Sirius Online User Guide: Students
To prevent student access to our open support and Knowledge Base site (where you are currently viewing this article), please avoid sharing the browser link. Instead, use or download the PDF attached at the bottom of this page. This guide was designed for students in grades three through EOC. Early readers may need assistance to fully engage with the material.Getting Started
Welcome to Sirius Online — Get Ready to Succeed!
As the scouts say, “Be prepared.” This motto applies perfectly to your STAAR journey. The more you practice, the more confident and prepared you will be on test day. If you approach practice sessions as if they are the real thing, you will build familiarity and reduce anxiety when it counts — and that can make a powerful difference to your results.
This guide is designed to help you quickly master Sirius Online and set yourself up for STAAR success. You’ll learn how to navigate your Sirius courses, use tools that mirror the STAAR testing environment, and gain practical tips to make your study time as effective as possible.
Student Experience Guided Tour Video
The Student Experience videos cover general experience and use of tools.
General Student User Experience
Student Tools and Accessibility Features
Logging In
Log in according to instructions that your teacher has given you. If you are logging in manually your teacher will give you an access code, if your school is district rostered, log in via your district single sign-on.
For those of you who created their own accounts or joined a second or third class, congratulations! You already know where to log in.
Student Dashboard
Take a quick scan of the screen. What do you notice? Perhaps your name and the date, followed by your courses and assignments?
In the main area of the screen, you have likely noticed:
- Courses: Navigate with left and right arrows to course materials assigned to your class; click Open to launch your Sirius Online course.
- Assignments: Your most current assignments, which you can Start, including Due Date and Due Time.
In the top header, you will see the name of your class (in the above case, Math (Algebra) I).
The main menu in the upper right will appear on every screen, always in the same place. It includes:
- Dashboard: This is the main welcome screen that appears when you first log in.
- Assignments: A centralized screen of all your assignments.
- Reports: Where you will review your scores and, more importantly, your scored work.
- Courses: Access to your course materials when you want to navigate to them at any time in your use of Sirius Online.
- Profile Icon: Where you can manage your avatar as well as log out.
Class Pull down and Join Class
- In the upper center, click the Class pull down by clicking the caret, the small right arrow to the right of your class name. If you are in more than one class that uses Sirius courses, you will see them listed there.
2. If you self-register, you can join a new class by clicking the +Join Class button. Enter the code your teacher gave you and click Join. Your new class will appear in the pull down.
Navigating Content
- Click the Course card to see all the course materials that you will use in class, including the Sirius Online Tutorial course featuring the Sirius Tools Tutorial that can help you learn to use all the tools and features that you will also find on the STAAR assessments.
2. Click Open on any course to navigate to it directly.
3. You can also click the Courses main menu item to navigate to all the course materials from that screen.
Courses Tab in Main Menu
The Courses tab allows you to jump into materials from any screen within Sirius Online.
- Click the Courses tab. Your course options display for your class.
- Click a series of Open buttons to open courses, sections, and subsections within a course until you get to sections with View buttons.
3. You can view content by clicking the View button on content that is not locked or unavailable.
If your teacher assigned lesson content for you to do, it will be listed in your assignments.
Assignment Status
- Assigned content will have a Continue button that allows you to continue your work with the content.
- Assigned content with a Locked button means that your work is being reviewed by your teacher.
- Assigned content with a Review button means your teacher has scored your work and you can view any notes your teacher has left for you.
- Live tests or practice content will not be accessible unless your teacher assigns them.
Working with Lesson Content
You can view both unassigned and assigned content whenever you are using Sirius Online.
Working with Unassigned Lesson Content
You can view any lesson content, whether it is been assigned or not. Unassigned content is identified by a simple View button in the upper-right corner of the activity card, and interactive features—like answering questions—will be disabled.
When working with assigned lesson content, you will see a Start button instead. This allows you to:
- Engage with practice items and submit responses as you go.
- Complete assessments by clicking Submit on the final screen.
Working with Assigned Lesson Content
If you do work but have not yet completed it and need to log out, click the Close (X) button in the upper-right. Your work will be saved to finish later.
Click the Submit button only when you have finished all your work.
Assignments
As you read in the first section, you can access your most recently assigned work on your Dashboard, or you can choose to view assignments by clicking the Assignments tab.
The Assignments screen lets you filter by category, including assignments that are:
- Current
- Due today
- Closed (no longer available for you to access)
- Scored (auto-scored or teacher graded)
You can also search for assignments by name in the Search field.
Completing Assignments
- Begin work in Sirius Online by clicking the Assignments tab in the upper right corner.
- Identify the assignment you would like to work on and click the Start button.
3. Locate the Navigation bar at the bottom of the page and click the Next button.
4. Read the instructions slowly and carefully, and begin your work by following the instructions and information on screen. When you are ready to proceed to the next screen, click the Next button.
5. Respond to questions by selecting the correct answer or interacting on screen according to instructions. Then click Next.
As you may have learned in the Sirius Tools Tutorial, be sure to read each question carefully.
You can Highlight key elements of the question in order to focus on what is being asked of you. Cross out wrong answers with the Strikethrough tool. Use other tools such as the Dictionary or Speak, including text to speech, or Translate for translations to other languages.
In Settings, you will find general settings such as voice speed, text highlight and magnifier, and speech mode.
Ask your teacher to help you explore the tools that match your learning style and preferences. They can also explain which special tools—called accommodations—might be available to support you during the STAAR test.
Staying calm and confident can make all the difference to your success! The less stress you feel, the better you will do when you take the STAAR test.
6. Click the Go To button at the bottom center of the screen to jump among items, or to view items that you have not completed or have flagged to return to in the slide tray item navigator.
7. Use the flag button in the upper right to mark items that you would like to return to later.
Be sure to take your time to understand why an answer is right or wrong. If you need help, be sure to place a Sticky Note on the screen for your teacher, so that they might review the item in class at a later time.
8. When you have answered all questions, and are ready to resolve any items you have flagged, you can click the Flagged Items button from this summary to jump back to review/revise any flagged items. Once you have completed the flagged items, click the Submit button. You can also use the Save for Later button to return to your work if your teacher allows.
Live Practice (with Feedback) vs. Test Mode Work
Students practice using a variety of tools that mimic the STAAR test.
Any time you are working on assignments done in Practice Mode, you receive different forms of feedback after making your first response. You can choose Try Again, Show Hint, View Sample Answer, or Show Correct Answer.
Also note that some courses have other subject-specific tools. For example, Algebra 1 has Formulas, a Graphing Calculator, and Graph Paper.
Teachers and students can learn more about available STAAR tools and other accommodation functionality in the Sirius Tools Tutorial, available within your course menu (or assigned by your teacher). Teachers must add the tutorial to your class just like they add courses, and assign the tutorial to you so you can practice using the tool set.Viewing Reports
Once you have completed your assignment, reports are available to you to review your work in the Reports tab in the upper right corner.
Accessing Your Graded Work and Scores
Why review your STAAR practice and other online tests after you complete them?
Reasons include:
- To learn what you know and understand about a topic, skill, or subject.
- To understand where you might need to spend more time learning about a topic.
- To ask questions about why one answer is right, while the one you chose was wrong.
- To assist or learn from classmates who may have the same strength or weakness.
What are your reasons for reviewing your work? You likely have many to add to the list.
Steps for Accessing Your Graded or Scored Work in the Assignments Tab
Once your teacher has released your assignment to you, or if your teacher allows you to view your assignment immediately after you submit, you can find and review it in the Assignments tab under the Scored subtab. Click the Review button to view your work.
Steps for Accessing Your Graded or Scored Work in Reports
- Click the Reports tab.
2. Review your overall Summary in the upper left of the screen. Your progress is color-coded to indicate your current work level. Do not let any color affect your mood or your desire to learn (it is only a computer drawing!). You will also see a bar graph representing your weekly progress (also only a computer drawing!).
Summary (Overall) Color Coding
- Advanced (Green)
- Competent (Blue)
- Beginner (Gold)
Weekly Performance represents your work week-to-week by color and in the form of a bar graph.
3. In the Content tab, access your assignment scores, click the caret (small right arrow) next to the course where you submitted content or responses. The items that you worked on are displayed by content (name of activity), score, color-coded performance, and feedback (from your teacher).
4. To review the test or content for which you have been scored, click the blue title link of that item.
5. Examine the status, due date, and grade, and then click the Review button.
You will now be able to review your work.
- A green star indicates that you got the item correct.
- A red X indicates that you answered incorrectly.
Please be sure to speak to your teacher if you do not understand why you answered incorrectly for a particular item and how to do better the next time you see a similar question.
To see items with teacher feedback, click the Go To button and then click Review/END at the right. The questions with teacher feedback will have a blue speech bubble icon.
Upon completion of your review, please click the “X” in the upper right to return to the Reports screen.
Updating Your Profile and Logging Out
The final element of your dashboard deals with your account Profile (head icon) in the upper right corner. It is also where you log out after class, or after completing your work at home.
- Click your profile icon to open the pull down menu.
2. Click Profile. (Or Logout to log out.)
3. If you are self-registered, you can update your account information—such as your password and profile image—by clicking Edit.
If your school does rosters for you and you log in with a single sign on like Clever or ClassLink, you will only be able to change your profile image. Click Edit in the upper right.
Closing Words
While your parents, teachers, and classmates can support your learning, it's up to you to practice regularly—especially in conditions that mirror the STAAR test. Ask your teacher to simulate the test environment so you can build confidence and get comfortable with the format.
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