Indiana Reading Diagnostic Assessment-Online Frequently Asked Questions

There are a few major changes to the IRDA-Online for 2009-2010.

• No printed materials will be made available. Users can download PDFs for all materials once logged in. Click here for more information.
• Story Comprehension is no longer part of the IRDA. Click here for more information.
• Only users with school-wide access will be able to add and remove students from classes. Click here for more information.
• All schools have access to the Online Assessment. Teachers may choose how they want to administer the assessment--by paper or online--by selecting their choice on the Testing Options page located under the Testing and Scoring tab.
• A special Online Testing password will be issued to a school's users and will be entered prior to each student starting the Online Assessment. Click here for more information.

The Indiana Department of Education is shifting to an electronic delivery of the Indiana Reading Diagnostic Assessment. IRDA will now be available Online and through PDF files for printing your own paper materials. Schools will need to be signed up through IRDA-Online to access the assessment and print paper materials. Each teacher will need a username and password for IRDA-Online. Email us at irda@indiana.edu or call us at 1-800-377-1409 if you need assistance.

All materials are available in PDF format for download through IRDA-Online. Users may choose to download the full student booklet to administer the assessment on paper only, or download the Online Supplement booklet to use with the Online Assessment. Users must be logged in to IRDA-Online before they can download materials. Email us at irda@indiana.edu or call us at 1-800-377-1409 if you need assistance.

Log into the system and go to the Testing and Scoring tab. Choose the administration method (By Computer or By Paper) and then click on the links to download the appropriate materials. Email us at irda@indiana.edu or call us at 1-800-377-1409 if you need assistance.

Story Comprehension is no longer a part of IRDA for Kindergarten and First Grade. With the shift to electronic delivery, copyright permissions for stories are cost prohibitive. The Boat and Fun for One stories are still available for Comprehension at I-LRN on the CIA Web site. All reports and materials will reflect this change.

Some changes have been made to the IRDA-Online system in order to comply with the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) regulations regarding student confidentiality. Beginning with the 2009-2010 school year, teachers will have access to IRDA-Online data for their own students only. Administrators at the school or district level will be responsible for correctly assigning students to teachers so that teachers only have access to their own students' data. Only users with school or district level access will see the Students and Classes tab and be able to add or remove students from a class.

If, upon logging into the system, you do not see the Students and Classes tab, you are unable to add or remove students from your class. Users with school or district level access will have to add or remove students from your class. You will still be able to add student scores and view reports. Email us at irda@indiana.edu or call us at 1-800-377-1409 if you have questions.

Requiring a special password before students can take the Online Assessment is another security measure put in place for the 2009-2010 school year. This password is not the same as your regular password used to access the system in general. This new password can be used by every user at your school for the sole purpose of allowing students to take the Online Assessment.

You can request your school's testing password by going through the Online Testing Wizard, located under the Testing and Scoring tab. An email will be sent to you and/or other users at your school. The testing password is the same for every user and grade level. To ensure delivery of the email, make sure to add ciaweb@indiana.edu to your school's safe-sender list.

Make sure you enter your username exactly as it was issued. Use upper-case or lower-case letters as needed. If you still can't log in, click on Request a Username Reminder.

Click on Request a Username Reminder. An email will be sent to the address we have on file. If our system doesn't have the correct email address, you will not receive this reminder. In that case, email us at irda@indiana.edu or call us at 1-800-377-1409.

Click on Request a Password Reminder. An email will be sent to the address we have on file. If our system doesn't have the correct email address, you will not receive this reminder. In that case, email us at irda@indiana.edu or call us at 1-800-377-1409.

If you have not received the email message with your username or password, there may be a problem. Make sure to add ciaweb@indiana.edu to your safe-sender list and try again. If you still have not received your email message, you will need to email us at irda@indiana.edu or call us at 1-800-377-1409.

The email address you provided does not match any in our records. Email us at irda@indiana.edu or call us at 1-800-377-1409 for help.

Click on Request a Username Reminder. An email will be sent to the address we have on file. If our system doesn't have the correct email address, you will not receive this reminder. In that case, email us at irda@indiana.edu or call us at 1-800-377-1409.

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Your principal hasn't assigned permissions to your account yet. Have your principal log into the system and activate your account. If your principal doesn't have a username, he/she can email us at irda@indiana.edu or call us at 1-800-377-1409.

You should change your password upon logging into the Indiana Reading Diagnostic Assessment-Online for the first time. Access to the system is limited to ensure the security of student data; changing your password upon first logging in and periodically throughout the year prevents the likelihood that someone else will be able to access the system improperly.

The password you've chosen may be too short, too long, or may contain invalid symbols.
Passwords should be no less than six characters long and may contain letters or numbers in any combination.

We must have your email address in order to send username and password reminders. We will occasionally send emails containing Indiana Reading Diagnostic Assessment-Online news, training opportunities, and other information. If your school has a spam-blocker, make sure to add ciaweb@indiana.edu to your safe-sender list. If you would rather not receive these emails, email us at irda@indiana.edu or call us at 1-800-377-1409.

If you don’t have a school-issued email address, you can use your personal email address. If you don’t have one, you can get free email addresses on the Web at sites such as Hotmail, Yahoo, or Gmail. It is important that you access any email address you enter on a daily basis.

Make sure to keep your personal information up to date, including your email address, as this is an important way for us to keep in touch with you. Simply enter the new information in the boxes provided on the Account Options page and click Save Changes.

Go to the top of the Account Options page and choose the link Click Here to change your password.

The IRDA-Online Guide is designed to walk you through the system. When you log into the Indiana Reading Diagnostic Assessment-Online, the guide points out the section that you are most likely to need after your most recent task. For example, if you haven’t added students yet, the IRDA-Online Guide will direct you to add students. The IRDA-Online Guide is simply a help function and may not appear in all circumstances.

Site News includes a variety of information that teachers and administrators might need, such as information about new features and testing dates. Make sure to check Site News after you log in to get the latest information on the Indiana Reading Diagnostic Assessment-Online.

Activities links teachers and administrators to the Indiana Learning Resource Network
(I-LRN), which provides intervention suggestions for grades K-5. I-LRN also contains Story Comprehension stories The Boat and Fun for One.

Your Username Reminder will be sent to the email address we have on file for you. It can take up to two hours to receive a Username Reminder, but most users receive their Username Reminder within 10-15 minutes. If your school has a spam-blocker, make sure to add ciaweb@indiana.edu to your safe-sender list.

Username Reminders can take up to two hours to arrive. Delays may be caused by Web traffic or your school's network security system. If your school has a spam-blocker, make sure to add ciaweb@indiana.edu to your safe-sender list. Additionally, we may not have your most current email address. If you haven't received your Username Reminder after two hours, email us at irda@indiana.edu or call us at 1-800-377-1409.

Usernames cannot be changed. Only passwords can be changed.

Your Password Reminder will be sent to the email address we have on file for you. It can take up to two hours to receive a Password Reminder, but most users receive their Password Reminder within 10-15 minutes. If your school has a spam-blocker, make sure to add ciaweb@indiana.edu to your safe-sender list.

Password Reminders can take up to two hours to arrive. Delays may be caused by Web traffic or your school's network security system. If your school has a spam-blocker, make sure to add ciaweb@indiana.edu to your safe-sender list. Additionally, we may not have your most current email address. If you haven't received your Password Reminder after two hours, email us at irda@indiana.edu or call us at 1-800-377-1409.

Principals must read and accept certain conditions in order to use the Indiana Reading Diagnostic Assessment-Online. Once a principal has done this, he or she can unlock a school's authorized users' accounts and can edit the list of authorized users.

Principals must read and accept the agreement before they can unlock authorized users' accounts. Until an authorized user's account is unlocked, he or she cannot log into the system. If you have a problem or a question, email us at irda@indiana.edu or call us at 1-800-377-1409.

The purpose of this agreement is simply to inform principals of certain procedures and important information related to the Indiana Reading Diagnostic Assessment-Online. However, if you have questions or concerns, email us at irda@indiana.edu or call us at 1-800-377-1409.

It is very important that only the current principal has access to the Authorize Users page. Please email us at irda@indiana.edu or call us at 1-800-377-1409.

As a security measure, all user accounts (except for principals) were locked in July. Principals must authorize all users before they can log into the Web site. Principals should keep authorized user information current throughout the year by updating email addresses and access levels, and by removing users as needed. If you have a problem or question, email us at irda@indiana.edu or call us at 1-800-377-1409.

In order to comply with the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) regulations regarding student confidentiality, principals are responsible for assigning appropriate access levels to users. Most schools choose to authorize any staff member who will work with Indiana Reading Diagnostic Assessment data. Teachers, reading coaches, and Title 1 coordinators are the most commonly authorized users; some principals may choose to authorize secretaries, classroom assistants or outside consultants too. Principals have flexibility regarding authorized users, but should pay close attention to maintaining the school's list of authorized users and verifying that each user has the appropriate access level. If you have a problem or question, email us at irda@indiana.edu or call us at 1-800-377-1409.

A user's access level determines which students he or she can view and which areas of the system are visible. A teacher can only view his or her own class(es) in one or more grade levels. A reading coach, other school staff member, or a principal can view all classes in multiple grade levels. A principal can also add, edit, or remove users. As a security measure for 2009-2010, teachers will be unable to view the Students and Classes tab and so cannot add or remove students from their classes. Principals and other school-wide users (or district-level users) can add students to a class individually or uploading whole grade levels at a time.

Yes. Previously, a principal had to contact us to request the addition of a user; now, a principal can maintain his or her school's authorized users directly. If you have a problem or question, email us at irda@indiana.edu or call us at 1-800-377-1409.

Yes. It is very important that your school's Authorize Users page is kept up-to-date. Find the teacher's name on the list and click the Remove button. You will be asked to confirm your choice. This will remove the user as an authorized user for your school. If you have a problem or question, email us at irda@indiana.edu or call us at 1-800-377-1409.

You can change your school's information by clicking the Edit button, making your changes, and clicking the Save button.

If he/she will be accessing student data from multiple classrooms, he/she should be listed as a reading coach instead of a teacher. If you have a problem or question, email us at irda@indiana.edu
or call us at 1-800-377-1409.

All changes are saved immediately when you click the Save button. To verify that you have made all the changes you intended, click the Printer-Friendly View button, then print that page for your records.

If you are using Internet Explorer:

• Right-click anywhere on the screen and select Print.

If you are using Firefox:

• Go to the top of the screen and click File, then Print.

Every user will receive an email that contains his/her username and password, as well as general information about the Indiana Reading Diagnostic Assessment-Online. This information will only be disseminated by email, so it is important that the email address shown on the Authorize Users page is accurate. If your school has a spam-blocker, make sure to add ciaweb@indiana.edu to your safe-sender list. If you have a problem or question, email us at irda@indiana.edu or call us at 1-800-377-1409.

Students must be assigned to a class in order to set up online testing, enter scores or view reports. Beginning in 2009-2010, only users with school-wide access (principals, reading coaches, test coordinators) can add or remove students from a class.

First, you need to determine whether any student records already exist in the system. Students in the system are automatically advanced to the next grade level at the end of the school year. So, students in First Grade in 2008-2009 will now appear in Second Grade.

If student records already exist, you will probably only need to enter Kindergarten students and any students not in your school last year.

To determine if student records already exist for the grade level with which you will be working, follow these steps:

1. Click the Show Other Students in This Grade button.
2. Find a student who belongs in the class you are working with and click the Add to Class button.
3. Repeat this process until all of the students who belong to this class are moved from the list labeled Other Students in This Grade to the list of the teacher's class. By doing this, you are assigning students to a classroom and will now be able to enter scores and view reports for these students.

Now, you need to enter students who are not already in the system. You have two options for entering students into the system. You can enter each student individually or you can upload all new students at one time.

To enter a student individually (best for entering only one or two new students):

1. Click the Add a New Student to My Class button.
2. Enter the student’s last and first name (middle initial is optional).
3. Click Save.

To upload all new students at one time (best for entering three or more new students):

1. Create a Comma Separated Value (CSV) file. Click here for instructions.
2. Select the Upload Students tab.
3. Follow the steps listed by the Upload Students Wizard.

No, you can also upload a list of students all at one time. If your student lists are in a database or spreadsheet, you simply need to convert the file into an accepted format. Click here for more information.

Yes, existing student lists can be uploaded from a database or spreadsheet after you have converted them to an accepted format. Click here for more information.

No, students in the system are automatically advanced one grade level at the end of the school year. Users only need to enter students new to the school.

You need to distinguish between the identical names. One way you can do this is by including a middle initial for each student. You can also add a number to the end of one of the last names. For example, you can add students Dylan Thomas and Dylan Thomas2.

If a student you wish to add to a class isn’t available in Other Students in This Grade, you need to add him/her. Click Add a New Student to My Class and fill in the student’s information. If you have multiple students to enter, consider uploading your student list to save time. Click here for more information.

Yes, student information can be edited an unlimited number of times. Click the Edit button and make the necessary changes.

This depends upon which Remove option you choose. If you select Remove from School, the student will no longer appear under My Class or Other Students in This Grade and you will not be able to restore him/her on your own. If you select Remove from Class, the student will no longer appear under My Class, but he/she will still appear under Other Students in This Grade.

Students in the system are automatically advanced one grade level at the end of the school year. For a student to be retained in Kindergarten, find that student in First Grade. A student to be retained in First Grade will appear in Second Grade.

For students to be retained in Kindergarten or First Grade:

To retain a student, a user with access to First Grade (for students retained in Kindergarten) or Second Grade (for students retained in First Grade) will:

1. Go to the My Class tab and click the Show Other Students in This Grade button.
2. A list of all students in that grade level will be generated. Find the student to be retained and click the Remove button.
3. A pop-up window appears; select the Retain button and confirm your choice.
4. The retained student should now appear in the previous grade level under Other Students in This Grade. The student’s teacher can assign that student to his/her class.

For students to be retained in Second Grade:

Please contact the Center for Innovation in Assessment at irda@indiana.edu or call us at 1-800-377-1409 with your school name, the student’s full name and the grade level at which he/she should be retained.

Yes. When a user goes to his/her My Class tab, any student on that list is assigned to that user. Click the Show Other Students in This Grade button to see all other students in that grade level. If you see another teacher's name in the Teachers column of an entry for a student that belongs in your class, you can still assign the student to your class by clicking the Add to Class button. You and the other teacher will share access to that student's information.

Contact the Center for Innovation in Assessment with the student's name, her previous school and teacher names, and her new school and teacher names, so we can move the student's information to her new school. Contact us at irda@indiana.edu or call us at 1-800-377-1409.

If you are a teacher with only one class, you can only view that class.

If you had access to students last year, you should be able to view them by selecting the appropriate year from the drop-down menu. If you are unable to do this but think that you should have this capability, email us at irda@indiana.edu or call us at 1-800-377-1409.

Just select the appropriate grade level from the drop-down list. Once you click the Work with These Students button, the color scheme should change. The Kindergarten color scheme is red, First Grade is green and Second Grade is blue.

There are a couple of reasons why you might want to upload student information rather than enter students individually.

• Uploading a file is faster than entering every student individually. If you already have a class list available in a database or spreadsheet, you only need to convert the file into an accepted format. Even if you have to create a CSV file, it's a simple process.
• Creating a CSV file allows you to automatically assign students to a specific teacher. You can also upload student information for multiple classes within the same grade level while automatically assigning students to the correct teacher.

Our system can only accept CSV files for uploading student information. If you already have your student information in a database or spreadsheet, you just need to save the file as a CSV file.

If you already have your student information in a database (like Microsoft Access) or a spreadsheet (like Microsoft Excel), save the file as a CSV file by following these steps:

1. If your student information is in a database, export the file to a spreadsheet. Open the spreadsheet and remove any column headers (First Name, Last Name, etc.).
2. Click the File button and select Save As. Change the File Type to CSV (Comma Delimited or Comma Separated).

If you don't have an existing list of student information, you can create one by following these steps:

For PC Users: Open Notepad by clicking on the Start menu (lower left-hand corner of the desktop screen). Select Programs, then Accessories and Notepad.

For Mac Users: Open Simple Text by clicking on the Apple icon (top right-hand corner of desktop screen). Select Macintosh HD, then Applications and Simple Text.

• A CSV file for First and Second Grade students can contain up to five fields: Student First Name, Student Middle Initial (optional), Student Last Name, Teacher First Name (optional) and Teacher Last Name (optional). A CSV file for Kindergarten students can also contain either AM, PM, or FD, but only if a teacher first name and teacher last name are included too.
• Enter each student record on a separate line with each field separated by a comma (,) with no spaces. For example:

  Jenny,A,Smith,Karen,Roberts
  Adam,B,Miles,Karen,Roberts
  James,O,Carter,Karen,Roberts
  

Please note:

• If you do not include a teacher name in the CSV file, you will still have to assign each student to your class. To do this, find the uploaded student names under Other Students in This Grade and click the Add to Class button.
• If you include a teacher name in the file, it must be spelled exactly as it appears on the Authorize Users page or the Account Options page. If a teacher's name is entered as "Smith", the CSV file must also use "Smith", not "SMITH".
• You cannot enter duplicate student names. Make sure that students in the CSV file are not already in the system.
• Before completing the upload process, the system checks for errors. If errors are found (like duplicate students, incorrectly formatted data or incorrect teacher name), no student information will be uploaded until the errors are corrected.

The Upload Student Wizard will help guide you through the process. You will:

1. Browse to select the CSV file you want to use.
2. The system will check to make sure that the file is in an accepted format and that no errors exist in the file. You will receive a confirmation that the file is ready, or you will receive an error message that tells you what needs to be fixed.
3. Select the appropriate column headers to indentify the type of data each field represents.
   Using this example:

   Jenny,A,Smith,Karen,Roberts
   Adam,B,Miles,Karen,Roberts
   James,O,Carter,Karen,Roberts
   

   Jenny, Adam and James will have a column header of Student First Name, while Karen will have a column header of Teacher First Name. If the appropriate header is not available for an existing column, select Ignore.

4. The system will check to make sure that every column header is identified properly, that no column header is duplicate and will confirm the number of students uploaded. Either all of the students in the CSV file will be uploaded or none of them will.

If you have questions or problems with this process, email us at irda@indiana.edu
or call us at 1-800-377-1409.

Your CSV file contains some unacceptable data in one or more fields. Asterisks and other symbols are not recognized by the system. Please remove these symbols before proceeding with the upload process.

Make sure that the teacher name in the upload file is spelled exactly the way it appears on the Authorize Users or the Account Options page. If the teacher's name appears as "Smith" on one of these pages, the upload file should also contain "Smith," not "SMITH." Make sure that your upload file only contains students for a single school and a single grade. You can upload students for more than one teacher at a time, but only if they are from the same school and in the same grade.

Users may view IRDA-Online tutorials, located here.

The Online Assessment is a version of the Indiana Reading Diagnostic Assessment that is administered primarily by computer, rather than with paper booklets. The Online Assessment is part of the Indiana Reading Diagnostic Assessment-Online. The Indiana Reading Diagnostic Assessment-Online offers both an online record-keeping and reporting system (ROAR System) and the Online Assessment. All schools using the Indiana Reading Diagnostic Assessment have access to the record-keeping and reporting system, and the Online Assessment.

All schools may use the Online Assessment. Each teacher can decide how he or she wants to administer the assessment by selecting either the By Computer or By Paper option on the Testing Options page located on the Testing and Scoring page. If you have questions, email us at irda@indiana.edu or call us at 1-800-377-1409.

First Grade and Second Grade Online Assessment participants will begin Administration 1 in August. Kindergarten participants will take Administration 1 using the paper booklets only; Kindergarten participants will begin the Online Assessment with Administration 2 in January.

Users may view IRDA-Online tutorials, located here.

Since the Initial Screening must be administered one-on-one, Kindergarten students cannot take the assessment online. Kindergarten students will begin the Online Assessment during Administration 2.

Though a school may be designated as an Online Assessment participant, each teacher can choose how to administer the assessment.

If a teacher chooses to administer the assessment by computer, students will take most, but not all, of the assessment online. Kindergarten students will take the entire assessment on paper for Administration 1; Administration 2 can be taken primarily online, with Writing and portions of Phonemic Awareness given on paper. First Grade students will take Phonemic Awareness and Writing on paper. Second Grade students will answer the open-ended Comprehension questions on paper and complete Phonemic Awareness (optional) and Oral Reading Proficiency on paper. All paper-administered sections (except Writing) will be manually entered into the system. Everything a student answers by computer is automatically recorded. If a teacher chooses to administer the assessment by paper, all scores are entered manually. The scores of students who take the assessment online are automatically recorded.

No, the rest of the class can still take the assessment by computer, and the student with the IEP may use the paper assessment. You will enter all scores for the student with the IEP manually as well as other students' scores for sections not administered by computer (Oral Reading Proficiency, Phonemic Awareness for Kindergarten and First Grade and Comprehension open-ended responses and Phonemic Awareness (optional) for Second Grade).

Teachers can choose to enter scores per sub-section or per question. Per sub-section score entry will require 12-15 scores per student. Per question will require every score to be entered for every student. Per question score entry will take a little more time, but teachers can view more detailed reports.

Yes. You may switch options at any time, although this can result in a loss of data previously entered within the same administration. For this reason it is recommended that you choose a method of entering scores (per question or per sub-section) only once per administration.

Teachers may choose to present the questions in random order to prevent copying.

Teachers may choose to allow students to revisit questions to check their work. Students can only revisit questions within the same sub-section.

Teachers may also allow students to postpone answering a question until they reach the end of the sub-section. Students will be presented with the question again before moving on to the next sub-section and will be required to answer the question at that time.

Revisiting questions requires students to answer a question when it is presented, but a student may return to that question (within the same sub-section) and change the answer if desired.

Postponing questions allows students to skip a question temporarily, but requires that they answer the question before moving on to the next sub-section.

Ultimately, students must submit an answer for every question before moving on to the next sub-section. Choosing neither Revisit Questions nor Postpone Questions means that students' answers will be required before moving on to the next question, and their choice will be final upon clicking the Forward arrow.

No. Testing options are applied to the entire class.

Make sure to click the Save button before leaving the Testing Options page.

When no scores have been entered, an empty circle appears. A partially-filled circle indicates that some scores have been entered. When a circle is completely filled, all scores have been entered. Future administrations are marked by a circle with a line through it.

No. You can also use your keyboard to enter scores. Some users find this method lets them enter scores faster. Use the TAB key to move from score entry to score entry and type the letter C for correct, I for incorrect, or the number of points for multi-point questions.

You can also move backwards by using Shift-TAB. Please note that when you reach the end of one student's scores and press TAB, you will automatically move to the beginning of the next student's score entry table.

A score is saved right after you enter it, so if you are interrupted, you should be able to pick up where you left off by selecting that student. You can complete score entry for a student at any time. You can also change an existing score if it has been entered incorrectly.

Note: please do not replace existing scores with retest scores. For accurate reports, retest scores must only be entered in the retest section for that administration.

In some cases. The scores for questions administered online cannot be changed. Manually entered scores may be edited, but you should only change a student's score if it was entered incorrectly. To properly record scores and for report accuracy, retest scores should be entered in the retest section for that administration. Replacing a student's original score with a retest score will prevent you from showing your students' increasing achievement.

You can enter retest scores once scores have been entered for the original test by clicking the plus (+) sign next to Retest 1, located below that administration's scores. Only enter scores for the sections retested and leave the other questions blank.

These are called expander boxes, and they indicate that there are more items contained within that section name. When no more expansion is possible, the plus (+) sign changes to a minus (-) sign.

Click the Select button next to the name of the student whose scores you wish to enter. The score entry table will load on the right-side of the screen. You can begin entering scores by clicking the drop-down list and selecting a score, or you can use the TAB key.

Select Absent, Unable (for students unable to answer due to restrictions of some kind), or leave the box blank. Students who did not answer a question but who had the ability to do so should receive Incorrect or 0 points for multi-point questions.

Make sure you've chosen a level of detail located on the Testing Options page. You can select Per Sub-Section score entry or Per Question score entry. Per Sub-Section score entry requires 12-15 scores per student. Per Question score entry requires every score for every student.

Please note: reports are based on the volume of data available. When more scores are analyzed, more detailed reports can be provided. Most reports can be based upon Per Sub-Section score entry with no problem. The Standards report is greatly enhanced when Per Question score entry is used because the particular standards that the student needs help with can be pinpointed. Future reports will rely more heavily upon Per Question score entry.

Responses for questions answered by computer are automatically recorded, so you only need to enter Oral Reading Proficiency and Phonemic Awareness for Kindergarten and First Grade, and Comprehension open-ended responses and Phonemic Awareness (optional) for Second Grade.

No. Once students have answered a question online, you cannot change the score. You are allowed to see if the student answered correctly or incorrectly, but you cannot edit scores. You can change scores for sections of the assessment administered using the student booklets.

If a sub-section is administered online, its name is followed by (Online).

Second Grade students answer open-ended Comprehension questions on paper. Teachers score student responses and enter the scores manually. If open-ended questions have not been scored yet, the scoring status circle next to Comprehension will be white with a small dot in the center and the student total for that section will be N.

Expand the Comprehension section on the Scoring page. Questions that were answered online will show response as either correct or incorrect. These scores cannot be changed. Open-ended responses that require manual score entry will read "Not Scored." Select the correct score from the drop-down list. Click the Rubric link to see a list of possible responses for that question.

The Writing rubric is being tested and refined. Writing will appear in the scoring section next year.

The Online Testing Wizard guides you through the process of determining which sections of the assessment will be administered in a session, which students will take the assessment online, and which computer(s) you will be using. You will use the Online Testing Wizard at least once per administration.

These are the only sections that can be administered online. First Grade students will take Phonemic Awareness, Writing and Oral Reading Proficiency using their booklets. Second Grade students will take Writing, Oral Reading Proficiency and Phonemic Awareness (optional) using their booklets. Beginning with Administration 2, Kindergarten students will take Phonemic Awareness-Phoneme Blending and Sound Segmentation, and Writing using their booklets.

A student who cannot take the assessment online due to the requirements of his/her IEP or for another reason should have his/her checkbox cleared. All students whose checkboxes are enabled are eligible to take the assessment online at any time. Eligible students will choose their names from a list of students to begin taking the assessment.

No. Each class has a unique assessment Web address. Teachers who have more than one class (e.g. Kindergarten AM & PM or teachers with more than one grade level) will have a unique Web address for each class they teach. This Web address remains the same throughout the year.

This Web address is bookmarked on each computer to be used to administer the online assessment. Students will click on the bookmark to begin taking the online assessment.

You can print out the assessment Web address or you can email it to yourself or to your school’s technology professional. Each computer used to administer the online assessment must have the Web address bookmarked so students can access the online assessment.

Yes. You may use the Back button to return to the previous screen and change your options.

You can run the Online Testing Wizard as often as you wish by going to the Online Testing page located under the Testing and Scoring tab.

No. You can make changes to the choices in the Online Testing Wizard without bookmarking your Web address again.

These indicate the students’ scoring status. See the Scoring Status Key at the bottom of the page for Step 3 of the Online Testing Wizard for more information.

Sections that have not been completed are highlighted. Only sections that are available online are highlighted.

No. Run the Online Testing Wizard again and select only the section you want to retest. If you have several students who will be retested in different sections, you will need to run the Online Testing Wizard more than once to select the proper sections.

Create a test student for your class. When you click on your bookmarked Web address, select that student’s name from the list and proceed with the assessment. Do not attempt to access the assessment using a real student’s name. This will cause serious problems with that student’s scores.

You may enter scores for First Grade for Phonemic Awareness and Second Grade for Oral Reading Proficiency and Phonemic Awareness (optional) at any time by clicking on the Scoring tab located under the Testing and Scoring tab.

For a student’s name to appear on the list at the beginning of the online assessment, the checkbox next to his name in Step 3 of the Online Testing Wizard must be enabled. Go back to the Online Testing Wizard and enable the checkbox next to his name. If the checkbox is grayed out, the student has completed the online assessment. If the student's name is not listed in Step 3 of the Online Testing Wizard, you must return to the Students and Classes tab and add the student to your class.

Yes. Make sure the checkbox next to the student’s name is enabled. The student should click on the bookmarked Web address and choose her name from the list at the beginning of the assessment.

Go to the Testing Options page located under the Testing and Scoring tab and select By Paper instead of By Computer. Make sure to save your changes. You can administer the assessment using only the booklets and enter all scores manually on a per question basis.

Students work at their own pace, so the time each section requires will vary. Most students complete Phonics, Vocabulary and Comprehension in 15-20 minutes each.

• Student Reports are based upon data from an individual student:
  • Score Report-displays a student's section scores by administration
  • Skills Report-displays a leveled skill score that summarizes a student's skill development in each of several areas, such as Phonics, Vocabulary, Comprehension, and Phonemic Awareness, and compares it to the class average and the expected skill level (80%)
  • Standards Report-displays additional activities keyed to those Indiana Standards with which a student struggles
  • Back of Book Report-displays a student's sub-section and section scores, formatted to duplicate the back of the Student Booklet

• Class or Group Reports are based upon data from the class or group as a whole:
  • Score Report-displays each student's section scores by administration
  • Skills Report-displays a leveled skill score that summarizes skill development in each of several areas, such as Phonics, Vocabulary, Comprehension, and Phonemic Awareness. The score is averaged across the class or group.
  • Intervention Report-displays a list of students, by skill, who did not meet the expected skill level for an administration.

Most reports can be viewed when one or more students have scores entered for an administration. Some future reports that analyze multi-year performance will require that a student have scores entered for previous grade levels from past years. Please note that while a student may be counted among the eligible students, the report you view will not be complete if all scores have not been entered.

Student reports use data from an individual student; Class or Group reports use data from the class or group as a whole to analyze performance trends.

The Student Score report shows the raw section scores for an individual student. The Student Skills report displays leveled skill scores that summarizes skill development in each of several areas, such as Phonics, Vocabulary, Comprehension, and Phonemic Awareness, then compares the information to the class average and the expected skill level (80%).

Check Your View to determine which class or group you have currently selected. If you want to change the class or group, click on any part of the Your View link to go to the Select Class page. You can select an entire class or a group.

If you choose a student report, you can select one or more students in that class. Selecting multiple students results in a PDF file with multiple pages, with each page showing a report for a specific student.

Many teachers share reports with parents, administrators and other school staff. You might choose to keep each student's reports in a file or send some home. You can also save the PDF file on your computer to print at any time. To save a PDF file on your computer, go to the File menu and select Save As, then name the file and save in a convenient location.

You can export student scores in a CSV format to use in a spreadsheet program to analyze student performance. You may choose to include retest scores and may choose to export either section scores, sub-section scores or individual question scores.

Yes. Check Your View, located below the bottom set of tabs, to determine which year you have currently selected. If you want to change the year, click on any part of the Your View link to go to the Select Class page. Change the school year, then select the grade and teacher you want to work with, then click Work with These Students. Your View should now reflect the change(s) you made and you can now select reports.