Student Cheating

District testing personnel are required to actively monitor students to ensure students are following test procedures and directions. In some cases, however, students might cheat or attempt to cheat by violating or attempting to violate test security procedures. Students must be discouraged from copying and sharing secure test content. TDS includes internal security features designed to protect the integrity of the digital testing environment and the security of the test questions. A student posting captured test content can be identified by a unique code in his or her assessment. In addition, test questions may vary across student test forms.

All students are required to follow test procedures and directions and should be reminded of this responsibility. Students taking STAAR end-of-course assessments are asked to acknowledge this responsibility through an honor statement. Acknowledging the honor statement is not required, but students are still expected to follow test security procedures even if they do not sign it. A copy of the Honor Statement is below.

District coordinators must implement procedures to prevent the use during testing of cell phones, personal electronic devices, and any wearable technology that is not essential. Students may use wearable technology only when it is medically necessary. Prescription lenses in smart (e.g. “Meta”) frames are permitted, but students wearing them must be closely monitored throughout the test. All electronic device usage must follow the Technology Guidelines outlined in these Coordinator Resources. TEA recommends that district testing personnel clearly communicate to parents which features of a student’s medically necessary wearable technology could compromise test security and result in the test being invalidated.

If a student duplicates, records, electronically captures (e.g., screenshots or photographs), posts on social media, transmits, or disseminates secure test content, the TEA Student Assessment Division must be contacted immediately. Any duplicated or captured secure test content must be destroyed upon completion of the district coordinator’s investigation. In addition, any test content posted on social media must be removed.

Students cheating or attempting to cheat on state assessments, either by providing or receiving assistance, requires action by the district or campus coordinator. After investigating the incident, if the district or campus coordinator determines that a student has been involved in cheating or attempting to cheat on a state assessment, the district or campus coordinator must:

• invalidate the student’s assessment as required by TAC §101.3031(a)(4) by marking the score code “O” for “Other” and indicating “Cheating” in TIDE for the corresponding assessment; and 

• complete the Locally Determined Disciplinary Action Form to report any disciplinary action taken against students who participated in the cheating incident.

A testing incident form (for either a serious testing violation or a procedural testing irregularity) does not need to be submitted for students’ testing errors such as cheating. If, however, the district coordinator determines that there was a failure on the part of testing personnel to follow test administration procedures (such as inadequate monitoring), a Procedural Testing Irregularity form must be submitted. If the district coordinator determines that testing personnel were involved in student cheating, a Serious Testing Violation form must be submitted.