At HighScores, we are committed to continuously evolving our platform to better meet the needs of educators and students alike. Our latest release is packed with powerful features designed to streamline your teaching process and boost student engagement. Over the past two weeks, we’ve introduced several exciting updates that will enhance classroom management and make assessments more efficient than ever.
Here’s what’s new:
New Status and Date-Wise Filters for License Management
Managing student licenses just got a lot easier! We’ve added new filters that allow directors to sort licenses by status and date, making it simple to track which licenses are in use, expired, or available. You can also download a detailed license report with these filters, helping you stay organized and on top of license management.
This update gives you a clear and easy way to manage all your student licenses in one place. Whether you need to check which licenses are active or see how many have been used, these filters make the process quick and efficient.
To access this feature, simply follow these steps:
Profile -> My Institute -> Licenses
Domain Analysis in Performance Reports
We’ve implemented domain analysis in ACT tests to help you get a clearer picture of where students excel in reading questions and where they need more practice. This feature tracks performance across four key domains (e.g., Fiction, Social science, Humanities and Natural Science), displaying data on correct, incorrect, and missed questions.
How to Access:
To check this feature, follow these steps:
Open student’s result -> Performance analysis -> Navigate to the bottom
This enhancement allows teachers to pinpoint student strengths and weaknesses in different subject areas, making it easier to tailor their teaching strategies.
New Genuinity Check Functionality for Assessments
Ensuring that students are genuinely taking their tests is now easier with our new genuinity check feature. This functionality tracks how many times a student goes off-screen during an assessment, helping you monitor their focus and test-taking integrity.
To activate this feature, simply turn on the genuinity check toggle in the assessment preferences. Here’s how:
Open any attempted assessment -> Preferences -> Switch on Genuinity Check Toggle
Once activated, you can view the student’s data on the student review result page by navigating to the last tab labelled “Genuinity Check.” This provides a clear overview of any off-screen activity, giving you valuable insights into the student’s test behavior.
New Filters in Classroom Result Page for Directors and Teachers
Managing classroom results just got easier! Previously, sorting or searching through results in a classroom with multiple assessments and students could be quite challenging. We’ve now added a filter by Attempt Date, Student Name, Assessment Name, and Response, simplifying the process of tracking student performance and identifying areas that need attention.
To access this feature, simply follow these steps:
Classroom -> Open any classroom -> Results -> Filter
This new filtering capability helps you quickly find the information you need, making classroom management more efficient.
Desmos Calculator Option Added in Question-Wise Grid on the Result Page
In our previous release, we introduced a student-wise answer sheet on the result review page, highlighting tools like annotation, answer cross-out, timer, and bookmarks used during the test. Building on that, we’ve now added the Desmos calculator symbol to the question-wise grid. This feature allows teachers and directors to see if students are actively using the Desmos calculator during the test, providing insights into whether students are optimizing their time effectively.
Additional Enhancement: We’ve also color-coded the tool indicators, along with correct, incorrect, and missed questions. This makes it easier to view and access the information at a glance, ensuring that teachers can quickly assess student performance and identify areas for improvement.
To access this feature, follow these steps:
Open any assessment -> Students -> View -> Scorecard -> Navigate below to Answer Sheet
This update provides a more detailed and visually accessible overview of student test-taking strategies and results.
Mail Notifications for Classroom Owners and Instructors
Previously, all teachers associated with an assessment in a particular classroom were receiving emails about student attempts and results. We’ve refined this system to improve communication. Now, only the classroom owner or designated instructors will receive these notifications, ensuring that the right people are informed while reducing unnecessary emails for other teachers.
Updated SAT View Functionality to Mirror Bluebook Interface
With Bluebook’s recent upgrade adding different colors for highlighting, we’ve enhanced our SAT view to reflect these changes. Previously, only one highlight color was available, but now students can select from four additional colors, just like in the actual exam. This update allows students to use different colors for highlighting text in instructions and questions, providing a more realistic and effective practice experience that closely mirrors the real exam.
New “All” Option in Answer Sheet Filter for Assessments
We’ve enhanced the answer sheet filter in assessments by adding an “All” option, which is now selected by default. This allows teachers and directors to view and download the answer sheets of all students within the filtered classroom, regardless of the module. Additionally, there’s a module-wise filter that enables downloading answer sheets for specific modules.
This feature provides a more streamlined process for managing and reviewing student assessments. Teachers and directors can now easily access and download all answer sheets at once, saving time and reducing the complexity of handling multiple modules separately.
To access this feature, follow these steps:
Assessment -> Open any attempted assessment -> Answer sheet -> Filter
This update ensures that managing student assessment data is both efficient and flexible.
Email Reminder for Unseen Messages After 12 Hours
To ensure effective communication between teachers, directors, and students, we’ve added a new feature that sends an email reminder to users if they haven’t seen or responded to a message within 12 hours. If a teacher or director sends a message through the platform and it’s not checked within this time frame, the user will receive an email prompting them to review the message. This ensures important communications are not missed and helps maintain smooth interaction within the platform.
Updated ACT View to Mirror TestNav Interface
We’ve made significant changes to the ACT view to ensure it closely mirrors the actual exam environment on TestNav. One of the key updates is the addition of a dedicated box for instructions within ACT view questions, making it easier for students to follow along.
New Features Added:
– Highlight Functionality: Students can now highlight text directly within the ACT view, just like in the real exam. This helps them focus on key information during practice.
– Passage Scroller: We’ve also added a passage scroller, allowing students to navigate through passages more efficiently, just as they would in the actual ACT exam.
PSAT Adaptive Math Tests
We’ve added two new PSAT Adaptive Math section tests to help students better prepare for the exam with adaptive practice that matches their skill level. Our goal is to continuously release new content and improve our offerings to ensure that both teachers and students have the most effective tools for success.
These updates provide students with a more realistic and effective practice experience, better preparing them for the real test.
What’s Coming Next on HighScores?
1. Line Reader for SAT: We’re integrating a line reader feature for SAT, mirroring Bluebook’s functionality.
2. Flagged Question Summary Report: Weekly PDF reports summarizing flagged questions and changes made for each institute will be released.
3. Improved Question Bank Interface: “Add to Existing Assessment” will feature a more intuitive selection window.
4. New Dashboards: Comprehensive dashboards for teachers, students, and directors to provide an overall summary of platform activities.
5. Subject Management for Students: Directors will soon have the ability to grant access to specific subjects, like only English, for certain students, regardless of the program. This allows for more tailored learning experiences based on individual needs.
6.Enhanced “My Performance” Page: We’re redesigning the my Performance data based on feedback to make it more meaningful.
7. Expanding Question Pool: Adding hard modules to enrich our question pool.
8. New PSAT Practice Tests: Two new full-length PSAT practice tests are on the way.
We’re committed to continuously improving the HighScores platform to better serve our educators and students. We hope these updates will enhance your teaching and learning experience. Stay tuned for more exciting features in our upcoming releases!
Feel free to explore these new features and let us know your feedback. Happy teaching!
