1. TRAINING POWERPOINT 2014-2015 WEBER SCHOOL DISTRICT UTAH STATE OFFICE OF EDUCATION Standard Test Administration Testing Ethics

2. PURPOSE OF TESTING Standardized administration of state tests provides : an opportunity for students to demonstrate understanding. evidence of what students have learned. scores that fairly reflect students’ knowledge.

3. PURPOSE OF TESTS Valid and reliable test results: identify levels of proficiency and areas that need improvement. evaluate the effectiveness of programs. compare schools and districts/charter schools.

4. Required Assessments – Part 1 Educators must administer the following required assessments and submit accurate data to the USOE on these assessments (see Board Rule R277-404-3; R277-473- 5): Student Assessment of Growth and Excellence (SAGE) Summative Computer Adaptive Tests for  English Language Arts – grade 3-11  Mathematics – grades 3-8 and Secondary Math I, II and III  Science – grades 4-8 and Earth Science, Biology, Physics and Chemistry. DIBELS Next composite benchmark reading assessment in grades 1-3 ACT – grade 11 Utah Alternate Assessment (UAA)/Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM) WIDA ACCESS for ELLs Assessment National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)

5. EDUCATOR OBLIGATION Educators must provide students with an opportunity to demonstrate their understanding. Educators must conduct ALL testing in a fair and ethical manner. Educators are accountable to their district/charter school and to the Utah State Board of Education.

6. Appropriate Teaching Practices – Part 1 Ethical testing begins with ethical teaching… Ensure students are enrolled in the appropriate course so they receive appropriate instruction. Provide instruction to the intended depth and breadth of the course curriculum. Provide accommodations during instruction and assessment to eligible students as identified by an ELL, IEP or 504 team throughout the year. Students’ needs should be properly identified at the start of the school year, not in the weeks immediately preceding testing. Use a variety of assessment methods to inform instructional practices.

7. Appropriate Teaching Practices – Part 2 Introduce students to various test-taking strategies throughout the year. Use Science reference sheets provided for specific assessments as instructional tools throughout the year. Reduce classroom interruptions to maximize student learning. Provide practice tests throughout the year using high- quality, non-secure test questions such as SAGE Formative. If you use SAGE Interim Tests, be sure that the same protocol for SAGE Summative is followed.

8. APPROPRIATE TESTING PRACTICES In preparation for testing, ensure that: an appropriate environment is set for testing to limit distractions. personnel who administer tests are trained and are accountable for ethically administering tests. all information in the Test Administration Manual (TAM) for each test is administered and strictly followed. Students have had the opportunity to experience the SAGE Training Tests.

9. APPROPRIATE TESTING PRACTICES During Testing… All students who are eligible for testing are tested. Active test proctoring occurs, which includes walking around the room to make sure that each student is logged into the correct test and is at the correct workstation. This proctoring should be completed by the classroom teacher.

10. APPROPRIATE TESTING PRACTICES Test security ensures that: test materials are secure before, during and after testing. when not in use, all paper materials must be secured where students, parents or the public cannot gain access. electronic security of tests and student information should not be compromised.

11. APPROPRIATE TESTING PRACTICES Educators should not be left alone in a computer lab with open student tests. Educators must not enter a student’s computer-based test for any reason. Educators must not copy, in whole or in part, specific items appearing on a test. Answer documents (where applicable) should be in educators’ hands as little as possible. Educators may not change student answers in any way, for any reason. Educators may not prompt or imply to students to re-evaluate their answers. Educators are not allowed to direct student pace throughout the test.

12. ACCOMMODATIONS Eligibility for testing accommodations is determined through an ELL, IEP or 504 team decision. Accommodations should be used during instruction, not just during testing. For more information, see the Utah State Office of Education-approved Assessment Participation and Accommodations Policy at http://www.schools.utah.gov/sars/DOCS/assessmen t/Special-Needs-Accommodations-Policy.aspx http://www.schools.utah.gov/sars/DOCS/assessmen t/Special-Needs-Accommodations-Policy.aspx

13. TEST RESULTS Test results should be: provided to students and parents. made available to educators for use in improving their instruction. maintained in student files. kept confidential. Remember that test materials must be kept secure.

14. TRUE or FALSE??? A teacher may use student SAGE scores when determining a course grade. True… if teachers clearly understand the results and align their practices with other teachers in the same grade level/course in a transparent and equitable manner.

15. USE OF DATA FROM SAGE TESTS Educators may use the results from SAGE Tests in considering a student’s course grade. However, teachers need to understand what the results mean and what information they provide. Proficiency levels and scale scores on assessments are based on strong technical procedures. Raw scores should not be interpreted as having the same strength. It is recommended that educators work in groups (grade levels or within subjects) to decide how test data will be used. The process of using data from SAGE Tests in considering a student’s grade should be transparent and equitable.

16. Possible Ways to Use SAGE Scores in Grading Eliminate exceptionally high scores (give them full credit) and determine percentages based on the next student’s number of correct items. Look at “clusters” of scores and assign a point value to each group. Offer the replacement of a classroom test score with the SAGE score if it reflects better performance. Other ideas???

17. ACCOUNTABILITY FOR PRACTICES LEAs are required to make sure all school testing coordinators, administrator, and teachers administering the tests are aware of their role in state-wide assessments. LEAs must document professional development (R277-473-9-C). LEAs must document that teachers receive, read and agree to comply (sign the form!) with appropriate testing practices.

18. UNETHICAL PRACTICES It is unethical for educators to jeopardize the integrity of an assessment or the validity of student responses. Unethical practices include:  Providing students with questions from the test to review before taking the test.  Viewing a test, then changing instruction or reviewing specific concepts because those concepts appear on the test.  Rewording or clarifying questions, or using inflection or gestures to help students answer them.

19. MORE UNETHICAL PRACTICES Allowing students to use unauthorized resources to find answers, including having materials on the walls that provide answers to specific test questions. Reclassifying students to alter subgroup reports. Allowing parent volunteers to assist with the proctoring of a test their child is taking or using students to supervise other students taking a test. Reviewing a student’s answers and instructing the student to, or suggesting that the student should, rethink his/her answers. Copying, in whole or in part, specific items appearing on a test.

20. IS IT APPROPRIATE? To ensure that a practice is appropriate, ask the following questions… If my student is to get a valid and reliable score that accurately portrays his/her ability to understand the material,  will this action allow the student to answer a question that does not reflect his/her knowledge?  will this action prevent the student and parent from receiving an accurate score that represents the student’s knowledge and understanding of the curriculum? If the action did not occur, would the student response be different? Would my practice change if I were being monitored?

21. DIBELS Testing Benchmarking (probes vary based on grade and time of year) Progress Monitoring (20 probes for each measure) First Sound Fluency (K) Letter Naming Fluency (K-1) Phoneme Segmentation (K-1) Nonsense Word Fluency (K-2) DIBELS Oral Reading Fluency Passages (1-6) Daze (3-6) First Sound Fluency Phoneme Segmentation Fluency Nonsense Word Fluency DIBELS Oral Reading Fluency (Levels 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) Daze (Levels 3, 4, 5, 6) Remember all testing ethics procedures apply to both types of assessments.

22. DIBELS Protocol Acceptable UseUnacceptable Use Using Benchmark or Progress Monitoring material to assess students following standardized procedures for administration (timing, directions, scoring) Using alternative passages to practice fluency (6-Minute Solution, Treasures passages, Reading A-Z passages, etc.) Using alternative material to practice blending/segmenting words and alphabetic principle. Using best practice in literacy instruction to support all areas of reading Using any Benchmarking or Progress Monitoring material to teach and/or practice skills (including past editions). Using portions of materials from any probes for practice purposes (specific words from passages or other probes). Using DIBELS material with students to review errors made while testing. Not following standardized administration procedures and inputting data on either the mCLASS or University of Oregon databases. Sharing any portion of Benchmarking or Progress Monitoring material with parents to practice at home. Using material from another grade level as practice material.

23. PROTOCOL FOR ETHICS VIOLATIONS Ethical violations are to be reported to the supervisor of the person who may be investigated, the school administrator and the district assessment specialist. Protocol: LEA policies and procedures will be followed. In most cases, the initial investigation will be conducted at the school level. The LEA assessment specialist will review the initial investigation and determine findings. If the violation is of sufficient concern, the incident may also be forwarded to the Utah Professional Practices Advisory Commission (UPPAC) for review. If inappropriate practices are found, teachers may receive further training or a reprimand, be subject to disciplinary action, be terminated and/or lose their Utah teaching license (see 53A-1-608; R277-473-9).

24. MORE INFO ON ETHICS VIOLATIONS For more information about the processes in place concerning the investigation of ethical violations, contact your local School Testing Coordinator or LEA Assessment Specialist. The LEA or an individual may also forward the incident to the Utah Professional Practices Advisory Committee (UPPAC) for review. Report forms are found on the UPPAC website: http://www.schools.utah.gov/uppac/

25. Q & A Can teachers look at the tests prior to administering them to students? No. For computer-based testing or paper-based testing, teachers are permitted to read individual test items only if instructed to do so in the Test Administration Manual (TAM). The site testing coordinator should review the TAM with teachers prior to administration of the test.

26. Q & A What can be posted on classroom walls during test administration? Teaching materials that are generic in nature, have been used for general instruction throughout the year and do not provide answers to test questions may be left in place. Teaching materials that may artificially inflate assessment scores (e.g., applicable to specific test questions) should not be visible to students.

27. Q & A Can a principal or educator ask for a “small group administration,” “extended time,” “change in location” or other accommodation for a general education student? In most cases, yes. These are all accessibility options allowed in the Assessment and Accommodations Policy. Contact your school Testing Aide or the District Assessment Specialist for specific situations.

28. Q & A What should be done if students reveal a crisis situation in their response to an assessment item – either that they intend to do harm to themselves or others or that they are in danger themselves? As per State Board Rule R277-473-8: USOE will notify the school principal, counselor and any other personnel deemed to have a legitimate educational interest. A copy of the relevant written text will also be provided. Using their best professional judgment, school personnel shall notify the student’s parent/guardian or law enforcement as needed. Any text from the test shall NOT be part of the student’s record and the school shall destroy any copies of the text once a resolution has been made. School personnel who contact a parent/guardian or law enforcement agency in such a situation must provide USOE with the name/date of the contact within three business days of the contact.

29. Q & A If there is a discrepancy between SAGE scores and other related test scores, is this a sign of cheating? Not necessarily. Many factors contribute to student learning. Thus, high SAGE scores for a student who scores significantly lower on another assessment do not guarantee that the student cheated. Appropriate test proctoring and creation of an environment in which students don’t feel threatened by test scores are the best ways to prevent student cheating.

30. Q & A What does good test proctoring look like? Active test proctoring includes walking around the room to ensure each student is logged into the correct test and is at the correct workstation. Active proctoring also includes ensuring information in the Test Administration Manual (TAM) is followed explicitly. Proctors are an important part of the testing experience. During testing, proctors should assist in ensuring that the importance of the test and the good faith efforts of all students are not undermined.

31. Q & A What information should be given to parents to prepare students for tests? Parents should encourage students to be engaged in learning throughout the school year and should work with their students to master concepts they don’t understand. Students should be made aware of testing, should be in attendance to complete testing and should receive adequate rest and nutrition prior to testing. It is essential that all students complete a SAGE Training Test prior to participating in SAGE Summative or Interim testing.

32. WHERE DO I GO FROM HERE? Know the Utah State Law and Utah State Board Rule: http://le.utah.gov/~code/TITLE53A/53A01a.htm and http://www.rules.utah.gov/publicat/code/r277/r277.htm http://le.utah.gov/~code/TITLE53A/53A01a.htm http://www.rules.utah.gov/publicat/code/r277/r277.htm Demonstrate ethical behavior. For questions:  Review testing ethics frequently asked questions at http://schools.utah.gov/assessment/Testing-Director- Resources.aspx http://schools.utah.gov/assessment/Testing-Director- Resources.aspx  Contact the LEA Assessment Specialist.