Avoiding accommodation errors
Before a test administration, verify with the appropriate campus personnel that you are using the most up-to-date information regarding the testing requirements and accommodations for students. Confirm this information also for any newly enrolled students.
For proctored sessions, verify that all testing accommodations are marked in TIDE for students taking an online assessment with designated supports.
Ensure that all test attributes are marked in TIDE for students taking an online assessment with designated supports.
Establish procedures for communicating to the appropriate individuals at the campus level (e.g., language proficiency assessment committee [LPAC]; admission, review, and dismissal [ARD] committee; Section 504 Plan placement committee; response to intervention [RtI] team; student assistance team) those testing decisions that are in conflict with state assessment requirements or procedures.
Avoiding accounting errors
Manage proctored sessions using the Test Delivery System (TDS) Test Administrator Interface.
Manage unproctored testing in TIDE using the following reports:
Plan and Manage Testing report: details a student’s test opportunities and the status of those test opportunities in near real time.
Search Students by TSDS ID: provides a view of student testing information in near real time.
Test Completion Rates report: summarizes on a nightly basis the number and percentage of students who have started or completed a test.
Test Status Code report: displays a student’s eligibility for online tests and status of those opportunities in near real time.
Test Session Status report: displays status reports of active and inactive test sessions for the current day in near real time.
Emphasize to test administrators that some materials are preassigned to specific students. Train test administrators to carefully verify that students are issued their corresponding materials and to note students assigned to the same session who have the same or similar names.
Emphasize that test administrators are not allowed to leave online tests open or secure test materials unattended.
Verify that all student test tickets are collected at the end of a test session.
Avoiding eligibility errors
Ensure that you have identified and accounted for all students, including newly enrolled students or students whose assessment requirements might have changed just prior to a test administration.
Verify that the registration file is accurate and includes any updates to students’ testing information. In addition, verify that any changes you made to student information are accurate in TIDE after submitting or uploading your changes.
Verify the grade level and testing status of all enrolled students, especially newly enrolled students.
Verify that appropriate online test sessions have been created.
Establish procedures for ensuring that all students are present in or directed to the correct testing location.
Establish a process to confirm that all students are administered the correct assessments.
Establish a process to confirm that all students take the test only once per test administration.
Avoid reclassifying or changing a student’s enrolled grade during a test administration.
Avoiding monitoring errors
Ensure that campus coordinators have verified that all test administrators are in possession of the appropriate test administrator manuals and other resources on the days of testing.
Ensure that campus coordinators have verified with test administrators which ancillary materials are allowed or required for each subject and for each test.
Emphasize that test administrators must not leave students unattended with secure test materials.
Clearly establish which test administrators will be relieved for breaks and by whom. All individuals who work as test administrators or as relief test administrators must be trained at least once and sign a security oath.
Periodically check test sessions to ensure that test administrators are actively monitoring testing.
Instruct test administrators to immediately notify the appropriate testing personnel when improper student behavior has been detected.
Avoiding training errors
Identify for campus coordinators and test administrators those personnel who are trained and authorized to transport secure test materials or to monitor test administrations or relieve test administrators.
Confirm that a sufficient number of staff have been properly trained in test administration procedures.
Confirm that all personnel involved in testing are trained in test security and administration procedures and sign a test security oath.
Verify that testing personnel were provided the correct resources (e.g., test administrator manuals) far enough in advance of training to have had enough time to read them thoroughly.
Establish a process for ensuring that rater training and calibration procedures are followed.
Avoiding serious violations
Stress that test content should not be copied or electronically captured (print, photograph, or screenshot).
Stress that test content should not be viewed or discussed even after the test administration has been completed (e.g., in the classroom with students, in a faculty or team meeting). This applies to discussions regarding the specific content of tests. It is acceptable for teachers to talk with their students about their testing experience or the test in general as long as the conversation does not become content specific.
Verify that any test tickets and online test session IDs are collected and destroyed after completion of the test administration. In addition, scratch paper, graph paper, or reference materials written on by students during the test, as well as any recordings, must also be collected and destroyed after completion of the test administration.
Stress that student responses must be entered into DEI exactly as provided by the student and must not be altered.
Provide thorough annual training on test security and administration procedures to all testing personnel to ensure that they understand the penalties for engaging in conduct that violates test security and confidentiality.
Ensure that test administrators understand how to address students who might request assistance or drift off task during an assessment. Ensure that testing personnel have a reliable means to request assistance if they encounter an issue they are uncertain how to handle.
Reinforce to testing personnel the proper procedures for conducting an oral administration (including level of reading assistance, test booklet form, etc.), particularly procedures that prohibit test administrators from solving test items or discussing secure content or student performance.
Verify that campuses designate a sufficient number of testing personnel to adequately monitor the test administration.