STANDARD TEST ADMINISTRATION
TESTING ETHICS
TRAINING POWERPOINT
2016-17
WEBER SCHOOL DISTRICT
UTAH STATE OFFICE OF EDUCATION
PURPOSE OF TESTING
Standardized administration of state
tests provides:
an opportunity for students to
demonstrate understanding.
evidence of what students have learned.
scores that fairly reflect students’
knowledge.
WHO USES TEST INFORMATION?
Valid and reliable test results from uniform assessments
provide information used by:
 Students – to determine how well they have learned the skills and
curriculum they are expected to know.
 Parents – to know whether their child is gaining the skills and
competencies needed to be competitive and successful.
 Teachers – to gauge their students’ understanding and identify
potential areas of improvement in their teaching.
 LEAs (districts) – to evaluate programs and provide additional
support.
 The Public – to evaluate schools and districts.
STATE-REQUIRED ASSESSMENTS
Educators must administer the following required assessments
and submit accurate data to the USBE on these assessments (see
Board Rule R277-404-3):
 Student Assessment of Growth and Excellence (SAGE) Summative Computer
Adaptive Tests for
 English Language Arts/Writing – grade 3-11
 Mathematics – grades 3-8 and Secondary Math I, II and III
 Science – grades 4-8 and Earth Science, Biology, Physics and Chemistry.
 DIBELS Next composite benchmark reading assessment in grades 1-3
 ACT – grade 11
 Utah Alternate Assessment (UAA)/Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM)
 WIDA ACCESS for ELLs Assessment
 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)
EDUCATOR OBLIGATION
 Educators must provide students with an opportunity to
demonstrate their knowledge and skills fairly and accurately.
 Educators must conduct ALL testing in a fair and ethical
manner (see Utah Code 53A-1-608; R277-404)
 Educators are accountable to Weber School District and to
the Utah State Board of Education.
POINT TO PONDER…
The best test preparation a teacher can
provide is good instruction throughout the
year that covers the breadth and depth of
the Standards for a course, using varied
instructional and assessment activities
tailored to individual students.
APPROPRIATE TEACHING PRACTICES
Ethical testing begins with ethical teaching…
 Ensure students are enrolled in the appropriate course so they receive
appropriate instruction.
 Provide instruction to the intended depth and breadth of the course
curriculum.
 Provide accommodations during instruction and assessment to eligible
students as identified by an ELL, IEP or 504 team throughout the year.
Students’ needs should be properly identified at the start of the school
year, not in the weeks immediately preceding testing.
 Use a variety of assessment methods to inform
instructional practices.
APPROPRIATE TEACHING PRACTICES
 Introduce students to various test-taking strategies throughout the year.
 Use Science reference sheets provided for specific assessments as
instructional tools throughout the year (Physics and Chemistry only).
 Reduce classroom interruptions to maximize student learning.
 Provide practice tests throughout the year using high-quality, non-secure test
questions aligned to Utah Standards.
 Provide students with opportunities to engage in available SAGE Training Tests
to ensure they can successfully navigate online testing systems.
 Use SAGE Interim Tests to familiarize students with testing technology and
form and to review/reinforce content.
EDUCATOR RESPONSIBILITIES
Utah licensed educators shall ensure that:
 A student is not discouraged from participating in state assessments, but,
upon a parent’s opt-out request (following WSD procedures), the student is
provided with a meaningful educational activity.
 Tests are administered in-person and testing procedures meet all test
administration requirements.
 Active test proctoring occurs, which includes walking around the room to
make sure that each student is logged into the correct test, has appropriate
testing materials available and is progressing at an appropriate pace. This
proctoring should be completed by the classroom teacher.
EDUCATOR RESPONSIBILITIES
 No person is left alone in a test setting with student tests left onscreen or open.
 The importance of the test, test participation and the good faith efforts of all students are not undermined.
 All information in the Test Administration Manual (TAM) for each test administered is reviewed and strictly
followed (see 53A-1-608; R277-404).
 Accommodations are provided for eligible students, as identified by an ELL, IEP or 504 team. These
accommodations should be consistent with accommodations provided during instruction throughout the
instructional year.
 Any electronic devices that can be used to access non-test content or to record/distribute test content or
materials shall be inaccessible by students (e.g., cell phones, recording devices, internet-capable devices).
Electronic security of tests and student information must not be compromised.
 Test materials are secure before, during and after testing. When not in use, all materials shall be protected,
where students and parents cannot gain access.
No one may enter a student’s computer-based test to examine content or
alter a student’s response in any way either on the computer or a paper
answer document for any reason.
PREPARING FOR TESTING
In preparation for testing, ensure that:
 an appropriate environment reflective of an instructional setting is set for
testing to limit distractions from surroundings or unnecessary personnel.
 personnel who administer tests complete annual Testing Ethics training and
are accountable for ethically administering tests (sign and submit form to
administrator).
 all information in the Test Administration Manual (TAM) for each test is
administered and strictly followed.
 Students have had the opportunity to experience the
SAGE Training Tests to ensure they can successfully navigate
online testing systems.
.
DURING TESTING
 All students who are eligible for testing are tested.
 Parents are provided with clarifications and procedures in
regards to student participation in state testing.
 All tests are administered under the supervision of a Utah
licensed educator.
 Active test proctoring occurs, which includes walking
around the room to make sure that each student is logged
into the correct test and is at the correct workstation. This
proctoring should be completed by the classroom teacher.
APPROPRIATE TESTING PRACTICES
 Educators should not be left alone in a computer lab with open student tests.
 Educators must not enter a student’s computer-based test for any reason.
 Educators must not copy, in whole or in part, specific items appearing on a test.
 Answer documents (where applicable) should be in educators’ hands as little as
possible.
 Educators may not prompt or imply to students to re-evaluate their answers.
 Educators are not allowed to direct student pace throughout the test.
AFTER TESTING IS COMPLETED
Utah licensed educators shall ensure that:
 Test administration manual instructions for ending testing sessions are
followed.
 Make-up and completion test sessions are provided for students who
miss all or part of the test.
 All by-products of student testing are collected and secured between
and after testing sessions. Following testing, these documents must be
securely destroyed. Such items include notes, outlines, graphic organizers,
student drafts, etc.
Educators may not change student answers in any way or for any
reason.
ACCOMMODATIONS
 Eligibility for testing accommodations is determined through
an ELL, IEP or 504 team decision.
 Accommodations should be used during instruction, not just
during testing.
 For more information, see the Utah State Office of
Education-approved Assessment Participation and
Accommodations Policy at
http://www.schools.utah.gov/sars/DOCS/assessment/SpecialNeeds-Accommodations-Policy.aspx
TEST RESULTS
Test results should be:
 provided to students and parents, with information on how to interpret
scores and reports.
 made available to educators for use in improving their instruction.
 maintained according to local policies and procedures.
 kept confidential.
A district, school or educator may not use a student’s score on a
state-required assessment to determine the student’s academic
grade, or a portion of the student’s academic grade, for the
appropriate course; or whether the student may advance to the
next grade level (R277-404-6).
UNETHICAL PRACTICES
It is unethical for educators to jeopardize the integrity of an
assessment or the validity of student responses.
Unethical practices include:
 Providing students with questions from the test to review before taking the test.
 Changing instruction or reviewing specific concepts because those concepts
appear on the test.
 Rewording or clarifying questions, or using inflection or gestures to help students
answer.
 Allowing students to use unauthorized resources to find answers, including
dictionaries, thesauruses, mathematics tables, online references, etc.
 Reproducing, or distributing, in whole or in part, secure test content (e.g., taking
pictures, copying, writing, posting in a classroom, posting publically, emailing).
 Explicitly or implicitly encouraging students to not answer questions or to engage
in dishonest testing behavior.
MORE UNETHICAL PRACTICES

Displaying materials on walls or other high-visibility surfaces that provide
answers to specific test items (e.g., posters, word walls, formula charts, etc.).

Reclassifying students to alter subgroup reports.

Allowing parent volunteers to assist with the proctoring of a test their child
is taking or using students to supervise other students taking a test.

Allowing the public to view secure test items or observe testing sessions.

Reviewing a student’s response and instructing the student to, or suggesting
that the student should, rethink his/her answers.

Administering tests outside of the prescribed testing window for each
assessment.
IS IT APPROPRIATE?
To ensure that a practice is appropriate, ask the following
questions…
 If the student is to get a valid and reliable score that accurately portrays
his/her ability to understand the material,
 will this action allow the student to answer a question that does not reflect
his/her knowledge?
 will this action prevent the student and parent from receiving an accurate
score that represents the student’s knowledge and understanding of the
curriculum?
 If the action did not occur, would the student response be different?
 Would my practice change if I were being monitored?
DIBELS TESTING
Benchmarking
(probes vary based on grade and
time of year)
First Sound Fluency (K)
Letter Naming Fluency (K-1)
Phoneme Segmentation (K-1)
Nonsense Word Fluency (K-2)
DIBELS Oral Reading Fluency Passages
(1-6)
Daze (3-6)
Progress Monitoring
(20 probes for each measure)
First Sound Fluency
Phoneme Segmentation Fluency
Nonsense Word Fluency
DIBELS Oral Reading Fluency (Levels 1, 2,
3, 4, 5, 6)
Daze (Levels 3, 4, 5, 6)
Remember all testing ethics procedures apply to both types of assessments.
DIBELS PROTOCOL
Acceptable Use
•
•
•
•
Using Benchmark or Progress Monitoring
material to assess students following
standardized procedures for administration
(timing, directions, scoring)
Using alternative passages to practice
fluency (6-Minute Solution, Treasures
passages, Reading A-Z passages, etc.)
Using alternative material to practice
blending/segmenting words and alphabetic
principle.
Using best practice in literacy instruction to
support all areas of reading.
Unacceptable Use
•
•
•
•
•
•
Using any Benchmarking or Progress
Monitoring material to teach and/or practice
skills (including past editions).
Using portions of materials from any probes
for practice purposes (specific words from
passages or other probes).
Using DIBELS material with students to
review errors made while testing.
Not following standardized administration
procedures and inputting data on either the
mCLASS or University of Oregon
databases.
Sharing any portion of Benchmarking or
Progress Monitoring material with parents to
practice at home.
Using material from another grade level as
practice material.
PROTOCOL FOR ETHICS
VIOLATIONS
Ethical violations are to be reported to the supervisor of the person who
may be investigated, the school administrator and the district assessment
specialist.
Protocol:
 District policies and procedures will be followed.
 In most cases, the initial investigation will be conducted at the school level.
 The district assessment specialist will review the initial investigation and determine
findings.
 If the violation is of sufficient concern, the incident may also be forwarded to the Utah
Professional Practices Advisory Commission (UPPAC) for review.
 If inappropriate practices are found, teachers may receive further training or a reprimand,
be subject to disciplinary action, be terminated and/or lose their Utah teaching license (see
53A-1-608; R277-404).
TRUE OR FALSE???
A teacher may use student SAGE scores in
determining a course grade.
FALSE…This is a change for 2015 and beyond
due to SB 204 (S2). Scores from state-mandated
tests MAY NOT be considered in determining a
student’s academic grade or whether a student
may advance to the next grade level.
Q &A
Can teachers look at the tests prior to administering them to
students?
No. For computer-based testing or paper-based testing,
teachers are permitted to read individual test items only if
instructed to do so in the Test Administration Manual (TAM).
The site testing coordinator should review the TAM with
teachers prior to administration of the test.
Q &A
What can be posted on classroom walls during test administration?
Teaching materials that are generic in nature, have been used
for general instruction throughout the year and do not provide
answers to test questions may be left in place. Teaching
materials that may artificially inflate assessment scores (e.g.,
applicable to specific test questions) should not be visible to
students.
Q &A
Can a principal or educator ask for a “small group administration,”
“extended time,” “change in location” or other accommodation for a
general education student?
In most cases, yes. These are all accessibility options allowed in
the Assessment and Accommodations Policy. Contact your school
Testing Aide or the District Assessment Specialist for specific
situations.
Q &A
What should be done if students reveal a crisis situation in their response to an
assessment item – either that they intend to do harm to themselves or others or
that they are in danger themselves?
As per State Board Rule R277-473-8:
 USBE will notify the school principal, counselor and any other personnel deemed
to have a legitimate educational interest. A copy of the relevant written text will
also be provided.
 Using their best professional judgment, school personnel shall notify the student’s
parent/guardian or law enforcement as needed.
 Any text from the test shall NOT be part of the student’s record and the school
shall destroy any copies of the text once a resolution has been made.
 School personnel who contact a parent/guardian or law enforcement agency in
such a situation must provide USBE with the name/date of the contact within three
business days of the contact.
Q &A
If there is a discrepancy between SAGE scores and other
related test scores, is this a sign of cheating?
Not necessarily. Many factors contribute to student learning. Thus, high SAGE scores
for a student who scores significantly lower on another assessment do not
guarantee that the student cheated.
Appropriate test proctoring and creation of an environment in which students don’t
feel threatened by test scores are the best ways to prevent student cheating.
Q &A
What does good test proctoring look like?
Active test proctoring includes walking around the room to
ensure each student is logged into the correct test and is
actively engaged in the assessment process. Active proctoring
also includes ensuring information in the Test Administration
Manual (TAM) is followed explicitly. Proctors are an important
part of the testing experience. During testing, proctors should
assist in ensuring that the importance of the test and the good
faith efforts of all students are not undermined.
Q &A
What information should be given to parents to prepare
students for tests?
Parents should encourage students to be engaged in learning throughout
the school year and should work with their students to master concepts
they don’t understand. Students should be made aware of testing, should be
in attendance to complete testing and should receive adequate rest and
nutrition prior to testing. It is essential that all students complete a SAGE
Training Test prior to participating in SAGE Summative or Interim testing.
WHAT ABOUT INTERIM TESTING?
 Available twice each year
 From 9/1/16 – 12/16/16 and from 1/4/17 - 3/3/17.
 Participation in SAGE Interim assessments is optional. Administrators
and educators should work collaboratively to determine the best use for
their students.
 Only the teacher is required to proctor. The Testing Aide is NOT
required to be present. This is true only of Interim Testing and not of
Summative Testing.
 Students may test only once during each Interim assessment period.
WHERE DO I GO FROM HERE?
 Know the Utah State Law and Utah State Board Rule:
http://le.utah.gov/~code/TITLE53A/53A01a.htm and
http://www.rules.utah.gov/publicat/code/r277/r277.htm
 Demonstrate ethical behavior.
 For questions:
 Review frequently asked questions regarding testing ethics at:
http://schools.utah.gov/assessment/Testing-Director-Resources.aspx
 Contact the Weber School District Assessment Specialist
Sheri Heiter at [email protected] or 801-476-7956.
REMINDER – IT’S THE LAW
 It is no longer acceptable to exempt students from a “final exam” based on
their SAGE assessment performance. If a final is required as part of a course,
it must be required of all students equally (with exceptions indicated as per
individual student IEPs/504s).
 We understand the difficulty in promoting full student effort on SAGE
assessments when the scores cannot in any way impact a student’s grade.
However, we must be in compliance with the law and with State Board Rule.
 Additionally, students must not be provided with
rewards/incentives/certificates/etc. based on SAGE performance.
 Students can suffer no ill consequences or penalties from a
parent/guardian invoking the Parental Exclusion (opt-out) on
SAGE testing.