2021–2022

Test Security Training

Student Assessment Division

Texas Education Agency

This training does not take the place of reading the appropriate test manuals.

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What is Test Security?

• Preserves the integrity of all test content to ensure that results are meaningful and valid
• Maintains strict adherence to instructions and procedures contained in the test administration manuals and resources
• Ensures fair and equal testing opportunities for all students
• Involves accounting for all secure materials
• Ensures that all individuals involved in administering or assisting with the administration of an assessment receive training and sign a test security oath annually

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What programs does this training apply to?

• STAAR/EOC
• TELPAS

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• Anyone who participates in testing in any manner (i.e. test administrators, hallway/bathroom monitors, campus administration, etc.)
• Anyone who might come into contact with secure test materials or the secure testing environment (i.e. office staff, custodians, campus technology staff, etc.)

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• TELPAS Alternate
• STAAR Alternate 2

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Who must be trained in test security?

Test Security involves accounting for all secure materials before, during, and after each test administration. This includes:

• Identifying who can handle secure materials
• Individuals qualified to participate must be trained and sign an security oath
• Properly storing materials
• Secure materials must be stored in a limited access area
• Tracking the chain of custody
• Document the transfer of materials through each stage of an administration
• Maintaining the integrity of tracking documentation
• Must be stored securely and audited periodically

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Test Confidentiality involves protecting all secure test content. Instruments that contain secure test content include:

• Test booklets
• Online assessments
• Online test tickets
• Completed answer documents
• STAAR Alternate 2 stimulus images and text
• TELPAS calibration activities
• TELPAS holistically rated components

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Compliance with confidentiality requirements involves:

• Training testing personnel on their obligations concerning confidentiality

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• Monitoring administrations to ensure all assessments are administered in strict accordance with the test administration procedures

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• Investigating and reporting any alleged or confirmed breaches

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Testing Irregularities

• Incidents resulting in a deviation from documented testing procedures are defined as test irregularities.
• Test irregularities fall into one of two categories:
• Serious Irregularities
• Constitute severe violations of test security or confidentiality
• Must be immediately investigated by the district testing coordinator
• Must be reported to TEA as soon as the district testing coordinator is made aware of a possible or confirmed violation
• Procedural Irregularities
• Reflect minor deviations from testing procedures
• Do not represent severe breaches in security or confidentiality

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Serious Violations of Test Security

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• Directly or indirectly assisting students with responses to test questions
• Tampering with student responses
• Falsifying holistic ratings or student responses
• Viewing secure test content before, during, or after an administration unless specifically authorized by TEA
• Discussing or disclosing secure test content or student responses
• Scoring student tests, either formally or informally
• Duplicating, recording, or electronically capturing confidential test content unless specifically authorized by TEA
• Responding to secure test questions
• Fraudulently exempting or preventing a student from participating in the administration of a required state assessment

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Serious Violations of Test Security

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• Receiving or providing unallowable assistance during calibration activities (e.g., sharing notes, providing answer keys, or sharing answers)
• Encouraging or assisting an individual to engage in the conduct described in the items listed above or in any other serious violation of security and confidentiality
• Failing to report to an appropriate authority that an individual has engaged in or is suspected of engaging in conduct described in the items listed above or in any other serious violation of security and confidentiality
• Failing to implement sufficient procedures to prevent student cheating
• Failing to implement sufficient procedures to prevent alteration of test documents by anyone other than the student

Penalties for Serious Test Violations

• Referring to SBEC for potential sanctions (e.g., a restriction, reprimand, suspension, or revocation) with a minimum one-year suspension

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• Class C misdemeanor

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• Invalidating student test results

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• Lowering accreditation status or accountability rating

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• Charter sanction or revocation

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Procedural Testing Irregularities

• Procedural testing irregularities are less severe, more common, and typically the result of minor deviations from testing procedures. They include:
• Accommodation errors
• Accounting errors
• Eligibility errors
• Monitoring errors
• Training errors

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• They require the submission of an incident report and a plan of action.

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• Many procedural irregularities, when identified in a timely manner, can be resolved with minimal impact to students.

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Accommodation Errors

Examples include:

• A student was provided an unallowable accommodation.

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• A student, not approved for an accommodation, was provided the accommodation.

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• An allowable and approved accommodation was not provided to a student.

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• An allowable and approved accommodation was not properly administered or applied.

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• The district failed to get the required TEA approval for an accommodation.

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Accounting Errors

Examples include:

• A student was issued test materials (e.g., test booklet, answer document, or test ticket) belonging to another student.

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• A student's responses, holistic ratings, or observable behavior rating were submitted incorrectly (e.g., wrong subject or domain, wrong student).

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• Testing personnel lost or misplaced test booklet(s), answer document(s), or other secure test materials.

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• Secure test materials were left unattended or secure online assessments were left visible.

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• Students' test results or test performance was improperly shared (i.e., FERPA violation).

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Eligibility Errors

Examples include:

• A student was administered an incorrect test (e.g., wrong grade level, wrong language, wrong version).

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• An eligible student was not administered a test (e.g., EL whose parents waived district ESL services was not administered the assessment).

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• An ineligible student was incorrectly administered a test (e.g., a student who has completed only the first part of U.S. History was administered the STAAR EOC assessment).

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• The district failed to submit student responses, holistic ratings, or observable behaviors ratings.

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• The district failed to properly account for all eligible testers.

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Monitoring Errors

• A test administrator
• left room unmonitored during testing;

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• did not monitor students during break;

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• reinforced test-taking strategies;

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• did not properly prepare testing environment or device for testing;

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• did not use test administrator manual or read "SAY" directions;

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• did not complete required seating chart; or

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• did not give students correct amount of time to complete the test (i.e., too much, too little).

• A test administrator did not actively monitor students and did not
• detect when student went back or went ahead to work on different test;

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• ensure that students worked independently;

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• prevent students from using cell phones to take pictures, post, or send messages;

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• verify that students recorded their responses and accepted blank answer documents; or

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• confirm that students submitted online tests.

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Examples include:

Training Errors

Examples include:

• Personnel were permitted to administer tests, monitor test sessions, relieve a test administrator during a break, or handle secure materials even though they were not properly trained (at least once) or did not sign the appropriate test security oath.

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• Raters for TELPAS did not follow proper training or calibration procedures.

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NEW for

2021-22

Penalties

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• Violations of test security and confidentiality can result in the individual(s) responsible being referred to the TEA Educator Standards and Certification Legal Division for consideration of disciplinary action.
• Any person who violates, assists in the violation of, or solicits another to violate or assist in the violation of test security and confidentiality, as well as any person who fails to report such a violation is subject to the following penalties:
• Placement of restrictions on the issuance, renewal, or holding of a Texas educator certificate, either indefinitely or for a set term
• Issuance of an inscribed or non-inscribed reprimand
• Suspension of a Texas educator certificate for a set term or issuance of a probated suspension for a set term
• Revocation or cancellation, which includes accepting the surrender, of a Texas educator certificate without opportunity for reapplication for a set term or permanently
• Imposition of any additional conditions or restrictions upon a certificate that the SBEC deems necessary to facilitate the rehabilitation and professional development of the educator or to protect students, parents of students, school personnel, or school officials

Penalties

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• It is a Class C misdemeanor if:

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• The person intentionally discloses the contents of any portion of a secure assessment instrument developed or administered under TEC Section 39.0303, including the answer to any item in the assessment instrument; and

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• The disclosure affects or is likely to affect the individual performance of one or more students on the assessment instrument

Student Cheating

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• What to do if you catch a student cheating
• Invalidate the student’s test by marking the score code O on the student’s answer document or in the online form
• If a testing irregularity (such as inadequate monitoring) contributed to the cheating, an Incident Report must be filed
• If a student photographs, duplicates, posts, or transmits secure testing content or disseminates this information using an electronic device it is considered a serious violation – the district testing coordinator must contact TEA immediately
• Report any disciplinary action taken against the student using the Locally Determined Disciplinary Action (LDAA) form

Next you will take a short quiz.��Please check with your �Campus Test Coordinator �for any questions you �have about this training.��Thank you!

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