DTC Workshops
January 24 and 25, 2012
Test Security
Accommodations
Special Populations Issues
Leslie Lightbourne
Louisiana Department of Education
1
District/School
Test Security Policies
•
Statement of Assurance
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District/school test security policy must be
submitted annually to LDOE
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Due January 1, 2012
Electronic version preferred
Random sampling of policies will be reviewed
and feedback provided.
EOC Emergency plan (required)
2
Bulletin 118 Changes
The district’s test security policy shall provide:
• procedures for ensuring the security of individual student
test data in electronic and paper formats, including
encryption of student demographics in any email
correspondence;
• to the extent practicable, procedures to assign a different test
administrator for a class than the teacher of record for the
class, except for teachers testing students with
accommodations and younger students, grades 3 through 8;
• procedures for monitoring of test sites to observe test
administration procedures and to ensure that appropriate test
security procedures are being followed.
3
Testing at Alternative Program Sites
• If students are preidentified for their home base
school but attending an alternative program at
another site, districts may test them at the
program site and either
– Submit to LDOE a plan including security procedures
for transporting the answer documents to the
alternative program site and assignment of test
administrators (TAs); or
– Handcode documents at the alternative program site
and accountability code the documents at the home
base school.
4
Reporting of Irregularities (R.S. 17:81.6)
• Allows public school employees to report
irregularities or improprieties in the
administration of standardized tests directly to
LDOE who can investigate the allegations
• Misdemeanor offenses:
– Obstructing reporting
– Retaliating against an employee who participates
in an investigation or reports an irregularity
– Submitting a false report
5
Administrative Errors
• If high stakes tests (LEAP grade 4 & 8 ELA and
Math, GEE, LAA 2 grades 10 & 11, and EOC tests)
are voided by the district due to an administrative
error that results in questions regarding the
security of the test or the accuracy of the test
data, the LEA superintendent may request (in
writing) an opportunity to retest prior to the next
scheduled test administration.
6
Administrative Errors (cont’d)
• If, after test results are released, it is determined
an administrative error resulted in a question of
the accuracy of the test data, the LEA
superintendent or the parent or legal guardian
of the affected student may request (in writing)
an opportunity to retest prior to the next
scheduled test administration.
• If LDOE determines that the retest is allowable,
the original test will be voided by LDOE.
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Administrative Errors: Procedures
• LEA must provide a description of what occurred and a
corrective plan of action.
• Vendor will assess the LEA a fee (currently $350 per test).
• LEAP/GEE/LAA 2 (grades 10 and 11)
– Vendor sends retest materials to the district.
– A memo will be produced with student’s scores.
• EOC
– Tests are provided through the EOC system.
– Reports provided online.
• Retest scores are not included in summary reports or
accountability.
8
Administrative Error Test Schedule
• LEAP, GEE, LAA 2 Spring 2012 Administration
– April 12 – May 7, 2012
– May 29 – June 11, 2012
• EOC Spring 2012 Administration
– June 11 – 15, 2012
9
Major Types of Administrative
Errors in 2011
• Cueing students during testing or providing assistance in
answering questions
• Providing study materials prior to testing that included
actual test items
• Students were not provided accommodations or the
appropriate accommodations.
• Test administrator read aloud the Reading and Responding
session to students with the accommodation Tests Read
Aloud.
• Students were not provided a Mathematics Reference Sheet
or calculator.
10
Alternate Environment Form
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Required if not testing
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In class-sized groups (Bulletin 741)
In the usual classroom environment
Not Required/Exceptions
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If environment is provided as an approved
accommodation (i.e., IEP, Section 504 IAP, or LEP)
For EOC, if testing in computer lab or classroom
Submit 30 days prior to testing
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Phase 1: by February 20, 2012
Phase 2: by March 12, 2012
Summer: by May 28, 2012
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Alternate Environment Form (cont’d)
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Must describe testing environment
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Adequate spacing between students
Sufficient space for students to handle materials
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If in multipurpose spaces (e.g., cafeteria, library,
teacher’s lounge), describe procedures for
controlling interruptions.
•
May not schedule different assessments in same
room at same time
•
May not test more than one small group in same
room at same time
12
Monitoring by State During Testing
• Monitor’s Role
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Observing testing
Documenting observations
Notifying LDOE of issues requiring immediate attention
• NOT Monitor’s Role
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Assisting in testing including supervision of students or materials
Answering questions regarding testing
Providing immediate feedback to schools
The monitoring forms will be posted on the LDOE
Web site prior to testing.
13
Grade 2 ITBS Test
• ALL students enrolled in grade 2 are tested.
– Exception
• Due to the visual nature of the test, students using
braille as the primary learning media do not participate.
• This must be documented on the Grade 2 ITBS Spring
2012 Accommodation form and submitted to LDOE.
• Reading, Language and Mathematics tests
– The Language and Mathematics tests are read
aloud to all students.
– The Reading tests are not read aloud to any
students.
Grade 2 ITBS Test Accommodations
• Approved accommodations are either
BOLDED on IEP Accommodations page or in
the Standardized Testing Accommodations
section of the Section 504 plan.
• After testing, document used
accommodations on the Grade 2 ITBS Spring
2012 Accommodation Form
– Completed form must be placed in the student’s
cumulative folder for documentation purposes
• Locate at https://la.drcedirect.com
– click on Documents
Field Tests
Grades 3-8
• All accommodations, except for braille, are
provided for the field tests.
• Students who are eligible for LAA 2 who take
English Language Arts or Mathematics in iLEAP
or LEAP should participate in the field test for
that subject.
• Students who take LAA 1 or all LAA 2 do not
participate in the field test.
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LAA 1
• Deadline for assessment decision for LAA 1
and submission to SER is January 27, 2012.
• For significant cognitively disabled students
– Must meet participation criteria
– Students with Mental Disability – Mild are not
eligible
• Even though LAA 1 is not administered in 9th
grade, LAA 1 must be documented on the IEP.
LAA 2
• Deadline for assessment decision for LAA 2 and
submission to SER for spring LAA 2 testing is March 9,
2012.
• LAA 2 is still available in grades 10 and 11.
• Students may use the LAA 2 results to meet
graduation requirements.
• LAA 2 must be reflected on the 9th grade IEP and
all following years, including all content areas
that LAA 2 will be taken in regardless of the grade
the LAA 2 content area tests are administered.
EOC and LAA 2
• Students eligible for LAA 2 must take EOC
tests if enrolled in the corresponding courses.
• For students eligible under IDEA who meet
the LAA 2 participation criteria prior to taking
the first EOC test, the EOC test score shall
count as 5% of the final course grade in the
content areas identified as LAA 2 on the IEP.
• Participation in LAA 2 and content areas must
be reflected on the IEP prior to April 23, 2012.
Graduation Waiver Requests
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For graduating seniors with disabilities
(IEPs only) taking GEE or LAA 2
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A waiver request will NOT BE PROCESSED
if all required documentation is not
included in the request. It is the district’s
responsibility to ensure all required
documentation is submitted for each
student.
20
Graduation Waiver Requests
DEADLINES FOR
SUBMISSION
RESULTS SENT TO
DISTRICTS
January 20, 2012
March 15, 2012
May 25, 2012
August 17, 2012
•
Student must have passed at least one test before the waiver can
be submitted to LDOE.
•
Waiver requests only need to be submitted once in a school year.
LDOE will check test scores of any student who was denied the
waiver within the year.
•
Any waiver request submitted after the January deadline will be
processed with the May submissions.
21
Section 504
• Data Validation Form no longer has to be
submitted to LDOE.
• Temporary Accommodation Plan
– For those “broken arm” students
– No longer has to be submitted to LDOE
• Records must be maintained at the school and
available for review upon request.
22
ELDA and English Language Learners (ELLs)
• Even if parents refuse ELL services, students identified
as LEP must take ELDA.
• Title III Requirements
– Coordinators need access to data during the summer for
federal reporting and to determine student status.
• Consistent demographic coding across tests
• Critical demographics for federal reporting
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First or native language
Born in U.S. or Date of Entry into U.S.
Time enrolled in school in the U.S.
Type of specialized language program
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Accommodations
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All test administrators, proctors, monitors, and interpreters
MUST be trained in test security and administration.
•
Reading aloud or signing the following tests = VOID.
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LEAP/GEE/LAA 2 ELA: Reading and Responding
iLEAP ELA: Reading, part 2
ELDA: Reading test
EOC English II or English III: passages with related questions
Small group requirements
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Maximum of 8
Careful monitoring: Testing irregularities, such as students sharing
answers resulting in voiding of tests, continue to happen.
May test students with IEPs and students with Section 504 plans in the
same group
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Accommodations (cont’d)
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Transferred Answers: Student writes or types responses and TA transfers
to answer document.
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STC must verify that responses are transferred.
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Testing companies will not transfer responses
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Any materials containing student responses other than the scorable answer
document or large print test booklet must be kept by the STC in a locked,
secure area until test scores are returned.
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Papers must not be attached to answer documents.
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Administrative Error: For LEAP ELA/Math, GEE, and LAA 2 (grades 10 and 11),
if materials with responses are found after answer documents are returned,
the district may pay DRC to return test booklet and answer document to
district for responses to be transferred.
Answers Recorded: Student signs or says responses and TA acts as scribe
writing answers on answer documents.
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Accommodations (cont’d)
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Students may provide answers in multiple ways requiring
both Transferred Answers and Answers Recorded.
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For example, a student may write the constructed responses in the
answer document; circle answers to multiple-choice questions in
the test booklet, which the test administrator transfers to the
answer document (Transferred Answers); and dictate the Writing
session to the test administrator who writes the Final Draft in the
answer document (Answers Recorded).
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Requires clear documentation
Tests Read Aloud: Students may not have Tests Read Aloud
as an accommodation if tests are not read aloud to them
on a regular basis in the classroom.
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Accommodations (cont’d)
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Electronic Readers (Assistive Technology)
– Text-to-speech may be used except for
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Reading and Responding (LEAP, GEE, LAA 2)
Reading, Part 2 (iLEAP)
Reading (ELDA)
– only needed for Writing
– CDs containing PDFs may be requested from LDOE.
– District must have a written plan for preparation of
materials and security procedures.
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End of Course (EOC)
Test Accommodations
• Must be entered prior to starting any of the tests
– Once a student begins testing, the accommodations may not be
changed.
– If it is determined a student needs an accommodation that was not
entered, such as Tests Read Aloud, Communication Assistance, or
Large Print, the TA should inform the STC and determine how to
provide the accommodations. (Document as a testing irregularity.)
– Both braille and large print cannot be coded for EOC.
• Tests Read Aloud
– Check headphones prior to beginning testing.
– Make sure icon appears on the screen.
– Small group is not necessary unless student requires it for other
reasons.
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Accommodation Questions?
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Call or e-mail if you have a question regarding
legitimacy of an accommodation.
Guiding questions
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Does it subvert the purpose of the test?
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Does it breach test security?
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Examples: reading aloud the reading test, LEP
accommodations for students taking ELDA
Examples: providing class-made glossaries or math fact
sheets, test administrator clarifying questions
Does it provide an unfair advantage?

Examples: providing a dictionary for sessions other than
Writing, allowing access to an electronic thesaurus for
sessions other than Writing
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Contact Information
•
Noah Wartelle (noah.wartelle@la.gov; 225-342-0202)
– Questions regarding students with disabilities
– Graduation Waiver information
– LAA 1 and LAA 2 eligibility
•
Shelia Campbell (shelia.campbell@la.gov; 225-219-4436)
– Questions regarding English language learners
– Questions regarding Title III
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Leslie Lightbourne (leslie.lightbourne@la.gov; 225-342-0170)
– Test security and testing irregularities
– Special population testing issues, including accommodations
– Questions regarding ELDA
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