DataManager Technical Checklist

Plan

• Make sure that your local technical support or technical coordinator knows the dates and time that online testing will take place.
• Schedule training for proctors no later than the week before online testing.
• For test security, ensure that there is adequate space between workstations. Make sure that workstations have sufficient space for students to use scratch paper and a pencil or pen during the online test.
• If any workstations are powered only by battery, fully charge batteries and make sure that the batteries will remain charged for at least an hour, the length of most test sessions. Low batteries can cause laptops to drop network connections.

Prepare

Perform each task in the checklist to ensure that your technical environment and workstations are ready for testing.

• Check each workstation that will be used for testing to ensure that it has a monitor, a mouse, and a keyboard and that it meets the minimum system requirements.
• If your location uses a wireless network, verify that all workstations can communicate with their access point from the location where testing will take place.
• Notify your internet service provider that you will be conducting online testing. They should expect high bandwidth utilization while students are testing. Confirm that the ISP has no scheduled maintenance or outages planned during the time of the test event.
• Verify that no other activity that might affect network activity—such as streaming video or watching movies online—will occur during the test event.
• Ensure that any in-line devices, such as proxy servers or application firewalls, allow both HTTP and HTTPS traffic.
• Check each workstation to ensure that the fonts required to display the tests correctly (Arial and Times New Roman) are installed. NOTE: If one or both fonts are not installed on the workstation, make arrangements to install the fonts before testing.
  • Check font display in Windows:
    • In Internet Explorer, from the Tools menu, click Internet Options.
    • On the Internet Options dialog box, click Fonts. Check the Webpage fonts group to see that Arial and Times New Roman appear in the list of fonts.
    • Click Cancel to close each dialog box.
  • Check font display on Macintosh:
    • In Safari, choose Preferences, then Appearance. Check the Standard Fonts list to make sure that Arial and Times New Roman appear in the list.

Test

• Confirm that each school network used for testing can access DataManager by accessing the DataManager Sign In page at http://www.riversidedatamanager.com
• Check each school network that will be used for testing to ensure that it can access
  http://www.riversideonlinetest.com
• Run an internet speed test, and the optional tools on the check readiness page (System Check, Evaluate Network, Test Delivery Check and Bandwidth Check at DMcheckreadiness.programworkshop.com) for the workstations that will be used for testing, including the test administrator workstation.
• If it is your district’s policy to use secure browsers for testing, install Riverside’s kiosk mode
  browser on each student workstation, in your district-approved manner. (Note: the kiosk mode browser is optional; many districts simply have students use a standard browser for testing.) The Windows and Mac versions of the kiosk mode browser can be downloaded from the DataManager Support and Resources Page.
• If you are testing using iPads, the DATAMANAGER student testing app can be downloaded from the Apple App Store.
• If you are testing using Chromebooks, please see this Chromebook App Access Options article.