La. Admin. Code tit. 28 § CXI-311

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 11, November 20, 2024

Section CXI-311 - Addressing Suspected Violations of Test Security and Troubling Content in Written Responses (Constructed Responses, Short Answers, and Essays)

A. The Test Security Policy approved by the SBESE requires that the LDE establish procedures to deal with breaches of test security. District authorities provide the LDE information about voiding student tests because of student violations observed during test administration or violations by school personnel or others that have been reported. In addition, the scoring process produces information regarding written responses that have common elements, which indicate a student brought unauthorized materials to testing and used them to assist in writing; that indicate that teacher interference might have been a significant factor, and in which troubling content was evident. Procedures for dealing with these issues follow.

1. Violation by Student as Observed by Test Administrator

a. The test administrator must notify the school test coordinator about any suspected incident of cheating and provide a written account of the incident. Answer documents in such cases should be processed like all other answer documents.

b. The school test coordinator must then convene a school-level test security committee consisting at a minimum of the principal, the school test coordinator, and the test administrator to determine whether a test should be voided.

c. If it is deemed necessary to void the test, the school test coordinator must notify the district test coordinator of the void request in a letter written on school letterhead, signed by the school principal and the school test coordinator. The original account of the incident written by the test administrator must be enclosed.

d. The district test coordinator must then fax a completed void form to the LDE, Division of Assessments and Accountability, as directed in the District and School Test Coordinators Manual. The original Void Verification form, along with a copy of the school test coordinator's request for the void, must also be mailed to the LDE, Division of Assessments and Accountability, as directed in the manual.

2. Reported Violations by School Personnel or Other Persons. All suspected instances of cheating should be reported directly to the school's district test coordinator for further investigation, and a report of the incident must be sent to LDE, Division of Assessments and Accountability. If it is deemed necessary to void tests, the DTC must fax a completed void form to the LDE, Division of Assessments and Accountability. The original Void Verification form along with a written report of the investigation carried out must be mailed to the LDE, Division of Assessments and Accountability.

3. Suspected Violations Discovered by Scoring Contractors

a. In addition to erasure analysis for multiple-choice items, possible incidents of the following violations may be discovered during the scoring process:

i. plagiarism. Responses contain exact or almost exact content, and/or words or phrases, and/or format;

ii. use of unauthorized materials. Students brought unauthorized materials into the testing environment and used them to assist in written responses;

iii. teacher interference. Teacher interference is evident in written responses.

b. If possible incidents of violations are discovered in the scoring process, the scoring contractor notifies the LDE, Division of Assessments and Accountability, of suspect documents with a summary of its findings.

c. Professional assessment and related-content personnel from the Division of Assessments and Accountability review the suspect documents and determine whether the evidence supports voiding the responses.

d. If voiding is recommended, LDE mails the district superintendent a letter of what was observed during the scoring process that caused the alert and identifies the particular document that was voided. Copies of the correspondence are provided to the deputy superintendent of education, the assistant superintendent of the Office of Student and School Performance, the director of the Division of Assessments and Accountability, and the local district test coordinator.

i. Within 30 calendar days of the receipt of such a letter, the district must investigate the incident and provide a written plan of action to the state superintendent of education. If the district and/or parent/guardian(s) wish to discuss the situation further or to examine the student responses, a meeting may be scheduled at the LDE offices between staff members from the Division of Assessments and Accountability district representatives, and parent/guardian(s).

4. Disturbing Content. If student responses with disturbing content are discovered during the scoring process, the scoring contractor will notify the appropriate staff member at the LDE, Division of Assessments and Accountability.

a. Professional assessment personnel review the responses. If it is determined that disturbing content causes a compelling need to break confidentiality, LDE will contact the district superintendent by telephone to summarize findings and inform him or her that materials are being mailed regarding the alert.

b. Issues regarding troubling content are for the district's information to assist the student and do not require further communication with LDE.

La. Admin. Code tit. 28, § CXI-311

Promulgated by the Department of Education, Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, LR 31:1531 (July 2005), amended LR 33:257 (February 2007), LR 35:217 (February 2009).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 17:24 et seq.