Maine Educational Assessments (MEA) For Mathematics and English Language Arts/Literacy

Transcription

1 Maine Educational Assessments (MEA) For Mathematics and English Language Arts/Literacy empower ME (Grades 3-8) Client Installation Guide (updated 2/19/16) March 2016

2 Measured Progress is a registered trademark of Measured Progress, Inc. The Measured Progress logo is a trademark of Measured Progress, Inc. All rights reserved emetric, LLC. This document, including any and all attachments, contains the proprietary and confidential information of emetric. It is not to be distributed to any party without the explicit written consent of emetric. itester is a registered trademark of emetric, LLC.

3 Contents Introduction... 5 Purpose... 5 Process... 5 Technical Support... 5 empowermea Workstation Client... 7 Student Workstation Requirements... 7 Testing Environment... 8 Testing Environment Setup... 8 Network Connectivity... 9 Bandwidth... 9 Thin-Client Environments Monitor Settings Default Voice Settings for Text-to-Speech Accommodations Windows Client Installation Set up your school testing environment Download the empowermea Client Install the downloaded Client Windows MSI Package Scripted Installation Script Examples Windows MSI Package Installation via Group Policy Windows Network Client Installation Mac Client Installation Set up your school testing environment Download the empowermea Client Install the downloaded Client Linux Client Installation Set up your school testing environment Download the empowermea Client Install the downloaded Client ipad Application Installation Download the empowermea app from the Apple App Store Enable Guided Access Work with Guided Access Maine Educational Assessments 3

4 Chromebook Application Installation Managed Chromebooks Non-Managed Chromebooks Managed Chromebooks: Turn off auto-update Workstation Readiness Testing and Site Certification Purpose Workstation Readiness Testing Find the Workstation Readiness account information Authenticate every computer or computer configuration to be used for testing Site Certification Maine Educational Assessments 4

5 Introduction Purpose This document is intended for technology personnel responsible for setting up the Maine Educational Assessments (MEA) online-testing environment in participating districts and buildings. There are two components of the MEA online testing platform: the online Portal, used by school and district administrators, and the workstation Client, used by students for testing. This document contains instructions for installing the empowermea Client and conducting workstation readiness testing on workstations and devices used for online testing. For more information on working with the online Portal, see the MEA Portal User Guide, which is available on the MEA Help & Support page: Process To install and set up the Clients for your building: 1. Review the workstation requirements to ensure that you have the correct equipment for student testing. 2. Configure your testing environment to support student testing on the Client kiosk. 3. Download and install the appropriate Client to each workstation, tablet, or other device that will be used for testing: Windows Mac Linux ipad application Chromebook application 4. Complete the Workstation Readiness (WSR) tests, which perform a system check and provide a testing simulation scenario for each workstation or workstation configuration. Tip: To ensure that the testing environment is ready for students on time, we recommend that you run the WSR tests directly after installing the workstation Clients. 5. When all of the configurations to be used for student testing are ready, certify your site for student testing. Technical Support If you experience any difficulty downloading or installing the empowermea Client, contact the Measured Progress Service Desk at maineservicecenter@measuredprogress.org or Maine Educational Assessments 5

6 For questions about the test administration or other technical information, contact: For questions or information regarding MEA policy and testing procedures, contact: Measured Progress Service Desk Toll Free: 1 (855) maineservicecenter@measuredprogress.org Maine Department of Education Nancy Godfrey, Assessment Coordinator nancy.godfrey@maine.gov or Website: Maine Educational Assessments 6

7 empowermea Workstation Client The empowermea Client refers to the student interface used for online testing. The Client is a cross-platform, rich Internet application that employs the industry s highest standards in security, reliability, and usability for high-stakes assessment. The Client runs seamlessly on Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems. Tablets such as ipads, with and without external keyboards, and devices such as Chromebooks are also supported. Student Workstation Requirements It is important to set up the testing environment in accordance with the workstation requirements to ensure a proper setup for your students. The following table lists the system requirements for student workstations used in online testing. Important: Computers meeting only the minimum specifications should be verified thoroughly using the Workstation Readiness test to identify any performance-related issues. For more information, see Workstation Readiness and Site Certification. System Requirements All Hardware Connectivity Screen Size Must be able to connect to the internet via wired or wireless networks 9.7 screen size or larger/ 10-inch class tablets or larger Screen Resolution 1024 x 768 CPU Memory Browsers (Used for Practice Test ONLY) Headphone/Earphone/Ear Buds Input Device 1.2 GHz 1 GB (2 GB is strongly recommended for best performance) Internet Explorer Firefox Chrome browser 34 or newer Safari 5 or newer Headphones/earphones/ear buds are required for students who have a text-to-speech accommodation Keyboard wired or wireless/bluetooth mouse or touchpad Desktop and Laptop Specific Requirements Windows operating system Mac OS operating system Linux OS Windows XP SP3 a, Vista, Windows 7 10 (32-bit and 64-bit) (64-bit only) Ubuntu LTS (64-bit only) Fedora 21, 22 (64-bit only) Tablet/Netbook/2-in-1 Specific Requirements ipad ios d Maine Educational Assessments 7

8 Chromebook notebook computer Chrome OS operating system Windows-based tablets/netbooks/2- in-1 Windows Note: Android devices will not be supported. Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. Firefox is a registered trademark of the Mozilla Foundation. Safari, Mac, and ipad are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. Fedora is a trademark of Red Hat, Inc. There are no requirements for local assessment servers or caching machines. a. External keyboards are optional for ipad users. b. Due to security and support risks, the use of Windows XP for computer based testing is strongly discouraged. Districts and schools are advised that the decision to use computers running Windows XP constitutes an agreement to assume risks of decreased software performance and increased security risks associated with use of an obsolete operating system. c. To determine if your operating system is 32 or 64 bit, please visit: d. ios should be used for optimal MDM management, and for full functionality of test taking tools. Older operation systems from will function, however features like ASAM and suppression of dictionary & speak selection will not fully work and additional settings will need to be manually applied to each student device. It is also recommended to NOT upgrade to 9.3 when it becomes available. empowermea software identifies running third party applications that pose a known security vulnerability prior to allowing a student tester to log-in. Users will be required to close these prior to logging into the client. There may be additional third party applications not currently identified by empowermea that can introduce additional security vulnerabilities. To minimize potential security vulnerabilities introduced by these applications, we recommend removing all third party applications from the testing platform prior to conducting the operational test. Note: students testing on devices with only the minimum specifications are more likely to encounter performance-related issues. Testing Environment The testing environment for a building is installed and set up by a District Assessment Coordinator, an IT Coordinator, or a School Test Coordinator. Testing Environment Setup The Client can be installed on the network or on an individual workstation. The advantages and disadvantages for each are listed in the table below. Note: We highly recommend a local installation to avoid network connection issues. Individual workstation installation Network installation Maine Educational Assessments 8

9 Advantages Individual workstation installation No impact on LAN traffic during initial application launch. Network installation Time spent on application installation and configuration would be considerably less. Centralized location for application updates and configuration. Disadvantages Time spent on application installation and configuration would be considerably more. Downloading of the application from the network folder to the test taker s workstation could introduce single point of failure during application launch. Initial application launch could be delayed depending on the LAN traffic and bandwidth. Network Connectivity All workstations used for student testing should have access to the Internet and should be able to access the servers using HTTP/HTTPS protocols on ports 80 and Whitelist the following sites on ports 80 and 443 in content filtering proxies or other locally used proxy software: fonts.googleapis.com/ themes.googleusercontent.com/ googleusercontent.com/ 2. If you are working with sandboxing applications (such as Deep Freeze), do one of the following while installing the client: Choose network folder location for local caching. Make sure the default location, such as C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\eMetric (%localappdata%/emetric) and its contents are not deleted by these applications. Note: Student-testing data, including encrypted responses, will be saved to the indicated location only if the network connection or Internet connection is lost during the test. Students will be able to continue testing without interruption, but their testing data will be saved in the indicated folder. 3. Evaluate the type of installation for your building: We recommend that buildings with an Internet download speed of less than 1.5 Mbps or less than 256 Kbps stagger students starting the test. Bandwidth For a typical DSL connection, the available bandwidth is 1500 Kbits/sec. (This is variable depending on the type of connection available at each site.) Maine Educational Assessments 9

10 A school s capacity to support simultaneous test takers is a function of the school s available bandwidth and size of the test resource. Assuming a 200 mbps connection in a school, the available bandwidth is Kbits/sec. (Note: This is variable depending on the type of connection available at each site.) To calculate the number of simultaneous students (x) that can start testing within a time frame (y) of 60 sec (used as an example), when all students click Continue at the same exact time on the clock: Bandwidth available in 60 (y) sec = Kbits/sec X 60 sec = Kbits Average Test Resource Size = Kbits (for example: 1.5 Megabyte, varies by test) Number of Students (x) = /12160 = 986 (approx.) Over one minute, up to 986 students in a school with a shared 200 mbps connection may simultaneously download and begin a typical test. Thin-Client Environments When using thin-client environments, such as Terminal Services, Citrix, or LTSP, make sure that there is enough memory, CPU, and bandwidth on the server to accommodate multiple student test sessions. The application requires a minimum of 80 MB of memory per client session and can vary depending on the size and type of the test. Allowing multiple sessions on an improperly sized thin-client environment will lead to poor performance. Additionally, buildings using thin clients need to be cautious when there is 1 GB or less of physical memory on the workstations. In this case, we highly recommend that you use a local installation. As a general rule, if you can use Chrome to access Gmail or YouTube on all workstations simultaneously, then testing should go well. In thin-client environments, the accounts students use to log in to the workstations must be unique for each student. Also, each account must have its own dedicated user profile. For assistance, contact the Measured Progress Service Desk at maineservicecenter@measuredprogress.org or (855) Maine Educational Assessments 10

11 Monitor Settings Ensure that all monitors used for testing are set to the default color settings. If a student requires a zoom accommodation, review the recommended screen resolutions in the table below. Required Zoom Level for Student Recommended Screen Resolution 100% (No Zoom) 1024 x 768 (or higher) 112% 1440 x 900 (or higher) 125% 1920 x 1080 (or higher) 137% 1920 x 1080 (or higher) 150% 1920 x 1080 (or higher) Note: These are only recommended screen resolutions. Use the screen resolution you feel the student would be most comfortable with. The student or proctor may set the zoom level within the Client when the student logs in using his or her unique user name and password at the time of testing. Default Voice Settings for Text-to-Speech Accommodations The voice used by the empowermea Client for text-to-speech is the voice set as the default on the device the student is using for testing. Ensure that the desired voice is set as the default for the operating system installed on the device. To update the default voice for Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8.1, and 10: 1. Click the Start button. (Right-click the Start button if using Windows 8.1 touch) 2. Click Control Panel. 3. Click Ease of Access. 4. Click Use the computer without a display. 5. Click Set up Text to Speech. 6. Click the voice you want to use in the Voice Selection box. To update the default voice for Mac : 1. Click System Preferences. 2. Click Speech or Dictation & Speech. 3. Click Text to Speech 4. Select the voice you want to use in the System Voice box. Maine Educational Assessments 11

12 Windows Client Installation To install the Client on all student testing workstations running Windows: 1. Set up your school testing environment. 2. Download the empowermea Client. 3. Install the downloaded client. You can also install the Windows client using one of the following methods: Windows MSI Package Scripted Installation Windows MSI Package Installation via Group Policy Windows Network Client Installation Set up your school testing environment Review Testing Environment, above, in detail. Maine Educational Assessments 12

13 Download the empowermea Client After your account is created in the portal, you will receive your user account information via . When you have your login credentials, you are ready to download the empowermea Client: 1. Go to the MEA Portal at and log in with your user name and password. 2. On the Portal home page, click Administration. The Administration home page appears. 3. Click Student Kiosk for Windows. You see a Download progress bar at the bottom of the page. Maine Educational Assessments 13

14 Install the downloaded Client When the download completes: 1. Click the downloaded package in the lower-left corner of the Administration home page or navigate to the file location you specified during the File Save process. 2. Read the instructions and click Next to continue. 3. Read the End-User License Agreement and select the I accept the terms in the License Agreement check box. Click Next to continue. Maine Educational Assessments 14

15 Type the destination folder in the space provided, and then click Next to continue. Note: You can choose to install the Client in a shared network folder or a local folder on the workstation. We recommend a local installation to avoid network connection issues (see Network Connectivity). 4. Select the directory to store student responses, and then click Next to continue. Important: This is the failover location for saving student responses in the event of connectivity issues. Additionally, this folder must have the appropriate permissions to allow test takers to write data. Maine Educational Assessments 15

16 Use the User Profile directory for caching During client installation, if you choose the default option to store the response files in the user profile, these files will have names similar to this format: Use a custom directory for caching If you select Save in the following directory, you must manually enter the alternate path. 5. Confirm that you are ready to install the Client, and then click Install. Maine Educational Assessments 16

17 6. Click Finish to complete the installation. When you are ready to test the Client installation for this configuration, see Workstation Readiness Testing and Site Certification. Maine Educational Assessments 17

18 Windows MSI Package Scripted Installation Network administrators can install the empowermea Client via an installation script to be executed by an Admin account in the machine. The script can be written to run without any human interaction (quiet switch) and to install in the default directory (C:\Program Files) or any target directory of choice. Uninstalling the Client can also be scripted. Below are generic scripts that can be used for installation and uninstallation. Script Examples <Source> = Complete path to the empowermea MSI installation file, including.msi installation file name. Example: C:\Downloads\eMPowerMEA.msi <Target> = Complete path to the location where empowermea Client should be installed other than the default location (C:\Program Files). Example: C:\eMPowerMEA\Installation_Dir <APPDATALOCATION> = Complete path to the location for storing the cache and encrypted student responses created due to network interruptions. Example: D:\Cache. Note: Ensure that this location is excluded from system restore software like Deep Freeze. Installation script msiexec /I "<Source>" /quiet INSTALLDIR="<Target>" ITESTERAPPDATALOCATION="<APPDATALOCATION>" INSTALLLEVEL=2 Example: msiexec /I "C:\Downloads\eMPowerMEA.msi" /quiet INSTALLDIR="C:\iTester" ITESTERAPPDATALOCATION="D:\Cache" INSTALLLEVEL=2 Warning!: If you do not specify ITESTERAPPDATALOCATION, then the Local Application Data folder located in the User Profile of the actively logged-in user will be used by default. If you do not specify INSTALLLEVEL=2, then the configuration required for setting the <APPDATALOCATION> will not be created. Uninstallation script msiexec /X "<Source>" /quiet Example: msiexec /X "C:\Downloads\eMPowerMEA.msi" /quiet Windows MSI Package Installation via Group Policy Network administrators can use Microsoft Active Directory Group Policy to distribute empowermea MSI package seamlessly to all client computers. Follow the step-by-step instructions described in the following Knowledge Base article: Note: Default installation locations will be used when using Group Policy to distribute empowermea. This option will also not allow systematically specifying a network location for caching and storing encrypted student responses created due to network interruptions. The local Application Data folder located in the User Profile of the actively logged-in user will be used by default. Maine Educational Assessments 18

19 Windows Network Client Installation To install the empowermea Client on a network: 1. Complete the local Client installation listed above on the machine that will host the application. 2. Locate and distribute the shortcut in the installation folder to the workstations used for testing. 3. Ensure that users have read/write access to stored response directory. 4. Caching Folder: Ensure that users have read/write permission to their own user profile, where the application will be copied to and run from. Individual workstations require read and write permissions to %TEMP%\eMetric as the program is copied into the local %TEMP% profile by default on first-time launch from a network location. Workstations without the specified read and write permissions to %TEMP%\eMetric will experience a Windows Error Code 1260 upon first-time launch in a Network Client Installation. Maine Educational Assessments 19

20 Mac Client Installation To install the Client on all student-testing Mac workstations: 1. Set up your school testing environment. 2. Download the empowermea Client. 3. Install the downloaded Client. Note: The Client for Mac workstations is available for Mac Set up your school testing environment Review Testing Environment, above, in detail. Maine Educational Assessments 20

21 Download the empowermea Client After your account is created, you will receive your user account information via . Login credentials will be mailed via USPS to the attention of the District Superintendent at the district s central office address that is on file with the Maine Department of Education. When you have your login credentials, you are ready to download the empowermea Client: 1. Go to the MEA Portal at and log in with your user name and password. 2. On the Portal home page, click Administration. The Administration home page appears. 3. Click Student Kiosk for Mac. Follow the instructions to download the Client software to the workstation. Maine Educational Assessments 21

22 Install the downloaded Client Upon completion of the download process: 1. Navigate to the file location you specified during the File Save process. 2. The package will run a program to determine if the software can be installed. Click Continue. 3. Read the instructions and click Continue. Maine Educational Assessments 22

23 4. Select the destination directory for the Client and click Continue. 5. Verify the installation type. Note: To change the installation location, click Customize. Maine Educational Assessments 23

24 6. When you are ready, click Install. Note: You may be required to enter a password. 7. Indicate where you would like to store student responses, and then click Continue. Maine Educational Assessments 24

25 User s Home Directory During client installation, if you choose the default option to store the stored response files in the user profile, these files will have names similar to this format: ~/.empowermea/storage/itestersync_ad849g-da56-19f3-73k39823djs3 Custom location If you select Save in the following directory, you must manually enter the alternate path. Important: This is the failover location for saving student responses in the event of connectivity issues. For more information, contact the Measured Progress Service Desk at maineservicecenter@measuredprogress.org or (855) Maine Educational Assessments 25

26 8. When the installation is complete, click Close. When you are ready to test the Client installation for this configuration, see Workstation Readiness Testing and Site Certification. Maine Educational Assessments 26

27 Linux Client Installation To install the Client on all student-testing workstations running Linux: 1. Set up your school testing environment. 2. Download the empowermea Client. 3. Install the downloaded Client. Set up your school testing environment Review Testing Environment, above, in detail. Download the empowermea Client After your account is created, you will receive your user account information via . When you have your login credentials, you are ready to download the empowermea Client: 1. Go to the MEA Portal at and log in with your user name and password. 2. On the Portal home page, click Administration. The Administration home page appears. 3. Click Student Kiosk for Linux. Follow the instructions to download and extract the Client software on the workstation. Maine Educational Assessments 27

28 Install the downloaded Client Upon completion of the download process: 1. Launch a terminal, navigate to the Client installer file, and execute. 2. Read the Welcome page, and then click Next to continue. Maine Educational Assessments 28

29 3. Read the License Agreement, and then select the I accept the terms of the license agreement check box and click Next to continue. 4. Verify the installation folder is correct. Tip: If it is not correct, click Browse to find the destination where the Client should be installed. We recommend a local installation to avoid network connection issues (for more information, see Network Connectivity). Note: This will also be the cache location to save student responses. Maine Educational Assessments 29

30 5. Click Next to continue. 6. Review the settings before the installer begins to copy files, and then click Next. 7. Click Finish to exit Setup. When you are ready to test the Client installation for this configuration, see Workstation Readiness Testing and Site Certification. Maine Educational Assessments 30

31 ipad Application Installation For schools participating in the Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI) please check the following website for up-to-date information about app configuration: Non-MLTI schools can configure ipads to run using Guided Access or ASAM. ASAM requires a locally hosted Mobile Device Management (MDM) solution such as JAMF or Meraki. Complete instructions will be available at the website above once the empowermea app is available in the App Store. Administering the assessment using Guided Access requires a number of settings changes before the App will run in a secure, test-ready mode*: To install the empowermea app and securely test using Guided Access: 1. Download the empowermea app from the Apple App Store. 2. Enable Guided Access. 3. Work with Guided Access. Download the empowermea app from the Apple App Store The empowermea app is available as a free download from the Apple App Store. 1. Open the App Store on the ipad. 2. Search for empowermea. 3. When you locate the empowermea app, click or GET to download it to the ipad. Enable Guided Access In cases when ASAM is not available, Guided Access must be used. 'Guided Access' will not guarantee a reliable suppression of all the required restrictions. Therefore, we recommend using ASAM. Administering the assessment using Guided Access requires a number of settings changes before the app can be run in a secure, test-ready mode*: To enable Guided Access: 1. Open Settings. Maine Educational Assessments 31

32 2. From the Settings menu, select General, and then select Accessibility. 3. Flip the switch to turn on Guided Access. 4. Set the 4-digit Guided Access code under Passcode Settings. (for more information on Guided Access: 5. Update the keyboard settings (see below). To change the keyboard settings: 1. Open Settings. 2. From the Settings menu, select General, and then select Keyboard. 3. Flip the switches to turn off Auto-Capitalization, Auto-Correction, Check Spelling, Predictive, and Enable Dictation (see image below). Maine Educational Assessments 32

33 Work with Guided Access Once Guided Access is enabled and the keyboard settings have been changed, you are ready to administer the test using Guided Access. Prior to students logging in to test, activate Guided Access: 1. Launch the empowermea app. 2. Triple-click the Home button. The ipad should now be locked into the empowermea app. Tip: You may check whether Guided Access is turned on by exiting the empowermea app. To end Guided Access after all students have finished testing: 1. Triple-click the Home button. 2. Enter the 4-digit passcode. 3. Select End. *most schools will leave these settings active during the duration of the testing window to minimize preparation time for testing. Maine Educational Assessments 33

34 Chromebook Application Installation The Chromebook application is available for: Managed Chromebooks. Non-managed Chromebooks. Managed Chromebooks These instructions are for technology coordinators who have access to their Chromebook device management console to administer and manage their Chromebook devices. To install the empowermea app: 1. As the Chromebook administrator, log in to your ChromeOS management console ( 2. Navigate to Device Management, and then select Chrome management. 3. Click on Device Settings. 4. On the Device Settings page, scroll down to the Kiosk Settings section: Ensure that Public Session kiosk is set to Do not allow Public Session Kiosk. Maine Educational Assessments 34

35 5. Click the Manage Kiosk Applications link. 6. From the Kiosk Apps window, click Chrome Web Store. 7. To add the empowermea app, in the search box, type empowermea and press Enter. 8. When you see the empowermea app, click Add. The empowermea app appears in the Total to install section. 9. Click Save. 10. To ensure that that test responses are not lost, navigate to Device Management, and then select Chrome Settings: In the Device Settings section, User Data (Erase all local user info, settings, and state after each sign-out) field, select Do not erase all local user data from the drop-down list. In the Security section, Force Ephemeral Mode (Erase local data when the browser is closed) field, select Do not erase local user data from the dropdown list. When these steps are completed, the empowermea application will appear on all Chromebook devices that are in your domain. When you are ready to test the Client installation for this configuration, see Workstation Readiness Testing and Site Certification. Important: Students do not need to log into Chromebooks to take the test. When the managed Chromebooks are turned on, click the Apps link in the bottom row and select the empowermea app. The secure browser will open in full-screen mode. For more information, see the following links: Use Chromebooks for Student Assessments. Important: Read Scenario 1: School sets up Chromebook to run as a Single App Kiosk running the exam app. Do not follow the instructions for Scenarios 2 and 3. Manage Device Settings, which provides general information for managed Chromebooks. Maine Educational Assessments 35

36 Non-Managed Chromebooks These instructions are for installing the empowermea app onto individual, non-managed Chromebooks. To install the empowermea app: 1. Using the Chromebook, download the empowermea app from the Google Chrome Web Store. 2. Click +Free to download and install the app. 3. From the following support article, Turn on Single App Kiosk Mode, follow the instructions available in the For non-managed devices section. 4. Once you have followed the instructions available in the For non-managed devices section, reboot the Chromebook device. 5. On the login screen and prior to logging in, click Apps at the bottom-left of the screen. 6. To launch the app, select empowermea. When you are ready to test the Client installation for this configuration, see Workstation Readiness Testing and Site Certification. Managed Chromebooks: Turn off auto-update For the Spring 2016 administration, Chrome OS version 47 will be supported. Newer versions of Chrome OS may be released by Google during the testing window, but these newer versions will not be supported until fully tested by emetric. Therefore, it is highly recommended that auto-update be turned off on all managed Chromebook devices until after the testing window is closed. To turn off auto-update: 1. As the Chromebook administrator, log in to your ChromeOS management console ( 2. Navigate to Device Management, and then select Chrome Settings. 3. On the Device Settings page, scroll down to the Auto Update Settings section: Ensure that Auto Updates is set to Stop auto-updates. Maine Educational Assessments 36

37 Note: Non-managed Chromebooks do not have an option to turn off auto-update. Therefore, use of these devices once they have updated to a non-supported version of Chrome OS is at the district s own risk. Maine Educational Assessments 37

38 Workstation Readiness Testing and Site Certification Purpose Workstation Readiness (WSR) provides a means to identify potential technical problems prior to student testing. Users verifying site readiness will launch the Client on each workstation or workstation configuration being used for testing and run the WSR test, which is designed to simulate a test scenario in order to verify that workstations meet the minimum requirements and have been properly configured. The WSR tests include the Technology Readiness Test (TRT), which performs a system check (bandwidth, connectivity, screen resolution, and audio) on the Client workstation, and the WSR test, which simulates a test scenario. Note: The WSR test must be conducted on the secure kiosk-client and apps installed on a mobile device. The WSR test does not need to be conducted on the browser client used for the practice test. Workstation Readiness Testing It is crucial that the Workstation Readiness test be performed on every workstation or workstation configuration that is to be used for testing. Additionally, it is critical to log in to the workstation using the same Read/Write permissions that a student would have when taking an assessment. Note: The results for each workstation, or workstation configuration, will be captured and displayed on the Site Setup tab within the MEA Portal. To test every workstation configuration in the site: 1. Find the Workstation Readiness account information. 2. Authenticate every computer or computer configuration to be used for testing. When all workstations/workstation configurations for a site have successfully completed the Workstation Readiness test, certify the site for student testing. Find the Workstation Readiness account information 1. Go to the MEA Portal at and log in with your user name and password. 2. On the Portal home page, click Administration. Maine Educational Assessments 38

39 The WSR account information appears at the bottom of the Administration home page. 3. Make a note of the user name and password for your building, which you will use to log in to the Client. Authenticate every computer or computer configuration to be used for testing 1. Launch the Client from the desktop shortcut or the start menu. Maine Educational Assessments 39

40 2. Log in to the Client with the Workstation Readiness user name and password provided for your building. Important: Use the WSR login credentials exclusively for WSR testing in your building only. Do not use the WSR credentials for any other purpose or for any other building. 3. Review the Authentication Screen to confirm your building name. In the System Check section, click the blue WSR Test button to begin the Technology Readiness Test (TRT). Maine Educational Assessments 40

41 The screen resolution, host URL, and operating system for the workstation are listed at the top of the System Check page. The results of each test appears as soon as it is completed. Maine Educational Assessments 41

42 4. In the Bandwidth field, type the number of devices in your school that will be used simultaneously for online testing, and then click Enter. 5. In the Text-to-Speech field, click the blue Test Text-to-Speech button to play a voice sample. If you can hear the voice sample, click Yes. If you cannot hear the voice sample, click No. Fix your audio connection. 6. When you are done, click Return to return to the WSR page. If all of the system checks succeed, you are ready to begin the next WSR test. If one or more system checks fail, adjust your configuration as needed and rerun the TRT test. 7. Click the blue WSR session button at the bottom of the page to begin the next Workstation Readiness test. Maine Educational Assessments 42

43 8. Click Continue to get started. 9. After you have responded to all items, click Finish. Maine Educational Assessments 43

44 10. When you are ready to submit your test, click Turn In to continue, or click Return to test to return to the Test Review page. If you click Turn In, you return to the Session Selection page, where the test session is grayed out. 11. Click Exit in the top-right corner of the page. Maine Educational Assessments 44

45 Site Certification After all workstations or workstation configurations have successfully completed the Workstation Readiness test, the user must certify the site for testing. 1. Go to the MEA Portal at and log in with your user name and password. 2. Click Administration. 3. Click Site Setup at the top of the page. Maine Educational Assessments 45

46 4. On the Site Setup page, locate the building to be certified, and then click the entry in the Number of Devices Tested column. The site details page appears. 5. Verify that all of the devices or device configurations for this building have successfully taken the Workstation Readiness Test. 6. In the Site Certification section, click Certify Site Readiness, and then click Yes to confirm. The Site Setup page displays the date/time when the site was certified and the user name of the user who certified the site for testing. Maine Educational Assessments 46