Title: E T S(R) Personal Potential Index Evaluator User's Guide - July 2011 thru June 2012 Formats available: The E T S(R) Personal Potential Index Evaluator User's Guide is currently available in Adobe PDF and text format. Print or large print versions are available upon request. This electronic edition contains the entire text of the PDF version except for extraneous header and footer information, graphical elements, and navigational controls for electronic documents. This document consists of the sections listed below. --Contents --Overview --E T S(R) PPI Steps at a Glance --Receiving a Request to Complete an E T S PPI Evaluation --Using the E T S PPI System --Applicant Evaluation Data --Contact Information Page numbers in this document are indicated with the word "page" enclosed between the less-than and greater-than symbol: . To locate material on page 1 of the printed edition, use your search or find command to search for " 1" (do not enter the quotation marks into the search window). 1 E T S(R) [logo] Listening. Learning. Leading.(R) E T S(R) Personal Potential Index Evaluator User's Guide July 2011 - June 2012 www.ets.org/ppi 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Overview 3 E T S(R) PPI Steps at a Glance 3 Receiving a Request to Complete an E T S PPI Evaluation 4 Using the E T S PPI System 4 Logging Into the E T S PPI System 5 Creating an E T S PPI Evaluator Account 5 Terms and Conditions 7 E T S PPI Evaluator Home Page 7 Getting Started 8 Rating the Applicant 9 Overall Evaluation 11 Self Evaluation 12 Review Your Evaluation 12 Managing Evaluation Requests 13 Account Updates 13 Changing Passwords 13 Applicant Evaluation Data 14 Contact Information 14 Copyright (c) 2012 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. E T S, the E T S logo, LISTENING, LEARNING, LEADING, GRADUATE RECORD EXAMINATIONS and GRE are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (E T S) in the United States and other countries. 3 OVERVIEW The E T S(R) Personal Potential Index (E T S(R) PPI) is a web-based system for evaluating the personal attributes of applicants to graduate or professional school. The E T S PPI allows applicants the opportunity to provide evidence of a broader range of their capabilities. They select evaluators -- typically faculty members or supervisors -- to evaluate them on the following six dimensions that are considered critical for success in graduate or professional school: * Knowledge and Creativity * Communication Skills * Teamwork * Resilience * Planning and Organization * Ethics and Integrity There are 24 questions (four for each of the six dimensions), plus an overall evaluation rating. Evaluators provide ratings for each of the questions and for the overall evaluation. In addition, they may add comments for each dimension and for the overall evaluation. E T S creates an E T S PPI Evaluation Report that incorporates the ratings and comments and sends it to each institution designated by the applicant. Individuals who register for the Graduate Record Examinations(R) (GRE(R)) General Test are entitled to send up to four E T S PPI Evaluation Reports at no extra charge. Additional reports are 20 dollars each. There is no charge to evaluators or receiving institutions. System Requirements The E T S PPI system supports the latest production versions of Internet Explorer 7.0.5, Firefox 3.0.7 and Safari 3.2.2 browsers. If you access the E T S PPI website without meeting these requirements, some functions may not perform optimally or may be disabled. E T S PPI STEPS AT A GLANCE Step 1: The process begins when a prospective graduate applicant enters your name and e-mail address into the E T S PPI system and indicates that they would like you to provide an E T S PPI evaluation of their personal attributes. You will then receive an e-mail from E T S requesting that you complete an E T S PPI evaluation for the individual. Within the e-mail, there are links that allow you to accept or decline the request to evaluate the individual. Click on "ACCEPT" to accept the request to evaluate the individual. An e-mail confirmation of your decision will be sent to the individual. Click on "DECLINE" to decline the request. 4 Step 2: When you click on "ACCEPT" in the e-mail, you will link to the E T S PPI Evaluator log-in screen where you will create a "New User" account. If you are a returning user, you can log in to the E T S PPI system with the User Name and Password you created previously. Step 3: Select the applicant from the list, answer questions about your relationship to them, respond to 24 statements (four for each dimension) about the applicant, and provide an overall rating of the applicant. You also can add comments for each dimension as well as for the overall evaluation. The evaluation should take you between 10 and 15 minutes. Step 4: Save and submit your evaluation. The applicant will be notified via e-mail that your evaluation has been submitted. Step 5: Click on "Back to My Evaluation Requests" to view the status of all your evaluations. RECEIVING A REQUEST TO COMPLETE AN E T S PPI EVALUATION You will receive an e-mail each time a prospective graduate applicant enters your name and e-mail address into the E T S PPI system and indicates that they would like you to provide an E T S PPI evaluation of their personal attributes. The e-mail will include information about the individual requesting the evaluation as well as links that allow you to accept or decline the evaluation request. To accept the evaluation request, click on the "ACCEPT" link in the e-mail message. This will connect you to the Evaluator Sign-In page (below). Alternatively, you can copy and paste the URL to accept the evaluation request from the e-mail into your Web browser. If you already have a PPI Evaluator account, you may sign in to your account to accept the request. 5 [begin image description] Image of the "Sign In to Accept E T S Personal Potential Index Evaluation Request" online screen. This screen is where you can log in as a Returning User or sign up as a New User. The screen also contains Important Information listed below the sign-in area. [end image description] To decline the evaluation request, click on the "DECLINE" link in the e-mail or copy and paste the link from the e-mail, and you will be directed to the Evaluator Sign-In page. If you already have a PPI Evaluator account, you may sign in to decline the request. If you do not have a PPI account, you may click "Decline Request Without Signing In." You will be directed to decline the request and an e-mail message will be sent to the applicant informing them that their request has been declined. E T S encourages applicants to contact evaluators before entering their information into the E T S PPI system so that the evaluation request from E T S does not come as a surprise to the evaluator. USING THE E T S PPI SYSTEM Logging Into the E T S PPI System To log into the E T S PPI system, visit www.ets.org/ppi and click on "Evaluator Sign In" at the top of the screen. This will take you to the screen described on the next page. 6 [begin image description] Image of the "E T S Personal Potential Index Sign In for Evaluators" online screen. This is where you can log in as a Returning User or sign up as a New User. The screen also contains Important Information listed below the sign-in area. [end image description] Creating a PPI Evaluator Account Click on "Sign Up" in the New Users box to create a new PPI account. Write down your username and password and keep it in a secure location. It is important to create only one Evaluator Account; do not create multiple accounts for each applicant request. You only have to create a new Evaluator Account for the first evaluation request received. To create your E T S PPI Evaluator Account, you will be asked to provide personal information, contact information, a username and a password. Note that an asterisk indicates a required field. A green check mark will appear as each field you tab through is completed. 7 [begin image description] Image of the "Create Your E T S PPI Evaluator Account" online screen. This is where you can enter Name, Contact Information at Your Institution and enter a user name and password. [end image description] Complete all of the necessary information and then click on "Continue." If a required field was not completed or completed in an invalid format, you will receive an error message. If you receive this error message, check each field for either a red asterisk or a small red triangle and re-enter the information in the correct format. Take note of the "Reminder" box. If you checked this box, automatic e-mail messages are sent to you when one or more of your evaluation requests are nearing their requested completion date and have not yet been submitted. You can stop the reminder messages by going into "Update Personal Information" and removing the check from "Reminder - Send me a reminder before the applicant's requested completion date." 8 Terms and Conditions When you use the E T S PPI system, all information provided to you will be electronic, so you will need Internet access and an e-mail account. You will be asked to e-sign a statement confirming your identity and acknowledging that you have been informed of the potential penalties for misrepresentation. Check the "Terms and Conditions" box and the "Submit" button to complete your account creation. Once an account has been successfully created, you will be directed to log in as a returning user. Enter your same User Name and Password and click the "Sign In" button. Be sure to add @ets.org to your address book or safe sender list to ensure that you receive e-mail messages from E T S. E T S PPI Evaluator Home Page You can perform the following tasks on the E T S PPI home page: --View Evaluation Requests and Completed Evaluations - View applicant evaluation requests and completed applications. --Evaluate the applicant - Respond to 24 statements and add optional comments. You can complete the entire evaluation or save the evaluation and return at any time to finish. Evaluators report that an average evaluation takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. --Manage Account - Update personal information in your account profile and change your password or security questions. --More Information - Access E T S PPI general information, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and access the GRE website. A description of the home page follows: 9 [begin image description] Image of the "My E T S Personal Potential Index Home" online screen. This is where you can view evaluation requests and completed evaluations, evaluate the applicant, manage your account, access E T S PPI general information, frequently asked questions (FAQs) and access the GRE website. [end image description] Getting Started Click on "Evaluate Applicant Now" to begin evaluating applicants. Choose the applicant you would like to evaluate from the list (screen description follows). Requests that have been declined or already completed will not be listed. [begin image description] Image of the "Begin Evaluation: Select Your Applicant" online screen. It shows the four steps of the process as tabs on screen: Step 1 Select Applicant, Step 2 Evaluate Applicant, Step 3 Review Evaluation, and Step 4 Evaluation Complete. There is also a button to return to "My ETS PPI Home." [end image description] Click on the name of the applicant you would like to evaluate. You will be linked to a screen with the applicant's information (described on the next page). 10 [begin image description] Image of the "Verify Applicant Information" online screen. It shows the applicant's information which includes: E-mail, Undergraduate Institution, Year Bachelor's Degree, Intended Graduate Major, and Evaluation Request ID. There is a "Back" and "Continue" button at the bottom of the screen. [end image description] Click "Continue" on the "verify Applicant Information" screen to indicate that you would like to evaluate this applicant. The next screen (described below) asks you questions about your relationship to the applicant. The information you enter will appear on the E T S PPI Evaluation Report. [begin image description] Image of the "Relationship to Applicant" online screen. The instructions on screen ask the evaluator to answer all the evaluation questions. There is a "Back", "Save and Return Later", and a "Continue" button at the bottom of the screen. [end image description] Rating the Applicant You will rate applicants on six dimensions by responding to the following 24 statements (four for each of the six dimensions): Knowledge and Creativity --Has a broad perspective on the field --Is among the brightest persons I know --Produces novel ideas --Is intensely curious about the field 11 Rating the Applicant (continued) Communication Skills --Speaks in a clear, organized and logical manner --Writes with precision and style --Speaks in a way that is interesting --Organizes writing well Teamwork --Supports the efforts of others --Behaves in an open and friendly manner --Works well in group settings --Gives criticism/feedback to others in a helpful way Resilience --Accepts feedback without getting defensive --Works well under stress --Can overcome challenges and setbacks --Works extremely hard Planning and Organization --Sets realistic goals --Organizes work and time effectively --Meets deadlines --Makes plans and sticks to them Ethics and Integrity --Is among the most honest persons I know --Maintains high ethical standards --Is worthy of trust from others --Demonstrates sincerity You will use a five-point rating scale to respond to the four statements for each dimension. Note that the reference group is other students from the same department or unit who have gone on to graduate or professional school. Note, too, that you can add comments -- for instance, you can add specific examples in the text box provided. Cut and paste or type directly into the box. There is room for approximately 150-200 words for each dimension. The Knowledge and Creativity dimension screen is described on the next page. 12 [begin image description] Image of the "Knowledge and Creativity" online screen. The instructions on screen ask the user to rate the applicant relative to others in their department or unit who have gone on to graduate or professional study. There is a "Back", "Save and Return Later", and a "Continue" button at the bottom of the screen. [end image description] You are required to respond to each statement. If you feel that you do not have enough information to respond to a statement, you can answer "Insufficient Opportunity to Evaluate"; these responses are not calculated in the rating for that dimension. Providing comments is optional, but highly desirable. Note that at any point in the evaluation you can click on "Save and Return Later" or "Continue." Your session will time out after 30 minutes of inactivity. You will receive a session-expiration warning message after 25 minutes of inactivity. The session-expiration message will flash on the top and bottom of the screen. If you want to extend your session time, just click the "Click Here" link on the flashing message. If no action is taken on the session-expiration warning message before the session has expired, the session will close, a message will appear and you will need to sign in again. Your evaluation will be saved up to the point where the session ended. Overall Evaluation You will also provide an overall rating. This page is very similar to the individual dimension ratings, except that there is more space to include comments (i.e., approximately 350-400 words). The overall evaluation is a separate rating; it is not the average of the other ratings. This increases reliability. A description of the overall rating screen follows. 13 [begin image description] Image of the "Overall Evaluation" online screen. The instructions on screen ask the user to give an overall evaluation of the applicant based on responses to each of the 6 personal dimensions questions. There is a "Back", "Save and Return Later", and a "Continue" button at the bottom of the screen. [end image description] Self Evaluation You also will be asked to complete a self evaluation. Check the appropriate button that best denotes your rating tendencies. There is also the opportunity to add additional text to elaborate on any examples and add general comments. Review Your Evaluation You will have an opportunity to review all of the information you have entered in the applicant's evaluation. You will be able to edit and update your personal information as well as your evaluation responses. Once you complete the review, you have the option of saving the evaluation and returning later, or submitting the evaluation. If you click on "Save and Return Later", the evaluation will not be submitted until you return and click on "Submit the Evaluation." Once the evaluation is submitted, the following window will pop up indicating the evaluation was submitted successfully: 14 [begin image description] Image of the "Evaluation Complete" online screen. The instructions on screen read as follows: "Thank you for submitting an ETS Personal Potential Index evaluation. An e-mail will be sent to the applicant indicating that an evaluation has been completed. The evaluation can be viewed for up to 5 years from the date of completion." At the bottom of the screen is a link to go to the "My ETS PPI Home." [end image description] The applicant will automatically receive an e-mail stating that your evaluation has been submitted. Click on "Go to My E T S PPI Home" to return to the home page or click "Sign Out" to log out. Managing Evaluation Requests To view evaluation requests and completed evaluations, click on "View Evaluation Requests and Completed Evaluations" on the home page. You will see a list of all evaluation requests that have been sent to you and on which you have taken action (accepted, rejected, etc.). [begin image description] Image of the "My Evaluation Requests" online screen. The instructions on screen read as follows: "To view applicant information, evaluate an applicant, view saved evaluations, or change your decision to accept or decline a request, click the applicant's name." At the bottom of the screen is a link to go to the "My ETS PPI Home." [end image description] Account Updates To update personal information, click on "Update Personal Information" on the home page. Update the relevant personal information fields and then click on the "Update Profile" button. Changing Passwords To change your password or security questions, click on "Change Password or Security Question" on the home page. You will be asked to enter your current password, enter a new password, re-enter the new password, select a security question, and answer the security question. Once you have entered this information, click "Submit." 15 For security purposes, E T S will automatically send you an e-mail confirmation message stating that you have successfully changed your password and/or security question. You will receive a similar e-mail notification if you have contacted a PPI customer service representative and a temporary password was generated. If you forget your user name and/or password, go to the sign-in page, click on "Forgot your user name or password?" in the "Returning Users" section of the page, and follow the instructions provided on the screen. APPLICANT EVALUATION DATA Evaluation data may be used in analysis samples, interpretation data and research studies. In each instance, all identifying information will be removed. E T S CONTACT INFORMATION Evaluator Support Services: WEB www.ets.org/ppi E-MAIL ppi@ets.org PHONE 1-609-683-2866 (all locations) Available Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. EST (except U.S. holidays) MAIL E T S PPI PO Box 6000 Princeton, NJ 08541-6000