Test Item Creation Part 1 - Navigating the Item Editor

FAQs

What is the Item Editor?

The Item Editor is a tool that allows you to create and edit your own items for use within IO Assessment

Why Create Items?

A teacher or district may want to supplement available item banks with their own items.

You can always create a test key using the Test Creation software to administer a scan sheet test in IO Assessment without entering the items individually, but entering the items offers certain advantages:

1. The test can be taken online using the Online Testing software.
2. The full text of the item will appear on the Standards Based Item Detail report.
3. You can reuse the items on new tests—mix and match with a subscription item bank!
4. The items will be shared with other users at the district.

What Can I Use Items For?

You can use your items in any item bank test that you create with the IO Assessment Test Creation software. These tests can be administered using scan sheets and/or online

Can I Enter Copyrighted Items?

You may not enter any copyrighted items or passages using the IO Assessment Item Editor software. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Items/passages from textbooks
• Released test questions/passages from the state
• Copyrighted text from any source
• Items/passages belonging to any subscription item bank, including those hosted in IO Assessment

Who Owns the Items That We Enter?

The items entered using the Item Editor remain the intellectual property of their author (the District). Illuminate Education assumes no legal right to any item input by or for its users. By entering items into the district item bank, the District is giving license to any user in their district to use the items in their own assessments. No other districts will be given access to their items.

 

Create or Manage an Item

Create items or Manage Items directly from the Home Page, by clicking on the “Create Item” or “Manage Items” tile . . .

You can also navigate using the menu bar, navigate to Testing > Local Item Editor > Create Item.

Item Portal

Using the “Manage Items” tile or selecting “Manage Items” from the menu will bring you to the “Item Portal” page.

Here you can:

• Create a New Item
• Search for Items
• Edit an Existing Item
• Create a Copy From an Existing Item
• Create an Alternate From an Existing Item

 

Content Editor

There are eleven types of items you can create, they are: Selected Response, Constructed Response, Drawing, Inline Dropdown, Highlightable Text, Auto Score Constructed Response, Equation Numeric, 2 Part EBSR (Evidence-Based Selected Response), plus our Online Only items: Drag and Drop (HotSpot), Table Matching, and Ordering.

Each item type will have a set of available tools. Select the type of item you want to create and click the "Create New Item" button.

 

Item Information and Standards

Your first step for every item type is to enter the Item Information and add the Item Standards.

Item Information:

Using the dropdowns choose the:

• Item Bank - this will most likely default to your district’s main item bank, but you may have many so be sure to choose the correct Item Bank - if you are not sure ask your Administrator.
• Media Type - this will default to Print and Online unless the item type is an Online only item, then it will default to Online only and all other selections will be grayed out.
• Local ID - you can enter your own unique ID numbers here to keep track of your items.
• Depth of Knowledge - Choose your Depth of Knowledge.
• Item Tagging - You can use item tagging to make test creation much easier. Using the same tag for every item on a test allows you to search for all items on this test by using the Search Item Tags filter under Advanced Options when searching for your items. A good example of a tag would be something like: Math 04 Unit 1 Post Test 2016-17.

Item Standards

Every item must have at least one standard or you will not be able to proceed. To add your Standards, choose your Standard Set, Content Area, Item Level, Group (to narrow down the list of standards, especially helpful for Math standards), and the Standard using the dropdowns, and then click the "Add Standard" button.

When you have completed this section click 

Search for Items

From the Home Page, click on the “Search for Items” tile or using the menu bar,
navigate to Testing >> Local Item Editor >> Search for Items.

On the Search page, you can search by Item ID, you can also search by Local Item ID if you entered one when you created the item.

Or, if you don’t have either the Item ID or the Local Item ID you can search using the Filters.
In the Filters section use the dropdowns to select your filters:

• Item Bank
• Standard Set
• Content Area
• Item Level (you must select the content area first)
• Group (you must select the Item Level first)
• Standard
• Item Type
• Passage
• Depth of Knowledge

Open the Advanced section and you can filter by:

• Administration Type (Print/Online)
• Item Tags
• Item Text

You can also select the following options to narrow down your search even more:

• Show tests items have been used on.
• Show only my items
• Show omitted items

Edit an Item

After clicking “Apply Filters” the items will populate below the “Items” section, like below

Each item allows you to view the item information and, depending on your access level, you might have the following options: Edit, Omit, Copy, Alternate (buttons to the left of each item):

• Edit - This opens up the item for editing.
• Omit - This does not delete the item but hides it in the item bank, preventing it from being seen or used. You can also Un-omit an item.
• Copy - This makes an exact copy of the item. You cannot change the item type when making a Copy of the item.
• Alternate - This makes an exact copy of the item AND creates a link between both items to prevent them from being used on the same test. You cannot change the item type when making an Alternate of the item.