This page contains steps that district and campus coordinators should consider before, during, and after a test administration.

Before an Administration

Advance planning plays a key role in ensuring successful test administrations and the proper handling and return of all secure materials.

Handling Test Materials

The district coordinator has the ultimate responsibility of accounting for test materials; however, campus coordinators play an integral role in supporting this task. Using a tracking process can greatly assist in locating all secure materials throughout a test administration.

Because test materials are stored at campuses for much of the time they are in the district, it is essential that campus coordinators also plan accordingly. District coordinators must verify that campuses have sufficient measures in place for tracking secure materials and are implementing these measures. District coordinators should do the following:

• Ensure that campus coordinators identify and document all individuals who will have access to a secure storage area. Campuses should limit the number of personnel who have access to such areas.

• Carefully review the materials list in TIDE for accurate information about what materials will be delivered.

• Verify receipt of each shipment of test materials and account for all boxes by checking the box numbers and the amounts against the district packing list contained in Box 1.

• Immediately notify the state’s testing contractor of any discrepancies between the materials received and the information contained in the packing list.

• Establish a secure method for transferring materials to campuses and ensure that the individuals transporting them have been trained and are aware of their security and confidentiality requirements.

• Verify that all campuses have received their shipments and have physically inventoried the shipment contents using the campus packing list provided.

• Instruct each campus to notify the district coordinator immediately of any discrepancies identified between the materials received and the information contained in the campus packing list. Texas Testing Support must be notified of all missing materials prior to the assessment dates so that district personnel will not be held accountable for these materials.

• Ensure that all campuses provide the district coordinator with their requests for additional materials, as needed. A single order with the testing contractor for additional materials for all campuses will be more efficient than multiple orders. Be aware of the deadlines for district coordinators to order additional materials as listed on the Calendar of Events.

• Retain all shipping records and materials tracking documentation (e.g., shipper’s bill of lading, pallet detail reports, district and campus packing lists, district-generated documents used to track the delivery of materials to and between campuses).

• Instruct campus coordinators on how to return secure materials and remind them that the boxes materials were received in should be saved and reused to return the materials.

Planning for Possible Testing Disruptions

Disruptions in testing generally involve unplanned situations that can usually be resolved when properly handled. Having a plan in place to address unforeseen events can contribute to a successful resolution and help to ensure minimal negative impact on students. District coordinators should contact the TEA Student Assessment Division as soon as possible to seek guidance in handling any significant disruptions. To prepare for unexpected disruptions, district coordinators should do the following:

• Ensure that all campuses are aware of what to do and whom to contact if a disruption takes place during test administrations.

• Confirm that each campus has a plan in place for securing online assessments and test materials to maintain confidentiality in the event of a disruption during testing and remind campuses that the safety of students and staff is the first consideration.

When calling TEA for guidance in handling a disruption, district coordinators should be prepared to answer the following questions so that the TEA Student Assessment Division staff can provide the most appropriate directions:

• What has happened and where has the disruption taken place?

• How many students are affected? Are they being monitored while the situation is being assessed?

• How far have test sessions progressed? Can testing be resumed the same day? If so, will there be sufficient time for students to finish their assessments?

• Given the situation, what other options does the district coordinator suggest for continuing testing as soon as possible?

• If testing cannot resume the same day, what efforts can be made to maintain test security and confidentiality?

Completing District Coordinator Tasks

District coordinators should complete the following tasks:

• Be familiar with these Coordinator Resources, including this Test Security section.

• Review the training guidelines and attend the recommended district coordinator training.

• Sign a test security oath for district coordinators in TIDE.

• Schedule a sufficient number of training sessions (including make-up sessions) and allow enough time to adequately train campus coordinators.

• Give campus coordinators ample notice of the scheduled training.

• Make facility arrangements for holding training sessions.

• Develop training materials for the sessions.

• Assemble training materials or guidelines that campus coordinators should use for their test administrator training.

• Refer to the regional testing coordinator training and other trainings on the Learning Management System (LMS).

Completing Campus Coordinator Tasks

Campus coordinators should complete the following tasks:

• Be familiar with these Coordinator Resources and read the test administrator manuals.

• Attend campus coordinator training.

• Sign an Oath of Test Security and Confidentiality after training.

• Confirm that eligible testers have been identified and have been assigned the correct assessments in TIDE. Note the number of students who will be taking an assessment on paper so that this number can be reconciled with the number of DEI submissions.

• Arrange for testing rooms for online and paper test administrations. Be sure to consider testing opportunities for students absent from regularly scheduled testing.

• Verify prior to the test administration that all areas are free from instructional displays that could provide a direct source of answers for the subject-area assessment being administered. In situations where the campus must relocate testers, the area to which the students will be moved should also be verified to be free from such instructional displays.

• Ensure that all allowed or approved technology, including technology-based accommodations (e.g., accessibility features, designated supports) have been reviewed and meet technology guidelines.

• Plan for the arrival of test materials shipments. Maintain proper campus procedures for inventorying, storing, distributing, and tracking secure items.

• Verify immediately upon receipt of campus shipments that all materials have been received. Retain testing contractor boxes for the return of materials.

• Verify that your campus has sufficient quantities of materials, especially those needed for paper administrations (e.g., braille).

• Designate test administrators, raters, and monitors. Remind testing personnel about the qualification guidelines for participating in state assessments, including the requirement to identify the certified staff members who will be supervising noncertified staff members participating in testing.

• Plan for a sufficient number of training sessions, including make-up sessions. Allow enough time to adequately train campus personnel participating in testing, including training for paper administrations and for testing with accommodations.

• Prepare a sufficient number of blank seating charts. Be sure to account for areas used for consolidating testers. Ensure that seating charts have space in which to record all required information, including the test session start and stop times and the test administrator’s name, and that they are appropriate for the layout of each testing room.

• Ensure that arrangements have been made to assess eligible homebound students and students attending alternative campuses.

• Ensure that procedures are in place for consolidating or transferring groups of students and testing materials from one area to another and that testing personnel are aware of monitoring requirements when doing so.

• Designate a process by which test administrators may contact the campus coordinator or principal if they need assistance during testing.

During an Administration

During testing, district and campus coordinators must be available to answer questions and resolve issues.

Monitoring and Ensuring Oversight

Monitoring campuses during a test administration minimizes errors and helps ensure that procedures are followed. District coordinators, principals, and campus coordinators play a critical role in this effort, ensuring that each test administrator actively monitors students and that all testing personnel adhere to the proper testing procedures.

• Principals and campus coordinators must verify that test administrators are actively monitoring students.

• Campus personnel should be available to properly monitor students during planned and unplanned breaks in testing.

• Principals and campus coordinators must verify that test administrators properly complete the required seating charts for each test session and ensure that seating charts include any students who moved, transferred, or arrived late to a test session.

• Testing personnel must ensure that students are administered the appropriate assessment (including special paper administrations) and have been issued the correct student test tickets for online testing.

• Test administrators must allow students who have completed their assessments to work on an instructional activity (e.g., guided reading activity) or leave the testing area while other students continue testing.

Completing District Coordinator Tasks

District coordinators should complete the following tasks:

• Ensure that campuses lock and restrict access to secure storage areas when not in use, including any secure storage areas in classrooms.

• Ensure that campus coordinators correctly use the Materials Control Form when distributing test materials to test administrators each day.

• Confirm that campus coordinators verify that all test booklets are being returned and accounted for daily.

• Confirm that campus coordinators and test administrators properly secure and monitor test materials and online assessments while students are taking breaks from testing.

Completing Campus Coordinator Tasks

Campus coordinators should complete the following tasks:

• Verify and account for all secure test materials before and after testing each day.

• Verify that test administrators are issued the appropriate student test tickets for online testers; test administrator manuals; test booklets for paper testers; and, as applicable, accommodations lists and materials, calculators, and dictionaries.

• Confirm that students have been directed to and are present in their designated testing areas.

• Verify that the required seating charts are being completed for each test session and that test administrators are recording the required information.

• Ensure that test administrators verify and personally distribute test materials to students. To avoid switching student test tickets for online administrations and test booklets for paper administrations, test administrators should be especially careful when issuing materials to students with the same or similar names.

• Check all test sessions within the first hour to ensure that all students are in the correct location and have been issued the correct assessments.

• Check oral administrations within the first hour to assure the assessment is being properly administered.

• Monitor testing (i.e., visit or assign staff to visit each testing area to ensure that test administrators are actively monitoring, as directed in the test administrator manuals).

• Be aware of any appearance of impropriety (i.e., ensure that test administrators know how to avoid situations that might lead to allegations of viewing, discussing, or scoring test materials).

• Verify that test administrators are allowing students who have submitted their assessments to quietly read a book or leave the testing area.

• Be accessible in case problems arise.

After an Administration

A district’s secure materials must be returned in accordance with the procedures and timelines outlined in these Coordinator Resources. Maintaining adequate oversight and reinforcing the use of proper handling and packing guidelines will help ensure the accurate and complete return of all secure items.

Completing District Coordinator Tasks

District coordinators should complete the following tasks:

• Once test sessions have been completed, ensure that campuses immediately collect and destroy any scratch paper, graph paper, or reference materials that students wrote on during the assessment, as well as any test tickets, online session IDs, and recordings.

• Ensure that campus coordinators account for all students, including out-of-district and out-of-school examinees, homebound students, students at alternative campuses, and any students who received paper administrations.

• Verify that the campuses account for all secure materials, including test booklets, image cards, secure test instructions, scoring documents, and any overage materials that have been issued, and that all secure materials are reconciled with the original packing list and materials control documents.

• Confirm that campuses have rechecked their secure storage areas and any areas used for processing materials for overage, unused secure materials, and other materials for return, especially test booklets.

• Keep a list of the contents of each box of materials that will be returned to the state’s testing contractor.

• Verify that all boxes have the appropriate label for the return of materials as established by the testing contractor. Ensure that materials are grouped by test administration and are numbered in sequential order (e.g., Box 5 of 10, Box 6 of 10).

• Ensure that all secure materials remain monitored by certified personnel or are in locked storage until picked up by the carrier.

Completing Campus Coordinator Tasks

Campus coordinators should complete the following tasks:

• Account for every test booklet (including any overage or transferred materials).

• Confirm that trained personnel have submitted student responses from paper administrations and Observable Behaviors ratings in DEI.

• Confirm that trained personnel have uploaded TELPAS holistic ratings in TIDE.

• Confirm that all required seating charts have been accurately completed and contain the required information, including the test administrators’ names and test session start and stop times. Ensure that all students who tested are accounted for on the required seating chart, including any students who moved, transferred, or arrived late to a test session.

• Recheck the secure storage area, as well as all areas that may have been used to process test materials, for stray items (such as overage or used and unused materials) before returning materials to the district coordinator.

• Maintain all inventory records and packaging information in the event a problem arises and materials need to be accounted for.

Retaining Documentation

• Campus coordinators must have collected signed test security oaths from all personnel who participated in testing.

• Campus coordinators must collect the seating charts for each test session and verify that the charts contain the required information.

• District coordinators must confirm that campus coordinators have properly completed and collected all inventory and shipping records, including Materials Control Forms, shipping notices, and district-generated documents used to track the delivery of materials to and between campuses.

• District and campus coordinators are required to retain signed test security oaths, required seating charts, testing irregularity and investigation documentation, and inventory and shipping records for five years following a test administration.

• District and campus coordinators are required to ensure that the designated administration documentation storage location is secure and that the documentation cannot be subsequently altered. District and campus coordinators may decide how this documentation is to be stored—scanned and kept in an electronic format or retained as hard copy—as long as the information is secure, legible, and retrievable.

• District coordinators should periodically audit campuses to ensure that administration documentation has been accurately completed and securely stored.