Best Practices for School wide testing

[ahopkins]

We are starting the "M-Step" next week. This is Michigan's new online testing program. I did a snap shot method to creat the package, and it works just fine. The program places a couple of ions on the desktop for testing.

What I'm wondering is: has anyone created a testing user account? We are in April and many of the computer desktops have various pictures, etc, and I didn't want any distractions for the test.

i would also like this testing user to not have to go thought the set up steps, location, signing into iTunes, etc.. Has anyone done this and is it worth the effort?

[Sandy]

Hi Andrew,
We use a local account that is reserved for assessment only. This is nice because we can manage the login items like the network save location for student responses, toolbar favorites since we test through Safari and even the dock items if we needed to. I can send settings directly to this profile as it is standard across all our macs. I can use Composer to create packages in that profile and then not enable FEU FUT. I also have those packages in Self Service if the profile has to be recreated for any reason.

We do not have to worry about forgotten AD passwords or other issues that could arise.
We can delete and recreate that local user if needed and not impact normal usage. I actually bake this profile into my core OS package now, but you could probably find help here for suppressing iCloud and other setup items.
Happy Testing (we start round 2 on Monday, new Java due out on Tuesday. Yippee!!)
Sandy

[DaneEckert]

We made a policy that installed the testing software, created a testing user account and ran a script stopping it from running the iCloud setup prompts for when the account logs in.

We used Rich Trouton's script which you can find here: https://derflounder.wordpress.com/2013/10/27/disabling-the-icloud-sign-in-pop-up-message-on-lion-and-later/

Hope this helps.

[millersc]

We are also M-Step testing next week. Our Macs are pretty locked down so no mischief can happen. Standardizing on all visuals (desktop, dock, preferences). I setup two phases. First was the custom pkg for each school, then second a script for dock icons. The pkg is triggered on startup, finishes with updating inventory, which drops the computer in the dock icon smart group. This is then triggered by login for any user.

[ahopkins]

The scripting for putting the icons in the doc is interesting. Is that here on this site. I would like to try Riches script

Thanks

[millersc]

No, it's just two lines of script. We use DockUtil for our dock icons, not the Casper method.

[cdenesha]

We use a separate local login as well. Simpler to create, configure, and control.

[ahopkins]

Thanks for all the suggestions, here's how it turned out: created a new user for testing. added Rich's script, it worked perfectly.

No need to mess with icons, something in the m-step install did that for me!

[Chris_Hafner]

Nice! I figured I'd thrown in my 2 cents... a little late. We have been playing with this for the last year. For specific accommodations (requiring computer use for AP, ESL or other testing purposes) we prepare self service polices that create a restricted user account that provides for the specific restrictions necessary (heavily modified parental controls are applied once the test user is created). There are significant restrictions based on the wide variety of testing environments this applies to. There is also a self-service policy to remove the restricted user after the test (to make the teacher feel good) and an automated policy to nuke the accounts school wide after a broad testing period is over. Additionally, we have specific images for SAT testing that provide for a neutered version os MS word (no spellcheck, grammar check, thesaurus... etc).

Further, we also use Safe Exam Browser for Moodle in a number of classes for secured quizzing. It's some pretty cool stuff once you figure out how to manage it properly!