Test Security and Active Monitoring
What must all individuals administering STAAR assessments complete?
All individuals administering STAAR or supporting STAAR should have completed the Security and Confidentiality training and signed the annual Test Security Oath. Non-certified staff who serve in a support role must have a supervisor sign their oath as indicated. Oaths are required to be kept for 5 years.
It is the test administrator’s responsibility to maintain test security and confidentiality during test administrations. Responsibilities are on pages 12 - 19 of the Test Administrator Manual.
What is the maximum time limit for students to complete the STAAR assessment?
7-hour time limit
Students may test up to 7 hours in a school day test session not to exceed the end of the school day.
Students must complete the assessment within the same school day unless the student has been approved for an extra day or becomes sick during testing.
Students who are still testing after about 4 hours should be consolidated into a general testing area to continue testing.
Each campus administering STAAR must have a plan in place to consolidate students who are still testing after a certain point and test administrators must inform students about their campus plan prior to reading the test directions.
New seating charts/rosters must be created for the consolidated room.
In Tier 1 instruction, all students use graphic organizers for writing and have access to math charts. A typical student that hasn't been discussed at students of concern due to average performance should have these accommodations added through MTSS for STAAR. True or False?
FALSE
How can students familiarize themselves with their accommodations prior to testing?
Small group guided practice
Small group modeling
Share online practice tools with engaged families
(other varied responses)
True or False
Since you have been trained, you don't need to worry about reading the Test Administrator Manual.
FALSE
This training does not replace the Test Administrator's responsibility to read and follow the instructions, policies, and guidelines outlined in the TAM.
Describe the consequences of serious testing violations.
TAC §101.3031 states that any violation of test security or confidential integrity may result in TEA taking the following actions:
invalidating student test results;
referring certified educators to the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) for sanctions
lowering the school district’s or charter school’s accreditation status or a school district’s, charter school’s, or campus’s accountability rating in accordance with Texas Education Code (TEC)
As indicated in TAC §249.15, any person who violates, assists in the violation of, or solicits another to violate or assist in the violation of test security or confidentiality, as well as any person who fails to report such a violation or fails to cooperate with a TEA investigation, is subject to the following penalties:
placement of restrictions on the issuance, renewal, or holding of a certificate, either indefinitely or for a set term;
issuance of an inscribed or non-inscribed reprimand;
suspension of a certificate for a set term or issuance of a probated suspension for a setterm;
revocation or cancellation of a certificate, which includes accepting the surrender of a certificate, without opportunity for reapplication for a set term or permanently; or
imposition of any additional conditions or restrictions on a certificate that the SBEC deems necessary to facilitate the rehabilitation and professional development of the educator or to protect students, parents of students, campus personnel, or school officials.
Specifically, TAC §249.17 indicates a mandatory minimum sanction of a one-year suspension of a certificate for an educator who is found guilty of intentionally manipulating the results or violating the security or confidentiality of any statewide assessment.
As stated in TEC §39.0303, Secure Assessment Instruments, Criminal Penalty, a person commits an offense if:
the person intentionally discloses the contents of any portion of a secure assessment instrument developed or administered under this subchapter, including the answer to any question in the assessment instrument; and
the disclosure affects or is likely to affect the individual performance of one or more students on the assessment instrument.
What is required to be read verbatim to examinees?
All test administration directions must be read aloud verbatim to examinees.
Describe allowable accommodation for English learners through LPAC ALONE and how you decide their eligibility.
Content and Language supports (English test only) (Spanish- in conjunction with 504/SpEd)
Text to Speech (English only) (Spanish-in conjunction with MTSS)
What types of supports are available for struggling learners?
Basic Transcribing
Braille
Individualized Structured Reminders
Large Print
Manipulating Test Materials
Mathematics Manipulatives
Oral/Signed Administration
Supplemental Aids
What should happen with student electronic devices and staff electronic devices?
Staff electronic devices can be kept but must be: SILENT, out of sight, only used OUTSIDE of the testing room. Ask for a break if you need to read a message or answer a call.
Devices should not be in use while actively monitoring a state assessment or serving in a support role during a state assessment. Phones should be in a purse or drawer.
All student electronic devices such as cell phones, smart watches, or other personal devices must be turned off and collected PRIOR to test instructions being read aloud. Put in provided labeled Ziploc bag and given to your pod monitor.
Define procedural testing irregularities. What are some examples of these monitoring errors?
Procedural Irregularities
Accommodation errors
Accounting errors
Eligibility errors
Monitoring errors
Training errors
Procedural Examples, May include but not limited to:
Incorrect test materials provided to student(s)
Leaving test session unmonitored
Administering incorrect test to student(s)
Not actively monitoring
Using untrained, not oathed individuals in a testing role
Not ensuring that each student submitted their assessment
Not completing the required seating chart
Not ensuring students worked independently
Not testing an eligible student(s)
Not properly preparing the testing environment or device
What must be done before the day of testing?
Read your TA Manual
* Mark your Test Administrator manual with the correct call-out boxes.
Prepare Technology - Recommendations
Force a restart on all Chromebooks a week prior to testing to ensure devices are updated.
Conduct student practice tests to ensure Chromebooks are working.
Plan for back-up Chromebooks and force a restart on back-ups as well.
Do not overload access points (APs) - keep to 50 or less devices per access point.
Stagger student login times within hallways/classrooms.
Prepare Rooms
Walls must be free of instructional content that could be a source of direct answers.
Do Not Disturb sign must be displayed on door.
On testing day, when you checkout your bucket what is the Test Administrator responsibility regarding accommodations?
During bucket checkout
Verify Accommodation Roster
Ensure you understand the student’s accommodations; if not, ask CTC for clarification
Describe the procedures for Test Administrator breaks, Student Tester Break, and Student Illness (kid gets sick during testing)
Test Administrator Breaks
Only certified, trained, oathed relievers can provide Test Administrators breaks
Relievers are required to sign time in/out on roster seating chart
Never leave students testing unattended
Student Breaks
Students should pause their test when taking a break
Students must be monitored during breaks and lunch if still testing to ensure students are not talking about the test
Breaks may include: water and bathroom breaks, snack breaks, lunch, medical breaks, mental breaks, stretch breaks, consolidation of students to another testing area (Recess and Specials are not allowable breaks for students still testing.)
Student Illness
Pause test and collect test ticket and materials
Student can resume testing upon return or on a make-up day
Prior day responses are locked after 8 hours
"This test should take you about 3 hours to complete. Around 4 hours or when the majority of students have completed testing, students who are still testing will be grouped together to complete testing. Students who have finished testing will continue the class schedule for the day."
Name three of the most common serious testing violations that can result in serious penalties.
Viewing and duplicating secure test content
Direct and indirect assistance
Tampering and falsifying
In your manual, what is the purpose of the following: Call-out boxes, Boxes with BOLD print, Boxes with italicized print
Pay attention to call-out boxes that pertain to the test you are giving.
Boxes with BOLD print have specific instructions you must read to the students.
Boxes with italicized print have procedural instructions as you the Test Administrator must follow.
Accommodations should be ___, ____, and ____ used by the student.
How do you ensure this?
independently, routinely, effectively
How (responses will vary)
How should testing materials be checked out and returned?
Meet Galindo in her office 6:30am-7:40am in her office for checking out your bucket. Meet Galindo @ top of 2-5 stairs to check-in your bucket while your class is monitored.
What is our Campus Consolidation Plan?
BY 1:45 post # of current testers on a post-it on the outside of your door.
@ 2pm have current testers pause their test, gather their items and line up to consolidate into the library.
Molly, Lindsey and Nancy will serve as Test Administrators for consolidated testers.
New Monitoring Sheet will be used.
What are the responsibilities of a test administrator regarding test security?
Why is test security and confidentiality important?
Be actively engaged. Move about to be aware of students’ actions while testing.
Watch for:
Students accessing unauthorized materials
Students accessing cell phone
Students collaborating/cheating
Contact CTC if there is a concern. Active monitoring can prevent an irregularity if the test administrator responds in a timely manner.
Students should raise their hand when they have completed the test per the directions.(pg 38) Verify that students have SUBMITTED their test.
WHY:
Preserve the integrity of all test content to ensure that results are meaningful and valid.
Ensure fair and equal testing opportunities for all students.
Require strict adherence to instructions and procedures contained in the test administration manuals and resources.
If a student has Text to Speech accommodation for the ECR, a test administrator can orally read aloud the prompt to the student upon request. True or False?
FALSE
Any reading assistance of short or extended constructed-response questions MUST be provided for eligible students as an oral accommodation through Text to Speech. There is absolutely NO viewing or reading by a test administrator from a student’s screen for any reason.
What must a student verify on the screen regarding their accommodations?
If you encounter a problem, what do you do?
Test session
When students with accommodations login with their test ticket, students should verify on the screen that their accommodations are listed correctly
If a student says they do not see their accommodations or that their accommodations are not accurate, stop and call for CTC
What should students do when they're done testing?
What should Test Administrators do when the class is done testing?
Until the campus consolidates students still testing, students who have finished testing may read books quietly, work quietly on an instructional activity (no electronics allowed), or leave the testing room (special circumstances).
Test Administrators
Complete seating chart, record room start/stop time
Collect materials to return to CTC: student test tickets, session IDs, scratch paper, reference charts/supplemental aids (CTC shreds)
Return headphones/headsets and any other materials used for testing
What will you find in your testing bucket?
What do you do with those items?
STAAR Checklist with Session ID
Test Tickets (printed from TIDE)
Materials Control sheet w/ Seating Chart
Room Accommodations Roster
Testing, Do Not Disturb Sign
Test Administrator Active Monitoring Form
authorized supplemental aids, materials, other
Other signs such as: help needed, break needed, bathroom passes, student break passes, testing complete
Scratch paper: All students taking STAAR math MUST have blank scratch paper. As always, blank scratch paper can be provided for all other assessments or as requested by individual students.
Pencils
Headphones for students with the accommodation of oral administration (text-to-speech, speech to text)
Test specific materials as applicable
reference materials
dictionaries/thesaurus (upon request)
calculators (math only w/accommodation)
graph paper (math only)