Assessment » Test Security

Test Security

For the GMAS and the ACCESS tests, tickets are printed by the System Test Coordinator. Tickets and materials are taken to the schools one week prior to testing. The School/Site Testing Coordinator is responsible for securing them in a locked area that is available only to the testing coordinator, principal and STC. On the morning of testing, the test tickets are released to the assigned examiner who has undergone training in test procedures, ethics and security. The examiner must hold a valid PSC certificate and is required to sign a test security document and control sheet at the time of check-out and upon return of the materials. All materials must be returned immediately following the completion of the test. When testing has concluded, the School Test Coordinator returns all test tickets (used and unused) as well as the scratch paper and manuals to the System Test Coordinator. These materials remain locked in a secure testing room at the board of education until all student scores are received by the System Testing Director. The test tickets are then disposed of in the shredding bins of the contracted and bonded company employed to destroy/shred materials.
For the GAA, the paper pencil test booklets are secure materials at the BOE until a week prior to testing. Each School/Site Testing Coordinator is responsible for securing them in a locked area that is available only to the testing coordinator and site administrator. On the morning of testing, the test booklets are released to a teacher who has undergone training in test procedures, ethics and security. The examiner must hold a valid PSC certificate and is required to sign a test security document and control sheet at the time of check-out and upon return of the materials. Materials must be returned immediately following the completion of the test.  The examiner will mark all answers in the online platform as the student is taking the test. There will be a proctor in the room with the examiner. After testing has concluded, the School Test Coordinator returns all test booklets and answer documents (used and unused) as well as the scratch paper and manuals to the System Test Coordinator. The scored and unscored materials are accounted for and then packaged according to the directions in the System Test Coordinators Manual. When materials are ready for shipping, the company is called for pick-up and the materials are returned via UPS to the appropriate testing company. The supplemental materials (scratch paper, manuals, etc.) remain locked in the testing room of the System Test Coordinator until all student scores have been received by the System. The scratch paper and manuals are then disposed of in the shredding bins of the contracted and bonded company employed to destroy/shred materials.
Testing irregularities at the school level are immediately reported to the STC by a phone call and followed up with the Testing Irregularity document required by the STC. The STC will investigate each incident and will report those instances which meet the state criteria for reporting, via the GA DOE Portal. The GADOE makes a determination of whether the test score(s) should be invalidated or if the test should be coded as an irregularity. The irregularity or invalidation code is entered into the assessment system (DRC) for each student by the STC. The STC will report all irregularities and invalidations to the System Superintendent and the Human Resources department to determine if a Professional Standards Commission referral is warranted.

Any action that compromises test security or leads to the invalidation of an individual student’s or a group of students’ test scores will be viewed by the Georgia Department of Education (GADOE) as inappropriate use or handling of tests and will be treated as such. 

 

 Any concern regarding test security must be reported to the STC who will report the incident to the GA DOE. The System Superintendent is notified of any situation involving an employee and the decision is made to report to Human Resources, if necessary. If there is a need to report to the Professional Standards Commission (PSC), the STC will submit in writing an exact account of the events(s) as she knows them to Human Resources who will then submit to the PSC for investigation. Failure to safeguard test materials or to comply with test administration procedures could adversely affect an employee’s certification status Examples of common events that would lead to such reporting are listed below as outlined by the GADOE Student Assessment Handbook (2022-2023):

 

 It is a breach of test security if anyone:

    • coaches examinees during testing or alters and/or interfere with examinees’ responses in any way
    • gives examinees access to test questions or prompts prior to testing
    • copies, reproduces, or uses in any manner inconsistent with test security regulations all or any portion of secure test booklets
    • makes answers available to examinees
    • reads or reviews test questions before, during (unless specified in the IEP, IAP, or ELL/TPC), or after testing
    • questions students about test content after the test administration
    • fails to follow security regulations for distribution and return of secure test materials as directed, or fails to account for all secure test materials before, during, and after testing (NOTE: lost test booklets constitute a breach of test security and will result in a referral to PSC)
    • uses or handles secure materials including test tickets, test booklets and answer documents for any purpose other than examination
    • fails to follow administration directions for the test
    • participates in, directs, aids, counsels, assists, encourages, or fails to report any prohibited act
    • erases, marks answers, or alters responses on an answer document
Under no circumstances may any tests be reproduced or duplicated for individual or group use unless authorized by GA DOE. Failure to comply with the U.S. Copyright Laws protecting these materials would result in legal action. Any instance of violation of copyright laws will be reported immediately to the GADOE as well as to the PSC.