# US 8,892,895 B1 · Integrated system for electronic tracking and control of documents > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,892,895 B1 - Document ID: US8892895B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 10/140,768 - Filed: 2002-05-07 - Granted: 2014-11-18 - Earliest claimed: 2002-05-07 - Assignees: Data Recognition Corporation - Applicants: Jody Chesley; Michelle Edenborg; Mark Gedlinske; Doyle Kirkeby; Shawna Maryanovich; Doug Miller - Inventors: Jody Chesley; Michelle Edenborg; Mark Gedlinske; Doyle Kirkeby; Shawna Maryanovich; Doug Miller - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8892895B1 ## CPC - H04L 9/32: including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system {or for message authentication, e.g. authorization, entity authentication, data integrity or data verification, non-repudiation, key authentication or verification of credentials} - G09B 7/06: of the multiple-choice answer-type, i.e. where a given question is provided with a series of answers and a choice has to be made from the answers - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - G09B: EDUCATIONAL OR DEMONSTRATION APPLIANCES; APPLIANCES FOR TEACHING, OR COMMUNICATING WITH, THE BLIND, DEAF OR MUTE; MODELS; PLANETARIA; GLOBES; MAPS; DIAGRAMS (devices for psychotechnics or for testing reaction times A61B5/16; games, sports, amusements A63; projectors, projector screens G03B) ## Abstract Systems and methods are provided for electronic tracking and control of secure test documents. One aspect of the present subject matter is a method for management of a plurality of test documents. In one embodiment, precode data for a test-taker population is associated with secure document data for the plurality of test documents. The plurality of test documents is distributed to a test-taking center for administration to a plurality of test-takers. The plurality of test documents is received from the test-taking center after administration to the plurality of test-takers. The received plurality of test documents is verified against the distributed plurality of test documents and the precode data to account for the distributed plurality of test documents. The received plurality of test documents is processed to determine test results. The test results are reported. Other aspects are provided herein. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for a test processor to track and control a plurality of secure test documents for administration to a test-taker population of individual test-takers, the method comprising: receiving, using on-line communication, test-taker information for each of the individual test-takers to provide precode data, wherein the precode data includes information specific to each of the individual test-takers and information specific to groupings of test-takers within the test-taker population; providing secure document data for the plurality of secure test documents, including assigning a unique identifier to each of the secure test documents to be distributed to the test-taking centers and completed by the plurality of individual test-takers at the test-taking centers, wherein the secure test documents are uniquely-identified secure test documents; associating the precode data with the secure document data for the uniquely-identified test documents; distributing the uniquely-identified secure test documents from the test processor to test-taking centers for administration of the uniquely-identified secure test documents to the plurality of individual test-takers; receiving, at the test processor, the uniquely-identified secure test documents that have been administered to the test-taker population from the test-taking centers and returned to the test processor; accounting for the uniquely-identified secure test documents to determine whether the secure test documents distributed from the test processor are received at the test processor, including verifying the uniquely-identified secure test documents received at the test processor using the secure document data and the precode data to provide verification results accounting for the uniquely-identified secure test documents distributed to the test-taking centers; reporting the verification results for unaccounted secure test documents to an entity using the precode data for the unaccounted secure test documents, wherein the verification results include appropriate precode data to assist the entity with resolving discrepancies between the uniquely-identified secure test documents that were distributed to the test-taking centers and the uniquely-identified secure test documents returned to the test processor; processing the received plurality of test documents, at the test processor, to determine test results; and reporting the test results using at least some information in the precode data, wherein receiving the uniquely-identified secure test documents that have been administered to the test-taker population from the test-taking centers and returned to the test processor includes: receiving one or more boxes that contain the plurality of secure test documents; processing the one or more received boxes, wherein processing the one or more received boxes includes verifying that the one or more received boxes correspond to one or more shipped boxes sent from the test-taking center, including: receiving shipping data regarding the one or more shipped boxes sent from the test-taking center; updating a database with the shipping data; identifying a unique identifier for each of the one or more received boxes; validating the one or more received boxes against the shipping data in the database; and updating the database to indicate whether the one or more shipped boxes sent from the test-taking center have been received at the test processing center; and processing the plurality of secure test documents contained within the one or more received boxes, including: identifying a security data record and a precode data record on each of the plurality of secure test documents contained in the one or more received boxes; and creating one or more scanned images for each of the plurality of secure test documents such that the one or more scanned images are processed. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein distributing the uniquely-identified secure test documents includes distributing a secure test document to a student taking a home-based assessment. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the precode data includes school data, class data and student data. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the precode data includes test requirements for the individual test-taker. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the uniquely-identified secure test documents distributed to the test-taking centers are printed with secure document data records such that each of the uniquely-identified secure test documents is printed with a unique secure document data record, and with a precode data record associated with the unique secure document data record. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising using on-line communication to receive from the test-taking centers updates identifying individual test-takers who were administered the secure test-documents. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: using on-line communication to receive enrollment data from the test-taking center, wherein the enrollment data includes data for enrolling test-takers to receive the secure test documents; and using the enrollment data to prepare the uniquely-identified test documents for distribution to the test-taking center. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein using the enrollment data includes sharing the enrollment data with a procurement system through a computer readable medium for ordering material to prepare the plurality of test documents. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein processing the one or more received boxes further includes reporting a status to the test-taking center regarding whether the one or more shipped boxes sent from the test-taking center have been received at the test processing center. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein processing the one or more received boxes further includes assigning the one or more received boxes to Work-In-Progress (WIP) groups. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein assigning the one or more received boxes into WIP groups includes assigning the one or more received boxes to one or more identified pallets of boxes. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein identifying a security data record and a precode data record on each of the plurality of test documents contained in the one or more received boxes includes: reading a security bar code representing a security data record, and reading a precode bar code representing a precode data record. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein processing the plurality of test documents contained in the one or more received boxes further includes processing the one or more scanned images to score objective scoring tasks and open-ended scoring tasks. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein processing the plurality of test documents contained in the one or more received boxes further includes: performing an optical mark recognition (OMR) process to score objective scoring tasks; wherein creating one or more scanned images includes creating scanned images of open-ended scoring tasks for the plurality of test documents and distributing the scanned images of open-ended scoring tasks to readers for scoring. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein processing the plurality of secure test documents contained in the one or more received boxes includes: sorting the plurality of secure test documents according to project requirements; and processing the sorted plurality of secure test documents according to a priority established by the project requirements. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein sorting the plurality of test documents according to project requirements includes regrouping like materials in one or more labeled boxes. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein processing the sorted plurality of test documents includes: identifying a security data record and a precode data record on each of the plurality of test documents contained in the one or more received boxes; and verifying that the plurality of test documents were sorted according to project requirements. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein processing the sorted plurality of test documents includes providing reports for showing a status of the plurality of test documents contained in the one or more received boxes. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein processing the sorted plurality of test documents includes providing problem resolution screens for resolving discrepancies between the received plurality of test documents and the distributed plurality of test documents. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein processing the sorted plurality of test documents further includes providing user-defined queries to obtain user-desired information. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, wherein providing user-defined queries to obtain user-desired information includes providing queries for tracking the plurality of test documents as the plurality of test documents are processed. ### Claim 22 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein processing the sorted plurality of test documents according to a priority established by the project requirements includes: creating one or more scanned images for each of the plurality of test documents; and processing the one or more scanned images to score objective scoring tasks and open-ended scoring tasks. ### Claim 23 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein processing the sorted plurality of test documents according to a priority established by the project requirements includes: identifying a security data record and a precode data record on each of the plurality of test documents contained in the one or more received boxes; performing an optical mark recognition (OMR) process to score objective scoring tasks; and creating scanned images of open-ended portions of the plurality of test documents, and distributing the scanned images of open-ended portions to readers for scoring. ### Claim 24 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein identifying a security data record and a precode data record on each of the plurality of test documents contained in the one or more received boxes includes: reading a security bar code representing a security data record, and reading a precode bar code representing a precode data record. ### Claim 25 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising archiving the plurality of test results on computer-readable media, and providing a communication module configured for on-line retrieval of the archived test results. ### Claim 26 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: archiving the plurality of test documents and maintaining a database to identify a location for each of the plurality of test documents; and providing a communication module configured for on-line retrieval of the archived test results.