Below are questions and answers regarding the ESGI Pre-Assess Accounts. At the bottom of this Support Page, there are four videos that demonstrate how to:
- Add students
- Add tests
- Administering tests
- Add students after pre-assessing
Q: What is pre-assessing?
A: Pre-assessing is typically a pre-screening of incoming kindergartners. It may also be called kindergarten round-up. Oftentimes it is done in the spring to determine placement for the next school year.
Q: How is this done using ESGI?
A: If you have an active ESGI trial or paid subscription, we will create a free pre-assess account to screen all of your incoming students. The account works exactly like a regular teacher account except that a large number of students can be tested in it. It is, however, only open for a short period of time.
Q: We have a team of teachers that pre-assess incoming students. Do we each need our own pre-assess account?
A:
- Multiple teachers can be logged into the account at the same time, so the pre-assess account login credentials should be shared with these teachers.
- Pre-assessing students should not be done in individual teacher accounts.
- The Student Screen feature, however, cannot be used by multiple teachers when remote testing students in this account.
- Each school can have a separate pre-assess account for use at that school only.
- Pre-assess accounts are not available at the district level.
Q: How do I request a Pre-Assess Account?
A: To get started, please complete this form. After your pre-assess account has been created, the username and instructions for creating a password will be provided. A document, "Important Steps for a Successful Pre-Assessment", will also be sent for later reference or for printing.
Q: We had a Pre-Assess Account last year. Do we use the same one and how do we get access?
A: Please email support@esgisoftware.com and provide the username, school name, district name and when your school will begin pre-assessing. We will reopen the account for you!
Q: I'm logged into the pre-assess account. Now what?
A: Add the students using one of two ways:
1) By clicking the "Add" button and manually enter each student. When selecting the grade level, be sure to enter their current grade for the school year that they are pre-assessed in. In mid-July, ESGI will "graduate" students to the next grade level from their grade in the spring:
Pre-K(3) graduates to Pre-K(4)
Pre-K(4) graduates to K
Pre-K graduates to K
TK graduates to K
2) By using the Student Upload Tool. Using our template or your own, create your class roster and save as an .xlsx or .csv file and then import into your account. Students that have previously been tested in ESGI will need to be added using Student Manager.
**Please refer to the detailed instructions included in the email received when the pre-assess account was created or reopened.**
Q: What tests are available and how do I add them to the pre-assess account?
A: Several tests are available in Test Explorer. Once there, click "Noted Series" on the left navigation pane, then scroll down to "Prescreeners (K)". Click "Add Test" to add the test to a subject tab or "Preview" to view the test questions. A How to use Test Explorer video provides additional information. Transfer your paper tests easily into ESGI by creating your own tests.
An ESGI District Administrator can create a tab with the tests and share it with teachers. District Administrators can view the video on the District Managed Subject Tabs Support Page for more information.
Q: I'm a Kindergarten teacher and want to see data from the pre-assessing that was done in the spring, but I can't find the data!
A: Go to Student Manager and select the students you want to add to your class using the checkboxes. If needed, you can use the Search by field at the top to search for student names. Click on the Add/Move button to add them to your class. DO NOT click the Add button and manually type their names! If they are manually added, a duplicate student record will be created that does not have the pre-assess data. Reminder: Be sure you have added the exact same tests used in the pre-assess account to your individual account. Our How to Use Test Explorer Support Page shows you how.
Our Student Manager Support Page shows you how!
Q: Which reports should I run with the pre-assess data?
A: The personalized Parent Letter and Flashcards can be sent home immediately and the Class Totals report can be used to identify student placement.
Q: What is in the Parent Letter?
A: Purpose: The Parent Letter is meant to inform the student’s parents of the known and unknown skills.
Summary: The Parent Letter, in English or Spanish, generates a personalized letter with each student’s test results. The teacher can customize the data that they would like to show. This report can be saved as a Word file or saved as a PDF. The Question Notes taken during the assessment can be included on the Parent Letter.
Q: What are Flashcards?
A: Purpose: Flashcards provide the student and/or parent with the items that the student missed on a test so that they can practice at home.
Summary: The Flashcards provide an opportunity to print a hard copy of each item a student got incorrect on a test. The Flashcards can be printed for one individual student or for the entire class. A full set of Flashcards may also be printed so that a student can practice every item on a test whether they got it correct or incorrect.
Q: What is the Class Totals report?
A: Purpose: The Class Totals report shows growth over time, summarizes each student’s score for each test on one page, and allows teachers to rank their class based on the data.
Summary: The Class Totals report lists each student in the class and their most current number of correct answers for each test that has been given during each marking period in the selected Subject Tab. The score for each marking period will reflect the last time you tested during that period. Students can be sorted (or ranked) according to their score for any test, during any marking period. This helps identify the students who need support in any given area. A short video on Sorting the Class Totals Report is available. The data collected during the pre-assessment will automatically be shown as the B score (Baseline score) on the reports. The B score is explained in detail on the Class Totals Report Support Page under the Marking Period Columns and Scores section.
Video: Adding students for Pre-Assess
Video: Adding Pre-Assess Tests
Video: Administering Pre-Assess Tests
Video: Adding Students After Pre-Assess