for the Spring 2018 MCAS
Computer-Based High School
Field Tests
December 2017
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
75 Pleasant Street, Malden, MA 02148-4906
Phone 781-338-3000 TTY: N.E.T. Relay 800-439-2370
This document was prepared by the
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Jeff Wulfson
Acting Commissioner
The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, an affirmative action employer, is committed to ensuring that all of its programs and facilities are accessible to all members of the public.
We do not discriminate on the basis of age, color, disability, national origin, race, religion, sex, gender identity, or sexual orientation.
Inquiries regarding the Department’s compliance with Title IX and other civil rights laws may be directed to the
Human Resources Director, 75 Pleasant St., Malden, MA 02148-4906. Phone: 781-338-6105.
© 2017 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Permission is hereby granted to copy any or all parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes. Please credit the “Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.”
This document printed on recycled paper
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
75 Pleasant Street, Malden, MA 02148-4906
Phone 781-338-3000 TTY: N.E.T. Relay 800-439-2370
Important Contact Information and Resources
Contact: / MCAS Service CenterFor questions on: / · general test administration support
· PearsonAccess Next and TestNav such as
o user accounts
o technology support and readiness
o Infrastructure Trials and ProctorCaching
o viewing student records and organizations
o the SR/PNP process and loading files
· logistical support
· locating resources
· shipments of materials
Hours: / 7:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Monday–Friday
Web: / mcas.pearsonsupport.com
Email: /
Telephone: / 800-737-5103
Fax: / 877-325-4421
Contact: / ESE Office of Student Assessment Services
For questions on: / · policy, such as assigning accessibility features and accommodations
· student participation
· testing irregularities, including test security incidents and technology irregularities/failures
· undoing test submissions for CBT
· voiding a test for CBT
· student data and SIMS (See note below regarding SIMS.)
Questions regarding SIMS data should be directed to the district’s SIMS contact (go to profiles.doe.mass.edu/search/search.aspx?leftNavID=11239, select SIMS Contact from the Function menu, and click Get Results).
Hours: / 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Monday–Friday during test administration windows
Between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. during the test administration windows, MCAS Service Center representatives will receive calls to 781-338-3625, answer questions regarding logistics, and take messages for Department staff, which will be returned during our regular business hours.
Web: / Spring 2018 Test Administration for High Schools
Email: /
Telephone: / 781-338-3625
Fax: / 781-338-3630
Important Information about Online Accounts and Passwords
Type of Account / Purpose / How Login Information Is Provided /PearsonAccess Next (PAN; mcas.pearsonaccessnext.
com) / Schools will use PAN to do the following:
· Register students for the field tests
· Upload selected accessibility features and accommodations for each student
· Create and manage test sessions
· Monitor online testing activities / The Department created initial accounts for superintendents, principals, school and district test coordinators, and technology coordinators, based on information in ESE School and District Profiles in the fall. Additional accounts for staff, including test administrators, should be managed at the district or school level. /
PearsonAccess Next training site
(trng-mcas.pearsonaccessnext.
com) / Schools will use the training site to run their Infrastructure Trial and to give access to users for practice prior to testing. / Existing PAN user accounts will be given access to the training site in mid-January. Users will receive an email notifying them when the permissions have been granted.
Users should note that the log-in and password for the live and training sites will always match. /
ii
Table of Contents
Important Contact Information and Resources i
Important Information about Online Accounts and Passwords ii
Introduction 1
Tasks to Complete Now 1
1. Identify the test administration team and update information in School/District Profiles 1
2. Become familiar with CBT components 1
3. Review technology specifications and prepare the school’s infrastructure 2
4. Review accessibility features for testing, and finalize accommodations for students with disabilities and English learners 2
Tasks to Complete This Winter 3
1. Participate in training 3
2. Prepare the school community 3
3. Familiarize yourself with test administration resources 4
4. Set up test administrator user accounts in PearsonAccess Next (PAN) 5
5. Conduct an Infrastructure Trial (strongly recommended) 5
6. Contact the MCAS Service Center with any questions 5
5
Introduction
In spring 2018, each high school will administer a computer-based field test in ELA or Mathematics. The purpose of the field tests is three-fold:
· to try out test questions, including new technology-enhanced questions, that will be used on the next-generation assessments;
· to help high schools prepare for next-generation computer-based assessments prior to an operational administration; and
· to develop next-generation practice tests and resources that schools and districts can use during the 2018–19 school year.
Accordingly, no student, school, or district results will be generated from the field tests.
This guide provides information and timelines for tasks related to computer-based testing prior to the availability of the Principal’s Administration Instructions (there will be separate manuals from the ones for the operational high school tests).
We hope this guide is helpful to you and your test administration teams. Please contact the Department at 781-338-3625 or with any questions about this document.
Tasks to Complete Now
1. Identify the test administration team and update information in School/District Profiles
Identify staff members who can help manage the computer-based field test logistics, review your school’s data, and plan for testing accommodations for students with disabilities and English learners. Also plan to collaborate with the district’s technology coordinator, who should be called on to assist with set-up.
Designate staff members for the following roles and update any inaccurate school contact information in the ESE School and District Profiles, as the Department will use the contact information in the Profiles to send important, time-sensitive updates throughout the school year, including sending the Student Assessment Update via email.
· MCAS Test Coordinator (district- and school-level)
Note: Since multiple staff members can be assigned the MCAS Test Coordinator role at both the district and school level, schools may want to designate all the members of their test administration team with this role to so that all the individuals will receive the Student Assessment Update
· Educational Technology Director (district-level only)
· Principals should also review their own contact information.
Public schools, educational collaboratives, approved private special education schools, and SEIS-DYS programs should communicate these staff role updates to the Directory Administrator, who is responsible for maintaining the district’s ESE School and District Profile. MCAS test sites, adult education programs, and out-of-state schools should go online to the EOE Information Technology web page (select “District/School Information Update” as the subject) to submit your update (be sure to include your District and School Code).
2. Become familiar with CBT components
Principals, test coordinators, and technology coordinators should become familiar with the terminology describing the components of computer-based testing:
· TestNav: TestNav is the online test delivery platform for students. Note that after one hour of inactivity, TestNav will automatically log students out.
· PearsonAccess Next (PAN): The online test management system described in detail on page 5. Note that after 14 minutes of inactivity, PAN will log users out.
· Infrastructure Trials: An Infrastructure Trial is an opportunity for districts, schools, and students to prepare for computer-based testing by simulating test-day network use. The purpose is to identify any school or district logistical issues, and to confirm all testing devices are properly configured and ready for computer-based testing. More information can be found on page 5. The Department strongly recommends that schools conduct an Infrastructure Trial.
· ProctorCache: This software will be available to all schools as part of the TestNav delivery platform. Precaching is the process of loading (i.e., “caching”) test content locally to a designated computer at a school. Precaching reduces test delays from network congestion and provides students with a more seamless testing experience in the event of disruptions to Internet connectivity. The Department strongly recommends that schools use ProctorCache.
3. Review technology specifications and prepare the school’s infrastructure
All technology directors and other school- and district-level staff should review the technology specifications in order to begin their planning for the computer-based field tests.
The technology requirements provide minimum and recommended specifications for computer hardware, devices, and security requirements; and suggest recommended levels of bandwidth that will support schools’ instructional and assessment needs. Schools and districts are encouraged to use these guidelines to determine the suitability of existing computers as testing devices.
It is important to identify any gaps in technology capacity, including testing devices that do not meet technology specifications and potentially insufficient bandwidth, and address those gaps. Device readiness and network readiness are both important.
High schools may want to view the computer-based testing device planner intended to help determine the number of devices needed for testing.
Technology coordinators should review the CBT readiness checklist. They may also want to view this guide from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology on building technology infrastructure that supports digital learning.
4. Review accessibility features for testing, and finalize accommodations for students with disabilities and English learners
High schools should note that the following groups of students will not be expected to participate in the field tests: first-year EL students, students with disabilities who take the MCAS-Alt, and students with disabilities and EL students who require the unavailable accommodations listed below. Additional information on accessibility features and accommodations will be provided in the Principal’s Administration Instructions.
Unavailable accommodations:
· Paper-based edition
· Large-print edition
· Screen reader and Braille edition
· Refreshable Braille display/Braille note-taker
· Braille writer
Schools should update students’ IEPs and 504 plans to ensure that they will receive appropriate accommodations for testing.
For MCAS tests, all current and former EL students may use an approved bilingual word-to-word dictionary or glossary.
Tasks to Complete This Winter
1. Participate in training
Online training modules
Online training modules (i.e., narrated slides) can be used to prepare staff for completing administration tasks for CBT. Each module should take approximately 15 minutes to view.
Below is the list of modules and the approximate time when each will be available. Modules will be posted based on when schools need to complete tasks:
Modules that are currently available
· Student Registration/Personal Needs Profile (for all administrations)
· Accessibility Features and Accommodations
· Infrastructure Trial for Technology Coordinators
· Infrastructure Trial for Test Coordinators and Test Administrators
Modules that are expected to be available in 2018:
· Sessions Management(expected in January)
· Creating Sessions(expected in mid-March)
· Resolving Incorrect Accommodations(expected in mid-March)
· Moving Students Between Sessions(expected in mid-March)
Remote training sessions
View the Department’s Training Opportunities web page to see a list of the training sessions planned for 2018 (sessions for the field tests are noted in the first column). Once the link for registration becomes available, each session in the second table will move to the “Training Sessions Currently Being Offered” section at the top.
Support from Other Schools
High schools are encouraged to communicate with their district’s elementary and middle school MCAS test administration teams to discuss lessons learned from 2017 and to learn from their expertise. In addition, the Department has posted sample materials from schools and is planning to post additional materials in 2018.
2. Prepare the school community
Review technology skills with students.
Principals should review the Technology Skills for Students to Prepare for Computer-Based Assessment, which describes technology tools and skills that students will need to be successful in an online testing environment.
Additionally, schools should ensure that the curriculum incorporates digital learning in all content areas. Administrators may want to refer to the 2016 Massachusetts Digital Literacy and Computer Science (DLCS) Curriculum Framework.
Administer the student tutorial and practice tests.
The Department has a number of resources available for student practice. Schools are expected to review them with students to familiarize them with the tools and features that will be available during the field tests.
The student tutorial demonstrates the navigation, tools, and features available during the computer-based assessment. It may be helpful for educators to review the tutorial with students before the students complete the tutorial independently. In order for students to feel comfortable with the question types and tools, it is strongly recommended that sufficient time be scheduled for students to view the tutorial.
The practice tests are intended to help familiarize students with the tools and features of the online system, as well as provide test simulation practice in the classroom. Schools are encouraged to have students practice with the grade 8 computer-based practice tests that will be available in January 2018. CBT practice tests that are available for students include accessibility features and special edition text-to-speech accommodated test forms. (Please note: Screen reader and assistive technology (AT) special edition accommodated tests forms are not available for the field test.)
Additional resources:
· samples of student work from the grade 8 MCAS tests.
· ELA rubrics
· high school equation editor guide (to be posted at Pearson Support in January 2018)
· reference sheet for use on the grade 10 Mathematics field test (listed on the website as the 2019 grade 10 Mathematics reference sheet)
Prepare parents/guardians for the field tests.
Schools may want to use the sample letter for parents/guardians that will soon be posted at Spring 2018 Test Administration to communicate expectations for the field tests. The letter will also be available in Spanish-language edition.
Additional resources for parents are available on the Department’s website.
3. Familiarize yourself with test administration resources
The Department’s MCAS website