Test Administration and Security Update

2012 Texas Assessment ConferenceTest Administration Team

Student Assessment Division Texas Education Agency

Test Administrationand Security Update

2013 Policy and Procedure Highlights

STAAR Time Limits Policies and Procedures

Test Administration Updates

Resources

2013 Test Security Supplement

Reporting Incidents

Topics

STAAR English I, II, and III Reading STAAR English I, II, and III Writing

- separate test booklets

- separate answer documents (except for STAAR Modified)

STAAR Writing Answer Documents - symbols on composition pages that correspond to

symbols on prompt pages

Policy and Procedure Highlights

Composition Retention and Duplication

- districts not permitted to retain copies of student compositions or short answer responses

- districts may not order electronic copies

- April 2013 English II expository and persuasive essay will be posted to the Texas Assessment Management System


Student Success Initiative (SSI)

- SSI retest opportunities for STAAR, STAAR Spanish, and STAAR

Modified mathematics and reading scheduled in May and June of 2013

STAAR Modified

- an operational test for world history added in May 2013

- only raw scores will be reported in spring - passing standards set in the fall


Assessments for English Language Learners (ELLs)

- STAAR L administered online

- headphones required for students testing in groups

- paper tests available in rare circumstances

TELPAS

- Additional Data Collection

- information will be collected on extenuating needs of students to acquire English language proficiency


Students will be provided four hours in which to completeSTAAR, STAAR Modified, or STAAR L tests.

Start and Stop Times

- four-hour time period begins after the test administrator has read directions and tells students to begin working on their tests

- use a clock or timer

- start and stop times for the test session must be recorded on the seating chart

- students must record all responses by end of the four-hour time period


Distribution of Materials and Initial Test Administrator “SAY” Directions

- not included in the four-hour time limit

Announcement of Time Left to Test

- communicate orally or in writing

- one hour intervals, more if desired during last hour


Late-arriving Students

- districts determine if enough time left to test

- must be provided four hours to test and must finish by end of school day

- must be kept aware of the time left to test

Breaks

- are allowed

- some included in the time limit

- some require test administrator to stop the time clock


Breaks Included in the Four-hour Time Limit (not allowed to stop the time clock)

- water breaks - bathroom breaks

- snack breaks - short physical or mental breaks

Breaks NOT Included in the Four-hour Time Limit (required to stop and restart the time clock)

- lunch - emergencies

- movement of - medical breaks students


Lunch

- students are allowed to stop testing and take a supervised lunch

- students must be monitored and are not allowed to discuss

test content

- stop and restart times must be recorded on seating chart


Multiple Test Sessions

- allowed as long as four-hour time limit is maintained

- can start before the regularly scheduled school day or extend

beyond


Extended Time Accommodations - Extra Time (same day)

- available for eligible students with disabilities and ELLs

- students start at the beginning of school day and are allowed to test up to the end of the school day, not beyond

- Extra Day (rare)

- for eligible students with disabilities who have a TEA-approved Accommodation Request Form

- special procedures and guidelines for administration provided with approved requests

- eligibility details and decision-making procedures can be found on the Accommodation Resources webpage


District and Campus Coordinator Manual

- Calendar of Events runs from January 2013‒December 2013

- added emphasis in Coordinator Manual on principal’s role

- added instructions from online Additional Resources to DCCM

- added emphasis in manuals for test administrators to notify campus coordinators and for campus coordinators to notify

district coordinators when questions or concerns arise


Test Administrator Manuals

- removed sections in Test Administrator Manuals that directed test administrators to verify student data and to pack materials

- added a section page number list on the Test Administration divider page to highlight the start of the different scripts

- added more detailed information to the Guide to Test Administration Directions section which is located just before the scripts

- added general accommodation information

- makes this required reading for test administrators

- added separate scripts for online STAAR L


Test Security Supplement

- updated for 2013

Scheduling of Tests

- continue to allow districts flexibility regarding the 2012-2013

testing calendar (detailed in letter dated 7/22/11)

Test Administration

It’s the law!

Violation of security or confidential integrity of any test required by the Texas Education Code (TEC) Chapter 39, Subchapter B, shall be prohibited. A person who engages in conduct prohibited by the Test Security Supplement may be subject to sanction of credentials.

Procedures for maintaining the security and confidential integrity of a test are specified in the Test Security Supplement.

Any person who violates, assists in the violation of, or solicits another to violate or assist in the violation of test security or confidential integrity, and any person who fails to report such a violation are subject to … penalties.


It’s the law!

Release or disclosure of confidential test content could result in criminal prosecution under TEC §39.0303 … and section 37.10 of the Texas Penal Code.

In addition, any irregularities in test security or confidential integrity may also result in the invalidation of student results.

The superintendent and campus principal of each school district and chief administrative officer of charter school and any private school administering the tests as allowed under TEC §39.033, must develop procedures to ensure the security and confidential integrity of the tests … .


Policy and Procedure Highlights training requirements

materials security

secure storage areas

test session time limits

test administration windows, flexible scheduling, and make-up testing

reference materials, charts, graph paper, and scratch paper

student cheating

investigating and reporting testing irregularities


Making Your Program Secure things to do before, during, and after an administration

Testing Irregularitiesunderstanding the difference between serious and

procedural irregularities

Incident Reporting how to respond to testing irregularities

how to report testing irregularities


Reporting of Test Irregularities

Serious 150

Procedural 3980

Total 4130

2011 – 2012 Incident Reports(approximate numbers)

Reporting of Test Irregularities

Eligibility IEP Materials Handling

Monitoring Procedural Non-violation0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

2011 – 2012 Irregularity Types

Pointers about Collecting Information and Making a Report

1) Identify: - what happened - where and when the incident occurred - who was involved - how or why the incident occurred

2) Consider what you will do to ensure that the incident is not likely to reoccur

3) Determine if the incident is a serious or procedural irregularity–if it is a serious irregularity, contact TEA right away

4) Immediately begin the collection of documentation for a seriousirregularity

5) Do not be reluctant to contact the Student Assessment security team for guidance

Reporting Testing Irregularities

We need your district determination of the event.

Procedural irregularity

- include in the online incident report

Serious irregularity

- if district has made a final determination of events before the incident is reported, include in the online incident report

- if district has NOT made a final determination of events, continue to submit all the information you can in an online incident report

and follow up with determination later

Reporting Testing Irregularities

We are here to assist. Please feel comfortable calling any of us and asking

questions.

Student Assessment Division(512) 463-9536

[email protected]

Student Assessment Division

mailto:[email protected]

Thank you!Questions & Answers

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