STAAR Test Security & Confidentiality Training Created By: Deborah Bickerton & Lori Garza

STAAR Test Security & Confidentiality TrainingCreated By: Deborah Bickerton & Lori Garza B. L. Gray Junior High

TESTING CALENDAR • GRADE 7 • MAR 20/21 – TELPAS • APR 2/3 – WRITING • APR 4 – ALG. STUDENTS TAKING 8TH GRADE MATHEMATICS • APR 23 – MATHEMATICS • APR 24 - READING • GRADE 8 • MAR 19 – TELPAS • APR 2 – MATHEMATICS • APR 3 – READING • APR 24 – SCIENCE • APR 25 – SOCIAL STUDIES • MAY 14 – MATH RETEST • MAY 15 – READING RETEST • JUNE 25 – MATH RETEST • JUNE 26 –READING RETEST

Procedures for maintaining the security and confidentiality of a test are specified in the District and Campus Coordinator Manual, the Test Security Supplement, and in all test administrator manuals.

This training does NOT take the place of reading the manual. EXPECTATION: READ the manual!

It’s the law! Violation of security or confidentiality of any test required by the Texas Education Code (TEC) Chapter 39, Subchapter B, shall be prohibited. A person who engages in conduct prohibited by the Test Security Supplement may be subject to sanction of credentials. Conduct that violates security and confidentiality of a test is defined as any departure from the test administration procedures established in the Test Security Supplement and all other test administration materials.

It’s the law! Any person who violates, assists in the violation of, or solicits another to violate or assist in the violation of test security or confidentiality, and any person who fails to report such a violation is subject to … penalties. Release or disclosure of confidential test content could result in criminal prosecution under TEC §39.0303 … and section 37.10 of the Texas Penal Code. STAAR

It’s the law! In addition, any irregularities in test security or confidentiality may also result in the … invalidation of student results. and local disciplinary actions. The superintendent… Dr. Richter (DTC) and campus principal of each school district and chief administrative officer of each charter school and any private school administering the tests as allowed under TEC §39.033, must develop procedures to ensure the security and confidentiality of the tests … .

Violation of Security and Confidentiality of Assessments Conduct that constitutes a severe violation of test administration procedures (serious irregularities) may include the actions listed in the following slides.

SERIOUS IRREGULARITIES • Directly or indirectly assisting students with responses to test questions. • Tampering with student responses • Viewing secure test content before, during, or after a test administration (unless specifically authorized to do so by the procedures outlined in the test administration manuals) • Discussing secure test content, student responses, or student performance • Scoring student tests, either formally or informally • Duplicating, recording, or capturing (electronically or by any other means) confidential test content without permission for TEA • Reinforcing, reviewing for, and/or distributing testing strategies during an assessment is strictly prohibited.

ELIGIBILITY ERROR • Eligible students were not tested. • Ineligible students were tested. PLAN OF ACTION IN PLACE: Do not ASSUME anything! IEPs/IAPs/LPAC minutes are attached to testing rosters/groups • Teacher Verification – identified and accounted for all students • Verify your rosters - Check, double-check & triple check

Iep implementation issue • A student receiving special education services was provided an unapproved or undocumented accommodationor was not provided a prescribed accommodation. • A student receiving special education services was administered the wrong test. PLAN OF ACTION IN PLACE: Do not ASSUME anything! • Special Ed. Teachers take an active role • Logistics embedded in benchmark testing locations • Check, double-check, and triple check!

Improper accounting for secure materials • Secure materials were not returned, checked in, and accounted forat the end of each testing day. • A test administrator, CTC, or DTC lost or misplaced completed answer document(s), test booklet (s), or other secure materials. • Secure materials were not returned to the testing contactor by the published date. PLAN OF ACTION:________________Do not ASSUME ANYTHING! • Follow checklist provided to TAs on testing days • Material Control Forms

Monitoring error • A test administrator left a room unattended when students or secure materials were present or when secure online tests were open and visible. • Secure materials were left unattended, or secure online tests were left open and visible, during a lunch break, a short break taken in the testing room, or restroom breaks. • Testing personnel did not monitor students during a break. • A test administrator did not ensure that students worked independent during testing (for example, students were not prevented from using cell phones to test messages to each other during testing). • A test administrator did not verify that student filled in their responses on their answer document. • A student was allowed to remove secure materials from the testing areas. • PLAN OF ACTION: 14 Point Test Security Plan ACTIVE MONITORING so important!

Procedural error • A test administrator failed to issue the correct materials (for example, No. 2 pencils or dictionaries) • Testing personnel who were not properly trained were allowed to administer test or handle secure materials. • A student was permitted to test beyond the required four-hour-time period or was not provided the full four-hour-time period to complete an assessment. • A test administrator failed to use the test administration materials or failed to read aloud the bolded, scripted test administration directions verbatim as outlined in the test administration manuals. • A student was provided an unallowable accommodation.

Penalties for Violation of Security and Confidentiality of Assessments Penalties for participation in a serious violation of test security or confidentiality may include the following reprimands. • Placement ofrestrictionson the issuance, renewal, or holding of a Texas teacher certificate • Issuance of an inscribed or non-inscribed reprimand • Suspension of Texas teacher certificate • Revocation or cancellation of a Texas teacher certificate

Procedural Testing Irregularities are less severe, more common, and are typically the result of minor deviations from testing procedures. • Students are not allowed to talk to one another during testing. • Students are not allowed to return to a subject-area assessment attempted on a previous test day or one that hasn’t been administered. • Districts are required to investigate ALL potential testing violations! Failure to cooperate with TEA in an investigation or to properly report that an individual has engaged in conduct that violates the security and/or confidentiality of a test is itself a violation and could result in sanctions.

Reporting of Disciplinary Actions Taken Against Students for Cheating on State Assessments… • If a district determines that a student has been involved in an attempt to cheat on a state assessment – either by providing or receiving assistance – the district is required to invalidate the student’s test by marking a score code “O” for “Other” on the student answer document of the corresponding test.

CELL PHONES & ELECTRONIC DEVICES – Lead by Example! Non-negotiable for ALL staff members. • Before testing, test administrators MUST place their own cell phone in the zip lock bag; then pick up ALL cell phones and place them in the provided plastic zip lock as well. • In case of emergency, family members contact Laura. Ext 1750

Expectations for Test Administrators and Hall Monitors • Attendance will be done manually on the testing rosters and posted on your door for pick up. • You are not allowed to use the computers in the testing rooms (excluding STAAR-L labs). • You are not allowed to have any reading materials in the testing rooms or in the hallways. • You are not allowed to have use any electronic devices. • You are not allowed to carry small off-task conversations throughout the testing period.

Training Requirements • Testing personnel are required to receive annual training in test security and administration procedures and to sign an Oath of Test Security and Confidentiality. • Districts that elect to use noncertified paraprofessionals during the administration of a statewide assessment must assign a certified staff member who will be responsible for supervising them. • A Trained test administrator must be present in each testing room at all times during testing.

Keep tests secure at all times!! Secure Storage Areas • Coordinators are required to place all secure materials in limited-access locked storage when not in use. • Place test booklets and answer documents in secure, limited-access, locked storage when not in use. • Do not allow any student to transport testing materials outside of the testing environment. If a student needs to change locations, the test administrator will collect the student’s testing materials and escort them to the alternate location.

CHECK OFF THE CHECKLIST! • ALL state-supplied reference materials, graph paper, or scratch paper that students have written on during a test must be turned in after each test administration. Please do not leave any of these items inside the testing booklet! These items will be collected and destroyedafter each test administration.

The Clock is Ticking… Four-hour Time Limits Students will be provided four hours in which to complete STAAR, STAAR Modified, or STAAR L tests. • Start and Stop Times - four-hour time period begins after the test administrator reads directions and tells students to begin working on their tests - test administrators must use a clock or timer - start and stop times must be recorded on the seating chart - students must record all responses by the end of the four-hour time period

Four-hour Time Limits… • “SAY” Directions - not included in four-hour time period • Announcement of Time Left to Test - communicate orally or in writing - one hour intervals, more if desired during last hour - the last hour of testing remind students when they have > 45 minutes left, > 30 minutes left, > 15 minutes left, > 10 minutes left, > and five minutes left (DEIC)

Four-hour Time Limits • Breaks Included in the Four-hour Time Limit (not allowed to stop the time clock) - water breaks - bathroom breaks - snack breaks - short physical or mental breaks • Breaks NOT Included in the Four-hour Time Limit (required to stop and restart the time clock) - lunch - emergencies - movement of students - medical breaks Remember to record stop and restart times on the seating chart.

Four-hour Time Limits • Extended Time‒Extra Time (same day) - available for eligible students with disabilities and English language learners - students start at the beginning of the school day and are allowed to test up to the end of the school day, not beyond • Extended Time‒Extra Day (rare) - for eligible students with disabilities for whom TEA has approved an Accommodation Request Form - special procedures and guidelines provided with approval

LUNCH • Lunch will be provided for ALL staff members on testing dates at12:30 p.m. • Lunch will be from 12:30 – 1:00 p.m. • TAs will eat lunch with those students who qualify for extended time. TAs will eat in the classroom with the students and continue to test them after the lunch break. • Hall Monitors should eat in the hallway to maintain and monitor a secure testing environment. • We will resume testing at approximately 1:00 p.m.

Miscellaneous Testing Information • Designate test administrators and monitors. If you are assigned to monitor the halls and restrooms during testing, it is important that you relieve test administrators in a timely manner. Also, test administrators, breaks should be brief and only asked for when necessary. • Before testing, ensure that you have all the necessary materials to administer a test: test administrator manuals; seating charts; clock or stopwatch to monitor testing time; test session rosters; accommodations lists and materials; student attendance sheets; pencils and erasers; and when required, calculators and dictionaries.

Miscellaneous Testing Information • Make sure each testing room, prior to testing, is free of any instructional aids (bulletin boards). We will walk through and verify that no visible instructional aids are present and that the environment is appropriate for testing on Wednesday, March 27th. (Keep in mind that many errors involving a failure to conceal instructional aids result from transferring examinees to rooms that the campus did not originally intend to use as testing areas.) • MONITOR, MONITOR, MONITOR – will be visits will be made to each testing area to ensure that test administrators are actively monitoring and as directed in the test administrator manuals, periodically reminding students to record their responses on the answer document.

Miscellaneous Testing Information…SIGN OATH! • Confirm that a seating chart has been completed for each test session. Record test session start and stop times. • Ensure that students are being issued the appropriate test and have the corresponding answer document. • Test administrators should personally administer test materials to examinees. Be especially careful when issuing materials to students with the same or similar names. • Verify that students have marked their responses on their STAAR answer documents before the end of the four-hour time period. • No element of the testing room environment should not hinder any student’s performance. Testing room should be quiet, well-ventilated, and comfortable.

Test specific trainingsometime during the week of march 17th… • Seating Charts • Answer documents • Testing disruptions • Checklist • Oral administration • Attendance • Changing testing locations • Test Specific Instructions • Accommodations

STAAR Check List

STAAR Test Security & Confidentiality Training Created By: Deborah Bickerton & Lori Garza