Contents

Test Rules

Basic Test Rules

• You cannot skip questions. This rule applies to all tests except ELPA Screener and Alt ELPA.
• You must answer all questions on a page before you can go to the next page. Some pages contain multiple questions. You may need to use the vertical scroll bar to view all questions on a page. This rule applies to all tests except ELPA Screener and Alt ELPA.
• You may mark questions for review and change your answer to previous questions (see Pause Rules below).

Navigation Rules

• You cannot move forward in the test until all questions on the current page have been answered. This rule applies to all tests except ELPA Screener and Alt ELPA.
• You can navigate to any available test page by clicking the Back or Next buttons or selecting a page from the Items drop-down list at the top of the page.

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Overview of the Test Tools

All tests have navigation and test tools. Some test tools are available only for specific tests or questions.

There are two types of test tools available:

• Global Tools: Global test tools appear at the top of the screen on the right side.
• Context Menu Tools: Menu tools are for passages and questions. To use these tools, open the context menu .

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Available Test Tools

Science

The following tools are available for Science.

Tool	Notes
Calculator	This tool is only available for the following tests: Science 5, 8, and HS
Comments
Dictation/Speech-to-Text (STT)
Expand/Collapse Stimulus/Passage and Question
Help [?]
Highlighter
Language Toggle	This tool is only available for the Science tests.
Line Reader
Mark for Review
Masking
Pause	See the Pause Rules below.
Periodic Table	This tool is only available for the following tests: Science 8 and HS
Print on Request	This tool is only available on sample tests when turning Guest Session off and testing with a TA.
Strikethrough
System Settings
Text-to-Speech
Text-to-Speech Tracking
Tutorial
Word Prediction
Zoom buttons

The following Pause Rules apply to Science:

• If your test is paused for less than 20 minutes, you can review questions you already answered.
• If your test is paused for more than 20 minutes, you cannot review questions you already answered. (The only exception is if you pause on a page that has at least one unanswered question.)
• When you resume the test, you will see the first page that has unanswered questions.
• All answers are saved immediately; you do not lose them when the test is paused.

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ELPA

The following tools are available for the ELPA assessments.

Tool	Notes
Comments
Dictation/Speech-to-Text (STT)
Expand/Collapse Stimulus/Passage and Question
Help [?]
Highlighter
Line Reader
Mark for Review
Masking
Navigation Language
Pause	See the Pause Rules below.
Print on Request	This tool is only available on sample tests when turning Guest Session off and testing with a TA.
Select Previous Version
Strikethrough
System Settings
Tutorial
Word Prediction
Zoom buttons

The following Pause Rules apply to the ELPA:

• No pause limit is in effect for ELPA assessments. You can pause the test for as long as you need to.
• When you resume the test, you will see the first page that has unanswered questions.
• All answers are saved immediately; you do not lose them when the test is paused.

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Math and ELA

The following tools are available for Math and ELA.

Tool	Notes
Audio Transcripts	This tool is only available for listening questions on the ELA tests.
American Sign Language	This tool is available for the following tests: Listening questions on the ELA tests All questions on the Math tests
Calculator	This tool is only available for the following tests: Math 6, 7, 8, and High School
Closed Captioning
Comments
Dictation/Speech-to-Text (STT)
Dictionary	This tool is only available for ELA Performance Task assessments.
Expand/Collapse Stimulus/Passage and Question
Global Notes	This tool is only available for ELA Performance Task assessments.
Help [?]
Highlighter
Line Reader
Mark for Review
Masking
Navigation Language	This tool is only available for ELA.
Notepad	This tool is available for the following tests: ELA and Math Computer Adaptive Tests Math Performance Task assessments
Pause	See the Pause Rules below.
Print on Request	This tool is only available on sample tests when turning Guest Session off and testing with a TA.
Select Previous Version
Strikethrough
System Settings
Text-to-Speech	For ELA, some passages will not be read aloud.
Text-to-Speech Tracking
Tutorial
Word List (Glossary)	The English Glossary is available for ELA and Math tests. Foreign Language Glossaries are available for Math tests.
Word Prediction	This tool is available on ELA Tests and Math Performance Task assessments. It is also available within the Notepad on Math Computer Adaptive Tests.
Zoom buttons

The following Pause Rules apply to ELA and Math Computer Adaptive Tests:

• If your test is paused for less than 20 minutes, you can review questions you already answered.
• If your test is paused for more than 20 minutes, you cannot review questions you already answered. (The only exception is if you pause on a page that has at least one unanswered question.)
• When you resume the test, you will see the first page that has unanswered questions.
• All answers are saved immediately; you do not lose them when the test is paused.

 

The following Pause Rules apply to ELA and Math Performance Task assessments:

• No pause limit is in effect for ELA and Math Performance Task assessments. You can pause the test for as long as you need to.

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Alt ELPA

The following tools are available for the Alt ELPA assessment.

Tool	Notes
Comments
Dictation/Speech-to-Text (STT)
Expand/Collapse Stimulus/Passage and Question
Full Screen Mode
Help [?]
Highlighter
Line Reader
Mark as No Response
Mark for Review
Masking
Navigation Language
Notepad
Pause	See the Pause Rules below.
Print on Request	This tool is only available on sample tests when turning Guest Session off and testing with a TA.
Select Previous Version
Strikethrough
System Settings
Word Prediction
Zoom buttons

The following Pause Rules apply to the Alt ELPA:

• No pause limit is in effect for Alt ELPA assessments. You can pause the test for as long as you need to.

• When you resume the test, you will see the first page that has unanswered questions.

• All answers are saved immediately; you do not lose them when the test is paused.

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Tool Descriptions

Global Tools	Description
Audio Transcripts	Provides a written transcript of the audio stimuli that can be read by screen readers, or functions as a static document for students who cannot keep up with the closed captioning. JAWS may take the written transcript and send it to a refreshable Braille display if the student uses that functionality. Available for ELA listening passages that have closed captioning.
Calculator	To open the on-screen calculator, select the Calculator button.
Dictionary	To open the on-screen dictionary, select the Dictionary button. Note: The dictionary works like any other online dictionary. Enter words to look up definitions or synonyms.
Full Screen Mode	For Alt ELPA, select in the upper-left corner to exit full-screen mode and access the global menu.
Global Notes	To open an on-screen notepad, select the Notes button. In the notepad, type comments or notes for yourself. Your notes are saved when you select the Submit and Close button on the notepad window. These notes are available globally and can be accessed from any page in the test. Advanced editing features, such as word and character count, spell check, and text formatting options are available. The text entered in this tool can be copied and pasted into text response areas.
Help	The button at the top right opens this Test Instructions and Help page.
Language Toggle	For items and stimuli on the Science test that have content in two languages, such as English and Spanish, you can select the language in which to display the content for easier readability. By default, the item will be presented in the language specified at the beginning of the test, so when Presentation = Spanish, the item will be presented in Spanish. To switch the language, select the Language Toggle button in the global menu.
Line Reader	To highlight an individual line of text in a passage or question, select the Line Reader button. All content except for the line in focus is grayed out for greater emphasis. This tool is not available while the Highlighter tool is in use. Line Reader must be enabled.
Masking	To temporarily cover a section of the test screen, use the Masking tool. To use the Masking tool: Select the Masking button. The button will become orange. Click and drag until the area you want to cover is fully selected. (The preview will have a blue dashed border.) Release the mouse button. The masked area will become dark gray. You can mask other areas if you want to. To close the Masking tool, select the Masking button again. It will become green. To remove a masked area, select X in the upper-right corner of that area.
Navigation Language	Navigation Language can be used to switch screen navigation button names, messages, and other User Interface elements (except for the actual test content) between English and Spanish in the Student Testing Site.
Pause	To pause the test, select the Pause button. You can pause your test at any time. You will be presented with a warning message asking you to verify that you want to pause the test.
Periodic Table	To open an on-screen periodic table of elements, select the Periodic Table button.
System Settings	The cog icon at the top right allows you to adjust volume during the test or specify the language in which button names, tool names, messages, and other test page elements (except for the actual test content) are displayed on the test page. Note: The Language drop-down list in the System Settings menu is only available for ELA and ELPA tests.
Zoom buttons	Select the Zoom In button to make the text and images in the test bigger. Select the Zoom Out button to make the text and images smaller again. You can zoom in and out up to eight levels.

These tools are for passages and questions. To use these tools, click the context menu .

Context Menu Tools	Description
American Sign Language	Watch a video of test content translated into ASL. To use this tool, select American Sign Language. If only one ASL video is available, the video opens automatically. If multiple ASL videos are available, sign language icons appear next to the test content for each video. Select the icon for the test content you wish to translate into ASL.
Comments	To provide feedback for a question, select Comments from the context menu and either type in your comment or select a comment option from the drop-down list that appears.
Expand/Collapse Stimulus/Passage and Question	You can expand the stimulus/passage section, or the question section for easier readability. To expand the stimulus/passage section, select the right arrow icon at the vertical line separating the stimulus and question sections. To collapse the expanded stimulus/passage section, select the left arrow icon . To expand the question section, select the left arrow icon at the vertical line separating the stimulus and question sections. To collapse the expanded question section, select the right arrow icon .
Highlighter	Highlight a section of text in a passage or test question. Select text on the screen, and then select Highlight Selection from the context menu. Next, select an option from the list of colors that appears. The selected text will become highlighted in the selected color. Notes: Text in images cannot be highlighted.
Mark as No Response	For the Alt ELPA, test administrators are allowed to select No Response (NR) for the student’s response in TDS. Questions marked as no response will display .
Mark for Review	To mark a question for review, select Mark for Review from the context menu. The question number displays a dog-eared flap in the upper-right corner, and a flag icon appears next to the number. The Items drop-down list displays for the selected question.
Notepad	To enter notes for a question, select Notepad from the context menu. The notepad window opens. After you enter a note, a pencil icon appears next to the question number on the test page. You can only access your notes for a question on that question’s test page. Advanced editing features, such as word and character count, spell check, and text formatting options may be available. The text entered in this tool can be copied and pasted into text response areas of items displayed on that page.
Select Previous Version	To review and restore responses previously entered for an open-response question, select the Select Previous Version option from the context menu. A list of saved responses appears. Select the appropriate response and click Submit.
Strikethrough	For selected-response questions, you can cross out an answer option to focus on the options you think might be correct. You can strikethrough multiple lines of text, such as an answer option spanning more than a line, as well as graphics. There are two options for using this tool: Option A: To activate Strikethrough mode, open the context menu and select Strikethrough. Select each answer option you wish to strike out. To deactivate Strikethrough mode, press Esc or click outside the response area. Option B: Right-click on an answer option and select Strikethrough.
Text-to-Speech	To listen to stimuli and items, select a speak option from the context menu. Text-to-Speech for stimuli/passages and/or questions is available by selecting the desired option in the Text-to-Speech drop-down menu under Embedded Designated Supports. To listen to your responses to constructed-response items, use the TTS button in the item response area.
Text-to-Speech Tracking	When this tool is enabled, words become highlighted as TTS reads them aloud.
Tutorial	Each question has a tutorial video that you can watch to learn more about that type of question. To use this tool, select Tutorial from the context menu. The video will open on the screen.
Word List (Glossary)	A glossary is available for selected words in passages and questions. To open the glossary, click or tap a word that has a dashed line above and below it.

In addition to the global tools and context menu tools, there are some additional tools that may be available to you based on your test settings.

Other Tools	Description
Closed Captioning	If you have the appropriate test setting, questions and stimuli with audio elements automatically display closed captions. You can select the up arrow to move the closed captioning to the top of the screen or the down arrow to move it to the bottom of the screen. You can also close the closed captioning by selecting .
Dictation/Speech-to-Text (STT)	If you have the appropriate test setting, you can dictate responses to constructed-response items. To use Dictation, select the microphone icon in the formatting toolbar above the item response area and begin speaking. The dictated response will be transcribed as text in the item response area.
Permissive Mode	Allows certified accessibility software to be used with the Secure Browser.
Word Prediction	When this tool is enabled, suggested words will pop up in a menu as students type a written response. Students can select a word in the pop-up menu instead of typing it out manually.

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Navigating the Test with Job Access With Speech (JAWS)

This section provides instructions for using JAWS to navigate a test page.

Note: The first time the test loads, JAWS may start reading everything until you stop it. However, on the next test page, the focus will be on the first question on the page.

About Test Regions and Elements

A test page has up to three landmark regions: the Banner, the Navigation region, and the Main region. To navigate between these landmarks using JAWS, press the R key.

• Banner: The banner contains the test information row. This row displays the current question numbers, test name, student name, test settings button, and help button.
• Navigation Region: This region displays the navigation and tool buttons.

• Main Region: This region consists of the Stimulus section and the Question section:

  • Stimulus: The Stimulus (passage) section contains the following elements:
    • Stimulus title
    • Stimulus context menu
    • Stimulus content
  • Question: Each question contains the following elements:
    • Question number
    • Question context menu
    • Question stem
    • Response area

JAWS Keyboard Commands

You can use the following keyboard commands to navigate within a test page.

Note: The commands in this table are based on JAWS 16. Commands may be slightly different in other versions.

Opening a Context Menu

The first question on a test page will automatically be in focus. The instructions in this section assume you want to open the context menu for the active landmark element on the page and have not yet used the Tab key to navigate anywhere.

To open the context menu for a stimulus or question:

1. Do one of the following:
   • If you are opening the context menu for a stimulus, ensure the focus is on the stimulus.
   • If you are opening the context menu for a question, ensure the focus is on the question.
2. To navigate directly to the context menu button, press Tab twice. JAWS reads aloud “Menu button.”
3. Press Enter. The context menu opens and displays the list of available menu options. JAWS reads aloud the first option in the menu.
4. To move up and down the list, press the Up and Down arrow keys. JAWS automatically reads aloud each option.
5. To select a menu option, press Space.

To exit the menu without making a selection, press the Esc key. JAWS will return focus to the context menu button.

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Responding to Questions with JAWS

This section provides basic guidance for responding to question types that may appear on a test.

Note: The instructions in this section assume that the question does not display any question labels. If you have used a context menu tool for a question, you must press Tab an additional time for each question label that appears.

Multiple-Choice and Multi-Select Questions

The procedures for responding to Multiple-Choice and Multi-Select questions are similar.

• Multiple-Choice questions require you to select one response option from a group of options. The response area displays several response options as radio buttons.
• Multi-Select questions require you to select one or more response options from a group of options. The response area displays several response options as checkboxes.

1. After listening to the question text, press Tab twice. JAWS reads aloud the option’s text. If the option is an image, JAWS reads the text description associated with the image.
2. To navigate between each answer option, use the Tab and Shift + Tab commands (or use the Up and Down arrow keys). JAWS reads aloud the text for the option in focus.
3. To select the response option in focus as your response, press Space. The answer option is selected and JAWS reads “Space.”

Hot Text Questions

Hot text questions require you to select at least one word, phrase, or sentence.

1. After listening to the question text, press the Tab key twice. This will take you to the first selectable word, phrase, or sentence. JAWS will read aloud the text that is in focus.
2. To navigate between each selectable text area, use the Tab and Shift + Tab commands. JAWS will read aloud the selectable text.
3. To choose a selectable text area in focus as your response, press the Enter key. JAWS will announce the text is checked.

Edit Task Questions

Edit task questions require you to replace an incorrect selectable word or phrase.

• Some edit task questions require you to enter the response into a text box.
• Some edit task questions require you to select a response from a drop-down list.

Important Notes About JAWS and Edit Task Questions:

• For selectable text, JAWS will indicate whether the word or phrase is clickable and then continue reading the rest of the sentence or line.
• Some edit task questions require you to make changes that are punctuation-based (for example, you may need to replace a comma with a different punctuation mark). For these edit task questions, JAWS will need to read in character mode.

It is strongly recommended that you read through an entire question before editing text.

1. Use the Down arrow to read through each line of text. If a line of text has a selectable word or phrase, JAWS will say "clickable" after the word or phrase.
2. Navigate to each selectable text field in the question.
   • Option 1: Return to the beginning of the question.
     • Press Shift + H.
     • Press Tab to go to the first selectable text field.
   • Option 2: Move backwards through the selectable text fields in the question.
     • Press Shift + Tab.
3. When the selectable text is in focus, press Space. This will open the edit menu. JAWS will read "Edit tools dialog" and provide additional instructions.
   • Text box: Type in the replacement word or phrase.
   • Drop-down list: Use the Up and Down arrow keys to move between options in the list. JAWS will read aloud each option. To select an option, press Enter.
4. Press Tab to navigate to the OK button in the edit menu. Press Enter. The edit menu will close and the question will be back in focus.

Text Response Questions

Text response questions require you to enter text into a text box.

1. Read the question and then use the Tab command to move to the response area. JAWS will read "Edit, type in text."
2. When you are done entering a response, press Tab. You will leave the text box and move to the next question on the page.

Table Match Questions

Table match questions require you to mark at least one checkbox in a table. The table will have multiple rows and columns. The table row heading and column heading are not selectable. The selectable table cells have checkboxes.

1. After listening to the question text, press the Tab key twice. This will take you to the first table cell that has a checkbox. JAWS will read aloud the corresponding column name and row name for that table cell.
2. To navigate to each cell that has a checkbox, press the Tab key. JAWS will read aloud the corresponding column and row name for each cell.
3. To mark a checkbox, press Space.

Equation Questions

Equation questions require you to enter a math equation or expression in a text field using an on-screen keypad.

1. To navigate between the keypad buttons, press Tab or Shift + Tab. JAWS reads aloud the character or action for each button.
2. To enter a character in the text field or perform an action from the keypad toolbar, press Enter. You can also press the corresponding key on your keyboard, if available.

3. Optional: To add special characters to the text field, press Alt + 7 with the focus on the text field. A pop-up window opens, with a drop-down list of the available characters. To move between the options in this list, use the arrow keys. JAWS reads the name of each special character. To insert the selected character, press Enter.

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Navigating the Test without JAWS

This section provides instructions for using keyboard commands to navigate a test page without JAWS.

About Test Regions and Elements

A test page has up to three regions: the Banner, the Navigation region, and the Main region.

• Banner: The banner contains the test information row. This row displays the current question numbers, test name, student name, test settings button, and help button.
• Navigation Region: This region displays the navigation and tool buttons.

• Main Region: This region consists of the Stimulus section and the Question section:

  • Stimulus: The Stimulus (passage) section contains the following elements:
    • Stimulus title
    • Stimulus context menu
    • Stimulus content
  • Question: Each question contains the following elements:
    • Question number
    • Question context menu
    • Question stem
    • Response area

Keyboard Commands

You can use the following keyboard commands to navigate within a test page.

Opening a Context Menu

To open the context menu for a stimulus or question:

1. Do one of the following:
   • If you are opening the context menu for a stimulus, ensure the focus is on the stimulus.
   • If you are opening the context menu for a question, ensure the focus is on the question.
2. To navigate directly to the context menu button, press Tab twice.
3. Press Enter. The context menu opens and displays the list of available menu options.
4. To move up and down the list, press the Up and Down arrow keys.
5. To select a menu option, press Space.

To exit the menu without making a selection, press the Esc key.

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Responding to Questions without JAWS

This section provides basic guidance for responding to question types that may appear on a test.

Note: The instructions in this section assume that the question does not display any question labels. If you have used a context menu tool for a question, you must press Tab an additional time for each question label that appears.

Multiple-Choice and Multi-Select Questions

The procedures for responding to Multiple-Choice and Multi-Select questions are similar.

• Multiple-Choice questions require you to select one response option from a group of options. The response area displays several response options as radio buttons.
• Multi-Select questions require you to select one or more response options from a group of options. The response area displays several response options as checkboxes.

1. After listening to the question text, press Tab twice.
2. To navigate between each answer option, use the Tab and Shift + Tab commands (or use the Up and Down arrow keys).
3. To select the response option in focus as your response, press Space.

Hot Text Questions

Hot text questions require you to select at least one word, phrase, or sentence.

1. After reading the question, press the Tab key until the first selectable text area is in focus.
2. To navigate between each selectable text area, use the Tab and Shift + Tab commands.
3. To choose a selectable text area in focus as your response, press the Enter key.

Edit Task Questions

Edit task questions require you to replace an incorrect selectable word or phrase.

• Some edit task questions require you to enter the response into a text box.
• Some edit task questions require you to select a response from a drop-down list.

1. To navigate to a selectable text field in the question, press the Tab key.
2. When the selectable text is in focus, press Space. This will open the edit menu.
   • Text box: Type in the replacement word or phrase.
   • Drop-down list: Use the Up and Down arrow keys to move between options in the list. To select an option, press Enter.
3. Press Tab to navigate to the OK button in the edit menu. Press Enter. The edit menu will close and the question will be back in focus.

Text Response Questions

Text response questions require you to enter text into a text box.

1. Read the question and then use the Tab key to move to the response area.
2. When you are done entering a response, press Tab. You will leave the text box and move to the next question on the page.

Table Match Questions

Table match questions require you to mark at least one checkbox in a table. The table will have multiple rows and columns. The table row heading and column heading are not selectable. The selectable table cells have checkboxes.

1. After listening to the question text, press the Tab key until the first table cell with a checkbox is in focus.
2. To navigate to each cell that has a checkbox, press the Tab key.
3. To mark a checkbox, press Space.

Equation Questions

Equation questions require you to enter a math equation or expression in a text field using an on-screen keypad.

1. To navigate between the keypad buttons, press Tab or Shift + Tab.
2. To enter a character in the text field or perform an action from the keypad toolbar, press Enter. You can also press the corresponding key on your keyboard, if available.

3. Optional: To add special characters to the text field, press Alt + 7 with the focus on the text field. A pop-up window opens, with a drop-down list of the available characters. To move between the options in this list, use the arrow keys. To insert the selected character, press Enter.

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