1. Cindy Blair, Director of Testing January 2016
Security Training 2016
Cindy Blair, Director of Testing
January 2016
This training does not replace your responsibility to read and adhere to all test administration manuals!

2. Why is this necessary?

3. It’s the law!
Procedures for maintaining the security and confidentiality of assessments are specified in the Test Security Supplement, the District and Campus Coordinator Manual, and in the appropriate test administration manuals.

4. Update to Security Supplement
Test Administration: Districts are required to provide all eligible students who are in attendance during the administration of an assessment with the opportunity to participate in the assessment
Students who are in attendance the day of an assessment they are scheduled to take and elect to not participate in the assessment, their answer document will be submitted with a score code of “S”

5. Update to Security Supplement
District must verify that procedures are in place for the collection and destruction of any state-supplied reference materials, recording, graph paper, or scratch paper that students have written on during a test
The Testing office will be adding this to the CTC verification checklist

6. TRAINING REQUIREMENTS
Required to be trained annually on security and confidentiality
Require training prior to each administration

7. PRINCIPAL’S RESPONSIBILITIES
Ensure that test security is maintained
Oversee the implementation of the test administration process as stated in the District and Campus Coordinator Manual (DCCM)
Establish in conjunction with the CTC, test administration processes specific to the campus
Oversee the training of campus personnel in cooperation with the CTC
Report any suspected violation of test security to the DTC (Ms. Blair)
DCCM S-17

8. The following govern test security
General Security Information
The following govern test security
Texas Education Code (TEC) Chapter 39, Subchapter B
Texas Administrative Code (TAC) 19 Subchapter 101
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974
Texas Penal Code – Tampering
Class C misdemeanor for release or disclosure

9. Security and Confidentiality
Account for all secure materials before, during, and after each test administration (including Student Tickets for online testing)
Limit access to the secure room
Protect the contents of all tests booklets and student answer documents (including TELPAS writing samples)
No person may view, reveal, or discuss the contents of a test or answer document unless specifically instructed to do so by the procedures in the test administrator manuals and the bottom portion of the oath has been signed
No collaboration allowed during online calibration sets for TELPAS Raters. Calibration sessions must be monitored

10. Secure Information
Content of the online tests are secure and confidentiality must be maintained
Student Authorization Tickets are secure
Passwords and user IDs for ETC TOMS and Pearson Access Next are secure and should be kept confidential. DO NOT SHARE!
Test booklets and answer documents are secure
STAAR Alternate Test Administrator manuals (excluding non-secure front matter) are secure

11. Testing Irregularities
Incidents resulting in a deviation from documented testing procedures are defined as testing irregularities
Procedural Examples
Serious Examples
Improper accounting for secure materials
Directly or indirectly assisting students with responses to test questions
Eligibility Error
Tampering with student responses
Monitoring Error
Viewing secure content
IEP Implementation Issue
Discussing test content, student responses or student performance
Procedural Error
Formally or informally scoring student tests
Duplicating or recording test content
DCCM O-19 to O-28

12. Penalties for Prohibited Conduct
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
Revocation or cancellation of a Texas educator certificate without opportunity for reapplication for a set term or permanently

13. What is NOT active monitoring?
Monitoring during test administrations is the responsibility of the test administrator, the campus test coordinator, district monitors, and administrators.
What is NOT active monitoring?
Anything that takes the test administrator’s attention away from the students during testing. Examples include:
Working on the computer, using cell phones, or checking
Reading a book, magazine, or newspaper
Grading papers or working on lesson plans
Leaving the room without a trained substitute test administrator in the room
Leaving students unattended during meals or breaks

14. Reduce the risk of an irregularity! Before the test administration:
Emphasize importance of training and reading manuals Account for all test materials Ensure proper storage of materials Verify accuracy of student information Verify testing requirements for students receiving accommodations

15. Reduce the risk of an irregularity! During test administration:
Ensure each student receives the correct assessment and testing material(s) Emphasize and verify active monitoring Ensure all testing personnel understand that they may NOT: provide assistance view the tests without authorization discuss confidential student information check for strategies

16. Reduce the risk of an irregularity! After test administration
NO UNAUTHORIZED VIEWING (ONLY TEA MAY PERMIT)
NO SCORING OF STUDENT RESPONSES
SHRED ANY REFERENCE MATERIALS THAT HAVE BEEN WRITTEN ON. SHRED STUDENT’S ONLINE TESTING AUTHORIZATION TICKETS
NO DISCUSSION OF CONFIDENTIAL STUDENT INFORMATION
NO ERASING STRAY MARKS OR DARKENING RESPONSE OVALS
NO COPYING OF STUDENTS ANSWER DOCUMENTS
ACCOUNT FOR ALL TEST MATERIALS
NO OPENING ANSWER DOCUMENTS TO VIEW ANSWERS

17. Avoid:
Assigning untrained staff to administer and/or monitor tests (must be certified teaching personnel)
Failing to inventory testing materials
Having insufficient test booklets and/or test administrator manuals
Not accounting for all test booklets and answer documents each day
Teacher violates time limit
Testing beyond the normal school day

18. Avoid:
Assigning a student the incorrect assessment or student online authorization ticket
Failing to give appropriate accommodation(s)
Improper (or nonexistent) monitoring
Leaving secure materials unattended (to include student online authorizations and writing samples)
Failure to report a suspected violation

19. Reporting & Documentation
If you become aware of any irregularities, contact the DTC immediately with the who, when, where, what and why.
If the irregularity is deemed an incident the following documentation is required:
Incident report including a plan of action (local form)
Signed statement(s) from individual(s) involved (typed, printed and signed name, position or role during testing, and date)
Statements should not include names of students
The local disciplinary referral form used to report disciplinary actions taken against students for cheating, cell phone issues or disruptions

20. Plan of Action

21. Security Training Modules
The Web-based Test Administrator Training Modules, along with Certificates of Completion, are now available through the Texas Assessment Management System website at
All three modules must be completed by campus certified personnel if they:
- are new to the district
- took an incident in 2015
- have not completed the modules in the
last 3 years

22. Measures to Ensure Test Security and Confidentiality
TEA will be monitoring campuses by statistical analyses to identify campuses with larger that usual year-to-year student performance improvements
Flagged campuses were cross-referenced with information from other sources
The agency will continue to monitor unusually large performance gains in future administrations
TEA will contact campuses that show atypical increases for more than two years

23. Security Oaths
TEA requires that everyone be trained and sign a security oath before handling secure testing materials or participating in the administration of a state test
A person who has several roles during TELPAS testing must sign all oaths (Test Administrator, Rater, Verifier, etc)
The ability to view a test booklet for oral administration or transcribing requires additional training and completion of the addition information on the oath

24. Principal Oath One oath for the calendar year (January – December)
Maintained on file at the District Testing Office
No other oath required unless another testing position is held (TELPAS verifier etc.)
Bottom box signed when all testing for the year is completed or staff position is changed

25. DO NOT WRITE IN THIS BOX Initial each line Sign and clearly print name
This will be where you sign when all testing is done for the year.

26. Spring Update
Student tutorials for STAAR A, STAAR L, and TELPAS should be available at the end of January (per TEA)
No field test questions for grades 3-8
Grades 4 and 7 writing test reduced to one day
Grades 3 – 8 moved from late April to May
TELPAS Raters must be monitored during calibration
New technology for STAAR A, STAAR L, TELPAS and STAAR Alternate 2
Time study for grade 3 – 8 assessments
Must bubble in “new to state” on students new to the state this year

27. Please contact the Testing Department if you have questions
Please contact the Testing Department if you have questions. Thank you for all that you do!
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