https://outreach.ou.edu/Educational-Services Parent Page: Educational Services id: 29737 Active Page: FAQid:29740

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

PASSWORDS/LOGIN INFO/SETTING UP ACCOUNT

How do I signup for ELQA?

If you are a school or district administrator, you will select the SIGNUP button located in the toolbar.* The ELQA Registration screen will open with two registration options.

  • Choose Create a District/Organization Administrator if your organization has multiple schools.
  • Choose Create a School Administrator if your organization has one school or if you are a teacher registering a single classroom.
  • Select one of these options and click Next.  You will continue to move through the registration process.

*If you are a teacher, you will need to contact your school/district administrator in order to set up your ELQA account.

What are my payment options?

We accept purchase orders, checks, and credit cards.

What is included in the ELQA 60-Day trial period?

Choosing the 60-day trial option will allow you to create an organization, school, classrooms, and ELQA users, as well as add students to the classrooms. Teachers can assess students and have access to the reports for the first period. Your information and data will be retained if you decide to purchase the 1-year subscription.

I'm having trouble logging in. What do I do now?

How do I change my password?

To change your password, visit elqa.ou.edu and select LOGIN. You will then enter your email address and select Reset Password. This will send a link to your email address and allow you to create a new password.

What should I do if my password does not work?

To retrieve your password, visit elqa.ou.edu and select LOGIN. You will then enter your email address and select Reset Password. This will send a link to your email address and allow you to create a new password. 

Does my password ever expire?

No.

My email address has changed. Can I still log on?

Yes. You can log on using the email address listed on your ELQA account. To change your email address, select the Dashboard tab on the left navigation bar and scroll down until you see My Profile. Select the Update Profile button. You can edit your email address and then click Save.  

How do I purchase a classroom?

If you have previously used ELQA, your organization and login information have been retained. To begin using ELQA for the new academic year, log in to your account and choose the Classrooms tab in the navigation menu to begin creating the classrooms needed for the year. Select Add Classroom and enter the classroom information and change the statue to “ready for purchase.” This will move the classroom to the purchasing tab. Once all classrooms have been created and are “ready for purchase,” proceed to the purchasing tab to complete the purchase process.

How do I set the number of assessment periods I want for my organization?

Administrators have the ability to adjust the number of assessment periods at the beginning of each year before assessments have been administered.  To adjust assessment periods, select Organization on the left navigation menu and then then choose Edit. Select the dropdown menu on Assessment Periods and choose the number of assessments.

How do I add a classroom?

Administrators and main contacts are able to add/purchase classrooms. To add classrooms, click Classrooms located in the left navigation bar and then choose +Add Classroom. Select the school in which the classroom will be associated; enter the name of the classroom, grade level, and assessment type(s); and change the status to “ready for purchase”. This will move the classroom to the Purchasing tab on the left navigation bar. Proceed to the Purchasing tab to finalize the purchase and activate the classroom.

How do I add new ELQA users?

Administrators, main contacts, and account managers can add new users to the account. To add users, click Users located in the left navigation bar and then choose +Add User. Enter the user's email, first name, last name, and title. Continue to scroll to select the school and classroom(s) to which the user will need access.

I have created my classrooms. How do I connect teachers to their classrooms?

To assign a teacher to a classroom, choose Users located on the left navigation bar. Locate the user (teacher) that needs to be assigned and select the blue Actions button at the end of the row. Scroll down to select the school and classrooms to which the teachers needs access.

How do I add students to my classroom?

To add students to your classroom, select Students from the navigation bar and click Add Students. Enter the name, date of birth, gender, ethnicity, and language for the first student. The student ID field is optional; schools often use this as a student identifier. Next, click Save or Save and Add Another to enter the next student.

How do I delete/replace a teacher that is no longer at my school?

The best way to delete/replace a teacher is to create a new ELQA user and make the previous user (teacher) inactive. To create a new user, select the Users tab on the navigation bar. Next, select Add User and enter the user's email, first name, last name, and title. Continue to scroll to select the school and classroom(s) to which the user will need access.

To make a user inactive, select the Users tab on the navigation bar. Locate the user and choose the blue Actions button at the end of the user’s row.  Find the Active box and uncheck the box to make the user inactive.

How do I delete a student who is no longer at my school?

Students can ONLY be deleted if they have not been assessed and do not have previous data. Students that have previous assessment data can have their status changed to “inactive.”

To make a student inactive, select the Students tab in the navigation bar, locate the student, and select the blue Action button at the end of the student’s row. Next, select the Edit button and change the Active dropdown to Inactive and click Save. Changing the student’s status to Inactive will establish the student as inactive, and the student will not appear in the current class list or any reports. 

About ELQA

Is this a norm-referenced test?

No, ELQA is a progress monitoring tool and is a criterion-referenced test.

Browser and Technical Reports

Do I need to download software for ELQA?

No. The assessment is web-based. You will need internet access to administer the assessments. ELQA recommends using one of the following supported browsers:  Google Chrome 49+ or Mozilla Firefox 59+.

Which browser can I use to access the website?

ELQA assessments work with the most recent versions of all popular browsers, including Firefox, Chrome, Safari, and Internet Explorer; however, ELQA recommends Google Chrome 49+ and Mozilla Firefox 59+.

Can I use my iPad to administer ELQA?

Yes, an iPad can be used to administer ELQA, as long as you have access to the internet. We recommend using the Google Chrome app on your iPad.

What is the optimal screen size/resolution for using ELQA?

The assessment will run on almost any size screen at any resolution, but for best results use a computer with screen size set to 1024 x 768 or larger.

I have a Mac. How can I make the pictures bigger?

On the upper left corner of the window, there are three colored dots. The green dot maximizes the window.

Administering ELQA

What if I assessed a student under another student’s name?

To prevent assessing a student under another student’s name, double check the name of the student at the top of the assessment before you begin. If you assess a student under another student’s name, start by printing off the scores for that student. The Individual Student Score for Period report will provide the answers to each question that was asked. Once you have printed off the scores, locate the correct student’s account that you meant to assess and hand enter the scores in each assessment by following the report that you printed.

Then, you will need to delete the scores that were recorded in the incorrect student's account. To delete scores, go to Assessments, then Assessment Results, and search the name of the student and the assessment you wish to delete. Once you have located the correct student and the assessment, select the red X at the end of the row to delete the results. You will continue this process for each sub assessment you wish to delete.

This Action CANNOT be undone. Once the results are deleted, they are permanently gone.

What if the child is guessing, but is getting the questions correct? Do I still count their answers as correct?

Yes. It is okay for a child to guess if they do not know the answer.

Can I go back and change a child’s scores after I hit finalize?

No. Once you hit the finalize button, your answers are permanently saved. Please make sure to go back through your scores to do a final check before clicking finalize. If you accidently hit the finalize button and need to edit the scores you can delete the results and reassess. To delete the results, go to Assessments, then Assessment Results, and search the name of the student and the assessment you wish to delete. Once you have located the correct student and the assessment, select the red X at the end of the row to delete the results. You will continue this process for each sub assessment you wish to delete. This Action CANNOT be undone. Once the results are deleted, they are permanently gone.

Can I save the answers in the middle of a particular assessment (e.g., Expressive Vocabulary)?

Individual assessments cannot be saved unless all questions are answered and finalized. ELQA is designed to be quick and easy, so it will not take long if you have to start over on an assessment.

Is there a correct answer for each expressive vocabulary picture? What if a child uses a word not listed as an acceptable answer on the expressive vocabulary assessment?

Is there a correct answer for each expressive vocabulary picture?
Yes. You can find the acceptable answers located on the bottom right corner of each picture item. Click on the A button, and a list of acceptable words for that picture will appear. In order to ensure consistency in scoring, please use the acceptable words as the only options for correct responses.

What if a child uses a word not listed as an acceptable answer on the expressive vocabulary assessment? Can I count the word if I think it should be an acceptable answer?
No. If you would like us to consider adding another acceptable word for a particular item, please email us at elqa@ou.edu or contact us at 1-844-349-5519. The acceptable words should be used as a key to ensure consistency in scoring. 

What if the child has to take a bathroom break?

You can choose to wait until the child comes back and continue with the assessment or cancel the assessment and start it again at another time. If you are going to be away from your computer for more than 10 minutes, it is best to log out and log back in when you are ready to continue assessing.

What if there is a fire drill while I am in the middle of assessing a child?

If you are in the middle of a specific assessment (e.g. Print Concepts) and have answered a few questions, it is best to cancel the assessment and start again at another time. Individual assessments cannot be saved unless all questions are answered and finalized. The ELQA is designed to be quick and easy, so it will not take a long time if you have to start over on an assessment. 

What if a child responds with “I don’t know” to every question?

We recommend taking a moment to pause the assessment and ask the child a few quick questions to give them a break. For example, you could ask “What is your favorite animal?” or “What did you have for breakfast?” Then return to the assessment. If the child becomes frustrated, please stop the assessment and try at another time. If the child does not know the answers and is not frustrated, you would count the answers as incorrect.

I have created my classrooms. How do I connect teachers to their classrooms?

To assign a teacher to a classroom, choose Users located on the left navigation bar. Locate the user (teacher) that needs to be assigned and select the blue Actions button at the end of the row. Scroll down to select the school and classrooms in which the teachers needs access.

What if children answer the assessment questions in Spanish? Can we count their answers correct?

No. You should encourage the child to respond in English.

Do you have any activities that I can use in the classroom?

Classroom activities that promote literacy and numeracy are included as part of your ELQA package. Login at elqa.ou.edu and look for Resources on the left navigation bar.

Professional Development Training

What is ELQA: Getting Started?

ELQA: Getting Started is one of two professional learning opportunities available to ELQA users. It is an introductory course designed to teach new ELQA users how to effectively administer the assessment and interpret the ELQA data results. The interactive course is taught by expert ELQA staff from the University of Oklahoma and includes hands-on activities, in depth reflection, and group discussion. Each component of this course is designed to guide users into a deeper understanding of each of the ELQA assessment components.

By the end of the course, participants will:

•    Explore and become familiar with the various components of Early Learning Quick Assessments (ELQA)
•    Review appropriate ELQA classroom set up
•    Practice administering ELQA
•    Interpret and use ELQA data to differentiate instruction

If you are interested in enrolling for the ELQA: Getting Started professional development training, please contact us at 1 (844) 349-5519 (toll-free) or elqa@ou.edu.

How should I prepare for my training session on ELQA: Getting Started?

Because training rooms are often chilly, we recommend that you bring a sweater or light jacket.

What is ELQA in Action?

ELQA in Action is a professional learning module designed to increase your knowledge about using ELQA to support early literacy and numeracy. Discussions and activities focus on the importance of early literacy/numeracy assessments, emergent literacy/numeracy, and effective teaching practices to differentiate instruction.

Through this professional learning, it is intended that participants will:

•    Understand formative literacy and numeracy assessments in early childhood
•    Gain a deeper understanding of the connection between emergent literacy and ELQA
•    Learn how to differentiate literacy/numeracy instruction for individuals, small groups, and whole groups by linking ELQA data to instructional goals
•    Plan for effective teaching and classroom management
•    Analyze ELQA reports effectively to differentiate instruction

If you are interested in attending an ELQA in Action professional development training, please contact us at elqa@ou.edu or call
1 (844) 349-5519 for assistance.

What do I need to take with me for the ELQA in Action training?

You are expected to bring the following ELQA Reports from your classroom to the session:

•    Classroom Progress Charts Report
•    Classroom Percentile Report
•    Classroom Small Group Ranking Report

All three reports should be from the same class and assessment period.

It is also recommended that the participant has read the ELQA Teacher’s Guide to the session, which is available under the Documents tab on the navigation bar when you login to ELQA. 

Because training rooms are often chilly, we recommend that you bring a sweater or light jacket.

How should I prepare for the ELQA in Action training?

It is recommended that you become familiar the ELQA Teacher’s Guide prior to the session and download it on your laptop. The guide is available under the Documents tab, on the navigation bar, when you login to ELQA.

What forms of payment do you accept?

We accept purchase orders (POs) and credit cards.

Getting Additional Help

When is technical support available?

ELQA offers technical support Monday - Friday from 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Central Standard Time. Please contact us at elqa@ou.edu or call 1 (844) 349-5519.