Mechanicsburg Area School District: Study Island Benchmark Preparation Guide

Before the test… Be sure all your students know their computer login information. Be sure all your students know their Study Island login information. Teachers should have scrap paper and pencils for the students. Teachers should have copies of the open-ended question(s). Copies of the open-ended question(s) and rubric will be distributed to the homeroom teachers at the elementary level and to the department coordinators at the secondary level a week prior to testing.

Before the test… for the math benchmark For math, teachers should have calculators accessible for students to use. (if applicable) For math, copies of the formula sheet should be provided for each student. Copies of the formula sheet will be distributed to the homeroom teachers at the elementary level and to the department coordinators at the secondary level a week prior to testing.

Before the test… Teachers can access their students’ login information by going to the Teacher Page. It would be a good idea to print a grade level or classroom copy to keep with you.

Open-ended question(s): Below is an example of the reading rubric the teachers will use to score a student’s open-ended response. Students will be provided copies of this rubric to reference during testing.

During the Benchmark Testing Window… Students within that building will not be able to access Study Island assignments until after taking the benchmark. When the students log-on, they will only have access to the benchmark. Study Island does not control the length of the benchmark. Teachers are responsible for the timing of the administration. Teachers are asked to follow the same 60 minute protocol that was used when administering the 4Sight benchmark exam.

The Test: Students can monitor their question completion by viewing the toolbar to the left. Students can use the highlighter feature(s) and increase the text size by using the toolbar. If you have to stop the test prior to completion, you can have it save your progress and come back to it later. When the students finish the test, they can click on the “Turn in Test” button.

The Test: A View

The Test: A View Students can keep track of their progress as they move throughout the test. As a student marks an answer, it automatically records the answer and asks them to move onto the “Next Question”.

The End of the Test Students will be prompted to answer “Yes”, when they are ready to turn in the test. After pressing this key, students cannot retrieve their test or make any changes.

Reports: Students will see the below report immediately after submitting their benchmark exam. This screen is what a student will see immediately after choosing “turn in test”.

Study Island: After the students submit their test, they can now access assignments in both math and reading that are posted to their classes.

Generate Reports: Click on “School Reports” Select “Benchmarking Report” Click on the option you want. Gradebook Summary Class Summary Class Comparison Individual Student Report Schoolwide Executive Summary

Gradebook Summary:

Classroom Summary Report: View Graph Item Analysis

Classroom Summary Report: Graph This graph only represents one student’s data as an example.

Classroom Summary Report: Item Analysis:

Individual Report

Quick Reference: How it works. Schedule Benchmark Your school's Study Island Administrator schedules a benchmark test by clicking the "Schedule a Benchmark" button in the "Benchmarking" page. Only the Study Island Administrator has the ability to schedule benchmarks. There are 4 benchmark tests available in each subject and grade level which your school has purchased. To use benchmarking effectively, schools should administer 3 or 4 benchmark tests for each subject. The tests should be evenly spaced throughout the school year.  

Quick Reference: How it works. Administer Test When a student logs into Study Island during a scheduled benchmark time period, the student will see the benchmark test. He or she will not be able to access other Study Island topics for that subject until the benchmark test is complete. Students do not have to complete the benchmark in one session. They can click the "Save for Later" button and return later to finish as long as they resume the test within the scheduled testing window. Each student will only be allowed to take each benchmark test once, even if your school schedules two different testing periods for the same benchmark test. To protect the integrity of the test over the years, we do not recommend circulating the benchmark test questions among teachers.   View Reports Real-time reports are automatically generated. Teachers and administrators have instant access to reports via the "School Reports" area.