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District Technology Coordinator �Administration Training

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https://pa.drcedirect.com

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DRC Customer Service: 1-800-451-7849

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Data Recognition Corporation (DRC) Support

  • Online Preparedness
  • DRC INSIGHT Overview
  • Planning and Logistics
  • Communication Plan
  • Basic Troubleshooting

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https://pa.drcedirect.com

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DRC Customer Service: 1-800-451-7849

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Online Preparedness

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DRC Customer Service: 1-800-451-7849

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Online Preparedness

  • A successful online testing administration depends on an open communication plan between the Technology and Assessment offices and the technical education of test administrators and coordinators, especially during a transition from paper testing to online testing.
  • Questions to ask prior to online testing:
    • What do test administrators need to know about online testing?
    • How do test administrators report technology issues?
    • What steps can a test administrator take to resolve technology issues?

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https://pa.drcedirect.com

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DRC Customer Service: 1-800-451-7849

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DRC INSIGHT Overview

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DRC Customer Service: 1-800-451-7849

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DRC INSIGHT Overview

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DRC INSIGHT Online Assessments​ is a secure lockdown browser students use for online testing.

Central Office Services (COS) is a web-based interface that allows you to install, configure, and manage your online testing environment from a central location.

COS – Service Device is an application on a server, virtual machine, or standalone device that functions as a "test content server" locally on the network.

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DRC Customer Service: 1-800-451-7849

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DRC INSIGHT Overview

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    • Secure Web Browser for Student Testing
    • Install on each testing device
    • System Readiness Check

What is DRC INSIGHT?

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DRC Customer Service: 1-800-451-7849

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DRC INSIGHT Overview

  • What is a COS-Service Device?
    • A secondary application that serves as a local repository for test content to reduce internet bandwidth requirements.
    • Prevents testing from occurring outside the LEA network.
    • COS-Service Devices are required for Pennsylvania state assessments.

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DRC INSIGHT Overview

  • Considerations
    • The number of simultaneous testers will depend on the hardware requirements of the operating systems and how many COS-Service Devices are used in the LEA.
    • Network intensive accommodations like Text-to-Speech can affect this ratio.
    • Technology coordinators should collaborate with the assessment office to schedule assessments based upon the number of students, the number of devices, the operating systems, and network capacity.

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DRC Customer Service: 1-800-451-7849

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DRC INSIGHT Overview

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What is Central Office Services (COS)?

DRC provides a platform called the Central Office Services (COS) that connects student computers to the COS-SD on their network. LEAs create groupings of computers called “ORG Units” within the COS where each unit is connected to a single COS-Service Device or a pool of COS-Service Devices. Devices can be grouped by location. The LEA can then deploy those ORG Unit settings to the installed DRC INSIGHT software and register the devices to the COS in a few simple steps. COS should be managed by District Technology Coordinators.

Helpful Hint: The user will need to have Test Setup – Central Office Services as a permission.

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DRC Customer Service: 1-800-451-7849

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How do DRC INSIGHT, COS-SD, and COS work together?

  • Test content is downloaded to COS-Service Device from Amazon Cloudfront.
  • The student logs into DRC INSIGHT and credentials are confirmed with DRC servers.
  • Test content downloads from COS-Service Device.
  • Response data is sent directly to DRC.

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DRC Customer Service: 1-800-451-7849

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Planning and Logistics

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https://pa.drcedirect.com

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DRC Customer Service: 1-800-451-7849

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Planning and Logistics

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Assessment staff and technology staff should begin meeting 2-3 months prior to the testing window.

  • Identify all stakeholders and assign responsibilities.
  • Understand availability and constraints concerning the number of:
    • Available testing devices
    • Students
    • Spaces available
    • Wireless access points
    • COS-Service Devices
  • All these factors are considerations when determining how best to schedule online testing. For example, conducting online testing for 300 students in a cafeteria or an auditorium with 1 wireless access point will not be successful.

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DRC Customer Service: 1-800-451-7849

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Planning and Logistics

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  • Online testing will also depend on the installation, configuration, and testing of devices prior to the testing window.
  • Assessment staff and technology staff need to:
    • Review system requirements and update devices as necessary.
    • Review the Allowlist of URLs on all content filters and firewalls to verify no testing traffic will be blocked.
    • Coordinate the installation of DRC INSIGHT software.

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DRC Customer Service: 1-800-451-7849

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Planning and Logistics

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  • Assessment staff and technology staff need to:
    • Create a shared document that records all the Configuration ORG Unit IDs used in the LEA.
    • Verify the installation of the software on all devices two weeks prior to testing.
    • Ensure students practice with Online Tools Training, and/or complete Firefly and/or the CDT. These experiences provide students with exposure to the testing platform and give Test Administrators practice navigating the DRC INSIGHT Portal.

https://pa.drcedirect.com

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DRC Customer Service: 1-800-451-7849

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Communication Plan

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DRC Customer Service: 1-800-451-7849

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Communication Plan

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  • We recommend technology departments use communication processes already in place to best streamline reporting of issues.
  • If there is no communication plan, consider these questions:
    • Is there a technology department responsible for installing and configuring software (and firewalls) in your LEA? Or is there one point of contact for technology needs?
    • Is the technology in your LEA contracted to an outside business?
    • Will local technology support be available for technical troubleshooting during the testing window?

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DRC Customer Service: 1-800-451-7849

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Communication Plan

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  • If there is no communication plan, consider these questions:
    • Will test administrators have contact information for someone to help troubleshoot technical issues?
    • Will test administrators have contact information for someone who has easy access to the COS-Service Device machines?
    • Is there a Plan B for when a technical issue requires rescheduling?
    • Is non-testing internet and network usage monitored to prevent overloading and throttling of testing traffic?

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DRC Customer Service: 1-800-451-7849

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Communication Plan

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  • If there is an existing communication plan, does the plan address these questions:
    • Does your LEA use a ticketing system to report technology issues?
      • Are all test administrators trained on this ticketing system?
      • Is there a template test administrators can complete?
      • Can the ticketing system quickly differentiate urgent testing issues?
    • If no ticketing system is used, how will test administrators report issues?

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DRC Customer Service: 1-800-451-7849

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Communication Plan

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  • If there is an existing communication plan, does the plan address these questions:
    • Does your LEA dedicate a team of technicians throughout the course of the testing window to resolve technical issues?
    • If an issue is local, is there a way to communicate this to all test administrators?
    • Is there a Plan B for when a technical issue requires rescheduling?
    • Is non-testing internet and network usage monitored to prevent overloading and throttling of testing traffic?

https://pa.drcedirect.com

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DRC Customer Service: 1-800-451-7849

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Basic Troubleshooting

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DRC Customer Service: 1-800-451-7849

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Basic Troubleshooting

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If a student receives a system message while testing, every Test Administrator can attempt the following suggestions.

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  1. Reboot the device
  2. Move to a new device
  3. Run a System Readiness Check

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To run a System Readiness Check,

launch DRC INSIGHT and select the

purple checkmark in the lower left

corner.

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Basic Troubleshooting

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DRC INSIGHT software will prompt the user for an Access Code. This code is 7745. This code is considered a secure testing material and should not be given to students.

  • Tests with a red exclamation point should be reported to local IT. 
  • Tests with a yellow exclamation point should be reported to local IT, but the device can still be used to test. 
  • A gray circle will indicate a COS-Service Device is not installed. This should be installed for PA state testing.

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Basic Troubleshooting

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Configuration Not Found:

This message will appear when DRC INSIGHT is first installed or if  the COS Configuration the device was connected to has been deleted. Every testing device must be registered to DRC with an Org Unit ID.

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The ORG Unit ID can be deployed to devices or shared with test administrators by local IT.

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DRC Customer Service: 1-800-451-7849

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Basic Troubleshooting

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Windows and macOS testing devices will require Admin rights to complete the update of DRC INSIGHT. If a test administrator launches DRC INSIGHT on the desktop and receives this message, they will need to contact local IT staff to complete the update. 

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Basic Troubleshooting

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Invalid Username or Password Error

A student will receive an Invalid Username or Password error in the following circumstances:

  1. Username and/or password are typed incorrectly.
    • Usernames are the student’s PAsecureID. Passwords are 8 characters/numbers.
  2. Student is attempting to sign into the wrong assessment. 
    • Check the test ticket and verify the assessment on the Test Sign In screen matches the assessment printed on the ticket.
  3. Student had an online accommodations change after printing the test ticket.
    • Adding online accommodations changes the testing forms and therefore the password.

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Contact Information

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Contact Information

  • Contact PA Customer Service at DRC for:
    • Questions regarding tech setup not answered in the Technology User Guide
    • Questions regarding test set up and entering of accommodations into the testing platform
    • Service Device connection errors
    • Error messages noting the user should contact PA Customer Service at DRC

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https://pa.drcedirect.com

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DRC Customer Service: 1-800-451-7849

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Contact Information

  • Contact PDE with:
    • Content and assessment design questions
      • Mathematics and Algebra I: Dr. Megan Clementi mclementi@pa.gov
      • ELA and Literature: Dr. Beth Gannon egannonrit@pa.gov
      • Science and Biology: Craig Weller crweller@pa.gov
    • Test security violations and irregularities
      • RA-EDIRREGULARITIES@pa.gov
    • Accommodations
      • RA-EDUNIQUEACCOM@pa.gov

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https://pa.drcedirect.com

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DRC Customer Service: 1-800-451-7849

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2026 Online Administration Training