July 2004 — SETDA
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Virginia: Getting Ready for Online Testing
We originally tried to solve the issue through workstation pretest downloads, but the ultimate answer became "proctor caching." The high degree of security needed to offer tests online enabled districts to download tests to proctor caching servers and deliver them from there. Many schools felt this was a breakthrough and solved much of their bandwidth issue. They reminded us that they needed bandwidth for instruction and could not afford to shut down during testing.When you decide to take your tests online, remember to plan well, involve everyone, get the correct technology, and then address the assessment issues. In Virginia, the ability to take tests at will has allowed districts to extend instructional time and do extensive retesting. Administrators are using the test data that the system provides in a limited way to determine pass/fail, steer remediation activities and make placement decisions.
Our next challenge will be to merge the online test data into our developing statewide Educational Information Management System (EIMS). Some divisions, like Hanover County Public Schools, currently have local data warehousing capability. Through EIMS, all Virginia districts will have enhanced data-based decision-making capability to do things such as analyze testing trends, compare school demographics, analyze student mobility, and align remedial instruction to test results.
So when the call comes, it may very well be for online testing; a data warehouse; or, if you're really lucky, both at the same time.
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