Websites Proctor Interface (Test Management): http://admin-cla.cae.org do not attempt to visit a bookmarked version of this site Student Interface (Test Delivery): http://cla.cae.org do not attempt to visit a bookmarked version of this site Users Portal: http://usersportal.org ITS Technical Support 800.514.8494 Monday-Friday, 8AM-6PM EST: Press 3 Outside of business hours press 4 for immediate attention
Topic Table of Contents Page Quick Reference for Proctors Your Should Contact Your CLA Rep If... In Advance of Testing Overview Contacting Technical Support Room and Staffing Arrangements Accommodations for Students Requiring Additional Time Proctor Demonstration Capabilities Consent Forms The Proctor Interface Entering the Proctor Interface and Setting Up Users Home Page Creating New Users Local Survey (Optional) On the Day of Testing Checking Materials Creating a Session Proctor Session Details Proctor Script Student Interface Student Login Instructions Proctor Approval Re-Entry Procedures Password Lookup & Student Roster SLE: Special Instructions (if applicable) Scholastic Level Exam (SLE) Test Session Creation: Test Administration Selection Special SLE Proctor Instructions Student Perspective: SLE Technical Information Configuration Requirements Common Testing Issues & Troubleshooting 1 2 3-11 3 3 3-5 5 5 5 6 6 7 7-8 9-11 12-27 12 12-13 13-14 15 16 16-18 18-19 21 20-21 22-25 22 22 22 24-25 26-28 26 27-28
Quick Reference for Proctors The following Quick Reference list summarizes the proctoring procedures explained in this document. 1. Prior to testing... Run the System Check to verify your network capacity and ability to use the secure browser, available at http://cla-systemcheck.programworkshop.com and in the Help section of the Proctor Interface 2. Before students arrive... Make sure you have the phone number for your institution s computer services/help desk in case technical issues surface. On the day of testing, log in to the Proctor Interface and set up the day s session: Go to http://admin-cla.cae.org Log in using the authorized username and password Select Test Delivery Enter a Session Name and select the Test Administration Click Create Session, which will bring you to the Proctor Session page Record the Test Session Number Write the session number on the classroom board Note the location of the closest restroom, but request that students use the facilities prior to beginning the CLA Place a few pieces of scrap paper at each computer station (optional) At each workstation, open the Internet browser (recommended: Internet Explorer or Safari) to http://cla.cae.org and disable the pop-up blocker 3. Administering the CLA to Students... Ensure the testing room is ready, which will include disabling pop-up blockers Take attendance and place a sign on the outside of the classroom door noting that CLA testing is in progress When ready to begin the assessment, students should either watch the Student Overview video or the Proctor Script (found in this guide) must be read aloud to students Direct students to http://cla.cae.org Assist students with downloading of the secure browser Provide students with the Test Session Number Use the Waiting for Approval table to approve students into the CLA Verify the entire roster of students and click Approve All Waiting; or Approve students individually by clicking Approve next to each name If students ask you questions during the exam, refer them to the Help button on their screen If any irregularities occur during the test session, never create another student profile or move a student to a different computer; contact ITS. If the irregularity seems to be technical in nature, call ITS Technical Support at (800)-514-8494 or email CLAsupport@testsys.com. Contact your CLA Rep if you encounter an irresolvable problem. 4. When students have completed the CLA... Collect all scrap paper before students leave Email or call your CLA Rep to confirm all testing at your institution is finished Additional Notes All institutions are only assigned to one testing event. Contact your CLA Rep if you have any questions All CCLA students will need to take the Scholastic Level Exam (SLE) after completing the CLA If you have any questions, please feel free to contact your CLA Rep. Our team phone number is (212) 217-0700 1
Contact Your CLA Rep... If Your Institution Plans on Using: Thin Clients Virtual Machines XBoxes Cloud Environments Remote Desktops Laptops WiFi for test delivery Tablets If You Need Additional Information or Forms: CLA instructions for a demonstration session CLA Student Data File Crosswalk, highlighting any changes to variables in the Student Data Files from 2006 to present Informed Consent Form template Sample student flier to display on campus Sample correspondence emails and suggested timeline An explanation of the CLA s value-added methodology SLE sample questions A guide on using the SLE Instructions for requesting special accommodations or extended timing for students Reader Confidentiality Agreement forms Information on implications of testing over 100 students Kate Dobday kdobday@cae.org 212.217.0815 Mi Sun Kwon mkwon@cae.org 212.217.0865 Robert Keeley rkeeley@cae.org (212) 204-8406 Kelly Singer ksinger@cae.org 212.217.0839 ITS Technical Support (800) 514-8494 Monday-Friday, 8AM-6PM EST Outside of business hours press 4 for immediate attention. 2
In Advance of Testing Overview The CLA is delivered online through a secure browser and is designed to be completed in approximately 90 minutes. Total time spent on the CLA will vary by task type and by each individual student, so please expect the students to finish at different times. The assessment will include completion of either one 90-minute Performance Task or a 75-minute Analytic Writing Task (a combination of one 45-minute Make-an-Argument prompt and one 30-minute Critique-an-Argument prompt). Please note that if your institution has elected to administer the Scholastic Level Exam (SLE) to students without SAT/ACT scores, this will require an additional 12 minutes of testing time and an optional 3-minute tutorial. The assessment instruments must be administered under standardized and controlled testing conditions, with all students monitored by a proctor. If your institution does plan on using the SLE please note that your institution will only be assigned to one test administration. Proctors will be required to use utmost vigilance to ensure that only students that need to take the SLE exam do so. See your MOA for costs associated with using the SLE for students. It is imperative that you review all of the directions in this manual prior to the first test session so you are familiar with all aspects of test administrations. If you are coordinating the efforts of several proctors, we suggest an orientation for everyone where the contents of the Proctor Guide, as well as the CLA instrument itself, are reviewed. In addition, online training videos for proctors are available on the Users Portal, which can be accessed via http://usersportal.org/clavideos. The content of the training videos may change between assessment cycles, so all proctors are encouraged to view the proctor training videos prior to each testing window. Contacting Technical Support If you require technical support during a testing session occurring between 8:00 AM and 6:00 PM, EST Monday through Friday, please call (800) 514-8494 and press 3. You will be connected to the next available support representative at Internet Testing Systems (ITS). As a backup, you may also dial ITS s local telephone number, (410) 889-2200. If you require technical support outside of the hours stated above, please call (800) 514-9494, press 4 for immediate attention, and then press # to have the system locate an on-call support representative. Please be patient while the system pages on-call technical support representatives, one of whom should answer within a few minutes. As a backup, you may also dial ITS s local telephone number, (410) 889-2200, and press 4 for immediate attention, then press # to have the system locate a support representative. Room and Staffing Arrangements The test sessions should take place in a computer laboratory (or a room equipped with one computer for each individual taking the exam) with a high speed Internet connection. Students should have enough space to work on a computer without distracting other students. Ideally, the room will have a telephone (or the proctor will have access to a cell phone) should there be a need to contact the technical support team at ITS. Staff should be familiar with the computers in order to assist any student who experiences hardware or software problems. Typically, test sessions will require approximately one proctor per 30 students and a minimum of one proctor per room (if multiple rooms are used). Please visit the room where the test will be administered in advance, especially if you are not already familiar with the facilities. At least one week before testing, you should run the System Check to ensure that your computer and network settings are compatible with CLA testing requirements. The System Check is available at http://cla-systemcheck.programworkshop.com and in the Help section of the Proctor Interface. Please note: both the Student Interface and the Proctor Interface are supported by Windows and Mac operating systems. Please see the CLA Configuration Requirements document at the end of this guide for browser compatibility information. No specific software is required, but you may need to make adjustments to your current settings (e.g., disable pop-up blocker). 3
Room and Staffing Arrangements (Continued) System Check 4
Room and Staffing Arrangements (continued) On the day of the assessment, we recommend that you arrive 30 minutes in advance, and allot approximately 3 hours for each session of testing. All testing sessions must be created on the Proctor Interface the same day that testing will take place; you do not have the ability to set up testing sessions prior to the day of testing. Upon arrival at the testing location, find the nearest bathrooms so that you can advise students of their locations accordingly. Students should be advised to use the restroom before beginning the test. If students need to leave during the test, they will need to log out of their testing session, sign back in with their email address and password, and then be re-approved by the proctor to continue testing. Put a sign on the door indicating that the room is in use for testing. You may supply scrap paper to students for use during the assessment; remember to collect all scrap paper from students at the conclusion of the assessment. The CLA does not allow the use of a calculator. Accommodations for Students Requiring Additional Time If any students require additional time for the CLA (time and a half or double time), please contact your CLA Rep at least two weeks in advance of the scheduled testing date. Documentation from your school will need to be provided for each student. Your CLA Rep will provide guidance for this accommodation. Proctor Demonstration Capabilities If you wish to practice student testing procedures prior to a scheduled test date, or if you would like your faculty and/or proctors to view the CLA, you will need to create a separate demonstration session. Please contact your CLA Rep for instructions on creating demonstration sessions. Consent Forms Recognizing that securing student consent is a process best directed by individual schools, CLA does not require Informed Consent Forms. Please consult your Institutional Research office to determine local requirements. For your convenience, electronic consent form templates are available upon request from your CLA Rep. 5
The Proctor Interface Once your institution has submitted your Testing Plan online, you will receive a password to access the Proctor Interface. The Proctor Interface was developed to provide individual institutions flexibility in managing CLA testing on their campuses. Proctors are responsible for setting up the test session(s) on each day of testing; each individual test session will expire at 11:59 PM local time on the test day. Sessions cannot be set up prior to the day of testing. Only registered users will have the ability to access the Proctor Interface and administer the CLA. If you plan to host one session at a time, you will only need to register one proctor (this can be a generic proctor name, email address and password distributed to all proctors on your campus). If your institution plans to host multiple test sessions simultaneously, each proctor must have a unique login for the Proctor Interface. Details on creating additional users appear later in this guide. Entering the Proctor Interface and Setting Up Users To access the Proctor Interface, type in the following URL: http://admin-cla.cae.org. Please be sure to type the URL each time you visit the website. Please do not attempt to access the Proctor Interface via a bookmark, as doing so may cause complications during testing. After entering your username (typically your institutional email address) and password (provided upon submission of your Testing Plan), click Submit. For security purposes, you will be asked to change your Proctor Interface password upon your initial login. If you have previously administered the CLA, please note that all Proctor Interface passwords are reset each test administration. Submitting your institution s Testing Plan will generate a new password for you (and users already set up at your institution). Please contact your institution s primary contact for your new password. 6
Home Page Once logged in, you will see the Home Page. This page provides a brief welcome message and a table outlining the features available to you on the Proctor Interface. The available components appear within the menu on the left-hand side of your screen. Creating New Users Primary contacts are granted the ability to Create and Modify Users (adding additional users) for your institution. Only users with permissions set to Create and Modify Users will be able to view the Users Page. From the Home Page, click the Users menu item on the left-hand side of your screen, which will bring up a list of all currently approved users at your institution. Users with permissions to create and modify user profiles may edit the currently approved proctors, if necessary. If you need to add additional users, click Create a New User near the top right of your screen. 7
Creating New Users (continued) Fill out all required fields (indicated by red asterisks). The User is Active box and the Allow Access box should be checked. Note that the username can be an email address or a unique ID of your choosing. Once all of the necessary fields are filled in, click Save near the top right of your screen. Clicking on the Users function on the left-hand menu will bring up an updated list of users at your institution. You can repeat the above steps if additional users are required. Only users with permissions set to Create and Modify Users will be able to view the Users Page. Users that are created with Administrative Access set to None will not be able to view the Users Page when logged in to the Proctor Interface. The individual at your institution who will be responsible for submitting registrar data must have an account on the Proctor Interface. To grant another user access to the Registrar Data Tool the primary contact must set the user s role as an Administrator from the drop down selection under the Program Access Table. This can be done by the primary contact or another user with Create and Modify permissions. Please refer to the Registrar Data Tool guide on the Users Portal for complete instructions on how to submit your institution s registrar data, which can be updated throughout the administration. 8
Optional Local Survey Local Survey questions must be set up before the first student tests within a test administration, as they may not be edited once your institution begins testing. Proctors have the ability to add Local Survey questions that will be presented to students as part of the Student Profile when they log in to take the CLA. Results will be collected and sent to your institution in your Student Data File along with students CLA results. Your institution may practice setting up the Local Survey in the demonstration event. Contact your CLA Rep for more information on acquiring access to the demonstration event. Please note, any Local Survey questions you create will automatically be applied to all test sessions that occur within each active Test Administration in the CLA testing window. Local Survey questions must be set up before the first student tests within a test administration, as they may not be edited once your institution begins testing. To create a Local Survey for your institution, select Test Administrations from the menu on the left. This will bring you to the Test Administrations Page, which will display the Active Test Administrations to which your institution has been assigned. Fall [current year] CLA will be listed during the fall testing window and Spring [current year] CLA will be listed during the spring testing window (see next image). Again, questions must be set up before students begin to test. 9
Local Survey (continued) Use the Active Test Administrations table to identify the Test Administration(s) to which you would like to add Local Survey questions. Remember, the Local Survey questions will automatically be applied to every session created within a test administration. Once you have identified the relevant Test Administration for your Local Survey, click Custom Questions under the Manage column. Doing so will bring up the Configure Custom Questions page, as illustrated in the next image. On the Configure Custom Questions page, you may configure up to nine survey questions, with up to six response options per question. Instructions on adding Local Survey questions appear in the yellow box at the top of the screen, but please keep in mind that response options must be separated by a vertical bar ( ) without commas or spaces. To create a vertical bar, hold the shift key and press the backslash key. Please avoid using hyphens, dashes, or ampersands in your survey questions and response options. To create ratios, such as 1:2, please enter the ratio in text form: One to two. If questions and answers are not configured by following the above parameters there may be errors in the rendering of the data in your institution s student data file. An expanded list of sample questions with associated response options are available in the Local Survey document on the Users Portal. Once you have entered all of your questions and response options, click Save near the top right of your screen. 10
Local Survey (continued) During the CLA testing window, proctors will have the ability to view aggregate student responses to the Local Survey questions. On the Test Administrations page, click Custom Questions under the Manage column in the Active Test Administrations table. Once you click Custom Questions you will be brought to the View Local Survey Questions Page, shown below, which will show the aggregated results as the students test. The results will also be available after testing is complete. This page provides counts and percentages of students across available responses for each Local Survey question. Students who choose not to answer a question will be totaled under No Response. 11
On the Day of Testing This section details the steps necessary to proceed with the CLA on the scheduled date and time of a test session. You may use the Quick Reference for Proctors together with this section. Remember to conduct the System Check prior to testing; this can be found in the Help section of the Proctor Interface, and further information is available in this document. Checking Materials On the day of testing, we suggest you bring the following: Proctor Guide, and the following sections in particular: Quick Reference for Proctors CLA Configuration Requirements Pencils and scraps of paper (for students taking the SLE, if applicable) We encourage you to distribute copies of the Proctor Guide to all proctors for reference at each test session. Creating a Session Enter the Proctor Interface, then select Test Delivery on the left, which will bring you to the screen shown below. If you or other proctors at your institution have already created sessions for the day, or have created sessions for past days within the current testing window, those sessions will appear in table format as shown in the image below. This information will clear at the end of each test administration. 12
Creating a Session (continued) The three steps required to create a new session are outlined below. If all testing will take place during one session on one day, we recommend creating unique test sessions for each proctor so attendance and approving students into the interface may be done carefully and accurately. All other testing scenarios will require the creation of multiple testing sessions. As a reminder, sessions must be created on the day of testing (not before) and will expire at 11:59 PM local time on the day of the session. 1. Enter a Session Name under Create a New Session. The name of the session can be anything you wish. We recommend using unique session names for each individual session; as an example, you may name your session after the proctor, locations, and the time of testing. 2. Select your CLA testing event from the Test Administration drop-down menu. Standard four-year institutions and twoyear institutions will select the Fall [current year] CLA Test Administration in the fall testing window and the Spring [current year] CLA Test Administration in the spring testing window. 3. Click Create Session 4. Optional: Configure Local Survey questions Reminder: Please note, if your institution indicated on the Testing Plan that you need the SLE for students who do not have SAT or ACT scores that all sessions will include the SLE. Contact your CLA Rep immediately if you need the SLE, but you did not indicate this on the Testing Plan. Proctors must use additional vigilance to ensure that only students who need the SLE continue on to that portion of the test. Administrators must provide a list of students who need the SLE to be included in the representative sample. Please see your MOA for SLE costs at your institution. Proctor Session Details Once you create your session, you will be brought to the Proctor Session Page. This page will provide the Test Session Number, which students use to access the CLA. You will also use this page to approve students into the CLA. The next screenshot illustrates what the page will look like if there are no students waiting for proctor approval. 13
Proctor Session Details (continued) The next screenshot illustrates what the page will look like if there are students waiting for proctor approval. You have two options to approve the students into the CLA: you may click Approve next to each individual student name, or you may click Approve All Waiting (top right of Waiting for Approval table) to approve the students as a group. To view a roster of the students who tested within the active CLA testing window, select Test Administrations on the left-hand menu and then click on the hyperlinked number of students tested under the Students column. This will bring up the Students Tested Page, illustrated in the next image. This list will be populated with all students that have tested within the active CLA testing window. 14
Standardizing Testing: Proctor Script or Student Overview Video Proctors have two options before students enter the Student Interface: 1. Read the Proctor Script below or 2. Instruct students to watch the Student Overview video before they download the secure browser. To do so, students must click the icon for the Student Overview video on http://cla.cae.org Then students should download the secure browser and continue to log into the CWRA exam Please read the script in the bordered boxes below to students when you are ready to begin the CLA. It is important to adhere to this script because it enables standardization of testing environments within and across institutions. Thank you for coming today to take the Collegiate Learning Assessment. Your performance on this test will help (name of college or university) assess how it contributes to your critical thinking and writing skills. It is important that you put forth your best effort on this assessment. As a test-taker you will complete one of two tasks: a Performance Task or an Analytic Writing Task. If you are issued a Performance Task, you will be presented with a document library and a series of questions. If you are presented with an Analytic Writing Task, you will be issued two separate prompts. Because the task types vary, the amount of time each of you will need to complete your task will likely vary, as well. The entire testing process will take up to 90 minutes. For test security reasons, we ask that you do not discuss the specific contents of the exam with other students. Testing will occur through a secure Internet browser; you will not be able to access websites or computer files while testing. Please launch the CLA by going to http://cla.cae.org (or clicking the CLA icon if one appears on your computer s desktop). When you are ready, please enter the following Test Session Number:, and fill out the requested information in the student profile presented to you. Please do not talk during the assessment. Raise your hand if you have any questions or difficulty with your computer. If for some reason you are unintentionally logged out of the assessment, please notify me immediately. SLE Proctor Script Addition *If your institution is using the SLE read the following before continuing with the above Proctor Script: The entire testing process will take up to 105 minutes. After completing either the Performance Task or Analytic Writing Task, you will complete a 3-minute tutorial followed by a 12-minute academic ability test. In order for your CLA exam to be considered valid, it is important that you complete the academic ability test without interruption. It is vital that proctors do not comment on, or add in any way to, the assessment. During the session, if the student has a task-related question, say, Do the best you can or refer them to the Help button on their computer screen. 15
Student Interface Student Login Instructions This section outlines the CLA experience from the student perspective. To begin the assessment, students computers must be open to the CLA Student Interface: http://cla.cae.org As a precaution, please: Do not allow students to use a bookmarked version of this website Disable pop-up blockers on all computers prior to testing Secure Browser Students will take the CLA through a secure browser, which prohibits access to any other programs. To download the secure browser, students testing on a PC will click the Download Button on the Student Interface. They will select Run to access the CLA in secure browser mode. Mac users will click the Download Button, prompting the browser to automatically begin downloading to a default location (usually the desktop). If the computer does not automatically unzip the file, double-click the file to decompress the secure browser. At this point, Mac users may double-click the icon on the desktop and begin the CLA. Session Number Students will enter in the relevant Test Session Number provided by the proctor and click Submit. 16
Student Login Instructions (continued) Next, students will enter their email addresses. Student score notifications will be sent to the email addresses provided here unless the institution indicates otherwise. In most cases, when asked if they have a password, students should select No, I have not registered. Students who have previously taken the CLA (in most cases as freshman) hould select Yes I Have a Password and enter the same email addresses and passwords they used when they first tested. Students will be asked to complete a Student Profile. Accurate information in the profile is necessary to facilitate the subsequent collection of CLA registrar data. If your institution is using the Local Survey, students will be presented with all Local Survey questions at the bottom of the profile screen. Response choices are presented to the students in the form of a drop-down menu. With Student Profile information entered and Local Survey questions answered, students should click Submit at the bottom of their screens. 17
Student Login Instructions (continued) After completing the login profile, students will then see the following screen. They will not be able to begin the CLA until they receive proctor approval. Proctor Approval At this point, the proctor must approve students for access to the CLA. As a reminder, this process takes place on the Proctor Session Page which appears after you have created and saved the relevant session, on the day of testing. As illustrated in the next screenshot, and mentioned earlier in this manual, you will approve students into the test once they appear in the Waiting for Approval table. This page automatically refreshes every 30 seconds. You must approve each student into the exam. To do this, you can wait until all students in the room appear in the Waiting for Approval table. After verifying the list of names on your screen, select Approve All Waiting. Alternatively, you may approve students individually by clicking on Approve next to their names. Please see the next screenshot for an illustration of the approval process from the proctor s perspective. 18
Proctor Approval (continued) Students are then ready to begin the CLA. Once you have approved your students, they will see the Start Page, as seen in the next screenshot. Students should click Start Online and the CLA will launch. Students will have the opportunity to view a short tutorial before beginning the exam. You should encourage your students to read through the tutorial so they will be familiar with the Student Interface before they proceed to their task. Re-Entry Procedures If, during the testing session, a student reports having been logged out (and did not click past the yellow warning screen), you should investigate the situation. If you judge that the student was not engaging in any unauthorized activity, the student will need to sign in again on the login page (http://cla.cae.org). The student should select Yes, I have a password and then enter the same email and password used to initially access the Student Interface. You will need to re-authorize the student by going to the Proctor Session Page and finding that student under Waiting for Approval, so the student can continue with the assessment. Proctors should check to see what the student status is in the Test Delivery component. If the student is marked as complete you will need to call ITS. If you have technical problems, first see Common Testing Issues and Troubleshooting (in red) at the end of this document. If the issue persists, please contact Internet Testing Systems at (800) 514-8494. Please do not issue the student a new exam or have the student move to a new computer until you have first attempted the re-entry procedures with ITS. 19
Password Lookup & Student Roster Primarily for seniors, students re-entering the CLA should sign in using the same email addresses and passwords they used to test the first time. For students who have forgotten their passwords, you can look up the information in one of two ways. The simplest method is illustrated in the next screenshot: using the Students menu item, which allows you to search for students by name or ID number in the search bar. You can also use the Browse Students table to either search for All students or search By Last Name. Please note, using either of the features in the Browse Students table will bring up all students who have ever tested at your institution; it will not filter by the active CLA test administration. The next screenshot illustrates what the results of an All search might look like. Your search will return the student s ID, last name, first name, middle initial, date of birth, username (email address), and password. 20
Password Lookup & Student Roster (continued) The Test Administrations Page allows you to view a roster of the students that participated within the active test administration. Once students have tested at your institution, you will see a hyperlinked number under the Students column in the Active Test Administrations table that you may click to view a list of all students who have tested within the current CLA testing window. Rosters for past test administrations are also available. The next image illustrates the hyperlinked number, which will correspond to the number of students tested within the CLA window. The Students Tested Page within the Test Administration component will return a roster with the same information as the Search component: Student ID, Last Name, First Name, Middle Initial, Date of Birth, Username (email address), and Password. The next screenshot illustrates what you will see once you click on the hyperlinked number. 21
SLE: Special Instructions (if applicable) Scholastic Level Exam (SLE) The Scholastic Level Exam is a 12-minute, multiple-choice test that serves as a proxy for estimating entering academic ability when students do not have SAT or ACT scores. The test also includes a 3-minute tutorial. Students take the SLE after completing either a Performance Task or Analytic Writing Task. Each institution must note whether it intends to use the SLE when submitting its Testing Plan. We recommend having all students who need the SLE in one test session. Otherwise, all proctors should be provided a list of students who need to take the SLE to be included in the institutional analysis. Students who do not require the SLE should be instructed to complete their task, log out, and leave the testing environment. Please see your MOA for SLE costs. All community colleges must include the SLE as part of their testing plan. Session Creation: Test Administration Selection If you will be testing any students who do not have SAT or ACT scores, you will be assigned to the CLA + SLE product package, which will appear in the Test Administration drop-down menu. In fall 2012, this test administration will be called Fall [current year] CLA + SLE; in spring, this test administration will be called Spring [current year] CLA + SLE. Special SLE Proctor Instructions It is critical that students complete the SLE without interruption in order to ensure the highest degree of result validity. With this in mind, proctors must be vigilant while students complete this assessment. If the exam has been interrupted, proctors will need to dismiss the student from the exam (i.e., ask the student to log out of the testing environment) and thank the student for participating. Students who do not complete the SLE will not be included in institutional analyses unless the institution is able to provide SAT or ACT scores for those students. As such, please reiterate to your students the importance of completing the exam without interruption. Proctors can determine students progress in the SLE by referring to the Location in Test table on the Session Page. We recommend that students have two pencils and a piece of scrap paper available on the day of testing. Please plan and distribute these materials accordingly. All scrap paper should be collected and discarded at the conclusion of the testing session. Calculators are not permitted for the SLE. 22
Student Perspective: SLE Upon completion of either a Performance Task or Analytic Writing Task, students will be redirected to the Start Page. To access the SLE, students should select the Start Online link as shown in the following screenshot. For valid results, students must complete the SLE without interruption. After students review the instructions and go through three practice test questions, they must select the Mark Complete button on the review screen, which will trigger a pop-up (see following screenshot). This pop-up is part of the tutorial and is included to imitate the test environment the students will enter after clicking OK. We draw your attention to this feature just in case there is any confusion on the part of students on the day of testing. 23
Student Perspective - SLE (continued) At the end of the SLE, each student will encounter one of three End Session pop-up messages, depending on the individual s progress within the measure. The messages may cause confusion, so please refer to the following screenshots to familiarize yourself with the pop-up windows and their messages. If a student enters a response for each question and elects to end the assessment before the allotted time expires, the student s screen will be updated and the student will receive a notification, as reflected in the following screenshot. The corresponding message reads: You have elected to end this section and understand that you will be unable to return to this section If a student does not respond to each question and ends the assessment before the allotted time expires, the student s screen will update with a pop-up notification, as in the following screenshot. The message in this instance is slightly different: You have elected to end this section and understand that you have not fully answered all items. Incomplete items will be marked as incorrect. 24
Student Perspective - SLE (continued) If time expires while a student is in the midst of taking the SLE, the screen will appear as in the screenshot below. The message in this case reads: The time allowed for this test is over. Do not be concerned if you did not complete every item; that is to be expected. After clicking OK on any of the above pop-up windows, students will be greeted with a screen confirming that the SLE portion of the CLA is finished. Students may then exit the CLA browser. 25
Configuration Requirements Please remember to conduct the System Check prior to your testing session(s). The System Check can be accessed using the following URL: http://cla-systemcheck.programworkshop.com. The System Check can also be accessed via the Help section of the Proctor Interface. This page includes a list of supported and recommended browsers, connection speeds, and hardware. Student Interface Proctor Interface PC Internet Explorer 5.5 or higher (preferred) Internet Explorer 5.5 or higher Safari 3.0 or higher Firefox 2.0 or higher Chrome 3.0 or higher *Mac Safari 1.3 or higher Safari 1.3 or higher Firefox 2.0 or higher Chrome 5.0 or higher *Mac Users, Please Note: The Copy and Paste option does not move text between response boxes on a Mac. A student may copy and paste within a response box, however the cache clears between questions so no information can be copied into a separate response box. Internet Connection While dial-up modems are supported, we recommend a broadband connection (DSL, Cable, or T1) for best results. Monitor Size We recommend a 17 monitor or larger. Resolution Tests can be delivered at any resolution. Most are designed for resolutions of 800x600 or better. We recommend a 1024x768 resolution. Color Depth On Windows, the highest resolution is 32-bit color. 97% of users have 16-bit color or greater. Although 8-bit color resolution is supported, it may not present complex graphics perfectly. We recommend a 16-bit color depth or greater. Please contact your CLA Rep if you plan on using: Thin Clients Virtual Machines XBoxes Cloud Environments Remote Desktops Laptops WiFi for test delivery Tablets 26
Common Testing Issues and Troubleshooting Through feedback collected from institutions, we have compiled four common testing issues and solutions. Scenario 1: While testing in the Student Interface, a student has clicked through the test, moving past the yellow warning screen that says: Warning! Time remaining. This is the end of the task. You have not used all the time allotted for completing this task. Once you click Next you will Not be allowed to return to this task. If you would like to review your responses, please use the Back button. Click the Next button only if you are finished with the task. In this scenario, the student will appear as complete on the Proctor Session Page. Solution: If this occurs, the proctor should call ITS Tech Support, and an ITS specialist will grant the student access back into the CLA. If the student has already left the computer lab, your institution has 48 hours for that student to receive access to the CLA again and complete the assessment. Scenario 2: A student s computer fails during testing, causing the student to be logged off of the Student Interface, or a power outage occurs during testing. Solution: If this happens during testing, your institution will have one week for the student to log back in using the same username and password. The student s work and location in the exam will be saved automatically (the system automatically saves student answers every 30 seconds while students are testing). The remaining time will resume when the student logs back in. Scenario 3: A test may freeze when the Internet connection becomes slow, causing the connection to time out. Solution: In these cases we advise you to clear the cache and resume. In Internet Explorer this can be found under Tools and then Internet Options. When the window appears, click Delete under Browsing History. When prompted, delete all files Temporary Internet Files, Cookies, and History. It is also recommended you restart your computer after. In Safari this can be found under Preferences in the Security tab on the top. Click the Show Cookies button and then Remove All. It is also recommended that you restart your computer after. 27
Common Testing Issues and Troubleshooting (continued) Scenario 4: A student completes the exam and clicks exit and is brought back to the login page instead of receiving messaging that he or she has completed the task and should close the browser. Solution: Proctors should not worry if this occurs. This is often the result of local browser settings. Instruct the student to exit the Student Interface by closing the browser. By default, a student s work is saved every thirty seconds and by clicking exit the task is marked complete. Communication Errors If you are receiving communication errors, restart with your local Internet connection. This doesn t necessarily mean that the connection is down, but it usually means that the connection was running at a high level at that time, causing the connection to slow down to a point at which it timed out. This can happen because your Internet connection is shared with other people around you, so the more people that are using the Internet, the slower your connection will be. When your connection slows down, it can cause your test link to disconnect. This is probably what happened with your test connection, thus causing the error message you received. You should be able to click OK to continue testing when those messages appear. If you continue to have issues, you should close out of the test altogether and restart your computer. When the computer powers up again, please log in to your test again and you will be able to pick up where you left off. If this continues to happen, please contact ITS Tech Support. 28