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E d Te c h S h o w D a i l y 1 7 W e d n e s d a y, J a n u a r y 1 3 , 2 0 1 6 USING IPAD FOR FORMATIVE ASSESSMENTS, QUIZZES, EXAMS As more schools introduce iPad pro- grams to provide engaging content to stu- dents, conduct large-scale online assess- ments and enhance the classroom experi- ence, there is one thing to keep in mind: if the readiness for conducting online exams is placed above instructional needs, there is potential for conflict between promoting solutions that support exam day or the learning environment. With that said, the ideal approach fully supports both, and makes exam day just like any other day with the help of great learning tools such as iPad. A Learning Tool Like No Other The iPad offers the ability to conduct enhanced question types on exams, pro- mote higher-order thinking and provide access to a secure ecosystem. iPad is also an approved device to conduct CCSS exams due to its ability to be placed in a secured, locked-down environment. The need for a secure environment is not just to conduct CCSS exams. Institutions need to engage their iPad devices year-round through formative assessments, quizzes and tests to prepare students and teachers for high-stakes exams. It is these less formal, more fre- quent assessments that effect the daily use of the technology and need to be con- sidered as important as supporting high- stakes exams. Take Guided Access to the Next Level While Guided Access is an acceptable solution to lock an iPad into an individual app during testing, to initi- ate this on each student device requires a time-con- suming, hands-on process with several steps. The most practical and scalable approach to Guided Access utilizes Mobile Device Management (MDM) that doesn't require continuous involvement by IT. This option puts the capabilities directly into the hands of the teachers, giving them the desired power to easily start and stop exams right from the classroom. A More Teacher-Focused Solution With Casper Focus, teachers can quickly – and from their own iPad – select a group of students, choose the app to be used and initiate Guided Access remote- ly. Students are then switched to and remain focused on that app or website until released by the teacher. This functionality can be used to securely administer high- stakes exams or routine daily quizzes all from within the classroom. At the comple- tion of the assessment peri- od, the teacher can use their iPad to remove the focused app from the entire class, a sub-group or by individual devices as needed. The Right Answer for Every Exam Casper Focus from JAMF Software helps teachers regain valuable instruction time through improved classroom management. From the mundane tasks of resetting pass- codes to securely preparing students for exams, Casper Focus is turning the iPad into the ultimate testing tool. Exam day is just another day in the modern classroom when the right tools are in place. Visit JAMF Software in booth #959. For more information, visit www.jamf software.com or call 612.677.7075. ADVANCED TRAINING & LEARNING TECHNOLOGY INCREASES STUDENT SUCCESS, REDUCES COST OF COLLEGE Advanced Training & Learning Technology (ATLT), LLC, recently con- ducted efficacy studies that show high school graduates who are at-risk for plac- ing into remedial math courses when they attend college can avoid having to take these courses by refreshing their math skills by completing ATLT's Algebra Readiness Program. The studies also show students who are taking remedial math can increase their performance 14 percent compared to a 4.7 percent increase for students who receive the same classroom instruction but do not complete the Algebra Readiness Program. The program covers 130 foundational arithmetic and algebra- ic skills all students must master to suc- cessfully complete algebra and higher level math courses. One community college student who failed the college math placement exam, and as a result placed into four devel- opmental math course units which would have taken one school year to complete, improved her performance on the placement exam enough after completing the Algebra Readiness Program to avoid taking any develop- mental math, a tuition savings of $840 and a time savings of more than 150 hours. Instead of delaying her college degree one year taking developmental math, this student is taking the gateway math course she needs for her degree this semester and has a 92 percent aver- age to date. Another efficacy study showed that college engineering students can also benefit from refreshing their math skills before they take college level cal- culus. For this study, a group of sophomore engineering students scored 82 percent on a middle school math pre-test. It only took this group of engineering students 5.1 hours on average to complete the Algebra Readiness Program to improve their per- formance to 89 percent. The online retail cost of ATLT's Algebra Readiness Program is $47.97. ATLT offers volume discounts to high schools and colleges that want to help students refresh their math skills so they can reduce the cost of college while increasing student success. For more information, go to www.atltgames.com, call 757.651.4110 or email eharvey@atltgames.com. CASE STUDY: MESA (AZ) PUBLIC SCHOOLS CHOOSES SCHOOL ASSET MANAGER FROM TROXELL COMMUNICATIONS Mesa (AZ) Public Schools (MPS) is the 52nd largest public school district in the U.S. and the largest in Arizona, with more than 63,000 students populating 87 schools throughout the district. After uti- lizing a labor- and time-intensive asset management system in years past, administrators sought a more complete and overall cost-effective solution for its faculty and students for the 2015 to 2016 school year. MPS is in the process of issuing devices for all of its secondary school students in phases as part of its 1:1 initiative. After participating in a live demon- stration for local Arizona school districts hosted at Troxell Communications head- quarters in Phoenix, Arizona, offered by officials from Troxell, Summit Integration Systems and School Asset Manager (SAM) parent company Results Squared Limited, MPS agreed to participate in a free system trial that is offered to any inter- ested school administration. During the free trial, school officials put SAM through its research and evaluation process. They quickly decided that SAM was exactly what they were looking for to achieve their short-term 1:1 goals, as well as their long- term multi-asset tagging plan. Michelle Hamilton, Director of Purchasing, Mesa (AZ) Public Schools, said her district chose SAM because of the ease of the app, mobility, time saving and the ability to move and customize the configuration, even after implementa- tion. "SAM is intuitive for a wide range of users, and training is complete in less than 10 minutes. Set-up, deployment and continued use are seamless." Upon initial deployment, MPS scanned 2,500 devices for deployment to Skyline High School students, with each device taking less than two minutes to complete. "Superintendency and parents were standing over our shoulders as we checked out devices to students, and it worked like a charm," Hamilton added. "SAM is on the cutting edge of technolo- gy." From there, MPS utilized SAM when issuing devices to students in a math program at the elementary school level. Now, MPS can fully track device deployments in real time with no neces- sary backend work. The district has a centralized repair team now using SAM so when a device needs repair, the school scans it out to the technician and they scan it back in when returned. MPS also touts that now they can track any device in a school as well as when it is off school grounds, such as when a student takes it home, which is a cost savings from the district standpoint as parents are made responsible for the devices when they are issued to the students. With SAM, MPS knows who is responsible for any single device at any given time when it is assigned to a school/department/pro- gram, student, teacher or repair shop and when it changes hands for any reason, or when a teacher changes schools. After spearheading a highly success- ful pilot program in the U.S. over the past year on behalf of U.K.-based Results Squared Limited, Troxell now offers School Asset Manager to all K-12 and higher education administrators nation- wide. "SAM is the only complete school asset management system to use the lat- est in cloud and mobile technologies, offering the ultimate in flexibility that allows any school to benefit from a tai- lored and unique asset management solu- tion," said Mike Ruprich, Troxell Communications and Summit Integration Systems Chief Executive Officer. "Mesa Public Schools has been a terrific exam- ple of how expandable and user-friendly SAM can be all the way from the free trial through set-up and daily use." Visit Troxell Communications at booth #2023. For more information, visit www.etroxell.com or www.schoolasset manager.com or call 800.352.7912.