FALL 2020 Platform Updates to Make Teachers' Lives Easier
Published: Sept. 23, 2020, 8 a.m.
Basic and Custom Assessment Modes Renamed
Our assessment modes have been renamed to reflect what they really are: USATestprep chooses the questions (formerly basic, now Pre-Built ) and I choose the questions (formerly custom, now Build Your Own).
Integration with Desmos Calculator
Desmos is the most widely used calculator among educators on the Internet. It is available on assessments in 35 states and--with our platform updated to include the Desmos calculator--we now mirror what students see on state tests. Learn more.
Teachers Can Now Sync Their Google Classroom Course Section
Based on feedback, we now offer teachers the option to add the Google Classroom section in the class name. This will help teachers who name all of their courses the same -- “6th grade math” or “Biology” -- and use the section for the class period.
Assessment Sort for Multi-Answer Questions
Teachers can now easily find questions that have multiple correct answers when in "Build-Your-Own assessment mode. These questions have a pink “MA” next to the stem to indicate “Multi-Answer.”
Differentiate Unassigned vs. Assigned Students in the Gradebook
Any students who were not assigned an assignment now have a “N/A” in the gradebook as opposed to a dash. This will help teachers more quickly spot which students did not complete an assignment versus which ones weren’t supposed to have the assignment to begin with.
Dot Rank Customization
Administrators now have the ability to customize Dot rank percentages for a school or individual test. The new customizations provide huge benefits to teachers and administrators who prefer to set their own goals. For example, you may choose to set the values based on what the state passing percentage is for an EOC or EOG. Or, with students starting behind due to COVID slide, you may choose to lower goals initially in order to build confidence early in the year, raising the value as time progresses and students begin to hit a stride. Learn more.
Assessment Results Option (Update)
By popular request, we've added a new option to Create Assessment and Assessment Settings to allow teachers to set the detail for questions and answers a student sees in their assessment results.
Custom Assignment Locking for Individual Students
A new option has been added to Edit Assignment Settings that will create more flexibility for teachers when assignments need to be locked. Teachers now have the option to lock an assignment for a given class, while selecting specific students that will still have access to complete the assignment.
New District Dot Rank Reports
We’ve updated progress reports for our district users! The new Teacher and Student Dot Rank tabs make it simple for you to view Dot Rank information for all schools within your district. Simply use the dropdown box to switch schools.
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