Using the MLS Platform
Embedded Files
🌱 New to the MLS? Check out About the MLS and our Quick Start Guide.
⚙️ Ready to give a test? View the Administration Guide page for setup and management tips.
Once logged in, the dashboard allows for student registration, editing student information, administering assessments, and accessing performance reports to help determine SIFE status or assess general literacy skills.
Account
Account
📌 Each school/district has a unique BEDS code. MLS accounts are tied to this code. Each school may have only one MLS account.
Once the account is created, the password should be shared with educators who will use the MLS in the same school.
Contact a school administrator to see if your school already has an account. If you need help updating the login information associated with your account, please contact UserSupport@mlscreener.org.
Apply for an Account
Apply for an Account
Click [Apply for an Account]
Fill in the 12-digit BEDS Code, school name, your school email and password to create a new account.
💡 The 12-digit BEDS Code will be the username for the MLS account.
🕖 Most accounts are approved within 1 business day. In some exceptional situations, requests may take longer to process.
Account activation
If your new account has been approved, you will be emailed an activation link. You must click the link to activate your account. Once your account is activated, use the "log in" button at the top right of the MLS landing page to access your account.
Having trouble getting the BEDS code?
If you can't find your school’s BEDS code at https://data.nysed.gov, try contact a school administrator or OBEWL (obewl@nysed.gov).
Create an account for district-wide access
Personnel at the district level can create an account with a district BEDS Code for district-wide access. This allows district personnel to view student information and student performance reports for all schools in the district. District accounts can also edit student information and administer student assessments. For more information on district accounts, contact UserSupport@mlscreener.org.
Troubleshooting Account Issues
Troubleshooting Account Issues
Reset password
Visit mls.slalab.org/Account/ForgotAdminPasswordUpdate the email associated with your account
Contact our User Support Specialist at UserSupport@mlscreener.org.
Student Registration
Student Registration
Register a Student from a School Account
Register a Student from a School Account
Click [Register a Student]
2. Fill in the student's demographic information, school placement, and language background information to register a student.
📋 A downloadable worksheet on page 2 of the Preparation Packet is available to help you gather all the required student information efficiently.
If you're not sure if the student has already been registered, click "Existing Students" to see a list of all registered students.
Concerned about your students' data privacy?
Check out the MLS Student Data Security and Privacy Policy
Not sure about your NYSSIS or OSIS number?
The NYSSIS is the New York State Student Identification System number. You can get student NYSSIS numbers from your principal or the district administrator.
Nonpublic, charter and other schools should contact their CEO’s Office.
As of 2020, New York City schools can use the Office of Student Information Systems or OSIS number.
What does a valid NYSSIS/OSIS number look like?
NYSSIS and OSIS numbers are numerical strings. They do not have strings of 0000 or 1111 in the front. If the student number you have available is shorter than 10 digits (NYSSIS) or 9 digits (OSIS), or if it starts with a string of 1s or 0s, that is not an official NYSSIS or OSIS number.
What if NYSSIS/OSIS number is unavailable during registration?
NYSED requires a NYSSIS/OSIS number for each student. If you do not know the number during registration you can enter it later. On the "Register a Student" form, check the box above the input field. The account holder will periodically be reminded via email to enter the correct NYSSIS/OSIS number.
Register a Student Using a District Account
Register a Student Using a District Account
💡 You can use the district account to administer the MLS to students across different schools in the district without managing multiple MLS accounts.
While registering students using a district account, you will be asked to indicate each student’s school from a dropdown menu.
If the school placement is not decided until after MLS administration:
You can keep the default option "please select a school". You will be asked to update this information after the school has been decided.
If the student leaves the district before being assigned to a school, or some other unusual situation occurs, you may choose the "other" option from the dropdown menu.
Updating Existing Student Information
Updating Existing Student Information
Keeping student information updated is crucial for effective use of the MLS platform. You can quickly update missing NYSSIS/OSIS numbers and indicate you decision about the student's SIFE status by editing existing student information.
📝 To edit student information at any time, visit: mls.slalab.org/Student or click [Existing students] from the logged in page.
Browse existing student information
Browse existing student information
Click [Existing Students] in the Student Information panel to see a list of registered students.
You will see the following Existing Student table:
🔍 Utilize the filtering feature for quick updates: select the arrows to the right of the column label to sort alphabetically ascending or descending within each category. Additionally, you can use the search feature at the top right of the table to search for a particular name or date.
By default the table will show the most recent school year's entries. If you wish to look at students from previous years, click the select box and choose the appropriate year.
The table displays 100 entries by default. Adjust the number of entries using the select box and navigate through additional entries with pagination tabs at the bottom right.
The table is organized into 3 tabs to quickly sort students.
All Students: display all students who have been registered.
Missing NYSSIS: display all students missing a NYSSIS/OSIS number.
Missing SIFE: sort students into a table in which the "Final SIFE Determination" column reads "to be determined".
Update Student's NYSSIS/OSIS Number
Update Student's NYSSIS/OSIS Number
Click [Missing NYSSIS] : for your convenience you can enter the missing number directly in the table view by clicking the series of X marks. This will make the field editable. Press "enter" after typing the number to save.
Update a Student's SIFE Status
Update a Student's SIFE Status
Click [Missing SIFE]: Once you have determined SIFE status, sort students with this tab and use the select box in the row of the appropriate student to select "SIFE" or "Not SIFE".
❗Once you have selected SIFE status, the student row will be removed from the [Missing SIFE] tab (it will still appear on the [All students] tab).
💡 If you marked a SIFE status incorrectly you can edit the status by clicking the [edit] link at the far right of the student row.Contact UserSupport@mlscreener.org if you are having trouble.
📌 Important note about [Final SIFE Determination] status
Determining SIFE in our system is necessary for reporting. Please note that the MLS is not affiliated with the ATS or any other reporting system. You will need to mark SIFE status in both locations. Our system does not automatically update any other system.
After the assessment, you can begin finalizing SIFE determination.
Editing Other Information
Editing Other Information
Click [Edit] on each row at the far right, This directs you to the "Edit a Student" form shown to the right.
You can edit student information to update their NYSSIS/OSIS number, demographic information, school placement, and language background. Change any information necessary and then click [Save]. The student's information will be updated.
💡 Names cannot be changed without contacting user support at UserSupport@mlscreener.org.
Update student information with a district account:
Districts accounts will see students categorized by school in the Existing Students table. When a student has left a school district, district administrators can update their school designation to ‘other’ and note ‘left district’.
Administer the Assessment
Administer the Assessment
What's New with our Assessments?
What's New with our Assessments?
Student Computer Literacy Check
New and updated languages of the Reading Comprehension assessment have a computer literacy check to help determine if students have the necessary digital literacy skills to complete the computer-based exam. If students struggle with tasks such as clicking or have difficulty navigating the test at this point, then they will not be able to complete the test.
Some students may be unable to complete the computer literacy check for other reasons. If the student does not engage with the test after 1 minute, or cannot hear the audio, they will not be able to proceed with the test.
Updated Reading Comprehension Languages:
Arabic, Dari, English, French, Pashto, Spanish, Ukrainian
Updated Math Languages:
Arabic, Bangla, Chinese, Dari, English, French, Haitian Creole, Pashto, Russian, Spanish, Swahili, Ukrainian, Urdu
Original Assessments: The student begins with a practice passage about dolphins.
Bangla Example
Updated Assessments: The student begins with a "computer literacy check" in which the student is asked to select the pencil.
Arabic Example
Expanded content and reporting in some languages
Assessments were originally developed with content starting in grade 3 (or grade 2 for math). In our updated languages we've expanded content to include grades K through 2, and updated reporting with a full breakdown of grade content by standard or skill.
💡 Visit our Assessment Types page for more information on these changes or our Student Performance Reports page to view changes made to our reports.
Log In to the Assessment
Log In to the Assessment
📌 Ensure you read the Administration Guide thoroughly to prepare before proctoring.
Getting set up
Appropriate devices: The MLS can be accessed on a desktop, laptop, or tablet. We do not recommend taking the assessment on mobile devices.
Proctor's Technology Check: If you want to check audio or view a practice passage before starting the formal assessment, select a test language and check "check box to run a sound/display check and view a practice test."
You will be directed to a new window to test the audio and familiarize yourself with the question types. Close the practice test tab and return to the assessment form at any time to continue.
❗️The technology check is for administrators/ proctors only, and will end after the practice section.
What does the technology check include?
Introduction audio for test overview and instructions
Computer literacy check for assessing digital literacy skills (for tests that have this feature)
Practice text and questions to give proctors a sample of what students will see
Introduction Audio
Computer Literacy Check
Practice Passage
2. Complete the assessment form
Select assessment type
Choose from Reading Comprehension, Math, or Vocabulary.
💡 We recommend starting with the Reading Comprehension test.
Fill out the "Assessment Login" form
📋 A downloadable Assessment Worksheet (PDF) on page 3 is available to help you gather all the required information efficiently.
Choosing the test language: Choose the test language that matches the language used in the student's school textbooks, even if this differs from the oral home language.
Choosing the student:
Use the dropdown menu labeled "Student" to select the student.
If choosing a student registered in an earlier school year, check the box, type the student's name, and select from the dropdown menu.
Choosing test reason:
To identify SIFE: Select this option for students you believe may be potential SIFE. The MLS was developed to offer detailed insights that are instrumental in determining a student's SIFE status.
📌 A score of two or more years below grade level on the MLS alone should not solely be used to determine a students as SIFE.
💡Check out our SIFE Identification page to view a detailed process overview and resources.
General Literacy Evaluation: Select if the student is not taking the MLS as part of intake or does not meet the other criteria for SIFE identification but you would like more information about their home language literacy skills.
What is the purpose of the English test?
What is the purpose of the English test?
The purpose of the MLS is to evaluate literacy in the home language and to help determine SIFE status. The English version is available to see whether a student already has reading skills in English and can complete math problems in English.
Some students have had English instruction in the home country. Other students are exposed to English-medium curricular materials even though verbal instruction is in the home language.
If the student has indicated familiarity with written English texts in the SIFE Oral Interview, the MLS English version may be administered to the student, instead of or in addition to the home language MLS. The English MLS should not be given to all students who have learned English in school, but rather to students whose primary textbooks were in English. The performance report generated from the English version helps teachers select the appropriate grade level English materials for the student.
📌 Please note that the English version should NOT be used for SIFE determination purposes if the student's instruction has mainly been in another language.
🐾Sample MLS passages and questions in English are available on our MLS Sample Passages site.
Troubleshooting Issues During the Test
Troubleshooting Issues During the Test
What if the student is unable to complete the computer literacy section?
If a student receives 'NA' as a placement by not passing the computer literacy section, a proctor may choose to retest the student at a later date if appropriate.
You can contact your RBERNs to assist with SIFE identification support in cases where students cannot use the MLS.
Resuming/Retesting a test after interruption
The MLS is intended to be completed in one sitting. If an assessment is interrupted due to internet disconnects, computer malfunction, or in case of fire drills or other school-wide emergencies their progress will be saved. Alternatively, students may be unable to complete an assessment in one sitting and need to resume on another school day. Quitting the browser or closing the test tab will stop the test.
Should the test be interrupted before completing the practice section, the student will start over from the beginning.
If a student has completed part of the test past the practice section, their progress will be saved. Fill out the assessment login form again and the test will resume where the student last left off.
📌 For security purposes, your account will be automatically logged out during testing.
Accessing Student Reports
Accessing Student Reports
💡 Reports for students at a given school will appear in the school account even if the MLS tests were administered using a district MLS account. While using a district account, users can see the reports for all students in the district, categorized by school.
After a student has taken the test and results have been automatically saved, proctors may view the student performance report.
Log in and click [Student Performance Reports]. You will see the following screen:
2. Download student reports
Download the individual student report
Select the underlined test type (ie. Reading, Math) in the student’s row.
Download all student reports
Click [Download All Reports]
Download reports for students tested multiple times.
If the student has taken a test multiple times, you can click [more] to see the multiple test dates listed.
Select the underlined test date and the report will download.
Download student result overview by school year
Click [Export Student Data], you will see the following student test information overview in spreadsheet format.
Accessing Student Reports Through Filtering
Accessing Student Reports Through Filtering
If there are many students on the "Student Performance Report" table, you can quickly find the student you're looking for through filtering.
⏳ Filter by school year
By default the table will show the most recent school year's entries. If you wish to look at reports from previous years, click the select box and choose the appropriate year.#️⃣ Control the number of reports displayed
The table is set to display 100 entries by default, facilitating quick scans of large datasets.
You can adjust the number of entries using the select box and navigate through additional entries with pagination tabs at the bottom right.⏏️ Adjust sorting for quick filtering
You can quickly find reports by selecting the arrows to the right of the column label to sort alphabetically ascending or descending within each category.
💡 E.g. Click the arrow next to "Final SIFE Determination" for quick access to reports for students awaiting SIFE determination.
🔍 Searching Keyword
You can use the search feature at the top right of the table to search for a particular student name, test language, or administrate date.
Updating SIFE Status with Reports
Updating SIFE Status with Reports
💡 Final SIFE status isn't based solely on MLS scores. For a comprehensive understanding, check SIFE Identification guide for more detailed instructions.
Determine students' SIFE status with evidence
To identify student as SIFE or not you may need:
Home Language Questionnaire and the SIFE Oral Interview response
MLS results (Check our Reports page for more information)
Transcript data
Writing screener results
🔍 Read the SIFE Identification section to see the process in detail and available tools and resources.
💡 You may also reach out to your Regional Bilingual Education Resource Network (RBERN) or OBEWL@nysed.gov for support on best practices for identifying SIFE students.
Update students' SIFE status
There are two ways to update student's SIFE status:
View Update a Student's SIFE Status for detailed instructions on how to update a student's information through the Existing Student portal
You can also access the edit page from the Reports Portal by clicking the student's name
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