Guidelines for Appropriate Testing Procedures and Test Security

Introduction

Appropriate and ethical testing practices are not always universally understood or followed. Good testing practices are sometimes violated because the person involved is not informed about what is appropriate for a standardized assessment administration. To help school staff who administer the Wisconsin Student Assessment System (WSAS) have a common understanding of what practices are appropriate, the Department of Public Instruction has prepared these guidelines.

This document describes general principles and operational standards for various types of assessments, including standardized multiple-choice tests. Topics include: Test Security, Testing Conditions, Post-Test Activities/Procedures

Test Security

Importance of Test Security

The primary goal of WSAS test security is to protect the integrity of the examinations. To ensure that trends in achievement results can be calculated across years, a certain number of test questions are repeated from year to year. If any of these questions are made public, the validity of the test may be compromised. This may require the invalidation of the test scores of individuals or entire classrooms, as well as other disciplinary actions. The best way to maintain test security is to limit test access to those educators who must have access, and to ensure that all personnel understand the crucial need for test security.

Who is Responsible for Test Security?

Everyone who works with assessment, communicates test results to others, and/or receives testing information is responsible for test security. This includes:

• Department of Public Instruction Staff
• District Administrators
• District Assessment Coordinators (DACs)
• School Assessment Coordinators (SACs)
• Students, parents, and the community at large
• Staff at the Cooperative Educational Service Agencies (CESA)

Pre-Test Security

It is essential that all test materials remain secure. Test materials should be kept in a locked storage area when not in use.

DACs should work closely with SACs, to coordinate the administration of the WSAS. On a daily basis, DACs and SACs should make sure that all test materials are placed in locked storage when not in use in a testing session. They must make sure that students do not share information about test content when the test is administered to same grade-level students at different times. If there is any test security violation in your school/district, contact DPI's Office of Educational Accountability.

Consequences of Test Security Violations

Consequences of violations may include invalidation of student test results and could result in civil legal liability for copyright violations. Disciplinary measures for educators and school staff should be determined by local school board policy depending on the severity of the test security violations. Examples might include a written reprimand, suspension, or termination of contract.

Testing Conditions

Testing Procedures

Test administrators must strictly follow the written test administration procedures included in the Directions for Test Administration, which is provided to districts as part of the WSAS materials. These procedures include planning for the test, organizing the classroom, preparing students to take the test, completing student-identification information, following time requirements of testing sessions (WKCE only). Failure to follow the specified procedures jeopardizes the validity and integrity of the test results.

Testing Environment

Testing conditions should be comfortable for all students. To the extent possible, the conditions should reflect the school’s instructional environment. School Assessment Coordinators and test administrators should ensure that announcements are not made on the public address system during testing sessions, lighting is adequate, chairs and desks are available, and “QUIET” signs are posted. This will permit students to do their best work.

It is recommended that the testing sessions be conducted in small groups of classroom size, rather than in a large group and auditorium-type hall. This will help students in their concentration since instruction is normally given in smaller, class-size groups.

Testing Materials

Before students begin taking the test, test administrators must ensure that adequate and complete sets of test materials are available to all students. This including test booklets, pencils, calculators, and manipulatives, such as rulers, protractors, punch-out tools, and geometric shapes, as required.

Test Administration

Test administrators must be completely prepared and familiar with the test directions before entering any testing session. Administrators should anticipate and be ready to answer questions about the test. When reading test directions aloud, test administrators must ensure that all students understand what is expected of them. Students must be given the opportunity to ask questions and understand how to mark their answers before they begin taking the test. However, test administrators must not answer questions about specific test items. They may only repeat the initial instructions about item format and timing.

Special Populations

The Department is committed to including ALL students in testing. Special-population students must be included in the WKCE and, when necessary, be provided with approved accommodations to ensure their participation.

The WAA-SwD is given to students with significant cognitive disabilities if local IEP teams determine that the students are unable to participate in the WKCE, even with accommodations. The IEP teams use the WAA-SwD Participation Checklist to determine whether a student will particpate in the WKCE, the WKCE with accommodations from the Assessment Accommodations Matrix, or the WAA-SwD.

Monitoring/Proctoring the Test Session

Test administrators must carefully monitor (proctor) the testing session to ensure that all students have the opportunity to succeed. It is not acceptable for test administrators to leave the room, visit with another person, read, or ignore what is happening in the testing session. Test administrators and proctors must be trained to follow the testing procedures and to understand the significance of their responsibilities. Test Administrators should view the Test Security Training

Post-Test Activities/Procedures

Collecting Test Materials and Completing the Report

When the testing session has concluded, the test administrator will collect and check all materials and follow test security procedures. The test administrator must account for all test materials and deliver them to the SAC immediately.

Use of Test Information

School and district staff must follow strict confidentiality measures to protect individual student test scores and maintain student privacy, as required by federal, state, and local laws. Students' scores should be made available only to authorized personnel, i.e., the student, the student’s parents or legal guardians, and the specific staff responsible for the student’s education.

Test Access

PI 20.01 Authority and Purpose: (1) Under 1. 118.30 (3), Stats., the state superintendent is required to allow interested persons to view the WSAS while simultaneously ensuring the security and confi dentiality of the examinations. Persons interested in viewing a copy of the tests should submit a written request to the district administrator of the district in which they reside, and the district should arrange with the person to view the test within 90 days of the end of the testing window (but not DURING the testing window). Any review of the test by school staff or a member of the public is restricted by stringent security measures, including:

• The test reviewer must sign a confidentiality agreement form prior to reviewing the test.
• The district/school assessment coordinator or qualified designee must be present at the time any person is reviewing the test and should not allow the test out of the room for any purpose.
• The test viewer may not discuss, disseminate, describe, or otherwise reveal the contents of the test to any third party with the intent to violate the copyright or compromise the validity of the test.
• The test viewer may not make copies of the test or any test items, take notes, or otherwise reproduce the test or test items.
• The test viewer may not publish, or cause to be published, the test or any of the test items.

For additional information about OEA's role in ensuring the validity of test results, please see the Ensuring Test Security Document.

---

Related Web Pages

• Test Security Training (A mediasite presentation)
• Confidentiality Agreement
• Confirmation of Destruction

---

For questions about this information, contact oeamail@dpi.wi.gov

Last updated on 3/20/2012 1:38:03 PM