Greater Clark County School Corporation
Bylaws & Policies
 

2623.01 - TEST SECURITY PROVISIONS FOR STATEWIDE ASSESSMENTS

It is the intent of the School Board that all School Corporation and school staff comply with the requirements of the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) regarding test security of the statewide assessments (tests).

The Supervisor of Assessment is designated as the Corporation Test Coordinator (CTC) and the individual to whom the test materials are to be delivered. Test materials include examiner’s manuals, assessment books, answer documents, practice tests, test tickets and online test access codes.

The CTC shall:

 

A.

require the Building Test Coordinator (BTC) to establish a testing schedule within the testing window;

 
 

B.

inventory and track all test materials that are received from IDOE;

 
 

C.

securely store the test materials upon receipt at a central location and ensure that the test materials are not available to any unauthorized parties at any time while under the Corporation’s control;

 
 

D.

arrange for the distribution of the test materials to the appropriate schools and require the storage administration, collection, and return of the test materials as set forth below;

 
 

E.

notify, in writing, all staff involved in the administration of the tests that copying a test, or any part thereof, is a violation of the Indiana Code of Ethical Practices and Procedures;

 
 

F.

require that principals and all staff involved in the administration of the tests strictly follow all procedures described in the testing manuals and those outlined by the IDOE;

 
 

G.

require that principals review with all staff involved in the administration of the tests the Indiana Code of Ethical Practices and Procedures, and require the principals and all staff involved with the administration of the tests acknowledge that they understand their responsibility to adhere to the procedures to secure, administer, and handle the test materials while in their possession;

 

H.

provide staff development annually so that all staff in the Corporation that are involved in the administration of the tests have the knowledge and skills necessary to make ethical decisions related to preparing students for the tests, administering the tests, and interpreting the results from the tests and planning academic interventions as a result of the tests.

 
 

I.

require the review of the practices and materials used in the Corporation to prepare students for the tests by all staff in the Corporation that are involved in the administration of the tests and communicate this requirement annually to all principals and appropriate staff.

 
 

J.

arrange for the preparation of a written notice that Corporation and school staff shall communicate to students, parents, and guardians regarding appropriate practices for the maintenance of ethical testing practices, test security, and test integrity.

 
 

K.

ensure that any allegations of test security violations or test integrity violations are reported to IDOE pursuant to the Protocol for Reporting and Investigating Alleged Assessment Breaches or Irregularities ("Protocol") for reporting and investigating alleged breaches or irregularities, as required by 511 IAC 5-5-4. The Protocol is provided below.

As set forth above, the CTC is responsible for the secure distribution of the test materials to each school building. The test materials will be delivered to school buildings no more than five (5) days in advance of the designated test window.

Each building principal or principal designee is designated as the Building Test Coordinator (BTC).

The BTC is responsible annually for the following:

 

A.

establishing a testing schedule within the testing window;

 
 

B.

prohibiting the review of any secure test questions before, during, or after an administration session;

 
 

C.

establishing a process to ensure that all test materials are secure when not being administered;

 

D.

involve all appropriate staff in the annual review of the school materials and practices related to preparing students for the tests, administering the tests, securing the tests before and after administration, and interpreting the results from the tests. This review will ensure that the test preparation materials are appropriate and do not violate test security protocols;

 
 

E.

informing all staff who will administer the tests of the Indiana Code of Ethical Practices and Procedures;

 
 

F.

ensuring that all staff who will administer the tests have received training regarding test administration and test security prior to administering the test;

 
 

G.

requiring all staff who will administer the tests to students with testing accommodations to review each student’s Individual Education Program (IEP), Individual Learning Plan (ILP), and/or Section 504 Plan prior to testing;

 
 

H.

ensuring that focused training on providing the necessary accommodations during testing is provided prior to testing to all staff who will administer the tests to students with testing accommodations;

 
 

I.

permitting only staff who will administer the tests to have access to examiner’s manuals prior to the administration of the tests and prohibiting the review of any secure test questions before, during, and after the tests are administered;

 
 

J.

monitoring testing in his/her school to ensure that all staff administer the tests with fidelity in terms of testing protocols/procedures and staff appropriately provide students with accommodations included in their IEPs, ILPs, or Section 504 Plans; and

 
 

K.

arranging for the secure transport of the test materials to the CTC at the end of the testing window following procedures outlined in the Examiner’s Manual.

Whether in the possession of the CTC, BTC or other Corporation or school staff member, all test materials must be secured in a central location in a locked drawer or cabinet before during and after testing, except those test materials needed for the administration of the test. Each person designated as an examiner is responsible for ensuring that all assessment security provisions are met while each administration session is in progress. Additionally, each examiner is responsible for accounting for all assessment booklets by serial number, answer documents, and other test materials until they are returned to the BTC at the conclusion of the administration session.

Each examiner, monitor, and other school personnel or adult volunteer authorized to be present in the room during an administration session shall be informed of prescribed assessment administration and assessment security procedures as well as ethical testing practices.

 

A.

No person shall reveal, cause to be revealed, release, cause to be released, reproduce or cause to be reproduced any secure test materials through any means or medium including, but not limited to, electronic, photographic, photocopied, written, paraphrased, or oral.

 
 

B.

Except for accommodations made in accordance with the rules adopted by the IDOE, only materials specifically designated by the IDOE shall be provided to students or permitted in the assessment room during an administration session.

 
 

C.

Testing, including make-up testing, must occur during the testing window. With the exception of permitted practice tests, student access to test materials shall be restricted to the state-scheduled dates of test administration.

 
 

D.

The Corporation prohibits all Corporation and school staff from engaging in any violations of test security. Violations of test security include but are not limited to the following:

 
 

1.

giving examinees access to test questions prior to testing

 
 

2.

copying, reproducing or using in any manner any portion of any secure assessment book for any reason

 
 

3.

altering answer documents during or after a testing session

 

4.

sharing actual or paraphrased test items or student responses in a public forum

 
 

5.

commenting on test content in a public forum

 
 

6.

posting actual test content or paraphrasing test content on social media

 
 

7.

taking pictures of test materials

 
 

8.

emailing, texting, or instant messaging actual or paraphrased test content

 
 

9.

deviating from the prescribed administration procedures specified in the Examiner’s Manual

 
 

10.

making answer keys available to examinees

 
 

11.

reviewing test questions prior to, during or after test administration

 
 

12.

scoring student responses on the test locally before submitting the assessment for scoring to the test contractor, as designated by the IDOE

 
 

13.

participating in, directing, aiding, counseling, assisting, encouraging, or failing to report any of the above acts prohibited in this section or any other acts violating this policy or the Indiana Code of Ethical Practices and Procedures

All Corporation and school staff are responsible for test security. Maintaining test security includes:

 

A.

adhering to the Code of Ethical Practices and Procedures;

 
 

B.

adhering to the Indiana Assessment Program Manual;

 

C.

participating in required training; and

 
 

D.

following the Protocol for Reporting and Investigating Alleged Assessment Breaches or Irregularities for reporting and investigating alleged breaches or irregularities, as required by 511 IAC 5-5-4. The Protocol is provided below.

Any individual who administers, handles, or has access to secure test materials at the Corporation or school shall complete assessment training and shall annually sign no later than the last day of September a Testing Security and Integrity Agreement, which shall remain on file in the appropriate Corporation-level office for a period of no fewer than three years. Training shall be provided at the building level by the CTC (or designee), who has completed the required IDOE-provided training.

Under no circumstances may Corporation or school staff view student test materials prior to administering the assessment. Teachers and other school staff members shall not be provided access to secure test materials (except for the Examiner’s Manual) more than twenty-four (24) hours in advance of test administration.

Corporation and school staff and/or students may not alert examinees to the correct answer choice by pointing to the correct answer, eliminating answer choices, mouthing the correct answer, or using any other mechanism designed to indicate a correct or incorrect answer.

If an interruption of testing occurs, the test examiner shall immediately notify the test coordinator, who will determine appropriate action. Following the interruption, a written report (using the Testing Irregularity Report form) detailing the interruption must be submitted to the IDOE according to the Protocol. The Testing Irregularity Report form must be submitted for all incidents and events that might invalidate any scores, including disruptions and illness.

All Corporation and school staff and students are prohibited from compromising test security or the accuracy of the test data score results by manipulating the test administration, demographic data, or the students' answers or data.

Student test scores or test performance are confidential and shall not be disclosed to unauthorized persons.

Corporation and school staff are responsible for advising students, parents, and guardians regarding appropriate practices for the maintenance of ethical testing practices, test security, and test integrity.

Teachers, administrators, students, parents, and other community members may voice their concerns about practices they consider inappropriate by filing a complaint with the CTC. The CTC shall establish procedures for the filing and investigation of such complaints. The CTC shall investigate any complaints on inappropriate testing practices or testing irregularities. The investigation will include but not be limited to the following:

 

A.

a formal process by which all complaints are documented and can be tracked to resolution

 
 

B.

an initial inquiry to determine whether there is credible evidence that such an event occurred that is conducted within one (1) school day of the receipt of the complaint

 
 

C.

a report sent within the next seven (7) calendar days to the IDOE Office of Student Assessment if any evidence of an inappropriate testing practice or testing irregularity exists

 
 

D.

protection of the integrity of any ongoing assessments

 
 

E.

a final report to the IDOE Office of Student Assessment within four (4) weeks, unless a written request for a timeline extension has been granted

 
 

F.

any recommendations or findings that would impact the reliability or validity of student scores and that detail actions the School Corporation recommends the State take must be clearly stated in the final report

The IDOE requires that training of all persons associated with testing occurs before the opening of the test window for any standardized test. This includes but is not limited to the CTC, the BTC, test examiners, proctors, and any other person associated with the testing process.

Protocol for Reporting and Investigating Alleged Assessment Breaches

Any complaint alleging cheating or a security breach, testing administration breach, an intellectual property right infringement, a loss of materials, or any breach that undermines the integrity and/or inhibits the effectiveness of Indiana’s assessments, including but not limited to ISTEP+, IREAD-3, ISTAR, and End of Course Assessments, shall be reported immediately to the IDOE.

Definitions:

"Integrity breach" means any action that undermines the integrity and/or inhibits the effectiveness of the ISTEP from achieving the purposes set forth in IC 20-32-5-1. An integrity breach includes but is not limited to any security breach, testing irregularity, testing administration breach, and violation of the code of ethical practices and procedures.

"Intellectual property right" means any applicable copyright or trademark that may be contained in test and test preparation materials.

"Security breach" means the failure to observe/follow the documented procedures established to protect, maintain, and implement the testing process, such as the Code of Ethical Practices and Procedures, testing security and integrity agreement, and procedures prescribed in the testing manuals by any person administering or assisting with the administration of a systematic assessment.

"Testing administration breach" means the failure to follow the documented test administration procedures that could alter the results or testing environment of the assessment for one (1) or more students, including but not limited to timing an untimed test and not implementing required accommodations.

Complaint Procedure:

 

A.

The complaint shall be submitted after completing the "Testing Concerns and Security Violations Report" form located in Appendix D of the Indiana Assessment Program Manual. This form is located on the Office of Student Assessment’s website (http://www.doe.in.gov/assessment).

 

B.

All complaints must be submitted to the IDOE’s Office of Student Assessment by fax, email or mail:

 
 

1.

Fax Number (317) 233-2196;

 
 

2.

Email Address: INassessments@doe.in.gov; or

 
 

3.

Mailing Address:

 

Indiana Department of Education

 

Office of Student Assessment

 

115 W. Washington Street

 

South Tower, Suite 600

 

Indianapolis, IN 46204

 
 

C.

If the IDOE directs the Corporation to conduct an internal investigation, the investigation must:

 
 

1.

be completed within ten (10) business days of the IDOE’s request that an internal investigation be conducted (unless the IDOE has provided an alternate deadline);

 
 

2.

be kept confidential in order to maintain the authenticity and integrity of the investigative process; and

 
 

3.

include the completion and/or collection of any and all documents requested by the IDOE.

 
 

D.

The IDOE may request that the investigation include interview(s) with the following:

 
 

1.

The individual who filed the complaint ("complainant");

 
 

2.

The individual(s) against whom the allegation(s) is/are filed;

 
 

3.

Any other individual(s) who may have been involved or that the Corporation believes may have knowledge that will assist with the investigation.

 
 

All interviews shall be documented, and the Corporation shall provide the IDOE with copies of said documentation, including any and all notes, recordings, and/or transcripts.

 

E.

The Corporation must submit an Investigation Report to the IDOE within ten (10) business days of the IDOE’s request for an investigation. The investigation report should include all of the documents requested by the IDOE as well as the Corporation’s determination of whether misconduct occurred, did not occur, or whether the allegations could not be substantiated.

 
 

F.

The Corporation shall comply with any request by IDOE for additional documents or interviews.

Any "Testing Irregularity" that is not a testing security concern should be reported by using the Testing Irregularity Report form found in Appendix D of the Indiana Assessment Program Manual. "Testing irregularity" is defined under the administrative regulation to mean "any unexpected event that significantly disrupts the testing environment of two (2) or more students, including, but not limited to, the sounding of the fire alarm or a power outage."

I.C. 20-28-5-7
511 I.A.C. 5-5-3
511 I.A.C. 5-5-4
2017-2018 Indiana Assessment Program Manual (Indiana Department of
Education, Office of Student Assessment)
Code of Ethical Practices and Procedures (Indiana Department of Education)
Protocol for Reporting and Investigating Alleged Assessment Breaches (Indiana
Department of Education)

Revised 2/6/18

© Neola 2017