NOTE: The TOMS Test Settings is a feature that needs to be turned on in the database through an internal Feature Flag before it is available. Once it is turned on the TOMS Test Settings page will become available, and the current Test Settings page will be modified to only display the Test Assignment and Condition Codes settings. Procedures for the Test Assignments and Condition Codes will not change for the 2023-24 school year and the current Test Settings documentation can be used to learn about them. The TOMS Test Settings can be enabled by contacting Aeries Support for special instructions using the hidden Feature Flags page.
Navigate to Test Scores > TOMS Test Settings
Beginning with the 2023-24 year ETS (TOMS) is providing an API that Site Coordinators can use to upload test settings data directly into TOMS. An Aeries user will use TOMS Test Settings to download the test settings from TOMS for a particular student, review/modify the test settings on the TOMS Test Settings page, and upload any changes directly to TOMS. The test settings in TOMS will be updated immediately, however it will take up to 4 hours before the Test Delivery System will reflect the new test settings.
The API method is available to both Student Information System vendors and Special Education vendors. Using this method the test settings data will no longer be saved in Aeries for these reasons:
- Since TOMS can be updated at any time from different data sources (Special Ed vendors, 504 vendors, or updating directly within TOMS) we are considering TOMS to have the most up-to-date information.
- The test settings data can only be downloaded from TOMS one student at a time so it is highly likely that any test settings data stored in Aeries would be incomplete (i.e., some students would be missing test settings data). The API in TOMS is designed to provide data for one student at a time and does not have a method to mass download test settings data for all students in the district. Although we could build a function that would loop through every student in the database to retrieve the test settings data, if all vendors and all districts did this it would put a strain on the TOMS system.
- Using the API, any modifications to test settings needs to be uploaded one student at a time. There is no mass-upload feature.
Security ↑
Since the IEP drives the Accommodations that will be provided to Special Education students, some districts maintain a policy that the Special Education systems will continue to update the test settings for these students, while Aeries will be used to update Designated Supports for the General Education students and students with 504 Plans.
An Aeries user with Update permission to Test Settings is able to update test settings for all students that they have access to whether the student has an IEP or not. There is a District Setting that can be selected to not allow update of TOMS Test Settings for students with an active Special Ed record. Please see the District Settings section below for more information.
Users that fulfill the role of Site Coordinators would be appropriate to have Update permissions, while Teachers may benefit from having Read permission to be able to look up test settings that their students have.
Table | Permission | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Test Settings (STS) | Read Read, Update | View Test Settings Add, update and delete Test Settings on the page and Upload the changes to TOMS Admin users can add, update and delete Test Settings on the page without any additional permissions |
| Test Settings (STS) | Administer | Allows non-Admin users to create the State Testing Export Files for Test Assignments and Condition Codes |
Configuration ↑
The TOMS Test Settings feature must be turned on in order to become available. To enable this feature contact Aeries Support for special instructions using the hidden Feature Flags page.
The TOMS Test Settings uses the same credentials that the State Electronic Score Reports uses to authenticate into TOMS. These credentials are set up in the 3rd Party System Connections under the State Electronic Test Scores header. Please see Security and Set Up for State Electronic Test Scores Reports for more detailed information.
NOTE: In ETS (TOMS) each LEA can have a single UserName/SecretKey that is shared between all vendors. Most of our customers will also be working with a Special Education vendor. If a user generates a UserName/SecretKey for Aeries, then that new credential will also need to be entered into the Special Education system, and vice versa.
District Settings ↑
The District Settings > District Settings subtab includes the option Do not allow users to update TOMS Test Settings for students with an active Special Education record.
NOTE: This option only affects the TOMS Test Settings page, it does not alter the Test Settings page.
When this option is selected, then no user, including Admin user types, will be able to update test settings on the TOMS Test Settings page for any student with an active Special Education record in Aeries. While on the TOMS Test Settings page for a student with an active Special Education record they will be able to see the current test settings that TOMS has in it's system for that student, but the Upload Settings and Cancel buttons will be replaced with the message: This student has an active IEP. Test Settings for this student can only be updated in the Special Education Vendor's system.
A student has an active Special Education record, when they have a Special Education (CSE) record with:
- A start date (CSE.ED) less than or equal to the current date
- An exit date (CSE.XD) that is NULL or greater then or equal to the current date
- A Disability Code (CSE.DI)
- Plan Type (CSE.PT) is not 9 or 900
Get and Upload Test Settings ↑
Aeries users with Read access to the Test Settings (STS) table will have the TOMS Test Settings node in the navigation. They will be able to retrieve the test settings data from TOMS for each student that they go to, but an informational message notifying them that they can only view the data will replace the Upload Settings/Cancel buttons. NOTE: For the reasons listed above, the test settings are not stored in Aeries.
Aeries users with Read and Update access to the Test Settings (STS) table will also have the TOMS Test Settings node in the navigation and will be able to retrieve the test settings data from TOMS for each student that they go to. They will also have the Upload Settings and Cancel buttons at the top of the page. NOTE: For the reasons listed above, the test settings are not stored in Aeries.
To retrieve the test settings from TOMS for a student, use the Search Students to select the student that you wish to view. The forward and backward arrows next to the student name can also be used to traverse through the students.
A loading message will display while the API is retrieving the test settings data from TOMS.
After a moment the page will refresh with the test settings data that is in TOMS for this student. At the top of the page, under the TOMS Test Settings banner, program information may also display for the student.
- Student with an IEP will display if the student has an active Special Education (CSE) record. Users must have at least read permission to the Special Education (CSE) table in order to see this message. An active Special Education record is one that:
- the Enter Date (CSE.ED) is on or before the current date
- the Exit Date (CSE.XD) is NULL or on or after the current date
- the Disability (CSE.DI) code has a valid code
- the Plan Type (CSE.PT) is not a '9' or '900'
- Student has 504 Plan - End Date: will display if the student has an active 504 Plan (FOF) record, or has an active Special Programs (PGM) record with Code = 101. If the plan end date is populated, then it will display at the end of the date. Users must have at least read permission to the 504 Plan (FOF) table and the Special Programs (PGM) table to see this message. An active 504 Plan or Special Programs record is one that:
- the start dates of the record are on or before the current date
- the end dates of the record are NULL or on or after the current date
- Student is EL or Student is ADEL will display if the student has a Language Assessment (LAC) record where the ELAS Code (LAC.EAC) is EL or ADEL. Users must have at least read permission to the Language Assessment (LAC) table to see this message.
The test settings are displayed on the page by type: Embedded Accommodations, Embedded Designated Supports, Non-Embedded Accommodations, and Non-Embedded Designated Supports. In the header for each type is a list of each of the ELPAC and CAASPP tests that may receive a test setting. To the right of each test setting are a series of checkboxes that when checked indicate that the student is receiving that test setting for the specific test. The ALL checkbox can be used to upload all applicable tests for that test setting to TOMS rather than selecting each test individually.
If a checkbox does not appear for a particular test and test setting, then it is because that test setting does not apply to that test. In the below image Audio Transcripts (for listening passages) only has checkboxes for the Initial ELPAC, Summative ELPAC, SBAC ELA and CSA because that test setting is applicable to only those tests.
Some test settings include a dropdown. Select a value in the dropdown and then click on the appropriate test(s) that will receive that test setting.
Users with Update permission to the Test Settings (STS) table can add, modify or delete test settings by selecting the appropriate values in the dropdowns and clicking on the checkboxes to add or remove a check.
Once all changes have been made to the test settings for that student the user can click on the Upload Settings button to upload the changes to TOMS, or the Cancel button.
NOTE: Clicking on the Upload Settings button will perform an upload of the test settings to TOMS. It will not save any of these settings in Aeries.
Clicking on the Cancel button will refresh the page by retrieving the test settings that are in TOMS. Any changes that were made on the page will be lost.
After the Upload Settings button is clicked the data is sent to TOMS. The TOMS system will perform a quick validation of the data. If TOMS accepts all of the test settings, then the TOMS Test Settings page will refresh with a pull of the newly updated test settings data in TOMS and a message that it will take the TOMS Test Delivery System several hours before it is updated.
If TOMS comes across a validation error, then an Alert message will display with the error that TOMS is returning. In the below example the user attempted to add an Embedded Accommodation to a student that does not have a Special Education record.
When a validation error occurs, the user can click the OK button, review the settings on the page, make any adjustment necessary to clear the error, and click on Upload Settings to upload the settings to TOMS again.