Testing Support
Southeastern Computer Associates (SCA) has a wealth of experience ensuring that ALL STUDENTS TEST SUCCESSFULLY! Our Education Testing Team will meet and coordinate with your Testing and Technology leaders to thoroughly dig in on all of the details necessary to make these critical testing events 100% successful. Preparing and planning for each individual event by evaluating and setting up your network infrastructure, confirming that the devices (Chromebooks, Surfaces, Macbooks, laptops/desktops) are up to date and meeting required specifications, configuring and deploying DRC or other testing platforms, and assessing and providing backup connectivity options in case the internet goes down. Also, we can be on site throughout the duration of testing for the fastest resolutions, and/or have our team of engineers on standby for remote support for your testing staff’s needs. Let’s discuss your specific situation and how SCA can help you be most successful!
Our Education Testing Team can assist from the beginning phase of evaluating your testing environment and technology infrastructure/network, whether utilizing your brick and mortar school buildings or temporary event spaces. SCA has been in business since 1995, keeping business and school networks running smoothly based on each environment and clientele needs. With the large number of students testing all at once, testing events can strain certain technology infrastructure and thus needs to be setup and configured properly to accommodate this increased demand. We are able to evaluate, make recommendations, procure, configure, and install any necessary hardware upgrades that your school may need.
We are a proud supporter of Georgia Charter Schools and an Associate Member of GCSA
Whether your students and staff use Windows or Google Chrome devices, we make sure they are optimal for your testing events. We will work with your team to determine the device requirements to access and utilize the testing platforms and then assess your existing systems to make sure that they meet these requirements. We can make recommendations for the appropriate hardware/devices if you need any consulting or need to procure these devices as well. For existing devices, updating to a recent OS is often required, and sometimes even reimaging or configuring devices is necessary to be able to perform the testing tasks. We can handle it all or work with your team to make sure every student has a test-ready device.
Secure platforms for testing are essential and luckily, most are web-based this at this day and time. Obviously, the Department of Education needs to be able to rely on the validity of mandated tests and these platforms exist to provide that reliability. States like Georgia and South Carolina, utilize the DRC INSIGHT platform for their educational assessments. Southeastern Computer Associates has experience with DRC, as well some additional platforms that all tend operate similarly. We can assist with the setup, access to, and deployment of everything necessary to ensure that all respective students, proctors, and testing administrators can use the platform as appropriate.
Part of the network/infrastructure assessment of the testing sites, of course, includes evaluating the internet connection and limitations. An additional piece that SCA highly recommends, regardless of perceived internet stability, is to have a backup or failover option if the primary connection was to go down due to an outage for any reason. We can set up and organize a failover option with a different provider in many cases. An alternative solution may be required for testing events occurring at temporary testing locations that are not owned or operated by your school. We can evaluate providing connectivity options utilizing cellular/satellite connections in most areas. This type of solution may also be the most stable connection option in rural or remote areas.
We have spent a lot of time looking at considerations for the preparation and planning phase of the testing event, let’s discuss the actual testing event support now. Some schools only request our input for the planning pieces, some only for the “day of” testing event support, and many schools prefer us involved in all of these areas. We can provide support by having our testing support team engineers on-site or available remotely during your event. Any time an engineer is on-site they will also have access to our remote team for any assistance or escalations that they may need. The schools that use our services in the preparation and planning phases have fewer “day of” requests overall, but we know that since these events are so crucial and out of the routine of day to day roles, a little extra assistance can be beneficial to ensure that goal of a 100% success rate. The number of students/ rooms testing concurrently, experience level of school staff involved, and the complexity of the technological network being utilized will dictate our recommendation as far as number of engineers that need to be involved in the event. Our remote helpdesk engineering team, that has been our core business operation since 1995, is here to provide live support at the moment it is needed in coordination with our testing support services. No waiting for an email reply or hoping someone calls you back later that day. We take these testing event projects very seriously and are professionally organized and coordinated with your school’s project leaders. Once again, our goal is your goal—100% successful testing of all students that show up to test.
Part of the network/infrastructure assessment of the testing sites, of course, includes evaluating the internet connection and limitations. An additional piece that SCA highly recommends, regardless of perceived internet stability, is to have a backup or failover option if the primary connection was to go down due to an outage for any reason. We can set up and organize a failover option with a different provider in many cases. An alternative solution may be required for testing events occurring at temporary testing locations that are not owned or operated by your school. We can evaluate providing connectivity options utilizing cellular/satellite connections in most areas. This type of solution may also be the most stable connection option in rural or remote areas.
We have spent a lot of time looking at considerations for the preparation and planning phase of the testing event, let’s discuss the actual testing event support now. Some schools only request our input for the planning pieces, some only for the “day of” testing event support, and many schools prefer us involved in all of these areas. We can provide support by having our testing support team engineers on-site or available remotely during your event. Any time an engineer is on-site they will also have access to our remote team for any assistance or escalations that they may need. The schools that use our services in the preparation and planning phases have fewer “day of” requests overall, but we know that since these events are so crucial and out of the routine of day to day roles, a little extra assistance can be beneficial to ensure that goal of a 100% success rate. The number of students/ rooms testing concurrently, experience level of school staff involved, and the complexity of the technological network being utilized will dictate our recommendation as far as number of engineers that need to be involved in the event. Our remote helpdesk engineering team, that has been our core business operation since 1995, is here to provide live support at the moment it is needed in coordination with our testing support services. No waiting for an email reply or hoping someone calls you back later that day. We take these testing event projects very seriously and are professionally organized and coordinated with your school’s project leaders. Once again, our goal is your goal—100% successful testing of all students that show up to test.
Every school is different, and every school system has seemingly slightly different approaches to testing. SCA has worked with public schools, private schools, charter schools, virtual or cyber schools, and traditional brick and mortar schools. We are flexible and adaptable to meet your needs. We are also an excellent resource to help consult and plan for successful testing events due to the experience we have gained through supporting a variety of testing events. Educators are passionate about teaching and put so much effort into helping students learn the content necessary to succeed in life, evaluating through these assessments should be a seamless process for everyone involved. That’s why we dig in on the details, to ensure that everything is prepared and the students and staff can focus on the tests without any technological interruptions or delays. Let us know how SCA can help make your school’s next testing event as successful as possible.
WE ARE ATLANTA'S LEADING IT SERVICES COMPANY
SINCE 1995.
Over the years, we have forged many long-term relationships with clients in the metro-Atlanta area who started out small and have grown in size. Our services are perfect for this scenario as they scale along with your budget and needs.