Appendix G - Importing/Exporting Test Scores

To access the Minnesota Testing component:

Navigate to the Reports page.
Select District > Minnesota Testing.

Clicking on the Minnesota Testing link will reveal Minnesota Testing menu.

Test Importing Tools

The following tools are needed to import test scores:

Import State DSR Data - Imports the DSR text file from the state's repository into a temporary table.
MN Testing DSR Load - Load the Testing_DSR table with DSR from the temporary table.
- DSR Missing Students Listing - Fix students with missing StudentIDs.
- DSR Tests Listing - Report of DSR Tests, Subjects, Dates, Grades and Test Subject counts.
MN Testing Build File - Build a suitable test score import file for quick import by subject/grade.

PowerSchool Test Management Tools

The following PowerSchool test management tools are needed to import test scores:

Test Scores (Strand Data) - View test scores for the selected X students.

Importing State DSR Data

To get data in to the proper format for the Quick Import of Test Scores data, it is first necessary import the DSR data downloaded from the Minnesota Department of Education website. Use the Import State DSR Data link on the Minnesota Testing menu to start the process. Importing DSR data is very similar to the typical quick import process with the exception that it is not possible to change the table name or the field in which data is being stored. The MN_Testing_Import table is just a temporary table used in holding raw DSR data. It is possible to load multiple DSR text files from the Minnesota state site at once for loading, but not at all necessary. If data exists in the MN_Testing_Import table that has already been loaded, it should be deleted prior to importing any new DSR data. The import process will display a warning if data already exists in the temporary MN_Testing_Import table. If any of this data has already been loaded, it is recommended to delete the records and start with a clean table to avoid creating duplicate records.

Loading DSR Data

Loading DSR Data is the second step in the process of getting test data ready for PowerSchool's Test Scores. The MN Testing DSR Load function is a report process that reads all of the imported DSR data currently in the MN_Testing_Import table, breaks it out in to its 238 individual fields (state id, name, test scores, strand scores, etc.) and then stores these fields in PowerSchool. Consider this DSR data "warehoused" at this time – waiting to be built into a file for importing in to PowerSchool's Test Scores or for access in the future.

Loaded DSR data will hold a variety of test types over a number of years. Loaded DSR data can currently be managed with three functions: DSR Missing Students Listing, DSR Tests Report, and DSR Tests Detail.

Function	More Information
DSR Missing Students Listing	Some records downloaded from the Minnesota Department of Education website may contain an invalid student number – it may be blank or one from another school district. If this is the case, a proper match will not occur with loaded DSR data. To help identify these records, the Minnesota Testing menu will display the number of students missing StudentIDs in the description of the link to DSR Missing Students Listing. Prior to running any build function, all of the DSR records missing StudentIDs should be fixed. Fixing missing StudentIDs is relatively simple. Use the DSR Missing Students Listing to see the list of records missing StudentIDs. Next, click on the last name of student listed. To help identify missing StudentIDs, two queries display birthday and partial name matches of students. If a StudentID is found, enter it in the available field and submit the record. This will remove the student from the DSR Missing Students Listing.
DSR Tests Reports	This report lists all of the DSR Tests that have been imported by subject, date and grade level. It also includes totals for each of the DSR grade levels. Use this report to monitor the status of Tests as data is loaded using the MN Testing DSR Load function. It also can serve as a guide for data to be imported in to Test Scores. Each line item of the report contains links that will display filtered details. For example, if the line item is: BST M 20080414 9 21 Clicking the BST would provide details for all BST tests; however, clicking the 9 would provide details for the students in grade 9 that took the BST Math test on 4/14/2008.
DSR Tests Detail	The last step in getting data ready for import in to PowerSchool's Test Score is the MN Testing Build File function. The build function will read loaded DSR data and construct a file suitable for Quick Import into Test Scores. To build a text file for Quick Import, it is only necessary to enter the Test Name and the Test Subject. However, depending on how district Tests and Test Scores have been defined, it may be necessary to use the optional parameters of Grade and Test Date when building an import file. For a selection of students, it is possible to see strand data for a given test displayed in a cross-tabular format. Strand data is listed for each student in the selection and can easily be compared with other students' scores. As an example, a section of 8^th grade math could be selected and strand data displayed to show the latest MCA-II Math scores. This can be used to identify strengths and weaknesses in overall test scores. This page utilizes data that has been imported into PowerSchool's Test Scores. For an individual student, it is possible to see DSR data that has been imported into PowerSchool. Under Custom Screens, select DSR Testing Transcript to see the various DSR tests that a student has taken. Clicking the date will display all of the DSR test data elements. It is also possible to create a "printable" transcript of primary test scores – SSCO (Scale Score) and RSCO (Raw Score) that can be included if a student is transferring to another Minnesota school.

Once Loaded DSR data exists for a given student, it is possible to view the student's DSR data and create a printable testing transcript of all loaded DSR information.