Frequently Asked Questions
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Who can be a Test Administrator or Proctor?
Any employee of the school district who has successfully completed the PSTAT training and the training conducted by the School Assessment Coordinator (SAC) may serve as Test Administrators. Student teachers employed by the school district may serve as Test Administrators. Student teachers not employed by the school district may not serve as Test Administrators but may observe the administration.
Who can unlock test tickets?
The DAC or their designee (such as the SAC) may unlock test tickets. The DAC has the permissions to unlock test tickets. The DAC can grant these permissions to the SAC. If for some reason the DAC or their designee cannot unlock the test ticket, DRC Pennsylvania Customer Service should be contacted for assistance. The DRC help line number is 1-800-451-7849 and the email is pacustomerservice@datarecognitioncorp.com
What happens if a student needs to re-test?
There are a variety of reasons (cheating or cell phone violations, for example) why a student would need to re-test. If asked or instructed by PDE, the SAC should arrange to have the student re-tested before or during the make-up window. Retesting will require a regeneration of a student's work.
All District Assessment Coordinators have been granted permissions to regenerate test tickets. It is strongly recommended that this permission be kept with the DAC except for extenuating circumstances. DACs should record and keep on file the names of other district personnel who are granted the permission.
Regenerating a test ticket permanently deletes all student work and responses. A regeneration is necessary only when a student needs to start a section over.
The regeneration will remove all student responses, notes, and flags. DACs should use great caution when regenerating a test so that student work is not mistakenly deleted.
How are parental reviews conducted?
All DACs will receive access to a set of Parental Review test tickets for review by parents and guardians. These test tickets will allow parents/guardians to view the same online test that will be administered across the LEA. The review must be conducted on district property and district personnel must always be present. Proper security and confidentiality of the assessment must be maintained at all times. See page 14 of the Handbook for Assessment Coordinators for more information on parental reviews.
What happens when a student gets sick during the assessment?
PDE allows the student to pick-up on the assessment when the student returns to school. The student is to be monitored so he/she does not go back to any completed items. The test will need to be unlocked before the student can continue. The reason for the unlocking should be recorded
Can our district/school use one-to-one student devices for online testing?
Yes. Per PDE policy, the one-to-one devices must be configured to the school’s Central Office Services – Service Device to prohibit any unauthorized access outside of the testing location.
Why is the audio (or video) not working on the student’s online assessment?
The most common cause of an online accommodation not working is because the accommodation was not added to the student’s record before the test tickets were printed. (Online accommodations will only be available during testing if the name of the accommodation is printed on the student’s test ticket.) If a student needs an accommodation added after the test has been started, the school assessment coordinator will need to contact DRC for resolution.
How should Test Administrators handle restroom breaks?
For a paper and pencil administration, the student’s booklets must be closed and remain on the student’s desk until they return from the restroom. For an online administration, students should click pause and then resume when they return..
During the test session, one student at a time should be in the restroom. A proctor or hall monitor must accompany the student to the restroom. The student’s test booklet and answer booklet must be closed and remain on the student’s desk until they return from the restroom.
Can students use calculators for the Mathematics and Science assessments?
All handheld calculators must have the memory cleared before and after each test session.
Online PSSA and Keystone Mathematics and Science assessments provide Desmos calculators, but students may use a handheld calculator as well.
An updated calculator policy is available on the PDE website.
Mathematics
Students taking the PSSA in grade 3 may not use calculators for any portion of the PSSA.
Students taking the PSSA in grades 4 through 8 may not use calculators for problems on pages 4 and 5 which are labeled non-calculator. After completing these few questions, students may use a calculator for the remaining questions in section 1 and for all questions in section 2.
Students taking the Algebra I Exam may use a calculator for the entire assessment.
Science
Students in grades 4 and 8 may use a calculator for the entire assessment.
Students taking the Biology Exam may use a calculator for the entire assessment.
When can a Test Administrator read a part of the assessment to students?
Test Administrators may read a word or short phrase to a student when the student asks for both paper and online assessments. For example, if a student asks a Test Administrator to read the word “perpendicular,” the Test Administrator may read the word to the student. The Test Administrator may not define the word “perpendicular” or cue the student to the correct answer.
If a student has a read aloud accommodation as part of an IEP or 504 plan, the Test Administrator may read the Mathematics and Science assessments only (not ELA) to the student or small group during paper and pencil administration. For online administration, the DAC or SAC selects the online Audio accommodation in the DRC INSIGHT Portal for both subjects and the accommodation will be delivered in audio mode automatically to the student.
What materials should be covered or removed from testing areas?
Any materials or posters which relate to the content being assessed should be covered or removed from the testing area. Digital clocks, analog clocks and motivational posters do not need to be removed or covered unless the poster has subject related content.
Can students from different grades be together in one room for the PSSA?
Generally, no. The Directions for Administration Manual includes grade-specific instructions that are to be read aloud by the test administrator. Reading directions for multiple grades in the same room could create confusion. It may be possible to have students from different grades in small make-up sessions if the school can ensure that each student receives the appropriate test instructions.
Do I need to administer the tests to a homebound student?
Yes. A student who is receiving educational services in a home setting or hospital setting during the testing period should be tested in that setting. It is the LEA’s responsibility to ensure testing of hospitalized and homebound students occurs.
A certified test administrator employed through the LEA must administer the test. The test must be administered on a school-owned device connected to internet.
Do I have to administer the tests to home-schooled students or non-public students, or cyber school students who want to test at my school?
Home-schooled and non-public students are not required to test, but PDE asks that public schools take reasonable measures to cooperate with the parents of home-schooled and non-public students who want to have their children tested. Cyber School students should be tested by their Cyber school.
Do I have to administer the tests to Foreign Exchange students?
Yes. However, a foreign exchange students’ performance will not be included in a school’s accountability calculations. Only participation will be included at the school, district, and state level.
Is scratch paper allowed on all assessments?
Yes, scratch paper is allowed and encouraged for all assessments, including online assessments. Schools are also allowed to provide graph paper as scratch paper.
When should make-up exams be completed during the testing window?
Make-up exams can be administered at any time during the testing window. Schools do not need to wait for the designated window to administer make-up exams, and all make-up testing must be complete by the end of the PDE-established testing windows.
What if students need extended time?
Extended testing must occur immediately after the close of a session (i.e., when the majority of the students have completed the test within a timeline deemed as sufficient by the assessment coordinator). Any student who needs additional time should be given this accommodation and moved to a separate location to continue taking the test. The student should not be allowed to go to lunch or a different class period before beginning the extended time, and all extended testing must be completed on the same day the test session was started. The SAC must have a designated area for students who need additional time to complete the assessments. These students must be accompanied by a Test Administrator to the designated location. Students may carry computers to an extended-time location under the supervision of the TA. Students are not required to carry their computer to the extended-time location. TAs should ensure the students do not research answers or change answers as part of carrying computers to the extended time session/location.
A student was absent when Section 1 was administered. Where should they begin working?
If a student was absent for Section 1 of the PSSA or Module 1 of the Keystone Exam and returns when other students are taking Section 2 of the PSSA or Module 2 of the Keystone Exams, the student should complete Section 2 of the PSSA or Module 2 of the Keystone Exams with the other students.
The student can complete the missed section at any time before the end of the testing window.
What if a student record in the DRC INSIGHT Portal has incorrect information?
A new record with corrected information for the student should be manually uploaded to the portal under Manage Students. The new student record will not replace the original student record. Because the two records for the student may be similar, use caution to ensure the correct student record is added to the test session(s).
How do I check the status of the online assessments?
The testing status of students within an individual test session can be viewed through Manage Test Sessions in the DRC INSIGHT Portal. The Export Details functionality will provide a full report of each student and section for an individual test session. For individual status, use the Edit/Print Ticket Status to filter for an individual student.
To check the status of multiple test sessions and drill down to individual grades and/or subjects, use the Student Status Dashboard found under Student Management in the DRC INSIGHT Portal.
What tools are available to help my students practice with online testing?
Online Tutorials and Online Tools Training (OTT) are available to familiarize students with the online testing engine. All students should view the Online Tutorials, which are videos that describe the different features of the DRC INSIGHT Assessment Software. The OTTs provide students with hands-on experience with logging into a test, selecting and composing responses, and using accommodations. https://wbte.drcedirect.com/PA/portals/pa
Can a student use the internal keyboard on an iPAD?
It is not recommended because an internal keyboard can alter the intended appearance of a test question or passage on the iPAD.
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