TDS Appendix
- 1 A
- 1.1 Alert Messages
- 2 E
- 3 I
- 3.1 Icons
- 4 K
- 5 L
- 6 P
- 7 R
- 8 S
- 9 U
A
Alert Messages
The Texas Education Agency can send statewide alerts that appear as pop-up messages on the Test Administrator Site.
In the banner, click the Alerts button to see a listing of all the active alert messages.
To close the window and return to the Test Administrator Site, click the Close button on the right.
E
Expiration Rules for Test Opportunities
Opportunities refer to the number of times a student can take a test within a range of dates. Tests may have one opportunity or multiple opportunities. A student’s test opportunity remains active until the student submits the test or until the opportunity expires. Once a test opportunity expires, the student cannot complete or review the test.
I
Icons
Icon Name | Icon Image |
|---|---|
Expand Button |  |
Plus Sign | |
Collapse All Button | |
Minus Sign | |
Add Filter Button | |
Magnifying Glass Button | |
Collapse Button |
|
Remove X Button | |
Eye Button | |
Blue Dots Icon | |
Orange Dots Icon | |
Red Dots Icon | |
Red X Button | |
Green Check Button | |
Refresh Page Button | |
Up Down Arrow Button | |
More Info Button | |
Blue Pause Button | |
Stop Session Button | |
Directional Button | |
Share Link Button | |
Edit Button | |
Delete Button | |
Export Button | |
Audio Button | |
Stimulus Button | |
Book Button | |
Marked for Review Icon | |
Unanswered Icon | |
Left Arrow Button | |
Right Arrow Button | |
Keyboard Button | |
Play Button | |
1x Button | |
Pause Button | |
Resizing Handle Button | |
Pop Out Button | |
Basic Calculator Button | |
Dictionary Button | |
Graph/Draw Button | |
Help Button | |
Line Reader Button | |
Notepad Button | |
Pause Test Button | |
Periodic Table Button | |
References Button | |
Ruler Button | |
System Settings Button | |
Zoom In Button | |
Zoom Out Button | |
Menu Button | |
Microphone Button | |
ASL Button | |
Mark For Review Question Icon | |
Mark For Review Flag Icon | |
Pencil Icon | |
Cover Page Icon | |
Expand Passage Button | |
Push Pin | |
K
Keyboard Commands in the Student Interface
Students can use keyboard commands to navigate between test elements, features, and tools. Important things to note about keyboard commands are as follows:
Keyboard commands require the use of the primary keyboard, so please do not use keys in a numeric keypad.
Some keyboard commands (such as the commands for using the Line Reader) may not function when testing on iPadOS devices connected to an external keyboard.
When Permissive Mode is enabled for a test, keyboard commands are blocked and will not function.
Keyboard Commands for Sign-In Pages and In-Test Pop-Ups
Table 6 lists keyboard commands for selecting options on the sign-in pages or pop-up windows that appear during a test.
Table 6. Keyboard Commands for Sign-In Pages and Pop-Up Windows | |
Function | Keyboard Commands |
Move to the next option | Tab |
Move to the previous option | Shift + Tab |
Select the active option | Enter |
Mark checkbox | Space |
Scroll through dropdown list options | Arrow Keys |
Close pop-up window | Esc |
Keyboard Commands for Test Navigation
Table 7 lists keyboard commands for navigating tests and responding to questions.
Table 7. Keyboard Commands for Test Navigation | |
Function | Keyboard Commands |
Scroll up | Up Arrow |
Scroll down | Down Arrow |
Scroll to the right | Right Arrow |
Scroll to the left | Left Arrow |
Move to the next element | Tab |
Move to the previous element | Shift + Tab |
Select an answer option | Space |
Go to the next test page | Ctrl + Right Arrow |
Go to the previous test page | Ctrl + Left Arrow |
Open the global menu | Ctrl + G |
Open a context menu | Ctrl + M |
Keyboard Commands for Global and Context Menus
Students can use keyboard commands to access tools in the global and context menus. For more information about tools in these menus, refer to the section How Students Use Test Tools.
Global Menu
To access the global menu tools using keyboard commands, press Ctrl + G. The global menu list opens.
To move between options in the global menu, use the Up or Down arrow key.
To select an option, press Enter.
To close the global menu without selecting an option, press Esc.
Context Menus
To open the context menu for an element (question, answer options, or stimulus), navigate to the element using the Tab or Shift + Tab command.
Press Ctrl + M. The context menu for the selected element opens.
To move between options in the context menu, use the Up or Down arrow keys.
To select an option, press Enter.
To close the context menu without selecting an option, press Esc.
Keyboard Commands for Highlighting Selected Regions of Text
This section explains how to use keyboard commands to select a text excerpt (such as a word in a passage) and highlight it. These instructions only apply to students using the secure browser application:
To select text and highlight it, navigate to the element containing the text you want to select.
Press Ctrl + M to open the context menu and navigate to Enable Text Selection.
Press Enter. A flashing cursor appears at the upper-left corner of the active element.
To move the cursor to the beginning of the text you want to select, use the arrow keys.
Press Shift and an arrow key to select your text. The text you select appears shaded.
Press Ctrl + M and select Highlight Selection.
Keyboard Commands for Grid Questions
Questions with the grid response area may have up to three main sections – an answer space, which is the grid area where students enter the response; an object bank, which is a panel containing objects you can move to the answer space; and a button row, which appears above the answer space and may include Delete, Add Point, Add Arrow, Add Line, Add Circle, Add Dashed Line, and Connect Line buttons.
To move between the main sections, do the following:
To move clockwise, press Tab. To move counterclockwise, press Shift + Tab.
To add an object to the answer space, do the following:
With the object bank active, use the arrow keys to move between objects. The active object has a blue background.
To add the active object to the answer space, press Space:
To use the action buttons, do the following:
With the button row active, use the left and right arrow keys to move between the buttons. The active button is white.
To select a button, press Enter, and then press Space to apply the point, arrow, or line to the answer space.
To move objects and graph elements in the answer space, do the following:
With the answer space active, press Enter to move between the objects, and then press Space. The active object displays a blue border.
Press an arrow key to move the object. To move the object in smaller increments, hold Shift while pressing an arrow key.
Keyboard Commands for Equation Questions
Equation questions allow students to use keyboard commands to open a menu listing the special characters they can insert into the response area:
To insert special characters in the response area, with the focus in the text field of the response area, press Alt + 7. The Special Characters window opens.
To move between options in the context menu, use the Up or Down arrow keys.
To add the selected option to the response area, press Enter.
L
Login Information for the Test Administrator Interface and Practice Site
Test administrators will not be able to access the Test Administrator Interface or Practice Site until their district coordinators or campus coordinators has first created their accounts in TIDE. Once the account is created, the test administrator will receive an account activation email. He or she can then log in to the Test Administrator Interface and Practice Site after activating the account:
Navigate to the Texas Assessment Program portal, TexasAssessment.gov.
Select the relevant user role.
Select the appropriate Test Administrator Site:
To access the Test Administrator Interface, select Test Administrator Interface.
To access the Test Administrator Practice Site, select Practice and Released Tests, then select Test Administrator Practice Site:
The Secure Login page appears. Enter your email address and password.
Select Secure Log In. The selected Test Administrator Site appears.
If you have not logged in using this browser before, or if you have cleared your browser cache, the Confirm Account page appears and an email containing an authentication code is sent to your address:
Type the code you receive into the Emailed Code field.
Select Submit to view the Test Administrator Site.
Note: You must use the authentication code within 15 minutes of the email being sent. If the code has expired, click Resend Code to request a new code.
When scheduling or starting a test session, if you are associated with multiple institutions that have test windows set, a pop-up message prompts you to select a testing institution. Select your institution from the dropdown list and select Go. To change the institution, you must log out and then log back in.
P
Pause and Test Timeout Rules
Pause Rules
Students can pause a test at any time in order to temporarily log out of the test session. If a student pauses their test, they can resume their test using the same session ID:
If the test is paused for less than 8 hours, the student can return to questions that were already answered and modify answers.
If the test is paused for more than 8 hours, the student can return to questions that were already answered but cannot change the answers. The only exception is if the session was paused on a page that has at least one unanswered question.
All answers are saved immediately. They are not lost if the test is paused.
If the test session has ended, the test administrator will need to set up a new session, and the student must sign in to their test using a new session ID.
These pause rules apply regardless of whether the student pauses the test, or a technical issue logs the student out.
Test Timeout Rules
A warning message displays after 5 minutes of inactivity and the student will be logged out after 20 minutes of inactivity.
Practice Tests Site Student Sign-In Process
The Student Practice Site allows students to take practice tests. Text-to-Speech (TTS) is available on the Student Sign-in page when students select the TTS button. (Speech-to-text (STT) is only available in the practice interface if a student with STT set in TIDE logs in with their TSDS ID and a practice session ID.) Aside from the sign-in process, the Practice Tests Site has the same appearance and functionality as the Student Interface. For information on how to sign in to the Student Interface, refer to How Students Sign In and Select Tests.
Students can take practice tests in proctored sessions created in the Test Administrator Practice Site or in in non-proctored/guest sessions. Students also have the option to sign in to the test sessions with their real identities to take tests specific to their grades or sign in as guests to take tests for any grade level.
To access the Student Practice Site, do one of the following:
From the Texas Assessment Program portal (TexasAssessment.gov), select the Practice Tests Login card.
In the secure browser application, select the Take a Practice Test button.
To sign in, students do the following:
To sign in as a guest, students set the Guest User toggle to On. Otherwise, to use their real credentials, students set the Guest User toggle to Off and then enter their first name and TSDS ID.
To join a guest session, students set the Guest Session toggle to On. Or else, to join a proctored session, students set the Guest Session toggle to Off and enter the Session ID from the Test Administrator Practice Site. If using a test session link to join the session, the session ID will be pre-filled.
To use their sign-in credentials, students can either:
Enter their first name and TSDS ID:
Students select Sign In:
If signed in with their real identities, the Is This You page appears. Students verify their information and click Yes to proceed to the Your Tests page.
If signed in as guest users, students are directly taken to the Your Tests page.
On the Your Tests page, students do one of the following:
If signed in with their real identities, students select a test from the ones available for their grade.
Students signed in as guests select their grade level from the dropdown list to view the tests available for that grade and then select a test. If the students signed in to a guest session, they must select the test settings they wish to use from the Choose Settings page and then select the Select button. When selecting the color of the text and background, mouse-pointer, and print size settings, students can refer to a live preview of their selected settings.
If the test includes audio content or text-to-speech settings, the Audio/Video Checks page appears displaying the functionality checks that need to be performed. Students must follow the instructions on this page to ensure their device is working properly.