The SchoolCity Chromebook App is a custom Respondus browser that locks down the testing environment. When students use the App to access an assessment, they are unable to print, copy, go to another URL, or access other applications. Students are locked into an assessment until it is submitted for grading.
The Chromebook App can only be run in kiosk mode when the Chromebooks are centrally managed with Chrome Device Management.
This article will provide an overview of the SchoolCity Chromebook Lockdown Browser App.
How to Install the Chromebook App
The following instructions describe how to install the App using Chrome Device Management.
- Log in to the Google Suite admin console at https://admin.google.com
- Select “Device Management” (or “Devices” if labelled that way) and then “Chrome Management” under Device Settings.
- On the next screen select “Device Settings” and then scroll down to the “Kiosk Settings” section.
- On the next screen select “Apps & extensions” and then select the KIOSKS tab.
- Hover over the yellow circle with the + sign at lower right and select “Add Chrome app or extension by ID."
- Enter the SchoolCity App ID: jefpgianadkfphdbkcfeeekjcjnpbjdh and press Save. The SchoolCity App will now appear on the login page of the managed Chromebooks.
The Student Experience
Students can launch the locked browser by selecting “SchoolCity” from the Apps link on their login screen.
When the App starts, the district selection page will appear.
After selecting the district name, the student can login as they normally would to the SchoolCity Student Portal and navigate to the assessment. Students will only need to do this the first time they open the App; the system will remember their selection and direct them to their district’s student portal automatically in the future.
During an exam, the student will be locked into the testing environment and unable to access other websites or apps until the assessment is submitted for grading. In addition, once the exam is complete the student must restart the device to fully exit the SchoolCity Chromebook kiosk mode app and restore access to other apps.
Student Troubleshooting
If for some reason the student sees the error above, this can be an indication that he or she selected the wrong district initially or that the original setting is no longer valid. In this case, the student should be directed to click the gear/cog icon on the toolbar of the browser. This will send the student back to the district selection page, where the student can re-select the district and then attempt to login again.
Proxy Server Troubleshooting
If you receive an error from the App about not being able to connect to the Internet, there may be a problem with a proxy server. Kiosk mode does not work with proxy servers unless a network configuration is defined and applied “by device” instead of “by user”. The following steps can be followed to set up the network configuration “by device”:
- Login to the Google Suite admin console at https://admin.google.com
- Select “Device Management” and then “Network” under the Device Settings.
- Select WiFi or Ethernet. If no networks are defined, then select “Create”.
- Enter the setting for your network. On the proxy settings, configure the proxy as required and be sure to select “by device” in the “Apply network” section.
- The final step is to validate that everything is set up correctly. To do this, we recommend testing the network settings with the generic "Kiosk" App with App ID: afhcomalholahplbjhnmahkoekoijban
This App allows you to configure an arbitrary URL (such as www.respondus.com) which is displayed when the App enters Kiosk mode. Once networking has been validated with the Kiosk App, you can be confident that the App will be able to connect to the Internet via the proxy server.