Louisiana Administrative Code
Title 28 - EDUCATION
Part CXI - Bulletin 118-Statewide Assessment Standards and Practices
Chapter 3 - Test Security
Section CXI-305 - Test Security Policy
Universal Citation: LA Admin Code CXI-305
Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 9, September 20, 2024
A. The state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education holds the test security policy to be of utmost importance and deems any violation of test security to be serious. The test security policy follows.
1. Tests
administered by or through the SBESE shall include but not be limited to:
a. all alternate assessments;
b. all criterion-referenced tests (CRTs) and
norm-referenced tests (NRTs).
2. For purposes of this policy, school
districts shall include:
a. local education
agencies (LEAs) as well as the Recovery School District (RSD);
b. special school districts;
c. approved special schools, such as the
Louisiana School for the Visually Impaired and Louisiana School for the
Deaf;
d. laboratory
schools;
e. type 2 and type 5
charter schools;
f. Louisiana
School for Math, Science, and the Arts; and
g. participating nonpublic/other schools that
utilize tests administered through the SBESE or the LDE.
3. It shall be a violation of test security
for any person to do any of the following:
a.
administer tests in a manner that is inconsistent with the administrative
instructions provided by the LDE that would give examinees an unfair advantage
or disadvantage;
b. give examinees
access to test questions prior to testing;
c. examine any test item at any time (except
for students during the test or test administrators while providing the
accommodations Tests Read Aloud or Communication Assistance, Transferred
Answers, or Answers Recorded for students determined to be eligible for those
accommodations);
d. at any time,
copy, reproduce, record, store electronically, discuss or use in a manner
inconsistent with test regulations all or part of any secure test item, test
booklet, answer document, or supplementary secure materials;
e. coach examinees in any manner during
testing or alter or interfere with examinees' responses in any
manner;
f. provide answers to
students in any manner during the test, including provision of cues, clues,
hints, and/or actual answers in any form:
i.
written;
ii. printed;
iii. verbal; or
iv. nonverbal;
g. administer published parallel, previously
administered, or current forms of any statewide assessment (e.g., Louisiana
Educational Assessment Program [LEAP]; Integrated LEAP
[iLEAP]; Graduation Exit Examination [GEE]; Graduation Exit
Examination ["old" GEE]; LEAP Alternate Assessment, Level 1 [LAA 1]; LEAP
Alternate Assessment, Level 2 [LAA 2]; the English Language Development
Assessment [ELDA]; end-of-course tests (EOCT) online assessments; forms K, L,
M, A, and B and all new forms of the Iowa tests; or EXPLORE and PLAN as a
practice test or study guide;
h.
fail to follow security regulations for distribution and return of secure test
booklets, answer documents, student log-in information, supplementary secure
materials as well as overages as directed; or fail to account for and secure
test materials before, during, or after testing;
i. conduct testing in environments that
differ from the usual classroom environment (excluding computer labs used for
online testing) without prior written permission from the LDE, Division of
Standards, Assessments, and Accountability except for the purpose of providing
accommodations;
j. fail to report
any testing irregularities to the district test coordinator (a testing
irregularity is any incident in test handling or administration that leads to a
question regarding the security of the test or the accuracy of the test data),
who must report such incidents to the LDE, Division of Assessments and
Accountability;
k. participate in,
direct, aid, counsel, assist in, encourage, or fail to report any of the acts
prohibited in the section.
4. Each school district as described in this
policy shall develop and adopt a district test security policy and procedures
for handling emergencies during online testing that is in compliance with the
state's test security policy. A copy of the policy and a Statement of Assurance
regarding the LEA's test security policy must be submitted annually to the LDE,
Division of Assessments and Accountability. This statement must include the
name of the individual designated by the district superintendent or institution
to procure test material. The policy shall provide:
a. for the security of the test materials
during testing, including test booklets, answer documents, student log-in
information, supplementary secure materials, videotapes, and completed
observation sheets;
b. for the
storage of all tests materials, except district and school test coordinator
manuals and test administration manuals, in a designated secure locked area
before, during, and after testing; all secure materials, including any parallel
forms of a test, must be kept in locked storage at both the district and school
levels; secure materials must never be left in open areas or
unattended;
c. a description and
record of professional development on test security, test administration, and
security procedures for individual student test data provided for all
individuals with access to test materials or individual student test data
(access to test materials by school personnel means any contact with or
handling the materials but does not include reviewing tests or analyzing test
items, which are prohibited);
d. a
list of personnel authorized to have access to the locked secure storage
area;
e. procedures for
investigating any testing irregularities, including violations in test
security, such as plagiarism and excessive wrong-to-right erasures identified
through erasure analysis;
f.
procedures for the investigation of employees accused of irregularities or
improprieties in the administration of standardized tests, as required by the
amended
R.S.
17:81.6;
g. procedures for the investigation of any
missing test booklets, answer documents, student log-in information, or
supplementary secure material;
h.
procedures for ensuring the security of individual student test data in
electronic and paper formats including encryption of student demographics in
any email correspondence;
i. to the
extent practicable, procedures to assign a different test administrator for a
class than the teacher of record for the class, except for teachers testing
students with accommodations and younger students, grades 3 through
8;
j. starting with the 20142015
school year, procedures to code testing materials at no more than two secure
central locations and to house the testing materials at the central locations
until no more than three working days prior to test administration, to the
extent practicable;
k. procedures
for monitoring of test sites to ensure that appropriate test security
procedures are being followed and to observe test administration
procedures.
5.
Procedures for investigating missing secure materials, any testing irregularity
(including cheating), and any employees accused of improprieties must, at a
minimum, include the following.
a. The
district test coordinator shall initiate the investigation upon the district's
determination of an irregularity or breach of security or upon notification by
the LDE. The investigation shall be conducted by the district test coordinator
and other central office staff as designated by the district
superintendent.
b. The location of
the designated secure locked area for storage of materials shall be examined,
and the individuals with access to secure materials shall be
identified.
c. Interviews regarding
testing administration and security procedures shall be conducted with the
principal, school test coordinator(s), test administrator(s), and proctor(s) at
the identified schools. All individuals who had access to the test materials at
any time must be interviewed.
d.
Interviews shall be conducted with students in the identified classes regarding
testing procedures, layout of the classroom, access to test materials before
the test, and access to unauthorized materials during testing.
6. After completion of the
investigation, the school district shall provide a report of the investigation
and a written plan of action to the state superintendent within 30 calendar
days of the initiation of the investigation. At a minimum, the report shall
include the nature of the situation, the time and place of occurrence, and the
names of the persons involved in or witness to the occurrence. Officials from
the LDE are authorized to conduct additional investigations.
7. All test administrators and proctors must
sign the Oath of Security and return it to the STC to keep on
file for three years. The STC and principal must sign an oath of security and
return it to the DTC to be kept on file at the district for three
years.
8. Test materials, including
all test booklets, answer documents, student log-in information, and
supplementary secure materials containing secure test questions, shall be kept
secure and accounted for in accordance with the procedures specified in the
test administration manuals and other communications provided by the LDE.
Secure test materials include test booklets, answer documents, student log-in
information, and any supplementary secure materials.
9. Procedures described in the test manuals
shall include, but are not limited to, the following.
a. All test booklets, answer documents,
student login information, and supplementary secure materials must be kept in a
designated locked secure storage area prior to and after administration of any
test.
i. Test administrators are to be given
access to the tests and any supplementary secure materials only on the day the
test is to be administered, and these are to be retrieved immediately after
testing is completed for the day and stored in the designated locked secure
storage area each day of testing.
b. All test booklets, answer documents,
student login information, and supplementary secure materials must be accounted
for and written documentation kept by test administrators and proctors for each
point at which test materials are distributed and returned.
c. Any discrepancies noted in the serial
numbers of test booklets, answer documents, and any supplementary secure
materials, or the quantity received from contractors must be reported to the
LDE, Division of Assessments and Accountability, by the designated
institutional or school district personnel prior to the administration of the
test.
d. In the event that test
booklets, answer documents, or supplementary secure materials are determined to
be missing while in the possession of the institution or school district or in
the event of any other testing irregularities or breaches of security, the
designated institutional or school district personnel must immediately notify
by telephone the LDE, Division of Assessments and Accountability, and follow
the detailed procedures for investigating and reporting specified in this
policy.
e. Only personnel trained
in test security and administration shall be allowed to have access to or
administer any statewide assessments.
f. Each district superintendent or
institution must annually designate one individual in the district or
institution as district test coordinator, who is authorized to procure test
materials that are utilized in testing programs administered by or through the
SBESE of the LDE. The name of the individual designated must be provided in
writing to the LDE, Division of Assessments and Accountability, and included on
the Statement of Assurance.
g.
Testing shall be conducted in class-sized groups. Bulletin 741 (913A) states
that K-3 classroom enrollment should be no more than 26 students, and in grades
4-12, no more than 33, except in certain activity types of classes in which the
teaching approach and the material and equipment are appropriate for large
groups. For grades K-8, the maximum class size for Health and Physical
Education classes may be no more than 40. Class size for exceptional students
is generally smaller Bulletin 741, (915). Permission for testing in
environments that differ from the usual classroom environment must be obtained
in writing from the LDE, Division of Assessments and Accountability, at least
30 days prior to testing. If testing outside the usual classroom environment is
approved by the Division of Assessments and Accountability, the school district
must provide at least one proctor for every 30 students.
h. The state superintendent of education may
disallow test results that may have been achieved in a manner that is in
violation of test security.
10. The LDE shall establish procedures to
identify:
a. improbable achievement of test
score gains;
b. situations in which
collaboration between or among individuals may occur during the testing
process;
c. a verification of the
number of all tests distributed and the number of tests returned;
d. excessive wrong-to-right erasures for
multiple-choice tests;
e. any
violation to written composition or open-ended responses (including electronic
submissions) that involves plagiarism;
f. any other situation that may result in
invalidation of test results:
11. In cases in which test results are not
accepted because of a breach of test security or action by the LDE, any
programmatic, evaluative, or graduation criteria dependent upon the data shall
be deemed not to have been met.
12.
Individuals shall adhere to all procedures specified in all manuals that govern
mandated testing programs.
13.
Anyone known to be involved in the presentation of forged, counterfeit, or
altered identification for the purposes of obtaining admission to a test
administration site for any test administered by or through the SBESE or the
LDE shall have breached test security. Any individual who knowingly causes or
allows the presentation of forged, counterfeited, or altered identification for
the purpose of obtaining admission to any test administration site must forfeit
all test scores but will be allowed to retake the test at the next test
administration.
14. School
districts must ensure that individual student test data are protected from
unauthorized access and disclosure.
a. The
LEAPdata Query system is designed for teachers and contains
students private information, including state test scores and state
identification numbers. The system is password protected and requires a user ID
and an assigned password for access. The system is not for public use, and any
student information from the system must not be disclosed to anyone other than
a state, district, or school official as defined by the Family Educational
Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA). A state, district, or school official
is a person employed by the state, district, or school as an administrator,
supervisor, district test coordinator, school test coordinator, principal,
teacher, or principal's designated office staff. Such a user must have a
legitimate educational purpose to review an educational record in order to
fulfill his/her professional responsibility. Curiosity does not qualify as a
right to know. State, district and school officials who are granted a password
to these systems must abide by FERPA law. Disclosure of passwords to anyone
other than those authorized is prohibited. Disclosure of a students data to
their parent or guardian must be in accordance with FERPA. For more information
on FERPA, see the U.S. Department of Education web page at http://www.ed.gov
/offices/OM/fpco/ferpa/ [File Link Not Available].
i. LEAPdata Query System
User Access. Principals should contact their DTC or backup DTC for assistance
in training teachers. After training, all school users (e.g., teachers,
counselors, test coordinators) must read and sign the confidentiality agreement
and return it to the principal. Signed confidentiality agreements are valid
until the DTC receives notification that the confidentiality agreement
available online has been revised. A new confidentiality agreement should be
signed by all users each year after the new password letters
for schools and districts are automatically generated in August. If a breach in
security occurs, principals should immediately contact the DTC or the backup
DTC for a replacement password. Principals should always contact their DTC or
backup DTC for assistance and training.
b. The LEAPweb Reporting
System and the End-of-Course Tests Online Assessment System are designed for
administrators only and contains students' private information, including state
test scores and state identification numbers. The system is password protected
and requires a user ID and an assigned password for access. The systems are not
for public use and any student information from the system must not be
disclosed to anyone other than a state, district, or school official as defined
by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA). A state,
district, or school official is a person employed by the state, district, or
school as an administrator, supervisor, district test coordinator, school test
coordinator, principal, and the principal's designated office staff. Such a
user must have a legitimate educational purpose to review an educational record
in order to fulfill his/her professional responsibility. Curiosity does not
qualify as a right to know. State, district, and school users who are granted a
password to this system must read and abide by Family and Educational Rights
Privacy Act (FERPA). Disclosure of passwords to anyone other than those
authorized is prohibited. Disclosure of a student's data to their parent or
guardian must be in accordance with FERPA. For more information on FERPA, see
the U.S. Department of Education web page at http://www.ed.gov/offices/
OM/fpco/ferpa/ [File Link Not Available].
i.
LEAPweb Reporting System User Access. At the school level,
only principals (not teachers) and their designated school personnel (test
coordinators, counselors, or office staff with whom the principal shares
his/her PIN) should have access to the system and must sign a confidentiality
agreement. Signed confidentiality agreements are valid until the DTC receives
notification that the confidentiality agreement available online has been
revised. A new confidentiality agreement should be signed by all users each
year after the new password letters for schools and districts
are automatically generated in August. If a breach in security occurs,
principals should immediately contact the DTC or the backup DTC for a
replacement password. Principals should always contact their DTC or backup DTC
for assistance and training.
ii.
EOC Tests Online Assessment System User Access. At the school level, only
school test coordinators, teachers, and test administrators participating in a
given administration should have access to the system and must sign a
confidentiality agreement. A new confidentiality agreement shall be signed by
all users each year after the new password letters for schools
and districts are automatically generated in August. If a breach in security
involving access to secure test systems occurs, principals should immediately
contact the DTC or the backup DTC for a replacement password. Principals should
always contact their DTC or backup DTC for assistance and training.
iii. Confidentiality agreements must also be
signed by DTCs for the LEAPweb Reporting, EOC Tests Online
Assessment System, and LEAPdata Query Systems and returned to
the LDE. New signed agreements should be submitted to LDE when personnel
changes are made within the district. Log-in information will not be issued
until a signed agreement is on file with the LDE.
c. The Louisiana Department of Education's
Enhanced Assessment of Grade Level Expectations (EAGLE) System contains
students' private information, including test scores and state identification
numbers. This system is password protected and requires a user ID and an
assigned password for access. Any student information from the system must not
be disclosed to anyone other than a state, district, or school official, or
parent/guardian as defined by The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of
1974 (FERPA). For more information on FERPA, see the U.S. Department of
Education web page at http://www.ed.gov/offices/OM/fpco/ferpa/. A state,
district, or school official is a person employed by the state, district, or
school as an administrator, supervisor, district test coordinator, school test
coordinator, principal, teacher, or support staff member. This user has a
legitimate educational purpose to review an educational record in order to
fulfill his or her professional responsibility. Curiosity does not qualify as a
right to know. All users who are granted a password to this system must abide
by FERPA law. Disclosure of passwords to anyone other than those authorized is
prohibited.
i. EAGLE System User Access.
Principals should contact their district designee, DTC, backup DTC, or district
curriculum supervisor for assistance in training teachers. All users (e.g.,
teachers, counselors, test coordinators) must read and sign the confidentiality
agreement and return it to the principal. Signed confidentiality agreements are
valid until the DTC receives notification that the confidentiality agreement
available online has been revised. A new confidentiality agreement should be
signed by all users each year after the new password letters for schools and
districts are automatically generated in August. Keep copies signed by all
school users on file at the school. If a breach in security occurs, principals
should immediately contact the district designee, district test coordinator, or
backup district designee for a replacement password. Principals should always
contact their district designee, DTC, backup DTC, or district curriculum
supervisor for assistance and training.
d. All users who have access to these systems
and leave their positions at a district or school site must not use or share
the password.
15.
District test coordinators are responsible for providing training regarding the
security and confidentiality of individual student test data (in paper and
electronic formats) and of aggregated data of fewer than 10 students.
16. LDE staff will conduct site visits during
testing to observe test administration procedures and to ensure that
appropriate test security procedures are being followed. Schools with prior
violations of test security or other testing irregularities will be identified
for visits. Other schools will be randomly selected.
17. Any teachers or other school personnel
who breach test security or allow breaches in test security shall be
disciplined in accordance with the provisions of
R.S.
17:416 et seq.,
R.S.
17:441 et seq.,
R.S.
17:81 et seq., policy and regulations adopted
by the SBESE, and any and all laws that may be enacted by the Louisiana
Legislature.
AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 17:391.7 (C)(G).
Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Louisiana may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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