SECURITY TRAINING 2016 January 2016 This training does not replace your responsibility to read and adhere to all test administration manuals!

Why is this necessary?

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. It’s the law!

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”

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 Please see that ALL such materials are shredded AFTER test materials have been returned to district office. *There will be a new check-off sheet/to-do list that will be included with your materials kept with your files on campus (more on this in February).

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 (Jodi Pafford) DCCM S-17

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 General Security Information

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  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

Secure Information Content of the online tests are secure and confidentiality must be maintained Student Authorization Tickets are secure Passwords and user IDs for TOMS and Pearson Access Next are secure and should be kept confidential. DO NOT SHARE! Test booklets and answer documents are secure STAAR Alternate 2 Test Administrator manuals (excluding non-secure front matter) are secure

Testing Irregularities Incidents resulting in a deviation from documented testing procedures are defined as testing irregularities Procedural ExamplesSerious Examples Improper accounting for secure materials Directly or indirectly assisting students with responses to test questions Eligibility ErrorTampering with student responses Monitoring ErrorViewing secure content IEP Implementation IssueDiscussing test content, student responses or student performance Procedural ErrorFormally or informally scoring student tests Duplicating or recording test content DCCM O-19 to O-28

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

Active Monitoring Monitoring during test administrations is the responsibility of the test administrator, the campus test coordinator, 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

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 Reduce the risk of an irregularity! Before the 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 Reduce the risk of an irregularity! During test administration:

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 (do this AFTER the test answer documents have been returned to central office!) 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

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 violating the time limit Testing beyond the normal school day

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 (including student online authorizations and rated writing samples) Failure to report a suspected violation

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 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 Make sure to include any local disciplinary actions taken against students for cheating, cell phone issues or disruptions

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 These trainings are well done and a good option for new teachers as well as those who may have an been involved in a testing irregularity. These can be used as part of your campus “plan of action” if you have an irregularity. If you include this, maintain copies of training certificates in the assessment folder/file.

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

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 applicable 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

Principal Oath One oath for the calendar year (January – December) Maintained on file at the campus 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

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

Spring Update Student tutorials for online assessments (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

PLEASE CONTACT THE R.A.A.D IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS. THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO! – Jodi Pafford