7 Miss. Code. R. 109-4-F-IV

Current through December 10, 2024

Section 7-109-4-F-IV - REQUIREMENTS

The following is not an exhaustive list of requirements.

1. The District Test Coordinator or a designated representative of the school district must attend applicable training sessions sponsored by the Office of Student Assessment.

2. A District Test Security Plan is prepared each new school year no later than September 30.

a. The District Test Security Plan contains all components as required by the Office of Student Assessment.

b. The District Test Security Plan is signed by the district superintendent, the district test coordinator and the chairman of the school board. The School Test Security Plan, which is a part of the District Test Security Plan, is signed by the school principal, school test coordinator, and the district test coordinator.

c. The District Test Security Plan identifies all individuals who have access to the secure storage area at district and school sites.

3. Except during actual test administration, secure test materials are kept under lock and key, and access to secure test materials is limited to individuals identified in the test security plan as responsible for their security. While secure test materials are in the district, anyone listed as having access to the secure storage area must be accompanied by a second person when entering the secure storage area. To ensure that security is maintained from year to year, it is the responsibility of the district each year to review the list of individuals who have access to the secure storage area and to ensure that only those individuals listed have access to the secure area by way of keys or vault combination.

a. Secure test materials are kept in locked storage before testing at both the district and school levels.

b. Access to secure test materials is limited to those individuals identified in the test security plan. Test administrators and proctors will have access as described in the district test security plan. Access to test materials means handling the materials, not reviewing and analyzing test items, unless reading accommodations are required. The superintendent or a specified designee shall designate the personnel who are authorized to have access to test materials.

c. Test materials are not to be removed from security packaging prior to the time indicated on instructions from the Office of Student Assessment.

d. Secure test materials are kept in locked storage after testing at both the district and school levels unless otherwise directed by the Office of Student Assessment.

4. All secure test materials are accounted for before, during, and after testing as specified in the District Test Security Plan. Test administrators and proctors will have access as described in the district test security plan. Access to test materials means handling the materials, not reviewing and analyzing test items, unless reading accommodations are required. The superintendent or a specified designee shall designate the personnel who are authorized to have access to test materials.

a. All secure test materials are accounted for before testing at the district level.

b. All secure test materials are accounted for before testing at the school level.

c. Test administrators account for all secure test materials before students are allowed to leave the testing room.

d. All secure test materials are accounted for after testing at the school level.

e. All secure test materials are accounted for after testing at the district level.

f. All secure materials are returned according to the schedule published by the Office of Student Assessment. In the event that a secure testing document has been contaminated by bodily fluids or other health-related hazards, the district test coordinator will follow procedures for disposal as outlined during District Test Coordinator training, and include these procedures in the District Test Security Plan.

g. If supplementary materials, such as scratch paper, maps, and manipulatives are provided, procedures for disposal are outlined in the District Test Security Plan and followed.

5. Any person involved in any phase of the testing program has been trained in appropriate assessment administration and test security procedures.

a. Test administrators shall be licensed school personnel.

i. Due to the need for the one-on-one administration of the English language proficiency test for English Language Learners, which includes component subtests such as reading, writing, speaking, listening, the test administrator may be a non-licensed employee as long as the proctor for the administration is a licensed staff member.

ii. For only the English language proficiency test for English Language Learners, if a licensed employee is the test administrator, the district is not obligated to provide a second person as proctor.

b. The district conducts professional development training on proper assessment administration procedures and test security for all individuals involved in the handling and administration of each test.

c. The district maintains complete records of all professional development related to assessment.

d. The district has documentation that training related to assessment included information on test security violations and the consequences of violations.

6. Both a test administrator and a proctor are present and actively monitoring students during the entire test administration.

a. At least two people are present from the time that testing materials are distributed to the test administrator until all test materials have been returned to the secure area.

b. A seating chart is required for each room/site used for any statewide assessment; the seating chart must be signed and dated by the test administrator, proctor, and school test coordinator.

7. Students are not allowed access to test questions prior to testing and are not allowed access to answers at any time.

8. Reproducing (by any means) or disclosing secure test material (including pilot material) and student responses before, during or after test administration are prohibited. Reproduction or disclosure of secure test materials includes but is not limited to the following: reviewing, reading, or looking at secure test material in a manner that is inconsistent with test security regulations and/or procedures as outlined in the test administrator's manual. Use of unreleased test items in any form (including rewording of such test items) is strictly prohibited.

9. Coaching students, altering responses, or interfering with responses in any way during or after the scheduled test administration is prohibited. Coaching students is defined as providing answers by staff or other students to students in any manner during the test, including cues, clues, hints, and/or actual answers in any form-written, printed, verbal or non-verbal (including but not limited to chalkboards, charts, bulletin boards, posters, computers, hand signals) or allowing students to alter responses after the scheduled test administration.

10. All eligible students are tested. (See also Testing Students with Disabilities Regulations and Guidelines for English Language Learners: Policies, Procedures, and Assessments.) (SB Policies 3600, 3800, 7220, and 7601) {MS Code 37-16-3(2)}

a. Accurate exclusions, absences, and other required data are compiled for each test for each school.

b. Exclusions and absences data for each test for each school are maintained on file in the district.

c. Students who drop a course for which an end-of-course Subject Area Test is required after the dates noted below shall still take the appropriate end-of-course Subject Area Test.

Traditional Schedule

* Students enrolled in a course at the end of January (5^th month) must be tested. Fall Block

* Students enrolled in a course at the end of October (2^nd month) must be tested. Spring Block

* Students enrolled in a course at the end of March (7^th month) must be tested.

d. Students enrolled in and taking courses for the first time for which end-of-course Subject Area Tests are required shall take the appropriate Subject Area Tests. These students shall take the appropriate end-of-course Subject Area Test, even if the course title in Approved Courses for the Secondary Schools of Mississippi includes the words Accelerated, Enrichment, or Advanced Placement.

e. Each student enrolled in and re-taking courses for which end-of-course Subject Area Tests are required shall take the appropriate Subject Area Test only if the student has not previously passed the Subject Area Test.

f. Each student shall take the appropriate end-of-course Subject Area Test at the end of the course regardless of the grade level in which the course is offered.

g. Students enrolled in a Mississippi public school will be required to pass end-of-course Subject Area Test in a course for which the school accepts Carnegie units earned by the student through enrollment in summer school, virtual school, or any other non-standard school as defined by the Office of Accreditation.

11. Only appropriate allowable testing accommodations are provided for students as specified in the current edition of Testing Students with Disabilities Regulations and the current edition of Guidelines for English Language Learners: Policies, Procedures, and Assessments. (SB Policies 3600, 3800, 7220, 7601, and 7610) The use of any accommodation not listed in these documents or in the current edition of the Testing Accommodations Manual published by the Office of Student Assessment must first be approved by the Office of Student Assessment.

12. Makeup testing is provided for students who are absent during the regularly scheduled test administration.

13. Tests are administered according to the standard procedures defined in the test administrator's manuals and related documents and according to the schedule published by the Office of Student Assessment.

14. Anyone with knowledge of or information regarding a possible testing irregularity or alleged security violations reports the alleged irregularity/violation to an appropriate authority. {MS Code 37-16-4(1)(f)}

15. Test administrators and proctors keep written records of any testing irregularities occurring during testing and report these to the school test coordinator who then reports to the District Test Coordinator. The District Test Coordinator reports all irregularities for a test administration to the district superintendent for investigation. Documentation regarding testing irregularities is maintained on file in the district.

16. The superintendent of the district investigates all reports of alleged violations of test security and/or potential testing irregularities and submits a report of findings to the Office of Student Assessment within fifteen working days after the alleged violation and/or potential irregularity has been reported to him or her.

17. No statistically significant similar or identical patterns of responses and/or erasures are noted in students' answer documents.

18. No statistically significant group or individual scores that are inconsistent with established patterns of achievement are noted.

19. The school prohibits the possession and/or use of any electronic communication device, including but not limited to Ipod's, MP3 players, Bluetooth devices, cell phones, and/or other personal digital assistance devices during the administration of scheduled statewide tests.

20. Tests are to be administered in an environment that provides an adequate test setting for students. Such an environment should provide adequate lighting, reduced noise level, and spacing to ensure that students cannot see the answers being bubbled (or answers being selected during computer-based online testing) by other students.

7 Miss. Code. R. 109-4-F-IV