Any modifications provided for a student's testing experience that affect the construct of the test, which is the general skill that the test is intended to assess. For example, in a test intended to assess writing skills, an accommodation that transcribes a student's speech would change the test construct and be considered a non-standard accommodation.
Accommodations Standard
Test modifications that are in use in most online assessment programs and that do not change the construct of the test, which is the general skill that the test is intended to assess. For example, the zoom tools available in the Student Testing Site do not change the construct of a test intended to assess writing skills, so they are considered a standard accommodation.
Alternative Computer Input Technology (ACI)
Assistive tools that allow students with various impairments (such as physical and visual impairments) to interact with a computer without using a traditional mouse and keyboard setup.
Annual Assessment Window
A designated time period each school year during which schools administer tests to students.
Appeal
A request to resolve a test impropriety (also known as a testing incident), which may interrupt the normal workflow of a test opportunity. Appeals are created and processed in TIDE.
Assessment Reports
Reports available in the Reporting system that provide detailed student performance data for an individual test taken by an individual student or group of students.
Assistive Keyboard and Mouse Input Technology
Assistive tools that provide additional support to students with physical impairments who need to use a keyboard and mouse in order to respond to test items.
Autonomous Single App Mode (ASAM)
A special feature available in some testing devices that allows that device to lock its focus onto a single application.
B
BRF File (BRF)
A Braille file type used to emboss test items containing only text or formatted tables.
C
Centralized Reporting System (CRS)
A CAI system that provides comprehensive student performance reports on assessments and allows educators to hand-score some test items..
Class Code
A code assigned to a student in TIDE. Students' class codes can be edited either individually or by uploading a student information file.
Cluster
May refer to either of two things: -A category of content standards that measure a related set of skills or knowledge areas. -A set of items or interactions within a single item that engages students in activity aligned to a specific standard.
Condition Code
A code applied in place of a score on an assessment report when a student's response to a test item cannot be scored.
Cut Score
A specific point on a test's score scale that distinguishes between two performance levels. Scores at or above that point are interpreted to mean something different from scores below that point. Cut scores can determine if a student's test score is sufficient, insufficient, almost sufficient, etc.
D
Data Entry Interface (DEI)
A CAI system that allows educators to enter student performance data, such as a response or score, directly into a test form.
District Student ID (DSID)
A student identifier number based on the student's associated district.
District Test and Security Administrator (DTSA)
A CAI system user role representing an administrator specializing in testing and security for an entire district.
District Test Coordinator (DTC)
A CAI system user role representing a test coordinator for an entire district.
District Test Coordinator for Alternate Assessment (DTC-Alt)
A CAI system user role representing a coordinator for an entire district.
Domain
A category of content standards that measure a related set of skills or knowledge areas.
Duplicate Test Discrepancy
A type of discrepancy resolved in TIDE that occurs when TIDE detects two or more instances of the same test submitted by the same student.
Duxbury Braille Translator
Accessibility software used to emboss BRF test items in a Braille test.
E
Eligibility Rules
Student attributes set up in TIDE that determine which tests a student will be able to take in TDS.
End of Life (EOL)
The projected date on which CAI plans to end the Test Delivery System's support for an operating system version.
English as a Second Language (ESL)
A student whose native language is not English and who has difficulty speaking, reading, writing, or understanding the English language.
Equation Response (EQ)
An item type that allows students to respond by clicking mathematical characters that appear in an on-screen keypad.
Evidence-Based Selected Response (EBSR)
An item type that requires students to answer a multi-part question related to an accompanying passage or information presented in the stem.
Exemplar
An element included in an item's scoring rubric that provides an example of a student response that would earn a certain number of points.
F
Family Portal
A CAI system that provides student performance reports for parents and guardians.
Frequency-Distribution Report (FDR)
A report that shows the frequency or count of a particular score or outcome by student group or demographic.
G
Graph Item
An item type that requires students to respond by adjusting the heights or lengths of bars in a graph.
I
Individual Student Report (ISR)
A report that provides detailed information about an individual student's performance on an individual test.
Individualized Education Plan (IEP)
A written statement for each child with a disability that is developed, reviewed and revised to reflect the decisions made by an interdisciplinary team, including the parent and student when appropriate.
Invalidate a test Appeal
An appeal created in TIDE that eliminates the test opportunity, which results in the student having no further opportunities for the test.
Item Rescore Appeal
An appeal created in TIDE that sends a request to CAI to rescore an individual item in a student's test opportunity.
J
Job Access with Speech (JAWS)
A screen reader software designed to help vision-impaired people use computer applications.
L
Limited English Proficiency (LEP)
A student whose native language is not English and who has difficulty speaking, reading, writing, or understanding the English language.
Longitudinal Report
A type of report available in the Reporting system that shows a comparison of assessment results for a particular student or group of students at two or more points in time.
M
Machine-Scored Constructed Response (MSCR)
A type of written response item that requires scoring logic or a machine rubric to score.
Multilingual Learners (ML)
A student whose native language is not English and who has difficulty speaking, reading, writing, or understanding the English language.
Multiple Choice (MC)
An item type that requires students to select a single answer from a list of options.
Multiple Select (MS)
An item type that requires students to select one or more answer options from a list of options.
N
Nemeth Braille Code for Mathematics (Nemethe Code)
A Braille code for encoding mathematical and scientific notation linearly.
Non-Eligible Test Discrepancy
A discrepancy occurring when a student submits a test for which they are not eligible. These discrepancies are resolved in TIDE.
Non-Matching School Discrepancy
A discrepancy occurring when a student submits a test while enrolled in one school but TIDE’s records indicate that the student was enrolled in another school at the time of the test. These discrepancies are resolved in TIDE.
Non-Participated Student Discrepancy
A discrepancy occurring when a student has not taken a test that they are eligible for at the time when discrepancy resolution opens. These discrepancies are resolved in TIDE.
O
Operational
In student testing, this term refers to live testing, as distinct from practice testing. An operational assessment is one that is developed and administered at a specified time and whose scoring results are used for the purpose of meeting local, state, and/or federal requirements.
Opportunity
An individual chance for a student to attempt a test. A test may allow for one or more opportunities per eligible student.
Out-of-Level Testing
The administration of a test at a level above or below a student’s present grade level to enable the student to be assessed at the level of instruction rather than the level of enrollment.
Overage
In paper orders managed in TIDE, the percentage of extra test materials to be sent in case they are needed.
P
Paper Order
Also known as a materials order. An order for paper-and-pencil test materials, such as question books and answer sheets. Paper orders can be managed in TIDE.
Participation Rate
In student testing, the percentage of students within a particular group who took a test as compared to the total number of students in the group who could have taken the test.
Participation Report by SSID
A report available in TIDE that details the status for each test opportunity started by a particular student.
Pause Rule
A rule in the Student Testing Site that restricts students from modifying their responses to previous items if they pause their test and return to it after exceeding a certain time limit.
Performance on Tests Report
A report available in the Reporting system that lists all the assessments completed by a user's associated students.
Permissive Mode
A Secure Browser setting that allows a student to use pre-approved hardware or software that would otherwise be blocked by the Secure Browser.
Plan and Manage Testing Report
A report available in TIDE that details all of a student’s test opportunities and the status of those test opportunities.
Predictive Text Technology
A type of assistive technology that suggests words to students as they type responses to test items.
Prefetch Item Rule
A setting in TDS that queues up a certain number of test items as students progress through the test to ensure there are no delays in testing.
PreID Label
A label affixed to a student’s physical testing materials, such as a paper answer booklet.
PreID Roster
A type of roster that is implicitly created based on the class codes assigned to students in TIDE. When a student's class code is edited, their PreID roster membership is automatically changed as well.
Print Request
A TA Site feature in which students with the appropriate test settings may request printouts of test content, which the test administrator may approve.
PRN File (PRN)
A Braille file type used to emboss test items containing Nemeth code or tactile graphics.
Proctor (PR)
A CAI system user role for an educator who may administer test sessions in TDS.
Proctor Relationship
In Centralized Reporting, the relationship between a proctor and all their proctored students. It allows the proctor to view test results for any tests students completed in their test sessions, regardless of whether those students belong to the proctor's rosters.
R
Re-assign a test Appeal
An appeal created in TIDE that reassigns a test from one student to another.
Refreshable Braille Display (RBD)
An assistive technology device for visually-impaired students that translates text to a readable braille format.
Re-open a test Appeal
An appeal created in TIDE that reopens a test opportunity that was completed, invalidated, or expired.
Re-open Current Test Segment Appeal
An appeal created in TIDE that reopens a test segment that a student already submitted. This is available only if the student has not yet started a new test segment.
Re-open Previous Test Segment Appeal
An appeal created in TIDE that reopens a previous test segment.
Report Problem with Item Appeal
An appeal created in TIDE that sends a problem report to CAI regarding a particular test item. Scenarios that warrant this request include the following: • A duplicate item appears in a test opportunity for a subject. • The student believes that an item may not contain a correct answer or may contain more than one correct answer. • An item references a stimulus or graphic that does not display.
Reporting Category
A topic or skill area within a test. In the Reporting system, some reports may allow users to view performance data by reporting category.
Reset a test Appeal
An appeal created in TIDE that allows the student to restart a test opportunity (removing all responses on the test), or allows the data entry operator to restart the data entry process.
Revert a test Appeal
An appeal created in TIDE that reverses a test reset, restoring the student responses that were on the test when the reset was processed.
Review Group
A group of users within the Authoring system that is able to review and approve items submitted to a shared items library.
S
SC College and Career Ready Standards (SCCCR)
South Carolina's rigorous, high-quality state standards that cover all academic domains and prepare students to leave school as college and career ready students.
School Test Coordinator (STC)
A CAI system user role representing a test coordinator for an individual school.
Score Assigned to Wrong Student Appeal
An appeal created in TIDE that sends a request to CAI to investigate the possibility that test scores were swapped between students.
Screen Magnifier Technology
A type of assistive technology that enlarges the content displayed on the computer screen in order to assist students with visual impairments.
Screen Reader
An application that transforms the text displayed on a computer screen into synthesized speech for vision-impaired users.
Single Sign-On (SSO)
A shared component in CAI systems that allows users to use a single set of login credentials to access every CAI system.
Skill Area
A reporting category or topic by which items are organized in a test based on related standards measured.
State Administrator (SA)
A CAI system user role that may have access to any special administrative features available in a system.
State Assessment Coordinator (SAC)
A CAI system user role representing a test coordinator for an entire state.
State Student ID (SSID)
A unique number or alphanumeric code assigned to a student for identification purposes.
Stimulus
A reading passage or multimedia resource in a test that students must review in order to respond to a set of associated items.
Student Data File
A spreadsheet file that lists comprehensive test result data for a custom combination of tests and students, which users can generate and export in the Reporting system.
Student Not Found Discrepancy
A type of test discrepancy resolved in TIDE that occurs when the identifying information on a paper answer document is not found in TIDE.
Student Portfolio Report
A report available in the Reporting system that lists all the assessments completed by a particular student.
Student Report Viewer
A CAI system user role for educators who can view student reports.
Student Testing Site
The component of the Test Delivery System (TDS) where students can take tests. Both practice and operational Student Testing Sites are available. The operational site is also known as the Secure Browser.
T
Table Match
An item type that requires students to respond by clicking checkboxes in the cells of a table to match together terms that appear in the column and row headers.
Take a Test (TAT)
A Microsoft application that allows students to take a test securely in Windows. The Take a Test app may be used as an alternative to the CAI Secure Browser.
Teacher (TE)
A CAI system user role, typically one that is associated with one or more rosters.
Temporary ID
A feature in the TA Site that allows test administrators to create a temporary student ID to allow students without an ID to sign in to their test session.
Test Administration Certification Course (TA Certification Course)
A certification course offered to potential test administrators in order to prepare them for use of CAI's Test Delivery System.
Test Administrator (TA)
A CAI system user role for an educator who may administer test sessions in TDS.
Test Completion Rate Report
A report available in TIDE that summarizes the number and percentage of students who have started or completed a test.
Test Delivery System (TDS)
A set of CAI systems used by educators to proctor online test sessions and by students to complete online assessments. TDS includes the TA Site, the Student Testing Site, the Assessment Viewing Application, and the Data Entry Interface.
Test Impropriety
Any action or violation, whether deliberate or accidental, that would invalidate a test. Also known as a testing incident.
Test Information and Distribution Engine (TIDE)
A CAI system that allows educators to manage user and student information. It is responsible for student registration, gathering of demographic data, and materials ordering.
Test Presentation
The language in which a test is displayed to the student.
Test Reason
A category assigned to a test opportunity, which is used to categorize the test for reporting purposes. Test reasons can be assigned to test opportunities in TDS or the Reporting system.
Test Segment
A section of a test. Tests may be divided into multiple segments based on the skills measured, types of tasks, and/or tools available in that section.
Test Status Code Report
A report available in TIDE that displays all the non-participation codes for a test administration.
Test Ticket
A piece of paper that includes a student’s username for logging in to a test in TDS.
Text-to-Speech (TTS)
An embedded support available in the Student Testing Site that reads aloud text content within a test.
Tiger Max Embosser
Accessibility software used to emboss PRN test items in a Braille test.
Tutorial
A tool within the Student Testing Site that plays a video demonstrating how students interact with a particular item type.
U
Uncontracted Braille
A version of Braille that uses cells of dots to represent individual letters, numbers, and symbols.
User
An educator who is able to access and use a CAI system. Accounts for users can be created in TIDE.
W
Workgroup
A custom set of users in Authoring who regularly share item and test content with each other.