Revised 03/10/2010 Testing Irregularities Web Application System (TIWAS)

Purpose Revised 03/10/ Share general information about testing irregularities Explain how to use the Testing Irregularities Web Application System (TIWAS) Provide contact information for the Office of Test Administration, Scoring and Reporting

Revised 03/10/ General Information About Testing Irregularities

Definition Revised 03/10/ A testing irregularity is defined as any occurrence that may inappropriately influence a students performance on a test or the reporting of a students performance, or any occurrence that constitutes a breach in test security or improper administration of mandatory student testing.

Reporting Testing Irregularities Revised 03/10/ Test Examiners are directed to report any testing irregularity to the designated School Test Coordinator (STC) immediately, and STCs are directed to report testing irregularities to the Division Director of Testing (DDOT) within 24 hours of their occurrence. While some irregularities may be resolved locally by the DDOT, most irregularities are forwarded within 24 hours by the DDOT to the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) for review and guidance. DDOTs are required to report certain irregularities to the VDOE. All situations that involve the retesting of students, compromised testing procedures or policies, or student test record exclusions must be reported to the VDOE. In some cases testing irregularities are reported to the VDOE by concerned individuals, some of whom wish to remain anonymous, through means other than through the normal reporting structure. This information is conveyed in Informational Supts. Memo No. 118, dated May 9, 2008 and Testing Memo No. 713, dated May 14, 2008.

Reporting Testing Irregularities Using TIWAS Revised 03/10/ Testing Irregularity occurs 2. School Testing Coordinator (STC) enters information into TIWAS and submits to Division Director of Testing (DDOT) 3. DDOT reviews and resolves locally or submits to VDOE 4. VDOE staff closes irregularity or requests additional information 5. DDOT and STC view resolution 6. DDOT prints or exports irregularities as needed While irregularities that have been added and resolved locally are not visible by VDOE, they reside in the application on the VDOE server. Therefore, the information provided in the irregularities may be subject to Freedom of Information Act requests submitted to VDOE.

Web Application Implementation Revised 03/10/ Training for divisions: Users Guide ing_irregularities/user_guide.pdf ing_irregularities/user_guide.pdf Training Information ing_irregularities/tiwas_training.pdf ing_irregularities/tiwas_training.pdf Training location (

Revised 03/10/ How to Use the Testing Irregularities Web Application System (TIWAS)

Getting Started Revised 03/10/ TIWAS is accessed through the Single Sign-on for Web Application Systems (SSWS) Access can be given to the DDOT, STC, and any other appropriate personnel as directed by the DDOT. The account manager should be instructed to assign Data Entry access for a DDOT at the division level and for an STC at the school level.

Single Sign-on for Web Application Systems (SSWS) Logon Page Revised 03/10/ Enter User Name (assigned by SSWS Project Manager) and Password.

Single Sign-on for Web Application Systems (SSWS) Home Page Revised 03/10/ Click on the Testing Irregularities TIWAS link for access.

Testing Irregularities Home Page Revised 03/10/ Click on the Maintain Irregularities link to add an irregularity, search for an irregularity or edit an irregularity.

Maintain Irregularities Revised 03/10/

Maintain Irregularities LinkAction SearchSearch for an existing testing irregularity ResetClears search criteria Add IrregularityAdd a new testing irregularity LogoutLog out of the Single Sign-on for Web Systems 14 Revised 03/10/2010

Adding An Irregularity Revised 03/10/ STCs and DDOTs add irregularities VDOE no longer routinely adds irregularities Alternate form number appears after irregularity saved (pay attention to status) STC cannot edit irregularity once submitted to DDOT Test information entered must pertain to the form that was administered A new irregularity must be submitted for each different test level/SOL test area

Steps For Adding An Irregularity Revised 03/10/ Click on the Add Irregularity link on the Maintain Irregularities page. 2. Fill in the required information on the Testing Irregularity - Add screen 3. Select Yes in the Submitted to DDOT field if all information is accurate and complete. If more information needs to be collected, do not select Yes in the Submitted to DDOT field. 4. Click on the Submit Data button to apply your changes. A green checkmark will indicate if the irregularity has successfully been saved. See the next slide for the screen shot of the Testing Irregularity – Add screen.

Testing Irregularity-Add Screen Revised 03/10/

Testing Irregularity Fields Fields Automatically GeneratedLevel of Access Division NameSTC/DDOT School NameSTC/DDOT Created DateSTC/DDOT Created BySTC/DDOT IRR NoSTC/DDOT Submitted to DDOT DateSTC/DDOT Action ByDDOT 18 Revised 03/10/2010

Testing Irregularity Fields-cont. Required FieldsLevel of Access Test SourceSTC/DDOT Test AdminSTC/DDOT Admin YearSTC/DDOT Subject AreaSTC/DDOT Test LevelSTC/DDOT Test NameSTC/DDOT Test TypeSTC/DDOT Test ModeSTC/DDOT FormSTC/DDOT Test Session NameSTC/DDOT DescriptionSTC/DDOT Submitted to DDOTSTC/DDOT DDOT CommentsDDOT DDOT ActionDDOT 19 Revised 03/10/2010

Testing Irregularity Fields-cont. Optional FieldsLevel of Access No. Of StudentsSTC/DDOT Student GradeSTC/DDOT Student Names/STIs*STC/DDOT 20 Revised 03/10/2010 * Note that the students name and STI are required for any online testing irregularity that involves retesting a student or any online testing irregularity that involves a student whose test was incorrectly marked complete in the online testing system.

Exception For Adding Irregularities Revised 03/10/ Read-Aloud Tests Choose 1 – Regular from the Test Type dropdown list when adding an irregularity for an online or paper & pencil Read-Aloud test (not audio tape administration) Identify test as a Read-Aloud in the Description field

Searching For An Irregularity Revised 03/10/ The ability to search or view irregularities is based on login information STC can view irregularities in school only DDOT can view irregularities in division Search on IRR No, Admin Year, Test Admin, Status, Assigned To, Description, VDOE Response, and School Name (DDOT only) Edit/View options depends on status of irregularity

Steps For Searching Revised 03/10/ Select the search criteria from the available fields on the Maintain Irregularities page. To return a list of all testing irregularities, do not specify any criteria. 2. Click on the Search button. See the next slide for the screen shot of the Maintain Irregularities screen.

Search Irregularity Screen Revised 03/10/ By choosing from a dropdown list, the DDOT can limit a search to a particular school.

Search Results Screen Revised 03/10/ Search results are sorted by Created Date/Status (See next slide)

Search Results Sort Order Revised 03/10/ STC default sort order (based on Created Date and Status) Added, Submitted to DDOT, Submitted to DOE, Response by DOE, Resolved by DDOT, Closed by DOE DDOT default sort order (based on Status) Submitted to DDOT, Added, Response by DOE, Submitted to DOE, Resolved by DDOT, Closed by DOE

Testing Irregularity Statuses StatusDescriptionNext StepVisible By AddedA new irregularity has been added by STC or DDOT When irregularity is complete and accurate, submit to DDOT STC (View/Edit) DDOT (View/Edit) Submitted to DDOTAn irregularity has been completed and submitted to DDOT for review DDOT must review irregularity and decide to resolve locally or submit to VDOE STC (View only) DDOT (View/Edit) Resolved by DDOTDDOT has resolved irregularity locally STC reviews and follows resolution provided by DDOT STC (View only) DDOT (View/Edit) Submitted to DOEDDOT has submitted irregularity to VDOE for resolution VDOE reviews and determines if more information is needed or resolves irregularity STC (View only) DDOT (View only) VDOE (View/Edit) Response by DOEVDOE has requested more information from division DDOT provides additional information to VDOE STC (View only) DDOT (View/Edit) VDOE (View/Edit) Closed by DOEVDOE has resolved and closed irregularity Division proceeds based on resolution provided STC (View only) DDOT (View only) VDOE (View/Edit) 27 Revised 03/10/2010

Editing An Irregularity Revised 03/10/ STC may edit irregularity before submitting to DDOT After Yes is selected in Submitted to DDOT field, STC cannot edit the irregularity DDOT may change Submitted to DDOT field to No to enable STC to edit irregularity DDOT cannot edit irregularity once Submitted to DOE VDOE may change Closed Status to No to enable DDOT to edit irregularity

Steps For Editing An Irregularity Revised 03/10/ Select the search criteria from the available fields on the Maintain Irregularities page. To return a list of all testing irregularities, do not specify any criteria. 2. Click on the Search button. 3. From the Search Results list, click on the Edit link in the Edit column for the irregularity you wish to edit. The Edit link will only appear if you have the authority to edit the irregularity. 4. Make any necessary changes. 5. Click on the Submit Data button to apply your changes. See the next two slides for the screen shot of a sample Search Results list and the Testing Irregularity-Edit screen.

Sample Search Results Screen Revised 03/10/ If an irregularity is in status Closed by DOE, the DDOT can request VDOE to re-open it so that it can be edited. Click the edit button to edit an irregularity. Once edited, you can save the changes.

Edit Irregularity Screen Revised 03/10/

Exporting Irregularities Revised 03/10/ Individual irregularities may be printed All testing irregularities are stored in the database indefinitely At any time, irregularities from a search list may be exported and saved electronically. The irregularities exported will reflect the search criteria entered in the fields on the Search Results screen. For example, if you have a list of irregularities with the status Submitted to DOE, only those irregularities would be exported.

Exporting Irregularities Screens Revised 03/10/

Contact Information Revised 03/10/ Office of Test Administration, Scoring, and Reporting