Testing in the Common Core EraA Guide to Device Strategies for Next-Generation Online Assessments

Thought Leadership Paper | Samsung

Research provided by

2

Say Goodbye to Multiple Choice and Fill in the Blank

Ready or not, here come the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). And as states adopt CCSS, they’re also preparing for its requirements to measure student achievement in a new way. Traditional, paper-based bub-ble tests, multiple choice questions and fill-in-the-blank problems will be replaced at the end of the 2013-2014 school year with computer-based state assessments.

SMARTER Balanced and the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC), the two state-developed consortia charged with creating universal assessment systems, will rely on innovations such as audio and video streaming, multiple data sources and student interactivity through the use of clicking and dragging. In the face of the technology hurdles presented by Common Core online assessments, district and school administrators are developing strategies for meeting the technology requirements. Thirty-three states already deliver at least one computer-based state test, but many schools and districts lack the necessary devices, operating systems and other requirements.1

A recent Center for Digital Education (CDE) survey of school district technology leaders showed that 36 percent are in the planning stages of addressing Common Core assessments, while 15 percent do not have a strategy in place.2 This CDE thought leadership paper, sponsored by Samsung, will take a look at the

device strategies that districts currently have in place and what some of the best practices are for providing effective online assessments now and into the future.

Common Core Assessments Technology Challenges

To help schools prepare, both PARCC and SMARTER Balanced have published technology standards and planning guidelines that allow schools to choose from a variety of desktops, laptops, netbooks, thin clients or tablets.

In general, online assessment will require devices with a 1 GHz or faster processor, at least 1 GB of RAM and at least 1 GB of available hard drive space. They must have a 9.5” or larger monitor with at least 1024x768 screen resolution, and only the most current operating systems are supported. (See sidebar on page 3 for specific requirements.)

Based on these specifications, some schools are able to rely on existing equipment, while others find themselves scrutinizing computer catalogs and searching for funding. Although this may seem like a fiscally and strategically daunting task, adopting online assessments in the face of pinched budgets and tight deadlines is doable. Schools may find that the impending assessment deadlines serve as a catalyst to revitalize aging computer labs, implement a 1:1 computing initiative or supplement a BYOD program.

No matter what, a proactive approach is the best strategy for meeting the 2014-2015 deadline for

Source: CDE survey, 2013

Online Testing Readiness

plan to use Android or Windows tablets21%

36% of K-12 schools are in the planning stages of addressing Common Core assessments

20%plan to use Chrome-based devices

plan to use traditional laptop devices for online assessments

54%

do not have a strategy in place15%

3

implementing online testing. And because PARCC and SMARTER Balanced provide flexibility in terms of hardware and operating systems, schools and districts have many economical choices.

Devices that Deliver Effective Online Assessments

The CDE school district survey indicates that 54 per-cent of respondents plan to use traditional laptop devices for online assessments, 21 percent plan to use Android or Windows tablets, 20 percent plan to use Chrome-based devices and 15 percent plan to use thin-client displays.

A number of Samsung computing devices can help schools meet online testing requirements. The range of technology runs the spectrum from cloud- and Web-connected computing devices to traditional notebooks and tablets.

Cloud- and Web-Connected DevicesCloud-based computer labs and testing centers

present school districts with an affordable alternative to traditional PCs.

Cloud Displays. Samsung Cloud Displays combine thin-client technology with an energy-efficient monitor. Designed for virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) and cloud computing, the slim units are ideal for schools where computer lab space is at a minimum, and are more economical than a traditional PC and monitor.

Cloud Displays are connected to the district’s VDI or secure cloud environment, which means that they can be securely and centrally managed, reducing the use of IT resources for imaging machines, managing users, and upgrading software and operating systems. Students have the flexibility to use any cloud display to access their own files, data, and class-specific soft-ware and applications.

Chromebooks. Based on the Google Chrome op-erating system, Samsung Chromebooks are designed to be connected to the Internet. Unlike traditional laptops that support applications and data residing on internal hard drives, Chromebooks are optimized for the vast amount of Web- and cloud-based educational content and applications, as well as productivity tools such as Gmail and Google Apps.

PARCC SMARTER Balanced*

Processor 1 GHz or faster 1 GHz or faster

RAM At least 1 GB At least 1 GB

Hard drive Notspecified 80GBharddriveifpurchasingnew,oratleast1GBofavailableharddrivespace

Monitor 9.5”orlarger,atleast1024x768screenresolution

9.5”orlarger,atleast1024x768screenresolution

Desktop, laptop or netbook operating system

Windows7orhigher

MacOSX10.7orhigher

LinuxUbuntu11.10orhigherandFedora16orhigher

Chrome OS

Windows7orhigher

MacOSX10.7orhigher

LinuxUbuntu11.10orhigherandFedora16orhigher

Chrome OS

Tablet operating system AppleiOS6orhigher

Android4.0orhigher

Windows8orhigher

AppleiOS6orhigheroniPad3

Android4.0orhigher

* To provide schools with the additional flexibility of maintaining their existing equipment, SMARTER Balanced also provides a minimum set of specifications for administering tests on devices with Windows XP, Apple iPad 2 with iOS6, and earlier versions of Mac and Linux operating systems. However, the consortium warns that devices running only the minimum requirements may struggle to perform adequately.

Comparison of PARCC and SMARTER Balanced Technology Requirements

4

Because they don’t rely on a hard drive, Chrome-books boot up in under 10 seconds. They’re slim and lightweight, with an eight-hour battery life. Chrome-books are a cost-effective way to put reliable comput-ing into every student’s hands.

Chromebooks spare IT managers many of the headaches that accompany managing traditional sys-tems. The operating system upgrades itself automati-cally, and a Web-based console is available for setting up and managing users, applications and policies across all Chrome devices.

Traditional Notebooks and TabletsTesting centers and computer labs can also be

equipped with traditional notebooks and touch-screen tablets. Samsung offers a choice of notebooks and tablets with either Windows or Android.

Windows notebooks. With their combination of high performance, mobility and flexibility, notebooks are the Swiss Army knife of student computing de-vices. They can be used in computing labs/testing centers, mobile computing carts and 1:1 initiatives for tasks as varied as running Web-based applications, researching and writing term papers, watching DVDs and taking Common Core assessments.

Tablets. Increasingly, tablets are playing a starring role in 1:1 initiatives. Windows and Android tablets from Samsung help schools reduce the dependency on textbooks and provide students with a more interactive learning experience. The Samsung Galaxy Note tablet comes with an S Pen that lets students and teachers handwrite notes and view, create and edit content. Ad-ditionally, a Windows or Android tablet that’s outfitted with a keyboard and mouse meets both PARCC and SMARTER Balanced online testing requirements.

Devices in Action: Paradise Valley Unified School District

With approximately 34,000 students and 45 school sites, Paradise Valley Unified School District (PVUSD) is a technologically progressive school district in northern Phoenix and Scottsdale, Ariz. The district is in the process of a multi-year migration to a 1:1 computing environment that coincides with its need to meet PARCC testing requirements. “Common Core and the PARCC online assessments are a huge shift for us,” says Jeff Billings, director of information technology for PVUSD. “We needed the right computing environment.”

His colleague J.J. Stratton, librarian and media specialist at PVUSD’s North Canyon High School, agrees: “We were handicapped by the old machines.

When we got the technology requirements from the Department of Education for PARCC testing, we knew our old Windows boxes would not meet them.”

When the passage of a $40.1 million bond and budget override allowed PVUSD to modernize its outdated computer fleet, the district chose cost-effective Samsung devices. PVUSD adopted nearly 4,000 Samsung devices during the 2012-2013 school year — the first phase of its deployment — and is planning to increase this number to 14,000 over the next 18 months.

Samsung’s Chrome-based devices allow PVUSD to meet the 2014 PARCC assessment deadline. “We’ve already piloted and tested the prototype PARCC test items and they worked great,” says Billings. “The Chrome devices are phenomenal in a mass assessment setting.”

“They have a low total cost of ownership and are very fast to deploy,” he continues. “We can set them up very quickly. Just like that, the school has a proctored test area and a new computer lab.”

In addition, the Samsung Chrome devices enabled PVUSD to create and test an efficient test administration procedure. “You only get a window of 20 days to run every student through the test,” he says. “Chrome devices make testing a very smooth and easy process, regardless of the number of students, bandwidth or number of devices.”3

Testing in the CloudAlthough Texas hasn’t adopted the Common Core curriculum, its school districts have the option to participate in the optional online testing component of STAAR, the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness. Aledo Independent School District (ISD) was one of the first Texas districts to use cloud-based desktops for online assessment.

At the Don R. Daniel Ninth Grade Campus, Samsung Cloud Displays are part of a VDI platform that allows students to take the STAAR test via the state’s TestNav test delivery system. “Because of the success we had using cloud displays in the curriculum, we decided to use them for online assessment even before the state supported the use of VDI for testing,” says Brooks Moore, manager of technology services. “We’re able to provide a very high-quality experience for students and test administrators.”

“The TestNav application is just as easy to virtualize as any other application,” Moore continues. “It’s a lot easier for our technology department to manage and support testing using cloud displays and VDI, plus they have very high performance for testing and everyday use.”4

5

7 Tips for Getting Tech-Ready for Common Core Assessments

To ensure that testing devices and associated tech-nologies will rise to the challenge of Common Core testing, follow these seven tips for assessing current technology and identifying gaps.

1. Inventory and evaluate testing devices.Inventory devices at each school and compare to

PARCC or SMARTER Balanced technology specifications to determine how many devices meet minimum require-ments. Then, figure out how many students per testing session this number of devices supports.

Based on how long you have to complete testing, you’ll be able to figure out how many devices need to be purchased. Consider how the devices can be repurposed as part of a 1:1 computing program or an upgraded computer lab when they aren’t being used for testing.

Like PVUSD, run prototype testing on your new devices to make sure everything works as expected.

2. Consider peripheral devices. Physical keyboards are required for tablets — the

on-screen keyboard takes up too much screen space. Many tablets offer optional detachable keyboards.

You might need other peripheral devices, such as mice and headsets/earphones with microphones for certain subject tests and students who need speech recognition or text-to-speech features.

3. Size up the test administration infrastructure. Evaluate each school’s test administration infra-

structure, including the maximum number of students that can be supported per test session using the cur-rent testing devices, computer labs, power supplies, computer carts, etc.

Also consider how many staff will need to be trained to administer tests and provide support for test centers. How many students per session can they support? This will feed into your calculation of how many testing devices to buy.

4. Analyze and harden network infrastructure. One of the biggest challenges of online testing is

securing enough bandwidth to support multiple concur-rent test takers. PARCC recommends an external Inter-net connection of 100 Kbps or faster per student and an internal school network of 1000 Kbps per student.5 SMARTER Balanced estimates that each student will need a minimum connection of 10 Kbps to complete its assessments.6 In both cases, schools with lower band-

width can still effectively deliver the assessments, but students may experience some lag or latency.

Factors to consider include incoming Internet con-nectivity, internal network bandwidth, the number of students testing simultaneously, the number of testing devices, and size and number of test items. You’ll also need to evaluate each school’s enterprise wired and wireless networks.

Taking into account external and internal network information, determine the maximum number of stu-dents per test-taking session that can be supported by current Internet connectivity levels.

To improve bandwidth, school enterprise WAN con-nections, district Internet connection and/or wired/wire-less networks may need to be upgraded or hardened.

5. Reduce security risks. Devices must have the ability to be locked down so

that administrators can control or disable functionality or applications that could pose security risks during test tak-ing — without interfering with the assessment application.

Features that will need to be controlled include cam-eras, screen capture, email, instant messaging, Blue-tooth connections, printing, application switching and unrestricted Internet access. These levels of security can be provided by all of the approved operating sys-tems, but each of them has a different way of managing security for the enterprise and the individual device.7

Mobile device management (MDM) software makes it easy for technology staff to centrally and remotely control and manage devices by configuring operating systems. Both PARCC and SMARTER Balanced test

delivery systems will rely on customized secure brows-ers that will employ features such as limiting access to unauthorized websites and applications, and prevent-ing the use of the copying and screenshot functions.

6. Plan ahead to secure adequate funding. Funding — or lack of it — is a frequent challenge for

school and district administrators. It’s a legitimate concern, but with early and proper planning, the appropriate funding sources can be found. Funding for network upgrades can often be secured through federal E-Rate grants. Other sources are bond and budget override election initiatives — that’s how PVUSD funded its Samsung Chrome devices — or a number of voter-approved special taxes.

7. Stay informed. The PARCC and SMARTER Balanced initiatives are in

a constant state of flux due to the necessary level of field testing, data gathering, feedback analysis and re-tooling. Stay on top of revisions to the technology requirements, additions to field testing calendars and other important announcements by signing up for updates on www.parcconline.org and www.smarterbalanced.org. Other useful resources are www.assess4ed.net,

an online community that helps schools and districts make the shift to online testing and www.techreadiness.net, an online system for collecting school technology information to help prepare districts for online testing.

Flexible, High-performance Devices Ease the Transition to Online Assessment

Online testing benefits students, educators, administrators, schools and districts, and it’s critical to the success of the CCSS. The advanced technology used by the PARCC and SMARTER Balanced consortia is requiring many districts to rethink their plans for school-provided computing devices.

A partner like Samsung provides a wide selection of cloud-based and traditional thin clients, Chromebooks, laptops and tablets that have the highest levels of performance — making test taking easy for students and easy to manage for test administrators. IT staff find that Samsung devices are simple to deploy, manage and support, and there are solutions for every budget. Finally, the flexibility of Samsung devices allows them to function as part of the connected classroom as computer lab workhorses, supplemental devices in a BYOD program or part of a 1:1 initiative.

Endnotes1. www.setda.org/c/document_library/get_file?folderId=350&name=DLFE-1628.pdf 2. Center for Digital Education Research, 20133. CDE interviews with Jeff Billings and J.J. Stratton on April 19 and May 22, 2013.4. CDE interview with Brooks Moore on August 7, 2013.5. www.parcconline.org/sites/parcc/files/PARCCTechnologyGuidelines2dot1_Feb2013Update.pdf6. www.smarterbalanced.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Technology-Strategy-Framework_2-6-13.pdf7. www.parcconline.org/sites/parcc/files/PARCCTechnologyGuidelines2dot1_Feb2013Update.pdf

Learn More4 1-866-SAM4BIZ | samsung.com/education

© 2013 e.Republic. All Rights Reserved.

Samsung is a registered trademark of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. All products and brand names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. This article is for informational purposes only. Samsung makes no warranties, express or implied, in this article.

THE NEW LEARNINGEXPERIENCE

The Samsung products that power the New Learning Experience.