Miss. Code. tit. 7, pt. 109, ch. 4, app 7-109-4-B
All individuals in the testing community play a vital role in helping to maintain a secure testing environment at every level from test development through scoring and reporting. The following are hand outs of the duties of these key test site personnel:
A. District Test Coordinator
B. School Test Coordinator
C. Test Administrator
D. Test Proctor
E. Student
F. Hall Monitor
G. Test Auditor
The district test coordinator is to guide in the local administration, reporting, and interpretation of tests and other accountability measures. Maintaining test security is a major responsibility of the district test coordinator. The district test coordinator shall:
1. Ensure that a District Test Security Plan for the school district is developed and disseminated to each school no later two weeks prior to the first fall testing administration of each year. A schedule of the state test administration dates for the school year is to be shared with teachers, students, and parents;
2. Ensure that all eligible students are assessed;
3. Account to the Office of Student Assessment for all test materials received and secure all test materials in a locked facility;
4. Prohibit the reproduction of all or any part of the tests;
5. Prohibit their employees from disclosing the content of, or specific items contained in, the tests to persons other than authorized employees of the school system;
6. Develop local policies and procedures to ensure maximum test security in coordination with the policies and procedures developed by the test publisher;
7. Designate the personnel who are authorized to have access to test materials;
8. Conduct audits periodically to ensure that proper test administration sessions are being held;
9. Ensure that the security of test materials and the integrity of the Mississippi Statewide Assessment System are maintained at all times;
10. Ensure that test administrators at each school are licensed school district or school personnel who have received professional training annually in education and the Mississippi Statewide Assessment System;
11. Provide guidance to the School Test Coordinator at each school in understanding his/her duties and responsibilities related to the state testing program and the implementation of state tests;
12. Oversee the planning and implementation of training for school-level test coordinators, test administrators, proctors and hall monitors;
13. Ensure that each school test coordinator and test administrator is trained in the implementation of testing accommodations used with students with disabilities and students identified as limited English proficient;
14. Assure that each school establishes procedures to ensure that all stake holders comply with the test publisher guidelines;
15. Inform personnel that any person who learns of any breach of security, loss of test materials, failure to account for test materials, or any other deviation from required security procedures shall immediately report that information to the district test coordinator;
16. Make a determination about the seriousness of reports of breaches of test security, loss of test materials, failure to account for test materials, unauthorized reproduction or retention of test materials, or any other deviation from required security procedures;
17. Declare a test administration as an invalidation using the appropriate procedures and documentation;
18. Report all testing irregularities to the Office of Student Assessment using the appropriate procedures and documentation; and
19. Report his/her determination and personnel action taken to the local board of education, the Office of Student Assessment, and the Office of Educator Licensure.
The assistant district test coordinator is to assist in the district test coordinator in the administration, reporting, and interpretation of tests and other accountability measures. The assistant district test coordinator assumes all duties and responsibilities in the event the district test coordinator is absent. The assistant district test coordinator shall:
1. Ensure that a District Test Security Plan for the school district is developed and disseminated to each school no later two weeks prior to the first fall testing administration of each year. A schedule of the state test administration dates for the school year is to be shared with teachers, students, and parents;
2. Ensure that all eligible students are assessed;
3. Account to the Office of Student Assessment for all test materials received and secure all test materials in a locked facility;
4. Prohibit the reproduction of all or any part of the tests;
5. Prohibit their employees from disclosing the content of, or specific items contained in, the tests to persons other than authorized employees of the school system;
6. Develop local policies and procedures to ensure maximum test security in coordination with the policies and procedures developed by the test publisher;
7. Designate the personnel who are authorized to have access to test materials;
8. Conduct audits periodically to ensure that proper test administration sessions are being held;
9. Ensure that the security of test materials and the integrity of the Mississippi Statewide Assessment System are maintained at all times;
10. Ensure that test administrators at each school are school district or school personnel who have professional training in education and the Mississippi Statewide Assessment System;
11. Assist the School Test Coordinator at each school in understanding his/her duties and responsibilities related to the state testing program and the implementation of state tests;
12. Oversee the planning and implementation of training for school-level test coordinators, test administrators, and proctors;
13. Ensure that each school-level test coordinator and test administrator is trained in the implementation of testing accommodations used with students with disabilities and students identified as limited English proficient;
14. Assure that each school establishes procedures to ensure that all test administrators comply with the test publisher guidelines;
15. Make a determination about the seriousness of reports of breaches of test security, loss of test materials, failure to account for test materials, unauthorized reproduction or retention of test materials, or any other deviation from required security procedures;
16. Declare a test administration as an invalidation using the appropriate procedures and documentation;
17. Report all testing irregularities to the Office of Student Assessment using the appropriate procedures and documentation; and
18. Report his/her determination and personnel action taken to the local board of education and the Office of Student Assessment.
The school designee shall serve as school test coordinator. The school test coordinator is to guide in the school administration, reporting, and interpretation of tests and other accountability measures. The school test coordinator shall:
1. Maintain test material security and accountability of test materials, store test materials in a secure, locked area;
2. Allow test materials to be distributed immediately prior to the test administration;
3. Accurately count and distribute test materials required for the test administrations at the school before each test administration. Immediately after each test administration, test materials must be collected, counted, and returned to the secure, locked storage area;
4. Maintain the confidentiality of individual student scores when reporting test results to the public and the media;
5. Encourage a positive atmosphere for the test administrations;
6. Adhere to the District Test Security Plan, School Test Security Plan, Test Administrators Manuals and test administration schedules established by the Office of Student Assessment;
7. Attend training sessions sponsored by the district test coordinator on the policies and procedures for handling secure test materials, conducting a proper test administration, editing and processing test materials;
8. Train all school personnel on the appropriate use of test materials, test security, Mississippi Public School Accountability Standards, 2012, Appendix F, and the Mississippi Educator Code of Ethics;
9. Emphasize to all school personnel that no person may copy, reproduce, or paraphrase in any manner or for any reason the test materials;
10. Inform personnel that any person who learns of any breach of security, loss of test materials, failure to account for test materials, or any other deviation from required security procedures shall immediately report that information to the school test coordinator and the district test coordinator;
11. Select test administrators who are school district or school personnel who have professional training in education and the Mississippi Statewide Assessment System;
12. Assign trained proctors to test administrations who are responsible adults from community volunteers, school staff, or district staff;
13. Implement the school system's testing policies and procedures and establish any needed school policies and procedures to assure that all eligible students are tested;
14. Report all testing irregularities to the district test coordinator using the appropriate procedures and documentation;
15. Report all testing irregularities to the Office of Student Assessment using the appropriate procedures and documentation; and
16. Report all testing irregularities to the Office of Student Assessment using the appropriate procedures and documentation when necessary; and
17. Return all test materials to the district test coordinator, as directed, immediately following the completion of the test administration.
The school designee shall serve as assistant school test coordinator. The Assistant District Test Coordinator assumes all duties and responsibilities in the event the School Test Coordinator is absent. The Assistant School Test Coordinator shall:
1. Maintain test material security and accountability of test materials, store test materials in a secure, locked area;
2. Allow test materials to be distributed immediately prior to the test administration;
3. Accurately count and distribute test materials required for the test administrations at the school before each test administration. Immediately after each test administration, test materials must be collected, counted, and returned to the secure, locked storage area;
4. Maintain the confidentiality of individual student scores when reporting test results to the public and the media;
5. Encourage a positive atmosphere for the test administrations;
6. Adhere to the District Test Security Plan, School Test Security Plan, Test Administrators Manuals and test administration schedules established by the Office of Student Assessment;
7. Attend training sessions sponsored by the district test coordinator on the policies and procedures for handling secure test materials, conducting a proper test administration, editing and processing test materials;
8. Train all school personnel on the appropriate use of test materials, test security, Mississippi Public School Accountability Standards, 2012, Appendix F, and the Mississippi Educator Code of Ethics;
9. Emphasize to all school personnel that no person may copy, reproduce, or paraphrase in any manner or for any reason the test materials;
10. Inform personnel that any person who learns of any breach of security, loss of test materials, failure to account for test materials, or any other deviation from required security procedures shall immediately report that information to the school test coordinator and the district test coordinator;
11. Select test administrators who are school district or school personnel who have professional training in education and the Mississippi Statewide Assessment System;
12. Assign trained proctors to test administrations who are responsible adults from community volunteers, school staff, or district staff;
13. Implement the school system's testing policies and procedures and establish any needed school policies and procedures to assure that all eligible students are tested;
14. Report all testing irregularities to the district test coordinator using the appropriate procedures and documentation;
15. Report all testing irregularities to the Office of Student Assessment using the appropriate procedures and documentation; and
16. Report all testing irregularities to the Office of Student Assessment using the appropriate procedures and documentation when necessary; and
17. Return all test materials to the district test coordinator, as directed, immediately following the completion of the test administration.
Only employees of the school district are permitted to administer secure state tests. While the Test Administrator's Manual for each assessment outlines the full test administrator responsibilities, those specifically related to test security are provided below. The test administrator shall:
1. Attend a test administration training session prior to each test administration conducted by the school system or school test coordinator and, if applicable, a training session on the use of accommodations;
2. Maintain test security at all times during the handling of test materials;
3. Account for and record the number of secure test materials;
4. Administer the test to all eligible students;
5. Conduct an unbiased administration of the tests according to the Mississippi Public School Accountability Standards, 2012, Appendix F and directions in the Test Administrator's Manual and any subsequent updates developed by the Office of Student Assessment;
6. Follow appropriate procedures when providing accommodations to students with disabilities and students identified as limited English proficient, if applicable, as outlined in the Mississippi Testing Accommodations Manual;
7. Assist students with emergencies (including restroom emergencies) during the test administration;
8. Remain in the room throughout the entire test administration unless there is an emergency; if there is an emergency it is most appropriate to request assistance from the hall monitor;
9. Read the directions in the Test Administrator's Manual and any subsequent updates developed by the Office of Student Assessment to the students as written;
10. Provide a positive test-taking environment;
11. Follow the procedures established by the district test coordinator for returning all used and unused testing materials, blank paper, and supplemental materials;
12. Securely review and edit student answer sheets to prepare for machine scoring. Test administrators shall not, at any time, modify, change, alter, erase, or tamper with student responses on the answer sheets/ performance test books;
13. Report all testing irregularities to the school test coordinator and/or principal using the appropriate procedures and documentation; and
14. Report all testing irregularities to the Office of Student Assessment using the appropriate procedures and documentation when necessary.
Proctors shall serve as additional monitors to help the test administrator ensure that testing occurs fairly and uniformly. A proctor shall be assigned regardless of the number of students being tested. Proctors may not assist students in choosing responses to test questions or, at any time, modify, change, alter, erase, or tamper with student responses to test questions. At no time shall proctors be responsible for reading directions or otherwise providing information for the test administration to students. Proctors maintain test security through working directly with the test administrator. The proctor shall:
1. Attend the appropriate test administration training session prior to each test administration;
2. Work with the test administrator to ensure that distractions and interruptions during the test administration are minimized;
3. Remain in the room throughout the entire test administration unless there is an emergency;
4. Assist the test administrator in maintaining test security;
5. Assist the test administrator in maintaining order in the classroom;
6. Follow appropriate test administration procedures;
7. Follow appropriate procedures when providing accommodations to students with disabilities and students identified as limited English proficient, if applicable;
8. Assist students with emergencies (including restroom emergencies) during the test administration; and
9. Report all testing irregularities to the school test coordinator and/or principal using the appropriate procedures and documentation; and
10. Report all testing irregularities to the Office of Student Assessment using the appropriate procedures and documentation.
Any student who is participating in any part of the Mississippi Statewide Assessment System should be encouraged to adhere to ethical and honorable conduct. The student shall:
1. Have their identity confirmed by school personnel or present one form of personal photo identification if they are not known by the Test Administrator or other individuals involved in the process, such as the classroom teacher or school counselor;
2. Submit to physical monitoring at all times during exam administration as well as monitoring of exam response data;
3. Hold all exam content in confidence indefinitely;
4. Refrain from the following forms of exam misconduct :
a. Accessing materials known or represented to be active exam content prior to testing;
b. Possessing in the testing area, writing materials, cameras, PDAs, personal computers brought to the testing room, tablets, communication devices such as telephones or pagers, reference materials, or non-approved calculators;
c. Communicating about test content with other students either in the testing area or in any other location;
d. Recording or memorizing exam content;
e. Disrupting other test-takers or the testing process;
f. Violating or attempting to violate published exam retake rules;
5. Submit, if misconduct is detected, to reasonable requests for the production of information and materials;
6. Abide by local school board or MDE determinations regarding alleged misconduct;
7. Abide by all sanctions imposed by local school boards or the MDE for misconduct or any other violation of these testing rules.
Hall Monitors shall serve as additional monitors to help the school test coordinators, test administrator and proctor ensure that testing occurs fairly and uniformly. A hall monitor shall be assigned regardless of the number of students being tested.
1. Attend the appropriate test administration training session prior to each test administration;
2. Hall Monitors serve as escorts for students during restroom breaks, substitutes for test administrators and proctors as needed;
3. Hall monitors help maintain test security through observation of the testing area from outside of the testing area;
4. Report all testing irregularities to the school test coordinator and/or principal using the appropriate procedures and documentation; and
5. Report all testing irregularities to the Office of Student Assessment using the appropriate procedures and documentation.
The auditor must be able to view the testing area to inspect the walls, spacing of students, notice the possibility of prohibited electronic devices (cell phones, IPODs, blue tooth ear pieces, etc.,), ensure book bags are in a location away from students, and monitor testing procedures. Before entering a classroom you must make sure that your presence in the room will not cause undue stress on any students with emotional problems. It is not within the auditor's authority to become a part of the test administration process; you are there only to observe. There may be other circumstances that will require the auditor's presence in the room for the entire test administration or extended periods of the test administration.
1. Test audits can be stressful for district personnel. Auditors are to be helpful, courteous, and supportive as appropriate. As you talk to school and district personnel, your responsibility is to ensure that all stakeholders maintain the security of the tests and that each administration is equitable for all students.
2. All Mississippi Department of Education auditors must wear their identification badges. School district personnel report to MDE if badges are not worn and visible.
3. Immediately upon arrival, the auditor must request that the superintendent, district test coordinator (DTC), and principal be notified of his/her presence in the district. Record the name and title of the person you ask to make the contacts.
4. The auditor must request to see the School Test Coordinator.
5. Arrive at the school no later than 7:45 in time to observe testing materials being distributed to test administrators. In the event you are scheduled to audit two schools, you are not expected to observe this process at the second school. You should observe the collection of materials.
6. Before leaving the school the auditor must request a copy of the district and/or school test security plans; a copy of the training agenda, sign-in sheets, seating chart/s and a copy of the testing schedule.
7. If the auditor observes a possible testing violation about to occur (such as materials left unattended, clues left on the walls, or a test about to be administered off schedule), the auditor should intervene to point out the discrepancy to district/school personnel before the violation has occurred. If it is not possible this should be noted in the auditor's report.
Miss. Code. tit. 7, pt. 109, ch. 4, app 7-109-4-B