Test Security and Confidential integrity

Test Security and Confidential integrity

Pre - Test • What is a Monitoring Error? • What is a Procedural Error? • What is an example of Testing Irregularity that is a Serious Violation?

Definitions • Test Security involves accounting for all secure materials before, during and after each test administration • Confidentiality involves protecting the contents all test booklets and student answer documents • Integrity implies trustworthiness and incorruptibility to a degree that one is incapable of being false to a trust, responsibility, or pledge. This is what TEA expects of everyone involved in the state testing programs.

The Web-Based Test Administrator Training Modules • The Web-based Test Administrator Training Modules can be accessed at : http://www.TexasAssessment.com/TAonlinetraining • Three modules are available: - Module 1 – Active Monitoring - Module 2 - Distribution of Test Materials, and -Module 3 - Proper Handling of Secure Materials

TEA Steps to Establish Test Security and Confidential Integrity • Everyone must be trained and clearly understand the testing rules, procedures, and responsibilities. • Everyone must sign a security oath. • Oaths have “before” and “after” sections. One is to be signed after training but before testing; the other is to be signed after testing is complete. Only one oath is needed for the testing year. (January 2012 – December 2012)

TEA Steps to Establish Test Security and Confidential Integrity • All testing documentation including oaths must be kept for five years. • All tests must be administered in strict accordance with the instructions in the manuals. • Only those instructed to do so can break seals on tests.

TEA Steps to Establish Test Security and Confidential Integrity • Do not change any response or instruct a student to do so. • Only students can erase stray marks on their answer documents or in their scorable test booklets. • Do Not give students any help during the test. • No unauthorized viewing, discussion, or scoring is allowed before, during, or after testing. • Keep materials securely locked up when not in use. • Sign out and in testing materials daily to test administrators. • Districts must actively monitor testing sessions and require test administrators to actively monitor during testing.

Security Oaths • Everyone must sign a security oath before handling secure testing materials. • Must keep signed security oaths on file for five calendar years. (A testing year is a calendar year: Jan – Dec) • Test administrators are no longer required to sign a new oath for each test administration.

Test Administration Monitoring • Monitoring during test administrations is the responsibility of the campus test coordinator, the principal, and the district test coordinator.

What is Active Monitoring? • Watching students during testing. The focus of the teacher’s attention is on the students and not elsewhere. • Walking around to better observe what students are doing. (Are students: working on correct section of the test, marking answers on the answer document, not cheating, not using cell phones, not talking or communicating with other students, etc?)

What is NOT Active Monitoring? • Working on the computer or doing email. • Reading a book, magazine, or newspaper. • Grading papers or doing lesson planning. • Leaving the room without a trained substitute test administrator in the room. • Leaving students unattended during lunch or breaks. • Reading the test over a student’s shoulder. • Checking student responses during testing.

Seating Chart Rule • Seating Charts are required for all test administrations. Seating Charts must include: • Location of testing session (campus, room) and a brief description of the testing area (classroom, library, etc.) • The assessment being given including grade and subject. - The first and last names of the test administrator (s) • The first and last names of each student and where they were seated for testing. • If students are re-grouped during testing, an additional seating chart will be needed for the new group.

Honor Statements • Students in grades 9-12 will be asked to sign an honor statement immediately prior to taking TAKS assessments. The language will appear on the answer document. Signed in pencil. • Test administrators are not required to check to make sure students sign their honor pledges.

Reporting of investigatory and disciplinary actions taken against educators and students • Another new provision of the state’s test security plan is to require school districts to make a report to TEA of any disciplinary action taken against a student for cheating on a state assessment. (Use form provided)

Conducting Security Investigations • Collect data as soon as possible. - Interview staff involved. - Examine documents as necessary. • Collect Statements from Responsible Parties. • Determine the category of the testing irregularity and which forms must be submitted to TEA.

Test Schedule and Directions • All tests must be administered on the scheduled day or window. • All tests must be administered in strict accordance with the instructions contained in the test administration manuals.

October TAKS Exit LevelTest Schedule • Monday, October 22: ELA • Tuesday, October 23: Mathematics • Wednesday, October 24: Science • Thursday, October 25: Social Studies

December EOC Test Schedule • Monday, December 3: English I Writing • Monday, December 3: English III Writing • Tuesday, December 4: English I Reading • Tuesday, December 4: English III Reading • Wednesday, December 5: English II Writing • Wednesday, December 5: Algebra I/Geometry EOC • Thursday, December 6: English II Reading • Thursday, December 6: Biology • Thursday, December 6: English I Reading Testing Window December 3 – December 17

Make-Up Testing • Make up testing is permitted only for tests that are used for No Child Left Behind Accountability. • Reading grades 3 – 8 • ELA grade 10 • Math grades 3 – 8, and 10 • No writing, No Science, No Social Studies Since the October Exit Retest is not used for NCLB, no make-up testing is permitted.

Duplication of Written Compositions • For the October Exit Retest, you are NOT allowed to make copies of the written compositions and short answer responses of students.

Testing Procedures • TAKS Testing Procedures are listed in the Coordinator’s Manual This PowerPoint is NOT a substitute for reading the appropriate sections of the 2012 Coordinator’s Manual.

Summary of Procedures • At least one test administrator for every 30 students. • “Testing – Do Not Disturb” signs posted on testing rooms. • Testing rooms should be quiet, well lighted, well ventilated, and comfortable. • Bulletin Boards and instructional displays covered or removed if it contains anything that might aid students during testing. • May take brief breaks in the testing room. • Lunch breaks are OK, however, students must remain as a group and monitored by a trained test administrator so they do not discuss the test.

Summary of Procedures • Do not allow students to bubble in the demographic fields of the answer document. • No cell phones or other two-way telecommunications devices. • Provide dictionaries (English) ELA. At least 1 for every 5 students. • Provide graphing calculators for math. Every student must have a graphing calculator to use for the entire math test.

Summary of Procedures • Test administrators are not allowed to require students to first mark their answers in the test booklet and then transfer them to the answer document. • Students may use highlighters in non-scorable test booklets. • Students cannot leave or enter testing rooms with papers or other materials. • Test administrators are not allowed to answer any question relating to the content of the test itself. • Test administrators must actively monitor students during testing.

Summary of Procedures • Must give students state-supplied math chart and science chart. • Reinforcing, reviewing, and/or distributing testing strategies during an assessment is strictly prohibited. • You cannot require students to use any particular test taking strategy. Students can use test taking strategies but you cannot require them to do so during testing. • Students must remain seated during testing and are not allowed to talk while test booklets are open.

Summary of Procedures • Test administrators cannot leave the room unless a trained substitute test administrator is present. • The test administrator must inspect the answer document to be sure student bubbled in answers as instructed. • May change testing rooms as long as test security is not breached. (New seating chart is required) • Immediately after each test session, the test administrator must return test materials to the campus coordinator.

Summary of Procedures • No scratch paper for any TAKS testing. • All TAKS tests are untimed. Must allow at least two hours. • Students must be allowed to work at their own pace. Students may not be directed to speed up or slow down. • Students are not allowed to work on a previous section of the test or a section that has not yet been administered. • Students may not read books during breaks or between the written composition and revising and editing sections of the ELA tests.

Only One Answer Document in October • TAKS and TAKS (Accommodated) use the same answer document. • There are no TAKS- M Retesting opportunities. • There is coding that is used to determine which test the student took. (Test Taken Information area)

Unused Precoded Labels and Answer Documents • If a precoded label is attached to an answer document and not used then it must be returned under a VOID header with scorable materials. • If a precoded label is not attached to an answer document then it is returned with the non-scorable materials.

Instructions for Return Materials • Verify that no answer documents have inadvertently been left in a test booklet. • Verify that student information on answer documents is accurate.

Rule for Submitting October Answer Documents • For October Exit retests, any student for whom a precoded label was received, whether or not the student tested. Exception: Students no longer enrolled in our district are Voided and returned under a Void header. • Any student for whom a blank answer document was hand-gridded and who tested. • Each registered out-of-school/out-of-district examinee, whether or not the individual tested.

Campus, Group, and Class Identification Sheets • There must be at least one class identification sheet for each test group on campus. • A separate campus and group identification sheet must be completed for each group and testing program tested on the campus. • Check that the number of answer documents match the number indicated on the identification sheets.

On-Line Exit Retesting? • Register for online testing. • Set up the technology to be used for online testing. • Verify student data in the online testing administration site. • Set up testing sessions. • Train test administrators. • Do the testing and submit – You’re Done!

Monitoring Error • A test administrator left a room unattended when students or secure materials were present or when secure online tests were visible. • Secure materials were left unattended, or secure online tests were left open and visible during a lunch break, a short break or restroom break • Testing personnel did not monitor students during a break. • A test administrator did not ensure that students worked independently during testing • A test administrator did not verify that a student filled in his or her responses on the answer document.

Procedural Error • A test admimnistrator failed to issue correct materials • Testing personnel who were not properly trained were allowed to administer tests or handle secure materials. • For the STAAR program, a student was permitted to test beyond the required four hour time limited or was not provided the entire four hour time allottment • A student was provided an unallowable accomodation.

Testing Irregularities • Serious Violations: • Directly or indirectly assisting students with responses to test questions • Tampering with student responses • Viewing secure test content before, during, or after an administration • Discussing secure test content, student responses, or student performance • Duplicating, recording, or capturing electronically secure test content without permission from TEA • Scoring student tests

Thank You! Questions & Answers

Test Security and Confidential integrity