1. I added a student using TAA, but the next day they still weren’t in the testing database, what did I do wrong?
First, make sure you added the student at the admin computer; your school designated a specific computer for using TAA. Check with the Help Desk if you are not sure which computer is the admin computer. Second, you have to make sure when adding students that all the computers in the school are out of TestTaker. The best time of day to use TAA is before the computers have been turned on for testing or after the computers have been turned off for testing.

2. If we enroll a new student at our school during the testing window, how do I add them so that they can take the MAP test? (see answer 1)
Whenever you add or modify a student, always check and match the PermID number for students. This is the number found in SASI and is unique to each student. The PermID number is what is used to create the student’s testing history. This will ensure you do not duplicate a student and thus lose testing history.

Then, establish if this is a NEW student to the county or a student transferring from another school within the county. If it is a transferring student, use the Test Administrators Application and choose Modify. Change the school location and teacher. If it is a new student, use the Test Administrators Application and choose Add; you will need the PermID number at this time.

3. How do I get to the TAA (Test Administration Application)?
You can only access TAA from the designated administration computer (the service tag number of this computer has been submitted to the Help Desk). You should use Internet Explorer to access the web site. The TAA is located at https://map.nwea.org/taa.hta; you will need to use the school login and password to begin using the TAA. You can obtain the login and password from your MAP site administrator.

4. We have students who are already in SASI but are not showing up in the database to test them.
The CRF file was created before the actual testing window so any student added to SASI after the testing begins has to be manually added to TAA (see question 1) in order for them to appear in the testing database.

5. Can I leave the computers on over night, during testing, logged in so we can begin testing right away in the morning?
It is a security risk to leave the computers on overnight. Every computer in your school that is used for testing must be out of TestTaker in order for an upload to take place. The safest way to accomplish this is to shut those computers down at the end of each testing day.

6. What’s the CRF, everyone talks about?
CRF stands for Class Roster File. This file is created from SASI and sent to NWEA. It is the file that includes the student names and the teachers with which they are associated. This file is created by the county before the beginning of each MAP testing window.

7. What is the password to get started?
In order to begin Map testing you must use the proctor login and password. You should have received this information at your proctor training, but you can obtain login and password by contacting the Help Desk.

8. How do I get to TestTaker?
Once you login using the proctor login and password you will see a TestTaker icon on the desktop. Double click it to start up TestTaker. Then you will need to use the school login and password to begin testing. You can obtain the login and password from your MAP site administrator.

9. I cannot access TestTaker, what should I do?
Make sure you are logged in correctly using the proctor login and password. Then make sure you are using the correct username and password for TestTaker. The password is case sensitive.

10. We tested a student and realized after the test that he was entered into the wrong grade level, how do I correct this?
You will need to fill out a Data Repair Request Form: Change Grade on Test Event and then submit it to william_morgan@charleston.k12.sc.us. He will then submit the form to NWEA.

11. How do I invalidate a test for a student once he/she has completed the test?
You will need to fill out a Data Repair Request Form: Delete Test Event and then submit it to william_morgan@charleston.k12.sc.us. He will then submit the form to NWEA.

12. We cannot add students to a grade because it is not available, yet that grade exists at our school. What should we do?
Report this to Data Management so they can fix it.

13. As a proctor, how do I terminate a test while the student is still testing?
Use <Control><Shift><P> to access the Proctor Administration Menu. You will be asked to enter the school password; at the menu select terminate.

14. While we were testing the power went out. What do I do now?
Restart the computers and access TestTaker again. Select the same test for students that were testing during the power failure, and they should be able to resume testing where they left off.

15. I heard Class Breakdown reports are available on the NWEA reports web site. Is that true?
There are Class Breakdown reports and other more detailed reports that are now available to teachers. Access them on the NWEA reports web site by selecting "Class by RIT" under "Online Reports." Read the instructions to learn how to drill down into these reports to get more detailed information on students.

16. Why can’t I open MAP test results?
You need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed in order to read Student Progress Reports and Teacher Reports, and you need to install Crystal Report Viewer to read Class Reports.

17. Q: Why are teachers listed so many times in elementary school? (For example, Ms. Johnson is listed six times in the teacher drop down box of TAA)
The number of times the teacher is listed reflects that teacher's schedule in SASI. (Ms. Johnson actually teaches six classes, so they are all going to show in the pull-down.) The students who are already part of the MAP rosters will have reports under EACH of those teachers' names... because "Ms. Johnson" teaches them ALL during those periods. Therefore, when you 'add' new students, or transfer students to your school (through TAA) you may be looking at selecting 6 teachers for that child (all the same teacher name).

If you only select ONE of the 6 teachers for that new student, that student's reports will only appear on that ONE pull-down. And, if you only select one teacher, REMEMBER which one, so there is no confusion over where that child's report will appear. On the other hand, avoid all the confusion and select all six of "Ms. Johnson's" classes for that child!

18. Q: Do teachers that have classes who are not testing need to be listed, such as the art and music teachers?
Yes, all active teachers (according to SASI, as of 12/17/04) are included in our teacher listing for Winter 05, including PE, Art & Music. At this point, that is not changeable.

Elementary schools should tolerate the multiple listings or use them to their advantage. Some schools need those extra teacher names in TAA, so we included them. If we go to one teacher-class pull-down, it inhibits schools where teachers actually are assigned different students in different periods. Those teachers need the multiple pull-down classes.