Assessment/Accountability Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System
MEPA
(Massachusetts English Proficiency Assessment)

Tips and Strategies for MEPA Online Test Administration: Practical Suggestions from Previous Online Test Administrators

The following suggestions were gathered at two focus group meetings that met in Malden and in Springfield in June 2011. At these meetings, online MEPA test coordinators from 26 schools shared their experiences and advice.

Help desk

1. 1. The Help Desk was very effective in providing information and guidance.

Training School Staff

1. The principal or test coordinator who attended Department-sponsored training should train school staff soon after completion of the face-to-face or WebEx training. This will allow staff more time to become familiar with the system and comfortable using it.
2. The principal/designee should set up the system before the in-school training so that trainees can have a hands-on experience during training.
3. The principal/designee should spend time with trainees to ensure that they are familiar with the system, understand the vocabulary, and know how to handle issues that arise.

Scheduling and Preparing for Online Tests

1. Schedule MEPA testing as early in the year as possible
2. Determine the number of ELL students that need to be tested. Each student will need to be in the computer lab three times: 1) once for the video tutorial and practice test, 2) once for the reading test, 3) once for the writing test
3. Determine the number of students who need accommodations and set up the required number of computers in another room. In addition, any student who has the read-aloud accommodation will need to be tested in a separate setting. Try to test all students with accommodations on the same day.
4. Give advanced notice to school staff regarding the spaces and times that the computer lab and other testing spaces will be used for online testing so that teachers can plan accordingly.
5. Use laptop computers when possible. This will reduce disruptions to the computer lab schedule.
6. Try to minimize school disruptions during testing. Suggest having two teachers in each lab. These teachers could be ancillary staff.
7. Schedule sufficient time in the computer lab or other testing space for each test.
8. When administering two tests at once, move between the two tests to monitor student progress.

Improving the Actual Testing Experience

1. Organization and planning ahead is critical. The principal or test coordinator must be very engaged in the process.
2. Although practicing using the system is time-consuming for test administrators and students, it will make the process run smoothly.
3. Print login tickets on card stock and color code by groups to be tested.
4. Make sure that students are at a computer during the video tutorial.
5. In advance of testing, remind younger students how to make upper-case letters on the computer and have them practice doing this for the short-answer and open-response items.
6. Technology instructors and other teachers should try to teach computer skills during the year to students who will be tested online
7. Give students time before the operational test (perhaps during practice testing) to set their font, color, size and background color.
8. Give students access to the computer they will use for MEPA testing before the test in order to become familiar with the way it operates.

Security

1. Cardboard carrels (dividers) provided by the Department were excellent. Students liked having their own little space.