The January 2020 HS MISA and Government HSA window for both online and paper will close on Friday, February 5, 2021.
The window for scheduling UPS Pick Ups opened on January 13, 2021. You are now able to submit requests within the HSA Portal to have UPS pick up any paper test materials that need to be returned. If you need a refresher on how to schedule a pick up, please refer to the UPS Pick Up Requests Quick Start Guide on the HSA Help & Support site (https://maryland.onlinehelp.cognia.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2019/10/Instructions-for-UPS-Pick-Up-Requests_MD.pdf). The standard UPS pick up window closes on February 5, 2021, with a late pick up period ending on February 12, 2021. All test materials, including ancillary materials for online students, must be picked up by February 12, 2021. Shipments scheduled for pickup after February 12, 2021 will be paid for by the school/LSS.
The Pre-ID window for the early Spring 2021 HSA Government Administration will open on Monday, February 8 and close on Friday, February 12, 2021. This Pre-ID window will allow LACs to bulk upload students who will participate in early testing for the HSA Government between February 22 and May 2, 2022.
The digital copies of Spring 2021 Test Administration Manual for HSA Government and Test Coordinator Manual have been posted to the Help and Support site: https://maryland.onlinehelp.cognia.org/guides/.
The window for ordering additional manuals and test will remain open through February 2, 2021. You can access the Online Materials Management tab within the HSA Portal. A Quick Start Guide is available on the Help and Support Site showing the steps for ordering additional materials: https://maryland.onlinehelp.cognia.org/guides/.
The January 19 LAC and LEA 24 STC Refresher Trainings were recorded and have been posted to the Help and Support Site: https://maryland.onlinehelp.cognia.org/training/.
The 2020-2021 Key Dates Document can be found on the Help and Support site: (https://maryland.onlinehelp.cognia.org). Click the Printable Document link within the Key Dates section to locate the Key Dates PDF document.
If you received materials for the January administration, but will be unable to complete in-person testing during the window, please register students for the upcoming spring administration. All unused January secure testing materials must be returned to Cognia. New materials must be ordered for the Spring administration.
You are now able to schedule test sessions using the HSA Portal. As a reminder, there is a small tutorial on the Help and Support site about creating classes and test sessions: https://maryland.onlinehelp.cognia.org/training/.
School Test Coordinators (STC) are expected to enter their testing schedule for HS MISA and Government on https://itempra.org/schedule. Schedules should be updated as changes occur due to weather or other events.
We have created an ancillary document for the Paper Test Administration that provides the page numbers for the start of each session. This was mentioned in the January 2021 Test Administration Manual on page 1. That document has been posted to the Help & Support site (https://maryland.onlinehelp.cognia.org/reference-sheets/). Please be sure to share this document with the STCs in schools administering a paper test.
The January HSA administration will close on February 5, 2021 at 4:00 PM EST. All student data including classes and test sessions will be cleared out of the portal over the weekend in preparation for the opening of the pre-ID window for Spring HSA Government which is February 8 – 12, 2021. The Spring HSA Government test window will open February 22, 2021.
The January 2021 Test Coordinator Manuals, Government Test Administrator Manuals, and HS MISA Test Administrator Manuals were shipped to each LSS and school on December 11, 2020. You can track this shipment on the Materials Management page in the HSA Portal. If you have not received your manuals, please contact the HSA Help Desk.
The paper test materials for January 2021 were shipped to each LSS and school on December 11, 2020. These materials were ordered based on the upload files submitted in the first Pre-ID window for students marked for accommodations requiring paper. You can track this shipment on the Materials Management page in the HSA Portal. If you have not received your test materials, please contact the HSA Help Desk.
We have posted the January 2021 Administration Training PowerPoint to the Help & Support site for your use. You can locate the document in the PowerPoints section near the bottom of the Training page: https://maryland.onlinehelp.cognia.org/training/.
The digital copies of January 2021 Test Administration Manuals and Test Coordinator Manual have been posted to the Help and Support site: https://maryland.onlinehelp.cognia.org/guides/.
MSDE and Cognia are monitoring calls and emails to the Help Desk to assure responses are accurate and timely. Please continue to encourage that your STCs utilize this valuable resource.
Please let us know if you have questions or concerns.