Miss. Code. tit. 7, pt. 109, ch. 3
How to plan for a successful testing experience.
The District and School Test Security Plans should include all the procedures for administering the various tests included in the Mississippi Statewide Assessment Program. In this chapter further guidance and best practices will be outlined to give district and school personnel information for formulating their plans. Tests are administered according to the standard procedures defined in the test administrator's manuals and related documents and according to the schedule published by the Office of Student Assessment.
To maintain consistently high levels of security surrounding the administration of exams, administrative arrangements should meet the following requirements:
Definitions
* Exam Misconduct, as it applies to the Student Assessment Handbook would be as follows:
a. Accessing materials known or represented to be active exam content prior to testing;
b. Possessing in the testing area, writing materials, cameras, PDAs, personal computers brought to the testing room, tablets, communication devices such as telephones or pagers, reference materials, or non-approved calculators;
c. Communicating about test content with other students either in the testing area or in any other location;
d. Recording or memorizing exam content;
e. Disrupting other test-takers or the testing process; and
f. Violating or attempting to violate published exam retake rules.
Testing Environment
Ensure that the physical conditions at testing locations facilitate secure testing, as follows:
1. Provide sufficient space for test-takers to be seated well apart from one another if there are not privacy panels between individual workspaces;
2. Maintain a seating chart of all individuals being tested for each session, reflective of any changes that occur during a test session, and make the seating chart a part of the School Test Security Plan, Seating Charts must be uploaded into SharePoint beginning with the December 2013 SATP2 test administration;
3. Ensure that access to materials, computers, and testing information is disabled upon an employee leaving the school and/or district;
4. Maintain all district and school exams, exam results and test-taker information in strict confidence, in secure systems and facilities.
Additional Guidance from Appendix F on the Testing Environment
Tests are to be administered in an environment that provides an adequate test setting for students. Such an environment should provide adequate lighting, reduced noise level, and spacing to ensure that students cannot see the answers being bubbled (or answers being selected during computer-based online testing) by other students. (Appendix F, Section IV, 20)
Test Proctoring
Both a test administrator and a proctor must be present and actively monitoring students during the entire test administration. At least two people must be present from the time that testing materials are distributed to the test administrator until all test materials have been returned to the secure area. If a Test Administrator must leave the room, or is otherwise disengaged from the direct monitoring of test-takers, a replacement Test Administrator should be assigned immediately so that students are never left un-proctored.
Every effort must be made to insure that test-takers do not have access to bags/purses, books, papers, pagers, cell phones, calculators, or any electronic device that can be used to capture/record exam content. Mississippi Public Schools Accountability Standards, Appendix F, Section IV, #19,, prohibits the possession and/or use of any electronic communication device, including cell phones and personal digital assistance devices, by students during the administration of scheduled statewide tests. Possession of any such device, even if it is not being used, is a violation of state policy (and local policy, if applicable).
Example: A student having a cell phone in his/her possession anywhere on his/her person during the test administration is a testing violation. The consequence of this testing violation is that the test results for that student will be invalid; therefore, the score of any student in possession of these prohibited devices during the test administration will be invalid and therefore automatically non-passing.
| All students and staff must sign a form (a template is provided in Appendix A) stating that the Prohibition of Electronic Communication Devices policy has been explained to them along with the consequences of its violation. |
The Test Administrator and Proctor should confirm that there is no information related to the exam content that is visible on charts, posters, or other materials in the testing environment that might be sources for examination answers.
Ensure access to computer-based and paper-based exams is under strict control of the Test Administrator at all times. This includes all exam related materials, examination access codes, and login information.
Additional Guidelines from Appendix F on Test Proctoring
1. Students are not allowed access to test questions prior to testing and are not allowed access to answers at any time. (Appendix F, Section IV, 7)
2. Tests are administered according to the standard procedures defined in the test administrator's manuals and related documents and according to the schedule published by the Office of Student Assessment. (Appendix F, Section IV, 13)
3. Reproducing (by any means) or disclosing secure test material (including pilot material) and student responses before, during or after test administration are prohibited. Reproduction or disclosure of secure test materials includes but is not limited to the following: reviewing, reading, or looking at secure test material in a manner that is inconsistent with test security regulations and/or procedures as outlined in the test administrator's manual. Use of unreleased test items in any form (including rewording of such test items) is strictly prohibited. (Appendix F, Section IV, 8)
4. Coaching students, altering responses, or interfering with responses in any way during or after the scheduled test administration is prohibited. Coaching students is defined as providing answers by staff or other students to students in any manner during the test, including cues, clues, hints, and/or actual answers in any form-written, printed, verbal or non-verbal (including but not limited to chalkboards, charts, bulletin boards, posters, computers, hand signals) or allowing students to alter responses after the scheduled test administration. (Appendix F, Section IV, 8)
5. The school prohibits the possession and/or use of any electronic communication device, including but not limited to iPod's, MP3 players, Bluetooth devices, cell phones, and/or other personal digital assistance devices during the administration of scheduled statewide tests. (Appendix F, Section IV, 19)
Accommodations
A thorough explanation of how accommodations will be given to test-takers must be included in the School Test Security Plan. Only appropriate allowable testing accommodations should be provided for students as specified in the current edition of the Mississippi Testing Accommodations Manual. (SB Policy 7601) The use of any accommodation not listed in these documents or in the current edition of the Mississippi Testing Accommodations Manual published by the Office of Student Assessment must first be approved by the Office of Student Assessment. (Appendix F, Section IV, 11). For additional information regarding the use of accommodations for English learners (EL), refer to the current edition of the Guidelines for English Language Learners. For additional information regarding the use of accommodations for students with disabilities (SWD), refer to the current edition of the Testing Students with Disabilities Regulations.
Testing Irregularity Management
To preserve the integrity of exam materials and exam scores, when test-taker exam misconduct is suspected, testing site personnel (Test Administrators) will be required to:
1. Call on one or more additional test site personnel (proctor, hall monitor, school test coordinator) to confirm the suspicion of misconduct;
2. Take reasonable, non-physical measures to:
a. Interrupt the exam and arrange for the implicated test-taker(s) to leave the testing area;
b. Prevent test-takers from leaving the testing area with secure exam materials;
c. Preserve evidence of test-taker use of unauthorized materials without inappropriately, under school rules, confiscating or otherwise attempting to deprive test-takers of their belongings (e.g., photographs or video recordings).
3. Follow requirements for handling security incidents in the local school district's code of student conduct.
4. Apprise the suspected student(s) of the potential consequences of misconduct (as set forth in these policies and procedures) and provide contact information for the responsible local school district personnel regarding the disposition of examination results.
5. Organize a Testing Irregularity Report (see form in Appendix A)consisting of the following:
6. A description of the observed misconduct, including information provided by the Test Administrators and other personnel or students who observed the misconduct.
7. A list of actions taken by the school and district, including steps to avoid future incidents of the same nature and disciplinary measures for any individuals involved.
8. File incident with MDE by calling immediately. Follow up with a copy of the Testing Irregularity Report and supporting documentation sent by email,osa@mde.k12.ms.us, or fax, 601-359-2471.
Best Practice Tip- Consistent monitoring by test site personnel should minimize the need for testing irregularity management.
Additional Guidance from Appendix F on Testing Irregularities
1. Anyone with knowledge of or information regarding a possible testing irregularity or alleged security violations reports the alleged irregularity/violation to an appropriate authority. {MS Code 37-16-4(1)(f)}(Appendix F, Section IV, 14)
2. Test administrators and proctors keep written records of any testing irregularities occurring during testing and report these to the school test coordinator who then reports to the District Test Coordinator. The District Test Coordinator reports all irregularities for a test administration to the district superintendent for investigation. Documentation regarding testing irregularities is maintained on file in the district. (Appendix F, Section IV, 15)
Test Invalidation Process
All invalidations must be requested and approved during the testing administration. Once testing materials have been returned to the testing vendor or the online testing administration has ended, OSA will not approve any invalidation. Pearson should not be contacted by district personnel requesting to have answer documents coded for invalidation. OSA may offer verbal approval for invalidations due to timing constraints during testing; however, the invalidation is not official until the request is received in writing and approved by OSA in writing. If an answer document is marked for invalidation and OSA has not received and approved the written request, the answer document will be scored.
The following invalidation process will be implemented for the MCT2, MST2, MWAP3 and SATP2 Programs effective with the 2013-2014 school year.
1. All invalidations must be approved by the Office of Student Assessment.
2.Only the District Test Coordinator (DTC) may request approval to invalidate from OSA.
3. The DTC may contact OSA for clarity prior to submitting the invalidation request in writing; however, it is not mandatory to call for verbal approval.
4. All written requests MUST be submitted via the survey in order to ensure OSA receives the necessary information in the initial request.
5. The survey will only be available during specified time-periods during each test administration.
6. Written approval/denial from OSA will be provided via email.
7. Pending the nature of the invalidation request, additional information may be required prior to OSA providing an official response.
Image of the OSA Invalidation Survey
Data Forensics Used to Detect Possible Testing Irregularities
1. Caveon Data Forensics" analyzes test response data using patent-pending methods and systems to identify statistically inconsistent test response patterns from among the total population of test responses.
2. These algorithms detect anomalous patterns which may be associated with different forms of testing irregularities, such as answer copying, inappropriate assistance during testing, lax proctoring, etc.
3. The analyses in the report we receive identify several types of statistical inconsistencies:
a.Very similar test responses
b.Test aberrance or unusual response patterns
c.Larger score change in a student's score than would seem reasonable using previously obtained scores
d.Very similar test responses are measured by comparing pairs of test answer sheets. The statistic indicates whether the agreement or similarity between the answers is greater than would be expected by chance alone.
e.Large change scores are measured by evaluating the change in a student's test performance relative to previous assessments. A testing irregularity could include such examples as inappropriate coaching before or during the test or inappropriate answer changing during or after the test.
4. The Caveon analysis uses very conservative statistical methods.
5. If students exceed a 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000 (10 to the 17th power or a threshold/collusion index of 18) the statistical probability, their SATP2 scores will be flagged and automatically invalidated.
6. The test scores of all students with a flag for statistical anomalies will automatically be invalidated.
7. School districts can appeal SATP2 score invalidations resulting from a Caveon flag.
8. If a district appeals invalidation due to statistical inconsistencies, the appeal and documentation should provide evidence that provides an extremely high degree of certainty that a testing irregularity did not occur.
9. If a school district plans to appeal, they should notify the OSA and follow the guidelines for investigations. Districts are given 15 working days to respond to a request for an investigation.
10. Caveon analysis are run for MCT2 and focuses on the teacher, school, and district levels.
11. Erasure analyses are compiled for MCT2, MST2, and SATP2 for each administration.
Roles and Responsibilities
All individuals in the testing community play a vital role in helping to maintain a secure testing environment at every level from test development through scoring and reporting. In Appendix B there is a hand-out of the duties of the following key test site personnel:
A. District Test Coordinator
B. School Test Coordinator
C. Test Administrator
D. Test Proctor
E. Student
F. Hall Monitor
G. Test Auditor
Miss. Code. tit. 7, pt. 109, ch. 3