. Contact your School Test Coordinator or District Test Coordinator for access. The practice tests do not require use of the secure browser, but some accessibility features (such as text-to-speech) are available only through the secure browser (see Section III.I Technology Requirements and the Technical Specifications for Online Testing Manual).

III.III Establishing Appropriate Testing Conditions

School Test Coordinators, Teachers and Test Administrators should work together to determine the most appropriate testing option(s) and testing environment(s) based on the number of computers available, the number of students in each tested grade, and the estimated time needed to complete each test. The test administration should be conducted in a secure environment (see Section I.II Security of the Test Environment).

Establish procedures to maintain a quiet testing environment throughout the test session, recognizing that some students will finish more quickly than others. If students are allowed to leave the testing room when they finish, explain the procedures for leaving without disrupting others and where they are expected to report once they leave. If students are expected to remain in the testing room until the end of the session, instruct them on what activities they may engage in after they finish the test. During test administration, students may have access to the following required resources:

Headphones are required for students requiring text-to-speech.

Scratch paper should be provided for taking notes if necessary.




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III.IV Summary of Tasks to Complete Prior to Test Administration

Table 1 lists the responsibilities of School Test Coordinators (SCs), Teachers (TEs) and Test Administrators (TAs) prior to administering the CMT/CAPT Science.

Table 1. Task to Complete Prior to Online Test Administration

User Role Action

District Test Coordinators, School Test Coordinators, Test Administrators, and Teachers

Verify that students are provided the opportunity to take the practice test prior to testing.

The CMT/CAPT Science practice test must be given before testing begins. This allows students the opportunity to become familiar with all of the item types, the universal tools, buttons, and any allowable designated supports and/or accommodations.

All grade 5, 8, and 10 students must have the opportunity to take the practice tests before testing begins. The practice test materials are not secure. Students may take the online practice test by navigating to http://ctpt.tds.airast.org/student using any supported browser.

The practice tests must be given prior to the beginning of the testing window, so time should be scheduled for this purpose. The practice test can be completed within a regular class period and takes about 15 minutes to administer. It is not necessary that all students in a school take the practice tests at the same time.

District Test Coordinators, School Test Coordinators

Ensure that appropriate rooms are used for testing.

All testing must take place in a classroom setting. The CMT/CAPT Science should not be administered to any group of students that exceeds a normal class size. There is no minimum number of students allowed within a setting.

The testing room should be well lit and properly ventilated. The room must be large enough to comfortably accommodate the number of students to be tested. Students should be spaced far enough apart that they do not feel cramped and there is no opportunity for copying. There should be a reliable watch or clock with a second hand in the room.

All materials that are content-related or conceptually related to the subject areas being assessed must be covered or removed from the view of students during the test administration. This includes information posted on bulletin boards and classroom walls. Failure to follow this policy is a security breach.

Distractions should be minimized. An effort should be made to eliminate any possible distractions such as bells, telephones, and outside noises during the test administration.

Rooms designated for a time extension accommodation should be selected prior to testing and be appropriately staffed with trained personnel.

District Test Coordinators, School Test Coordinators

Ensure that all Test Examiners have login information for the TA Interface.

http://ctpt.tds.airast.org/student


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User Role Action

District Test Coordinators, School Test Coordinators, Test Administrators and Teachers

Ensure that the secure browser is available on each device to be used for testing

The secure browser is required for testing. Consult the Secure Browser Installation Manual for more information.

District Test Coordinators, School Test Coordinators, Test Administrators and Teachers

Verify student demographic information and test settings.

Each student must be correctly assigned to his or her district, school, and grade in TIDE. District personnel will not be able to add, delete, or modify student demographic information directly in TIDE. All changes to enrollment status (this includes students who move during testing) and student demographic information must be made in the Public School Information System (PSIS).

District Test Coordinators and School Test Coordinators can add, delete, or change embedded and non-embedded designated supports and accommodations in TIDE for students who require them. Test Examiners may view student information. However, they cannot add, upload, or modify test settings in TIDE. Within the TA Interface, Test Examiner can change the default font size and turn off universal tools prior to the start of the test. Refer to the CSDE Assessment Guidelines for guidance regarding how to turn off universal tools.

School Test Coordinators

Ensure that Test Examiners have necessary student login information.

Each student will log in to the Online Testing System using his or her first name, SSID, and a test session ID. Prior to starting a test session, Test Examiners must have a record of each student’s first name and SSID as it appears in TIDE. This information must be provided to each student to complete the login process. It is suggested that the SSID and the student’s first name be printed on a card or piece of paper and distributed to each student just prior to testing to help him or her type it into the computer accurately. For information on printing student test tickets with students’ login information, consult the TIDE User Guide. Student information is confidential; therefore, the cards/papers with this information must be securely stored until use during a test session and must be destroyed after the test administration.

When students move within the state, their data record must be updated with the student’s new school and/or district codes in TIDE at least 24 hours before the student begins or resumes testing in the new school or district. A Test Examiner should contact the School Test Coordinator if the students listed in TIDE are inaccurate (e.g., a student who moved is still in TIDE). District personnel responsible for PSIS will need to make the changes in PSIS.


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For information on how to view, add, upload, and modify student information, please refer to the TIDE User Guide located at http://ct.portal.airast.org.

It is important for anyone with access to student information to remember that student personal information, including the student’s SSID, is confidential. If materials containing student personal information and/or SSIDs are distributed to students, these materials must be collected before the students leave the testing room and either securely stored to be used in a subsequent test session or destroyed. For additional information about security protocols, refer to Section I.I Ensuring Test Security of this manual.

IMPORTANT: Any additions/modifications/deletions of students and changes to student test settings must be completed before the student can test. The update, once made, may take up to 24 hours to appear in the TA Interface. Failure to correct test settings before testing could result in the student not being provided with the needed accommodations and/or designated supports at the time of testing. This is a testing irregularity and may result in the need for a test reset.



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Section IV. Day of Test Administration

IV.I Start a Test Session, Approve Students, Read Directions

The Test Examiner must create a test session before students can log in to the Online Testing System (no more than 20 minutes prior or the system will time out). When a Test Examiner creates a test session, a unique session ID is randomly generated. This session ID must be provided to the students before they log in and should be written down. Test Examiners should follow the steps outlined below to create a session.

1. Log In to the TA Interface link.

The Test Examiner accesses the TA Interface via the link at http://ct.portal.airast.org/cmt-capt-science/. The Test Examiner then enters his or her e-mail address and password and clicks [Secure Login] to log in to the TA Interface.

2. Create a Test Session

When a Test Examiner logs in to the TA Interface, the Test Selection window opens automatically. To create a test session, select the particular test and grade to be administered in the test session. The Test Selection window color-codes tests and groups them into various categories by test, grade, and content area.

Students will be able to see and access only those tests for which they are eligible in TIDE.

3. Start the Test Session

After clicking the assessment(s) to be administered during the test session, the Test Examiner clicks the [Start Session] button to begin the test session and generate the session ID that students use to join that test session.

http://ct.portal.airast.org/cmt-capt-science/

http://ct.portal.airast.org/cmt-capt-science/


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4. Inform the Students of the Test Session ID

The system-generated session ID appears in the top-right corner of the screen.

SAY: Today, you will take the [CMT/CAPT] Science Grade [insert grade] Assessment. I will give you a test session ID that is required to start the test. If you need an individual break during the test, raise your hand and wait for my instructions and permission.

Give students the test session ID and other login information.


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The test session ID, the statewide student identifier (SSID), and the student’s first name may be provided to students ahead of time on a card or piece of paper to help them type it in the computer accurately. Refer to the TIDE User Guide for information about printing student testing tickets. Student information is confidential; therefore, the cards/papers with this information must be collected after each test session and securely destroyed after testing is complete. The Test Examiner should write down the session ID for his or her own records, in case he or she is involuntarily logged out of the system. The Test Examiner will be logged out of the session if there is no activity for 30 minutes by the Test Examiner or a student. The Test Examiner may resume the session using the session ID.

Test Examiners may also write the test session ID in a place where students can see it. Make sure that students know that the test session ID must be entered exactly as it is written—it is case sensitive—without extra spaces or characters.

Contact your School Test Coordinator or District Test Coordinator if a student has incorrect information.

SAY: Enter your first name followed by your student ID number using the

information on the paper I gave you. Then enter the test session ID number

exactly as it is written—it is case sensitive—without extra spaces or

characters. Raise your hand if you need help typing this information.

Please do not share your student ID number with anyone. This is private

information.


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SAY: Now click “Sign In.” Once you have successfully logged in, you will see a screen

with your first name, grade, student ID number, and school. If all of the

information on your screen is correct, select YES to continue. If any of the

information is incorrect, please raise your hand and show me what is

incorrect.

Ensure that all students have successfully entered their information.

The Test Examiner should ensure that students use their legal first names as they appear in TIDE, not nicknames. If a student is unable to log in, he or she will be prompted to try again and provided with a message describing the reason (an invalid SSID, for example). If the student is still having difficulty, the Test Examiner can look up the correct information using the Student Lookup function on the TA Interface or TIDE. Test Examiners may assist students with logging in if necessary.

5. Inform Students of the Test Session in Which They Are Participating

SAY: On the next screen, select the [CMT/CAPT] Science Grade [insert grade] test.

After you have selected your test, you will see a screen with a moving bar and

message saying that you are waiting for the Test Administrator’s approval.

This step helps ensure that you are taking the correct test. Please wait quietly

while I verify each of your tests.

If the Test Examiner is unsure which test students should take during that session, the Test Examiners should contact the School Test Coordinator.

Students will see only assessments for which they are eligible.


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6. View and Approve Students Waiting for Test Session Approval

After students have selected a test, the Test Examiner verifies that each student selected the appropriate test before approving that student for testing. It is very important that the Test Examiner pays close attention to the test name prior to approving to be sure that it is the correct test to be administered. To approve students for testing, do the following:

a) Select the [Approvals (#)] button.

Note: The Approvals notification updates regularly, but you can also click in the upper-right corner

to update it manually.

b) A new window will open and display a list of students. Review the list to ensure that students are taking the correct content area (Science) and type of test (CMT Science Grade 5, CMT Science Grade 8, or CAPT Science Grade 10).

c) Also, review the test settings assigned to each student to ensure that they are correct. If a student’s settings are incorrect, do not approve that student to begin testing. Work directly with a School Test Coordinator or District Test Coordinator to correct the test settings in TIDE before approving the student to begin testing. (Reminder: It may take up to 24 hours for changes to appear in the TA interface.) Ensuring that the test settings are correct before the student begins testing is critical to avoid the need for a test reset that may result in additional testing for the student later.

d) When the correct test is selected and test settings are verified, click the check mark next

to an individual student’s name [ ] or [Approve All Students].

SAY: After I approve you to begin testing, you will see a screen asking you to check

your test content area and settings. Review your test settings and verify that

you are taking the [CMT/CAPT] Science Grade [insert grade] test. If all of the

information is correct, you may select YES, START MY TEST. If any of it is

incorrect, please raise your hand.


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Students using the text-to-speech accommodation will be asked to verify that their headsets are working properly.

SAY: [For Text-to-Speech] Next, you should see a screen that prompts you to verify

that the sound on your computer is working. Put your headsets on and click

the green icon of the speaker to hear the sound. If you hear the voice, click

[Yes, I heard the voice]. If not, raise your hand. You can adjust the volume,

pitch, and rate of the voice by using the sliders.


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If a student’s volume is not working, troubleshoot basic steps such as ensuring that the headset is fully plugged in, mute is not inadvertently selected, and the volume setting is turned up. If the student is still experiencing issues, contact your School Technology Coordinator or the Connecticut Help Desk at 1-844-202-7583 or [email protected]. SAY: Before your test appears, you will see a tutorial page listing the test tools and buttons that you may use during the test

SAY: The questions in this test cover many science topics. Although some of the questions may look difficult or unfamiliar, you may be able to figure out the answers if you read and think about them carefully.

The test has two types of questions, open-ended and multiple-choice. If you are unsure of an answer, provide what you think is the best answer; there is no penalty for guessing. If you would like to review that answer at a later time, mark the item for review by clicking the menu icon represented by three horizontal lines in the upper-right corner of the question and clicking the flag to mark for review before going on to the next question. Flagging the item will remind you to go back and decide whether you want to change the answer during this test segment.

You may PAUSE at any point in the test by clicking PAUSE rather than NEXT after answering an item. The PAUSE button is used to pause the test. Please raise your hand if you need a break and ask me before you click PAUSE.

Your answers need to be your own work. Please keep your eyes on your own test and remember that there should be no talking.

When you are ready to begin your test, click BEGIN TEST NOW at the bottom of the page.

Start timing the test:

CMT Science Grade 5 – 65 minutes

CMT Science Grade 8 – 70 minutes

CAPT Science Grade 10 – 50 minutes (each session)

mailto:[email protected]


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When there are 10 minutes left in the test session

SAY: You have 10 minutes left. Please review any completed or marked items

now. However, do not click submit unless you are completely finished with

your test.

When the test session is over

SAY: This test session is now over. Please click SUBMIT TEST now. I will now collect

any scratch paper and other materials.

7. Monitor Student Progress

Monitoring Test Selection

It is very important that the Test Examiner is monitoring student progress throughout the test session. This includes verifying that students are participating in the appropriate test. The Test Examiner monitors the test each student is taking by referring to the Students in Your Test Session table in the TA Interface.

In the event that a student is taking an incorrect test, the Test Examiner can pause the student’s test. The Test Examiner should then instruct the student to log out and log in again to select the correct test.

Monitoring Test Progress

Once students have started their tests, the Test Examiner should circulate through the room to ensure that all conditions of test security are maintained. If the Test Examiner witnesses or suspects the possibility of a test security incident, the School Test Coordinator and District Test Coordinator should be contacted immediately in accordance with the security guidance provided in this manual.

The Test Examiner may also use the TA Interface to view the testing progress of any student. This site will not show test items or scores, but it will let the Test Examiner see how many items have been delivered to each student (e.g., question 24/40).


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While the TA Interface is designed to automatically refresh every 20 seconds, the Test Examiner

can refresh it manually at any time by clicking the button at the top right of the screen.

Do NOT click the web browser’s refresh button to refresh the TA Interface. Doing so may log the Test examiner out of the current session. If this happens, have students pause the test and create a new test session. Students should log back in to the test with the new session ID.

• If the TA Interface is accidentally closed while students are still testing, the session will remain open until it times out after 30 minutes. Before 30 minutes have elapsed, the Test Examiner can open the browser and navigate back to the TA Interface. The Test Examiner will be prompted to enter the active session ID and re-enter the test session.

• As a security measure, Test Examiners are automatically logged out of the TA Interface after 30 minutes of user inactivity and student inactivity in the test session. This will result in closing of the test session. If a test session has been closed due to inactivity, the Test Examiners must create a new session, and the students should log in to the new session to resume testing. When starting a new session, the Test Examiners should give the students the new session ID so that they can log in and resume testing.

If the Test Examiner is using the TA Interface and navigates to another AIR system (TIDE, ORS, etc.), the session will stop, and all students in the session will be logged out. Test Examiners should keep the browser with the TA Interface open at all times throughout the session.

Addressing Problems That May Occur During a Test Session

Table 2 shows appropriate responses to specific problems that may occur during testing.

Table 2. Test Examiner’s Responses during the Test Session

Problem Response

The Test Examiner notices that a student is off-task.

Encourage the student to do his or her best. In some cases, the best solution would be to have the student pause the test (for less than 20 minutes) and allow the student to take a break.

A student requests assistance with answering a test item or manipulating an item type.

Tell the student that you are not allowed to help them and they need to do their best on their own.

The TA Interface is accidentally closed while students are still testing.

Before 30 minutes have elapsed, open the browser and navigate back to the TA Interface. Re-enter the test session by entering the active session ID.


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Problem Response

The Test Examiner is automatically logged out of the TA Interface after 30 minutes of inactivity by both Test Examiner and by the students. This will result in closing of the test session.

Create a new test session with a new session ID. The students will need to use this to log back in to the system and resume testing.

8. End the Test Session and Log Out of the Test Administrator Site

When there are 10 minutes left in the test session, the Test Examiner should give students a brief warning.

After answering the last item in each segment, each student is presented with a screen prompting him or her to review answers (marked and unmarked) for all of the items available to the student prior to submitting the test.

After answering the last question, students must submit their tests. If students would like to review their answers before submitting their test, they should click the number of the question they wish to review and then click [SUBMIT TEST] after they finish reviewing. Once a student clicks [SUBMIT TEST], the student will not be able to review answers.

The Test Examiner should click [Stop] to end the test session and pause any student test in the session that is still in progress. When finished, the Test Examiner can log out of the TA Interface by clicking the [Logout] button at the top right. The Test Examiner should also collect any scratch paper and other materials used by the students.

The District Test Coordinator must be notified immediately of all test irregularities. Test irregularities are situations that might invalidate scores for a student or for a group of students.

IV.II CAPT Science: Testing Over Multiple Sessions or Days

The CAPT Science test is composed of two test sessions which can be administered on a single day or on separate days. In either case, once a student moves on to Session 2, he or she will not be able to review or revise items in Session 1. Students will receive a message when they have completed Session 1 asking if they are ready to move on to Session 2. Test Examiners will have to re-approve a student before he or she is allowed to enter Session 2. When administering two segments on the same day, a break of at least 15 minutes should be allowed between sessions.

When testing is resumed on a subsequent day, the Test Examiner should start a new test session and provide the new session ID. When instructing students to log in, Test Examiners should read aloud from the beginning the instructions in Section IV.I Start a Test Session, Approve Students, Read Directions.


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Some students may not be present for the test session. These students must attend a makeup test session for the test session they missed. Accordingly, Test Examiners must record and report to the District Test Coordinator the name of each student who is absent for the test session so that appropriate makeup test sessions can be scheduled. The District Test Coordinator is responsible for scheduling makeup test sessions for all absentees and informing them of these test sessions. It is the school district’s responsibility to ensure that each absentee participates in the appropriate makeup test session during the testing window of March 27 – April, 28, 2017. Makeup testing must follow the same conditions as regular testing and must conclude by April 28, 2017.

IV.III Summary of Tasks to Complete During Test Administration

This section describes the responsibilities of District Test Coordinators, School Test Coordinators, Teachers, and Test Administrators during administration of the CMT/CAPT Science.

District Test Coordinators must be actively involved in test administration through careful supervision and monitoring of procedures described in this manual. The District Test Coordinator should ensure that tests are administered properly, test security procedures are adhered to, and test materials are handled appropriately. Any breaches in test security must be reported immediately by the District Test Coordinator to the Student Assessment Office by calling 860-713-6860.

The Test Examiners are responsible for collecting all test materials before students are allowed to work on other activities or leave the room. Students who finish early may not work on any other section of the test. If a student has begun a test and becomes ill or is caught cheating, the scoring of the test must be disallowed. The District Test Coordinator must be informed of the names of all students who become ill or cheat during testing. The District Test Coordinator will report these situations to the CSDE Student Assessment Office.

Additionally, Test Examiners must also:

Be familiar with this manual to understand each step of the test administration procedure. Consult with the District Test Coordinator regarding any questions you have. Please refer to the Test Administrator User Guide at http://ct.portal.airast.org to become familiar with the Online Testing System.

Verify the security of the testing environment prior to beginning a test session. (See Section I.II Security of the Test Environment.) Test Examiners must ensure that students do not have access to digital, electronic, or manual devices during testing.

Conform to test administration procedures. Pay particular attention to the time limits. Try to prevent students from looking at another student’s computer screen. Seat students so that there is ample room between them. If possible, seat them in every other chair or stagger them around tables.



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Give directions exactly as specified in Section IV. Day of Test Administration. Do not attempt to give the test without using the test administration instructions. Read all directions to the students clearly and distinctly. Allow time for questions before beginning the test session. Make sure that all students understand what they are to do before you begin timing the test. Follow the timing procedures given in each section of this manual. Write the starting and ending times on the board. Any time a student logs in to the testing system, the Test Examiner should read the directions aloud.

Help individual students during the test, as long as assistance is limited to the mechanical aspects of marking answers or clarifying directions. It is not appropriate to give clues or explanations that would help students identify correct answers. If a student requests inappropriate help, a good response might be, “Just do your best and continue on to the end of the test.” No test items or passages can be read to any student for any content area, unless the student requires a designated support or accommodation as described in the CSDE Assessment Guidelines.

Maintain a natural classroom atmosphere during the test administration. Students may not use any other materials such as calculators or rulers during the CMT/CAPT Science test. Before each test begins, he or she should encourage students to do their best.

Keep a record of all students who were absent for any part of testing. It is imperative that the District Test Coordinator be informed of all students who were absent from any test session so that makeup tests can be scheduled.

Notify the District Test Coordinator immediately of all test irregularities. Improprieties, irregularities, and breaches need to be reported for each severity level in accordance with the instructions in Section IV. Day of Test Administration of this manual. The Test Examiner should contact their District Test Coordinator with any questions about a potential test irregularity.

For a checklist of example activities to complete see Appendix G. All resources can be found on the Connecticut Comprehensive Assessment Program Portal located at http://ct.portal.airast.org.

When a Test Examiner creates a test session, a unique session ID is randomly generated. This session ID must be provided to students before they log in. Please refer to the Test Administrator User Guide located at http://ct.portal.airast.org for detailed information on how to generate session IDs.




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Section V. After Test Administration

V.I Destroying Test Materials

Federal law—the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)—prohibits the release of any student’s personally identifiable information. Any printed materials must be securely stored and then destroyed.

As a reminder, printed test materials and scratch paper must be securely destroyed immediately after each test session and may not be retained from one test session to the next.

V.II Reporting Testing Irregularities

Throughout testing, ensure that all test security incidents are reported in accordance with the guidelines in Section I.I Ensuring Test Security and Section VII. Test Improprieties, Irregularities, Breaches in this manual and the TIDE User Guide located at http://ct.portal.airast.org



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Section VI. Universal Tools, Designated Supports, and

Accommodations for Online Testing The CSDE Assessment Guidelines are intended for school-level personnel and decision-making teams, including IEP and Section 504 teams, as they prepare for and implement the CMT/CAPT Science online tests. The Guidelines provide information for classroom teachers, educators of English learners, special education teachers, and instructional assistants to use in selecting and administering universal tools, designated supports, and accommodations for those students who need them. The Guidelines are also intended for assessment staff and administrators who oversee the decisions that are made in instruction and assessment.

Please refer to the CSDE Assessment Guidelines for information about the implementation of designated supports and accommodations.

For a list of available embedded universal tools, designated supports, and accommodations available for online assessments, see Appendix C: Universal Tools, Designated Supports, and Accommodations. For information on updating student settings, refer to the TIDE User Guide located at the Connecticut Comprehensive Assessment Portal: http://ct.portal.airast.org. The Test Administrator User Guide also contains information on how to use some of these settings.

The CMT/CAPT Science online assessments, practice tests, and training tests contain embedded universal tools, designated supports, and accommodations. Embedded resources are those that are part of the computer administration system, whereas non-embedded resources are provided outside of that system.

District Administrators, District Test Coordinators, and School Test Coordinators have the ability to set embedded and non-embedded designated supports and accommodations for students taking the CMT/CAPT Science online. Designated supports and accommodations must be set in TIDE prior to a test session.

http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/lib/sde/pdf/student_assessment/special_education/2016-17_Assessment_Guidelines_Final-9-8-16.pdf



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Section VII. Test Improprieties, Irregularities,

Breaches Test security incidents—such as improprieties, irregularities, and breaches—are behaviors prohibited either because they give a student an unfair advantage or because they compromise the security of the assessments. Whether intentional or by accident, failure to comply with security rules, either by staff or students, constitutes a test security incident. Improprieties, irregularities, and breaches need to be reported in accordance with the instructions in this section for each severity level. Definitions for test security incidents are provided in Table 3.

There are times when these situations may even require a retest of an individual or a group of students. The District Test Coordinator is required to call the CSDE Student Assessment Office at 860-713-6860 to report the test irregularity and to receive instructions for resolving the issue.

Table 3. Definitions for Test Security Incidents

Type Definition

Breach A test security incident that poses a threat to the validity of the test. Examples may include such situations as a release of secure materials or a security/system risk. A breach incident must be reported to the District Test Coordinator immediately and entered in TIDE (should an appeal be required). Breaches require immediate attention and escalation to the CSDE. The DC must immediately notify the CSDE by telephone at 860-713-6860.

Irregularity A test security incident that impacts an individual or group of students who are testing and may potentially affect student test performance, test security, or test validity. These circumstances can be corrected by the district/school and submitted in the online Appeals system for resolution, if necessary. An irregularity must be reported to the District Test Coordinator immediately and entered into the Appeals module of TIDE (should an appeal be required).

Impropriety

A test security incident that has a low impact on the individual or group of students who are testing and has a low risk of potentially affecting student performance on the test, test security, or test validity. These circumstances can be corrected and contained at the local level. An impropriety should be reported to the District Test Coordinator and/or School Test Coordinator.

It is important for Test Examiners to ensure that the physical conditions in the testing room meet the criteria for a secure test environment. See Section I.II Security of the Test Environment for more detail.

Test security breaches and test irregularities are behaviors prohibited either because they give a student an unfair advantage or because they compromise the security of the assessments.


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Section VIII. Appeals For security incidents that result in a need to reset, reopen, restore, or invalidate individual student tests, CSDE must approve the request. CSDE approvals and denials will, in most cases, be processed within 24 hours. In most instances, an appeal will be submitted to address a test security breach or irregularity. In some cases, an appeal may be submitted to address incidents that are not security related, such as reopening an assessment for a student who becomes ill and is unable to resume testing because the test has expired. The online appeals should be filed by District Test Coordinators in TIDE. Please reach out to your District Test Coordinator in case you need to file an appeal.

Table 4. The Most Common Types of Appeals

Type of

Appeal Description

Possible Conditions for Use and Type of

Test Security Incident

Reopen a

Test

Reopening a test allows a student to

access a test that was submitted in error.

If a submitted test is reopened, the test

will reopen at the last page of the test.

For CMT/CAPT Science, the student can

review all the items in the current test

session.

The CSDE may reopen a test if a student

unintentionally submits a test before he

or she has completed it.

Reset Resetting a student’s test removes that

test from the system and enables the

student to start a new test.

The CSDE may reset a test in the event

that a student is caught cheating

and/or a Test Examiner is engaged in

inappropriate actions that violate test

security.


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Frequently Used Terms Table 5 defines terms that are specific to the CMT/CAPT Science assessments.

Table 5. Frequently Used Terms

Term Definition

Accommodation A change in procedures or materials that increase equitable access during the CMT/CAPT Science assessments. Accommodations generate valid assessment results for students who need them; they allow these students to show what they know and can do. Accommodations are available for students with documented Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) or Section 504 Plans. Approved accommodations do not compromise the construct, grade-level standards, or intended outcome of the assessments.

See the CSDE Assessment Guidelines for complete information.

Appeal A request to reset, reopen, invalidate, or restore a test or test segment. Authorized users may submit and view appeals in accordance with state policy. These requests must result from a test security incident or incorrect test setting that affected testing. All requests must be approved by the CSDE.

Breach A test security event that poses a threat to the validity of the test. Examples may include such situations as a release of secure materials or a security/system risk. Breaches have external implications for CSDE and may result in a decision to remove the test item(s) from the available secure bank. A breach incident must be reported immediately to the state level.

For specific details on how to proceed when an incident has occurred, please refer to Section VII. Test Improprieties, Irregularities, Breaches of this manual.

Break There is no limit on the number of breaks a student may be given according to his or her unique needs.

Data Entry Interface (DEI)

An interface used to submit all student responses from a paper test. Test Examiners are required to transcribe and enter all student responses into the DEI for scoring.

Designated Supports

An accessibility feature available for use by any student for whom the need has been indicated by an educator (or team of educators working with the parent/guardian and student).

See the CSDE Assessment Guidelines for complete information.

District Test Coordinator (DC)

A district-level staff member who is responsible for the overall administration of the CMT/CAPT Science assessments in a district. DCs should ensure that the School Test Coordinators, Teachers and Test Administrators in their districts are appropriately trained and aware of policies and procedures established by the CSDE.

Impropriety A test security event that has a low impact on the individual or group of students who are testing and has a low risk of potentially affecting student test performance, test security, or test validity. These circumstances can be corrected and contained at the local level.


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Term Definition

Invalidation A type of appeal in the Appeals module of TIDE. Invalidating a test results in the omission of test results and student responses from the testing and accountability systems. Permission for an invalidation is initiated through the Appeals process in TIDE.

See Section VIII. Appeals and the TIDE User Guide for more information on the Appeals process.

Irregularity A test security event that affects an individual or group of students who are testing and may potentially affect student performance on the test, test security, or test validity. These circumstances can be corrected and contained at the local level and an appeal would need to be submitted.

For specific details on how to proceed when an incident has occurred, please refer to Section VII. Test Improprieties, Irregularities, Breaches of this manual.

Item A test question or stimulus presented to a student to elicit a response.

Pause An action taken by a student or Test Examiner to temporarily pause the test during any part of the test, as needed.

Reopen a Test A type of appeal in the Appeals module of TIDE. It applies to a test that has already been submitted or has expired and allows the student to access the previously closed test.

For example, a test may be reopened if a student started a test, became ill, and was unable to resume testing until after the testing opportunity expired.

Permission for reopening a test is initiated through the Appeals process in TIDE. See Section VIII. Appeals and the TIDE User Guide for more information on the Appeals process.

Reset A type of appeal in the Appeals module of TIDE. Resetting a student’s test removes that test from the system and enables the student to start a new test. Any work previously done on the test would be lost.

Valid reasons for a reset would be if a student’s test was administered inconsistently with the student’s IEP (this would include both embedded and non-embedded accommodations), if the student started a test and did not have a needed language support (such as a language glossary), or if the student was caught cheating.

Permission for a reset is initiated through the Appeals process in TIDE. See Section VIII. Appeals and the TIDE User Guide for more information on the Appeals process.

Restore A type of appeal in the Appeals module. Restores a test from the “Reset” status to its prior status. This action can only be performed on assessments that have been reset.

A test opportunity can be restored if it was reset in error. For example, if a test reset was requested for CMT Science instead of a CAPT Science, then that CAPT Science test can be restored to its previous status.


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Term Definition

School Test Coordinator (SC)

A school staff member responsible for monitoring the school testing schedule, process, and Test Examiners. School Test Coordinators are also responsible for ensuring that Test Examiners have been appropriately trained and that testing is conducted in accordance with the test security and other policies and procedures established by the CSDE.

Secure Browser A web browser that is downloaded and installed on a computer prior to a student beginning the test. The browser is specifically designed to provide secure access to the CMT/CAPT Science tests and prevent students from accessing specific hardware and software functions (e.g., other browsers, screenshot programs) that are not allowed during the assessments.

Session A timeframe in which students actively test in a single sitting. A test session is most often set up by a Test Examiner in the TA Interface and requires students to be logged in to the test delivery system.

CMT Science–Grade 5 test sessions are 75 minutes (65 minutes for testing and 10 minutes for directions).

CMT Science–Grade 8 test sessions are 80 minutes (70 minutes for testing and 10 minutes for directions).

CAPT Science tests are divided into two sessions: Session 1 is 65 minutes (50 minutes for testing and 15 minutes for directions). Session 2 is 65 minutes (50 minutes for testing and 15 minutes for directions). When administering two sessions on the same day, a break of at least 15 minutes should be allowed between sessions.

Statewide Student Identifier (SSID)

A unique identification number assigned to each student.

Teacher (TE)/Test Administrator (TA)

District or school personnel responsible for administering the CMT/CAPT Science assessments in a secure manner in compliance with the policies and procedures outlined in the Test Administration Manual. TIDE users with Test Administrator (TA) roles do not have permission to view student results in the Online Reporting System.

Technology Coordinator

School staff member responsible for ensuring that school technology meets all system requirements and that the secure browser has been successfully installed on all devices and computers for the online test administration.

Test Information Distribution Engine (TIDE)

The registration system used for Connecticut Comprehensive Assessment Program online tests, including the CMT/CAPT Science tests. This is the system through which users interact with and inform the test delivery system. This registration system controls adding and managing users and students participating in online assessments. This system uses a role-specific design to restrict access to certain tools and applications based on the user’s designated role.

Universal Tools Available to all students based on student preference and selection.

See the CSDE Assessment Guidelines at http://ct.portal.airast.org for complete information.



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Secure Browser for Testing Test Examiners should be aware of the following guidelines and employ the necessary precautions while administering online assessments:

Close External User Applications Prior to administering the online assessments, Test Examiners should check all computers that will be used and close all applications except those identified as necessary by the School Technology Coordinator. After closing these applications, the Test Examiner should open the secure browser on each computer.

The secure browser automatically detects prohibited applications that are running on a computer while the secure browser is open. The secure browser will not allow a student to log in if the computer detects that a forbidden application is running. A message will also display the forbidden application(s).

If a forbidden application is launched in the background while the student is already in a test, the student will be logged out. The student will have to close the forbidden application, reopen the secure browser, and log in to continue working on the assessment. This is considered a test security incident.

Testing on Computers with Dual Monitors Systems that use a dual-monitor setup typically display an application on one monitor screen while another application is accessible on the other screen.

Students should NOT take assessments on computers that are connected to more than one monitor except in extremely rare circumstances, such as when a Test Examiner is administering a test for a student who has a read-aloud non-embedded accommodation and wants to have a duplicate screen to view exactly what the student is viewing for ease of reading aloud. In these rare cases where a dual monitor is allowed, CSDE requires that the monitors be set up to “mirror” each other. Technology Coordinators can assist Test Examiners in setting up the two monitors to ensure that they mirror each other rather than operate as independent monitors.

In these cases, all security procedures must be followed, and the test must be administered in a secure environment to prevent others from hearing the questions or viewing the student’s or Test Examiner’s screens.


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Secure Browser Error Messages

Possible error messages displayed by the open-source secure browser are shown in Table 6.

Table 6. Secure Browser Error Messages

Message Description

Secure Browser Not Detected

The system automatically detects whether a computer is using the secure browser to access the online testing system. The system will only permit access to a test through the secure browser; under no condition may a student access a test using a non-secure browser.

Unable to Establish a Connection with the Test Delivery System

If a computer fails to establish a connection with the test delivery system, a message will be displayed. This is most likely to occur if there is a network-related problem. The causes may include an unplugged network cable or a firewall not allowing access to the site.

Force-Quit Commands for Secure Browsers

In the rare event that the secure browser or test becomes unresponsive and you cannot pause the test or close the secure browser, users have the ability to “force quit” the secure browser.

To force the browser to close, use the following keyboard commands.

Force-Quit Commands

Windows: [Ctrl] + [Alt] + [Shift] + [F10]

Mac OS X: [Ctrl] + [Alt] + [Shift] + [F10]

Linux: [Ctrl] + [Alt] + [Shift] + [Esc]

Note for Windows and Mac Users:

If you are using a laptop or netbook, you may also need to press the [FN] key before pressing [F10].

(Reminder: This will log the student out of the test that he or she is taking. When the secure browser is opened again, the student will have to log back in to resume testing.)

You are strongly advised against using the force-quit commands, as the secure browser treats this action as an abnormal termination. The secure browser hides features such as the Windows taskbar; if the secure browser is not closed correctly, then the taskbar may not reappear correctly.

These commands should be used only if the [Close Secure Browser] button does not work.


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Universal Tools, Designated Supports,

and Accommodations Table 7, Table 8, and Table 9 provide the universal tools, designated supports, and accommodations that are available to students taking the CMT/CAPT Science test. See the CSDE Assessment Guidelines for complete information on student accommodations and supports. See the TIDE User Guide for information on how to adjust and set student test settings.

Table 7. Universal Tools for Online Testers

Resource Description

Digital Notepad

Scratch Paper/whiteboard

with marker

Allows students to make notes, computations, or responses about an item

or performance task.

Expandable Passages Enables passages or stimuli to be expanded and take up a larger portion of

the screen.

Highlighter Allows students to mark desired text, item questions, item answers, or parts

of these with a color.

Keyboard Navigation Allows students to navigate through the tests using a keyboard.

Mark for Review Allows students to flag items for future review during the assessment.

Strikethrough Allows students to cross out answer options.

Writing Tools Allow students to apply rich text formatting to text in written responses.

Examples include bold, italic, bullets, and undo/redo.

Zoom Enlarges text or other graphics in a window or frame on the screen.


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Table 8. Designated Supports


Color Contrast Students may adjust screen or printed background or font color, based on

student needs or preferences.

Bilingual Dictionary A bilingual/dual language word‐to‐word dictionary can be used during the

test.

Color Overlays Color transparencies may be placed over a paper assessment.

Magnification The size of specific areas of the screen (e.g., text, formulas, tables, graphics,

and navigation buttons) may be adjusted by the student with an assistive

technology device.

Masking Content that is not of immediate need or that may be distracting to the

student may be blocked off. Students eligible for this designated support are

able to focus their attention on a specific part of a test item by masking.

Noise Buffers Ear mufflers, white noise, and/or other equipment used to block external

sounds may be used.

Separate Setting The test location may be altered so that the student is tested in a setting

different from that made available for most students.

Read Aloud Text is read aloud to the student by a human reader. Student must be tested

one to one.

Native Language Reader

of Directions

Students may have the test directions translated for them into their native

language by a bilingual reader.

Turn off any Universal

Tools

Disables any universal tools that might be distracting or that students do not

need to use, or are unable to use.

Text‐to‐Speech

Reads text aloud to the student via embedded text‐to‐speech technology.


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Table 9. Accommodations


Alternate Response Options

Alternate response options include but are not limited to adapted keyboards, large keyboards, StickyKeys, MouseKeys, FilterKeys, adapted mouse, touch screen, head wand, and switches.

Braille Students may use this raised-dot code that is read with the fingertips. Graphic material (e.g., maps, charts, graphs, diagrams, and illustrations) is presented in a raised format (paper or thermoform). Contracted and non-contracted braille are available; Nemeth code is available for mathematics.

Permissive Mode Students can use accessibility software during tests, such as screen readers or magnifiers.

Sign Language Students who are deaf or hearing-impaired may have the CMT/CAPT Science test administered individually. Furthermore, a sign language interpreter may assist in test administration by giving directions and clarifying information as allowed in this manual.

Speech-to-Text Students may use voice recognition software to use their voices as input devices to the computer, to dictate responses or give commands (e.g., opening application programs, pulling down menus, and saving work). Students may use their own assistive technology devices.

Streamline This accommodation provides a streamlined interface of the test in an alternate, simplified format in which the items are displayed below the stimuli.


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CMT/CAPT Science Online

Administration Resources This Test Administration Manual is designed to complement a variety of other resources listed in Table 10. All resources can be found on the Connecticut Comprehensive Assessment Program Portal located at http://ct.portal.airast.org. The following resources are suggested to prepare for the CMT/CAPT Science online test administration.

Table 10. Suggested Resources for CMT/CAPT Science Online


Connecticut Comprehensive Assessment Program: Test Coordinator’s Manual

This manual provides state policies for district- and school-level coordinators administering Smarter Balanced and CMT/CAPT Science online tests.

CSDE Assessment Guidelines

The CSDE Assessment Guidelines are intended to provide guidance for Connecticut school district personnel who must make decisions about testing special student populations on the CMT/CAPT Science Assessments.

Data Entry Interface (DEI) User Guide

DEI is a system used to submit student answers for paper tests. The system will replace answer documents in paper test administration. Test Examiners are responsible for transferring student answers from test booklets into the DEI after an LP/Braille student has completed the test.

Secure Browser Installation Manual

The Secure Browser Installation Manual provides instructions for installing the secure browser on supported operating systems and is organized by operating system.

Technical Specifications for Online Testing Manual

The Technical Specifications for Online Testing Manual provides technology staff with the technical specifications for online testing, including information on internet and network requirements, general hardware and software requirements, and the text-to-speech function.

Test Administrator (TA) User Guide

The Test Administrator User Guide supports individuals using the test delivery system applications to manage testing for students. This resource provides information about the test delivery system, including the Test Administrator and student applications.

Test Information Distribution Engine (TIDE) User Guide

TIDE is the system used to manage student information and user accounts for online testing, as well as appeals and roster management. The TIDE User Guide provides a step-by-step approach to using the system.

TIDE Test Settings Brochure This brochure provides a brief overview on how to manage student test settings in TIDE. Student embedded accommodations and designated supports must be set in TIDE prior to test administration for these settings to be reflected in the online test delivery system.



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User Role Permissions for Online Testing Brochure

This brochure provides an overview of the appropriate permissions and systems access each user role has. All user roles are created in TIDE.

Additional resources for online testing can be found on the portal http://ct.portal.airast.org/resources.

http://ct.portal.airast.org/resources


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CMT/CAPT Skills Checklist Teachers or Test Administrators administering the CMT or CAPT Skills Checklist must fill out the Learner Characteristics Inventory (LCI) for each individual student prior to testing. LCI can be located under the Data Entry Interface (DEI) card on the Connecticut Comprehensive Assessment Program Portal http://ct.portal.airast.org.

No test booklets will be available for students assessed with the CMT/CAPT Skills Checklist. Student responses must be submitted online during the testing window, March 27 – April 28, 2017, using the Data Entry Interface (DEI) on the Connecticut Comprehensive Assessment Program Portal. Submissions after the closing of the testing window will not be accepted.



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School Test Coordinator’s Checklist

School Test Coordinator’s Activities

Direct Responsibilities

1. Attend trainings your district offers and review all policy and test administration documents.

2. Train Test Examiners (if assigned to do so by the DC) and/or ensure that all Test Examiners attend your school’s or district’s training, review this test administration manual, and view the online training modules posted on the Portal. Review with Test Examiners the video “Embedded Universal Tools and Online Features” and encourage them to show these to their students in preparation for the test.

3. Work with technology personnel to ensure timely computer setup:

o Conduct network diagnostics.

o Download the secure browser.

o Verify that your school has met the minimum technology requirements.

o Ensure that other technical issues are resolved before and during testing.

4. Identify students who may require test accommodations and ensure that procedures for testing these students follow those specified by the most current edition of the Assessment Guidelines, which can be found at the Connecticut Comprehensive Assessment Program portal.

5. Communicate with Test Examiners to identify the number of headsets needed for each testing site and ensure that the needed number is available at least two weeks prior to the testing window.

o Headsets are required for students who require text-to-speech accommodation.

o Communicate with the DC to identify the number of headsets needed.

Note: Students are permitted and encouraged to use their own ear buds or headsets, but districts and schools should also plan on having some available.

6. Perform an equipment needs check based on individual student requirements.

o Work with Test Examiners to identify students who will need specialized equipment for accommodations.

7. Based on the test administration windows, work with Test Examiners and DCs to establish a testing schedule.

8. Work with Test Examiners to review student information in TIDE before students are tested to ensure that correct student information and test settings for designated supports and accommodations are applied.

9. Establish a place to test those students who need a separate test setting.

10. Work with Test Examiners to plan a quiet activity for each test session for students who finish early.

Note: The activity should not be related to the test being given. For example, students who finish early may work on assignments for unrelated subjects or read an unrelated book.



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School Test Coordinator’s Activities

11. Ensure proper handling of all printed test materials and scratch paper. Develop a plan for collecting and securing all test materials after each test session. Ensure that these materials are destroyed according to Section I.II Security of the Test Environment.

12. Ensure adherence to all test security policies.

13. Document any testing irregularity or breach and report to the DC immediately after learning of the incident.

o Working with the DC, enter Appeals in TIDE.

Monitor Test Administration Activities

14. Monitor testing progress during the testing window and ensure that all students participate as appropriate, addressing student issues as needed.

15. Raise any technical issues with the School Technology Coordinator for resolution.

16. Review, investigate, and report to the DC on all potential testing irregularities reported by Test Examiners. Mitigate incidents when appropriate.

Oversight Responsibilities

17. Verify that Test Examiners have verified student settings for designated supports and accommodations in TIDE.

18. Assist Test Examiners in taking proper measures to ensure that students only have access to allowable non-embedded resources during testing.

19. Verify that Test Examiners are adhering to all test security policies and practices.


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Test Examiner’s Checklist

Test Examiner’s Activities

1. Review this test administration manual.

2. Review the training modules and attend/conduct school or district training sessions.

3. Show students the module “Embedded Universal Tools and Online Features.”

4. Use the training test and/or practice test with student to familiarize them with navigation of the system and tools.

5. Perform an equipment needs check based on individual student requirements.

o Work with the School Test Coordinator to identify students who will need specialized equipment for accommodations.

Note: Students are permitted and encouraged to use their own ear buds or headsets, but districts and schools should also plan on having some available.

6. Work with the School Test Coordinator to determine precise testing schedules based on the test administration windows selected by the school.

7. Confirm that you have received your TIDE login information. You will also use this username and password for any other AIR-provided systems.

Note: If you have not received this information, please check your spam/junk e-mail folder to see if it was mistakenly routed there. If not, check with your School Test Coordinator.

8. Work with your School Test Coordinator to ensure that each student appears in TIDE and all student demographic information is correct.

9. Verify that student test settings have been uploaded into TIDE.

10. Confirm each student’s test settings for designated supports and accommodations in TIDE against their IEP or other relevant documentation as appropriate.

11. Ensure that the correct secure browser has been downloaded to any computer(s) on which students will be testing.

12. Communicate to students the need for headsets in order to take the online CMT/CAPT Science online test.

a. Identify any students who may not have their own headsets and make arrangements with the school to have headsets available for those students. Counts should be determined prior to testing.

b. Have extra headsets on hand for students who may forget to bring theirs.

c. Send reminders several days before and the day prior to testing to ensure that students remember to bring headsets.

Note: Students receiving the text-to-speech accommodation will need earbuds or headsets. Make sure that your school has extras available for students who may need them on the day of testing.


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Test Examiner’s Activities

13. Plan a quiet activity for each test session for students who finish early.

Note: The activity should not be related to the test being given. For example, students who finish early may work on assignments for unrelated subjects or read an unrelated book.

14. Prior to administration, check all computers that will be used and close all applications except those identified as necessary by the school’s Technology Coordinator. Make sure that no computer has dual monitors.

a. Work with your School Test Coordinator to set system volume prior to students launching the secure browser to ensure that students can hear the audio portions.

Note: The Test Examiner should open the secure browser on each computer after closing any unnecessary applications.

15. Administer the CMT/CAPT Science assessments, following the directions for administration. Provide any approved non-embedded designated supports and accommodations as noted in the student’s test settings.

16. Provide students with scratch paper for all test sessions.

17. Ensure that students who need other non-embedded universal tools are provided those supports.

18. On the day of testing, verify that the students have their login information (first name, SSID, and session ID number).

19. Review all guidelines for creating a secure test environment.

20. Make sure that the physical conditions of the testing room are satisfactory.

o Make sure that no instructional materials directly related to the content of the assessments are visible.

o Seat students so that there is enough space between them, or provide desktop partitions to minimize opportunities to look at each other's screens.

o Actively monitor students throughout the test sessions.

o Make sure that students clear their desks and put away all books, backpacks, purses, cell phones, electronic devices of any kind, and other materials not needed for the test.

o Ensure that students do not access unauthorized electronic devices (such as cell phones) at any time during testing.

21. Report any testing irregularities to the DC.

22. Securely destroy all printed testing materials, including student login information, print-on-demand documents, and scratch paper.

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