October 9, 2007 Derrick Brundage, President and CEO

Today’s Agenda Common Questions/Problems Reported to the KY State Office. Your Questions and Answers Creating Reports Report Workshop

Common Questions/Problems Reported to the KY State Office Why do answer sheets not scan, and how do I fix it? How do I make changes to a student’s record when they last tested at another testing center? How do students register that previously tested prior to 2002 or that are in a Correctional program? Why can’t a student set up an account on GED123.org if they already tested in another state that uses NRSpro.com? What do I do if a student registers on GED123.org when they already have a record in the system? How long should answer sheets be stored before they’re shredded?

Why do answer sheets not scan, and how do I fix it? (Part 1) “It Depends” Tests are not allowed to be processed if the student’s record is missing required information or contains invalid information. This can cause confusion because the errors you see after scanning may relate to the student’s record in the system, not the sheets you just scanned. Information has to be valid: Correct information in record if necessary. Check information on sheets; correct handwriting on- screen if possible.

Why do answer sheets not scan, and how do I fix it? (Part 2) Scanned sheets come up as “Invalid”: Barcodes may not be printed cleanly. Use a good laser printer. Inkjet printers and some low-end laser printers will not print clean barcodes. Rub the barcodes with a white eraser to clean up the stray ink in-between the barcode lines. If problem is consistent, try changing printers. Sheet has to be printed completely, with a full square in each corner and a barcode on the side and bottom. Printing can’t be faded or warped. Review the “checkerboard” in the upper-left corner and make sure the student hasn’t written in that area.

Why do answer sheets not scan, and how do I fix it? (Part 3) “Bad Scan” message, scanner hardware error messages, other mysterious scanner issues: The Fujitsu scanners KY uses are a little wonky and are more unpredictable than the scanners we typically support. Turn off the scanner. Re-boot the computer. Turn scanner back on. This resets the scanner and the Windows driver and often resolves unusual problems. For all else, contact the GED Help Desk and provide the full error message and the name of the logged-in

How do I make changes to a student’s record when they last tested at another testing center? Records always “belong” to the testing center that last administered a test to the student. For security reasons, you can’t change records that don’t belong to your center. If the student has tested since 2002, print a Change of Address form. If they tested prior to 2002, print a Demographic form. Scan the completed form at the same time that you scan the completed test answer sheets. This applies to all students, not just those from another center.

How do students register that previously tested prior to 2002 or that are in a Correctional program? Online Registration on GED123.org is only for new students that have never tested before. If the student doesn’t have a record yet, use “New Record->Pre-Registration” to create one for them. If the student already has a record, look up the existing record. Using the newly-created or existing record, print out a complete set of answer sheets (including Demographic form).

Why can’t a student set up an account on GED123.org if they already tested in another state that uses NRSpro.com? Online Registration on GED123.org is only for new students that have never tested before. One account per student is allowed. These students already have an account because they tested previously in a state we work with. If they used Online Registration earlier, they can access the account with the address and password they set up in the previous state. They can also access their account with their Access Code; you can give them their Access Code after checking their ID.

What do I do if a student registers on GED123.org when they already have a record in the system? This can potentially create two records for the same student. Newer scores will not be matched up with older scores because of the split records. Can also lead to scanning errors because the most-recent demographic information is in one record and the test answer sheets are matched with the other record. Use the “Tools->Merge Records” function and provide the ID Number (SSN or Access Code) of both records to merge them into one record. This is also a way to use Online Registration for students that otherwise can’t.

How long should answer sheets be stored before they’re shredded? Depends on State Policy. Testing centers just starting with the scanning process should hold sheets at least 90 days. After about 6 months of experience with scanning, we recommend holding sheets for 30 days. This provides a safety net in case you discover a problem or a missing test result. Once retention period is up, answer sheets should be securely shredded. Examiner should be present at shredding to verify destruction.

Your Questions and Answers

Creating Reports Generating a report is a two-step process: Select the records you want in the report. Choos the report “template” that extracts the information you want from those records. Common record-selection options are available on the Record Management page. Use Custom Record Selection for more-advanced options. Several report “templates” are available on the Print menu.

Report Workshop Assignments: Print an “Examinee Contact List” for all students from your center that passed the test between January 1, 2007 and May 15, Print a “Demographic Statistics” report for all female students from your center that tested this year. Print a “Center/Site Statistics” report for all students that have a ZIP code matching the ZIP code for your testing center.