2025-2026 Firefly Administration Training
A Pennsylvania Firefly Student Progress Indicators Quick Start Guide can be found here
2025-2026 Firefly Administration Training
A Pennsylvania Firefly Student Progress Indicators Quick Start Guide can be found here
For 2025-2026, Firefly reporting is expanding to include predictions for student performance on the ELA, Mathematics, Algebra I and Literature assessments and progress across multiple test administrations!
Students can take each assessment up to three times to help measure progress.
Each content-area test session will take about one class period to complete.
Test Window for 2025-2026
October 6, 2025, through My 8, 2026.
ONLINE TESTING ADMINISTRATION TRAINING
Click on the dropdown arrow beside each section to learn more and access the videos
User Management
The DRC INSIGHT Portal is used to download testing software, establish online test sessions, manage student test tickets, and review student results.
Make sure anyone who needs access to the DRC INSIGHT Portal has an account and the correct access.
A video on how to manage users is located here: https://youtu.be/huVDDm7bUwk
DRC INSIGHT Online Assessment Software
Must be installed on all devices used for testing.
Allowable devices include desktops, laptops, iPADs, and Chromebooks.
The software downloads are located on the Downloads tab found on the DRC INSIGHT Portal.
The District Assessment Coordinator will need to provide permission to the Technology Coordinator to access these downloads.
Technology user guides and presentations can be accessed through the DRC INSIGHT Portal under General Information and then Documents. These documents are also linked within this training site on the Technology page.
Tutorials and Online Tools Training (OTT)
Time should be allotted to prepare the students for the online assessment. Students should be given an opportunity to review the online tutorials and to practice using the online tools.
Tutorials use pictures, motion, and sound to present visual and verbal descriptions of the properties and features of the DRC INSIGHT Assessment Software.
OTTs give students hands-on experience with logging into a test, selecting and composing responses, and using accommodations.
Both the tutorials and OTTs are available in the DRC INSIGHT Assessment Software or publicly available at: Pennsylvania Online Assessment Tutorials and Online Tools Training.
Student Management
Adding Student Records
Students must be available within the DRC INSIGHT Portal to be placed in a test session.
Multiple student records can be added via the upload process under Student Management/Manage Students.
It is recommended that the student’s name, date of birth, and PAsecureID match PIMS.
A video on how to manage students is located here: https://youtu.be/jqG5HmPdhxM
Accommodations
Students requiring an accommodation that is delivered by the online test engine (e.g., audio) must have the accommodation selected prior to creating test tickets.
The accommodation will not be available during online testing unless it is printed on a student’s test ticket.
An online accommodation cannot be added to a test that has been started. The test will need to be regenerated to add the accommodation and the student’s responses will be lost.
District Technology Coordinators must confirm that the test content for these accommodations has been selected for automatic download within the Central Office Services-Service Device.
A video on how to how to add or remove accommodations is located here: https://youtu.be/VX1DMUDuhno
Teacher Management
It is recommended that each test session be assigned to the Test Administrator (TA) who will be administering the assessment. This will provide assistance for sorting and filter of sessions and reports.
It is recommended that Test Administrators be added to the DRC INSIGHT Portal through the Teacher application prior to creating a test session.
The TA/teacher assigned to a session can be changed if testing has not started.
A video on how to add teachers is located here: https://youtu.be/EmjtkG9l87U
Test Management
Creating Test Sessions
Creating a test session generates the test tickets and rosters that are used for online testing login.
Creating separate test sessions for different classes, times, etc. can improve ticket management and can assist with testing status management.
Test sessions will be a filter option when reviewing student reports.
The test monitoring application is setup within each individual test session.
A video demonstrating how to create test sessions is located here: https://youtu.be/nWPqhobdpdY
Printing Test Tickets
Student rosters should be closely reviewed prior to testing to confirm that the students within a test session have accurate accommodations and that the students’ names, PAsecureIDs, and dates of birth are correct.
A video on how to print test tickets and rosters is located here: https://youtu.be/pOsY8k1746I
For additional step-by-step instructions on using the DRC INSIGHT Portal, a DRC INSIGHT Portal User Guide is available for download.
Test Monitoring Application (TMA)
The TMA is optional. It can be added to select test sessions.
This tool allows administrators to actively monitor student testing activity through the DRC INSIGHT Portal using a Monitoring Code.
Test monitors have the option to allow students access into the test.
Test monitors can see the students who have logged in and the question the student is on.
Information displayed on the TMA dashboard is near real time.
A video demonstrating the Test Monitoring Application and Dashboard is located here: https://youtu.be/-HpAYezvfHE
A TMA user guide can be downloaded from the DRC INSIGHT Portal under General Information and Documents.
Student Status Dashboard
Assessment coordinators are responsible for
Managing the status of the online test sessions
Actively monitoring sessions to identify students who require make-ups along with students who are receiving extended time.
The Student Status Dashboard is available to assist with managing test sessions.
This tool provides student-testing status in real-time.
Allows the user to filter by Testing Status - Not Started, In Progress, and Completed.
A video demonstrating the Student Status Dashboard is located here: https://youtu.be/aPzE_wJVVuo
The Test Monitors should destroy all printed test tickets and scratch paper or follow School Assessment policy for handling the test tickets.
Student results will be found on the DRC INSIGHT Portal under Reporting Services.
The group roster report provides subject and reporting category scores for any student who has completed a Firefly assessment. A video to access the Roster report is found here: https://youtu.be/sy3em1qxlHU
The individual student report provides a printable version of each student's results. A video to download the ISRs is found here: https://youtu.be/iw8p59kKahM