FILE:  II

Cf:  IIA

TESTING SECURITY

The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board shall take every precaution to assure that all tests administered with the school system shall be conducted in such a manner so as not to compromise the testing results.  In addition, all secure test documents shall be stored under lock and key in the designated secure area when not in use.  The District Test Coordinator (DTC) or designee will train the district staff and will ensure test policy is enforced.

Any teacher or other personnel who allows or breaches test security, including unauthorized access to electronic data, shall be disciplined in accordance with statutory provisions, policy and regulations adopted by BESE and the School Board, and any and all laws that may be enacted by the state.  A Louisiana teaching/administrator/ancillary certificate can be denied, suspended, and/or revoked due to cheating on standardized state assessments.  Certificates that have been denied, suspended, and /or revoked by the state board may not be reinstated.  (Bulletin 746)

No public school administrator or member of the School Board shall retaliate against an employee who in good faith participates in an investigation of testing administration improprieties or irregularities.  Retaliation shall include discharging, demoting, suspending, threatening, harassing, or discriminating against an employee who in good faith reports testing administration improprieties or irregularities.  (Act 534, Regular Session 2010).

1. Participation
   
   All persons involved in assessment programs must abide by the security policies and procedures established by the LDE, the SBESE, and East Baton Rouge Parish School System (EBRPSS).  All schools must administer all assessments according to the testing schedule dates approved by SBESE.  Assessment programs include, but are not limited to, Desired Results Developmental Profile-kindergarten (DRDP-K), DIBELS, LEAP 2025 , GEE, “old” GEE, LEAP Connect, LAA1, LAA2, ELPT EOC, NAEP, ACT, Industry Based Certifications, field tests, proficiency and placement tests.

2. Definitions
   
   Access—access to secure test materials means physically handling the materials, not  reading, reviewing, or analyzing test items or student responses, either before, during, or after testing, except where providing approved accommodations.
   
   Secure Materials―test materials that contain test items or student responses and to which access is restricted.  Secure test materials include:

1. student test booklets;

2. student answer documents;

3. student log-in information; and

4. any other materials that contain test items or student responses.

Testing Irregularity―any incident in test handling or administration that leads to a question regarding the security of the test or the accuracy of the test data.

3. Test Security Policy
   
   The SBESE first approved a test security policy on December 10, 1998.  The policy has been periodically revised.  The state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education holds the test security policy to be of utmost importance and deems any violation of test security to be serious.  The test security policy follows.

1. Tests administered by or through the SBESE shall include but not be limited to:

1. all alternate assessments;
   
   

2. all criterion-referenced tests (CRTs) and norm-referenced tests (NRTs).

2. For purposes of this policy, school districts shall include:

1. local education agencies (LEAs); as well as the Recovery School District (RSD):
   
   

2. special school districts;
   
   

3. statewide schools, authorized through acts of the Louisiana Legislature;
   
   

4. laboratory schools;
   
   

5. type 2 and type 5 charter schools;
   
   

6. participating nonpublic/other schools that utilize tests administered through the SBESE or the LDE.

3. It shall be a violation of test security for any person to do any of the following:

1. administer tests in a manner that is inconsistent with the administrative instructions provided by the LDE that would give examinees an unfair advantage or disadvantage;
   
   

2. give examinees access to test questions prior to or during testing;
   
   

3. examine any test item at any time (except for students during the test or test administrators while providing the accommodations Tests Read Aloud or Communication Assistance, Transferred Answers, or Answers Recorded for students determined to be eligible for those accommodations);
   
   

4. at any time, copy, reproduce, record, store electronically, discuss or use in a manner inconsistent with test regulations all or part of any secure test item, test booklet, answer document, or supplementary secure materials;
   
   

5. coach examinees in any manner during testing or alter or interfere with examinees' responses in any manner;
   
   

6. provide answers to students in any manner during the test, including provision of cues, clues, hints, and/or actual answers in any form:

1. written;

2. printed;

3. verbal; or

4. nonverbal;

7. administer published parallel, previously administered, or current forms of any statewide assessment (e.g., Louisiana Educational Assessment Program 2025 [LEAP2025]; Graduation Exit Examination [GEE]; Graduation Exit Examination ["old" GEE]; LEAP Connect Alternate Assessment; LEAP Alternate Assessment, Level 1 [LAA 1]; LEAP Alternate Assessment, Level 2 [LAA 2]; the English Language Proficiency Test [ELPT]; End-of-Course tests (EOCT) paper-based assessments; forms K, L, M, A, and B and all new forms of the Iowa tests; Industry Based Certification Exams (IBC) or EXPLORE and PLAN as a practice test or study guide;
   
   

8. fail to follow security regulations for distribution and return of secure test booklets, answer documents, student log-in information, supplementary secure materials as well as overages as directed; or fail to account for and secure test materials before, during, or after testing;
   
   

9. conduct testing in environments that differ from the usual classroom environment (excluding computer labs used for online testing) without prior written permission from the LDE, except for the purpose of providing accommodations;
   
   

10. fail to report any testing irregularities to the district test coordinator (a testing irregularity is any incident in test handling or administration that leads to a question regarding the security of the test or the accuracy of the test data), who must report such incidents to the LDE;
    
    

11. participate in, direct, aid, counsel, assist in, encourage, or fail to report any of the acts prohibited in this section.

4. The superintendent of EBRPSS will submit annually to LDE a copy of the district test security policy and Statement of Assurance.  This statement will include the name of the individual designated by the superintendent to procure district test materials.  Each school shall abide by the EBRPSS district test security policy and procedures for handling emergencies during online testing that is in compliance with the state’s test security policy.  Training in test security of the school principal, STC, and district staff must occur annually.  The school principal and school test coordinator must submit a statement of security and confidentiality annually to the DTC.  Additionally, the name of the individual designated by the school principal to receive test materials and the location of the locked secure area for test materials will be submitted annually to the DTC.  The policy shall provide:

1. for the security of the test materials during testing, including test booklets, answer documents, student log-in information, supplementary secure materials, videotapes, and completed observation sheets;
   
   

2. for the storage of all tests materials, except district and school test coordinator manuals and test administration manuals, in a designated secure locked area before, during, and after testing; all secure materials, including any parallel forms of a test, must be kept in locked storage at both the district and school levels; secure materials must never be left in open areas or unattended;
   
   

3. a description and record of professional development on test security, test administration, and security procedures for individual student test data provided for all individuals with access to test materials or individual student test data (access to test materials by school personnel means any contact with or handling the materials but does not include reviewing tests or analyzing test items, which are prohibited);
   
   

4. a list of personnel authorized to have access to the locked secure storage area;
   
   

5. procedures for investigating any testing irregularities, including violations in test security, such as plagiarism and excessive wrong-to-right erasures identified through erasure analysis;
   
   

6. procedures for the investigation of employees accused of irregularities or improprieties in the administration of standardized tests, as required by the amended La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §17:81.6;
   
   

7. procedures for the investigation of any missing test booklets, answer documents, student log-in information, or supplementary secure material;
   
   

8. procedures for ensuring the security of individual student test data in electronic and paper formats–including encryption of student demographics in any email correspondence;
   
   

9. 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;
   
   

10. starting with the 2014-2015 school year, procedures to code testing materials at no more than two secure central locations and to house the testing materials at the central locations until no more than three working days prior to test administration, to the extent practicable;
    
    

11. procedures for monitoring of test sites to ensure that appropriate test security procedures are being followed and to observe test administration procedures.

5. Procedures for investigating missing secure materials, any testing irregularity (including cheating), and any employees accused of improprieties must, at a minimum, include the following.

1. The district test coordinator shall initiate the investigation upon the district's determination of an irregularity or breach of security or upon notification by the LDE.  The investigation shall be conducted by the district test coordinator and other central office staff as designated by the district superintendent.
   
   

2. The location of the designated secure locked area for storage of materials shall be examined, and the individuals with access to secure materials shall be identified.
   
   

3. Interviews regarding testing administration and security procedures shall be conducted with the principal, school test coordinator(s), test administrator(s), and proctor(s) at the identified schools.  All individuals who had access to the test materials at any time must be interviewed.  Seating charts of the test administration area will be provided as part of the investigation.
   
   

4. Interviews shall be conducted with students in the identified classes regarding testing procedures, layout of the classroom, access to test materials before the test, and access to unauthorized materials during testing.

6. After completion of the investigation, the school staff shall provide a report of the investigation and a written plan of action to the DTC and district superintendent within 10 calendar days of the initiation of the investigation.  At a minimum, the report shall include the nature of the situation, the time and place of occurrence, and the names of the persons involved in or witness to the occurrence.  Officials from the LDE are authorized to conduct additional investigations.
   
   

7. All test administrators and proctors must sign the Oath of Security and return it to the STC to keep on file for three years.  The STC and principal must sign an oath of security and return it to the DTC to be kept on file at the district for three years.
   
   

8. Test materials, including all test booklets, answer documents, student log-in information, and supplementary secure materials containing secure test questions, shall be kept secure and accounted for in accordance with the procedures specified in the test administration manuals and other communications provided by the LDE.  Secure test materials include test booklets, answer documents, student log-in information, and any supplementary secure materials.
   
   

9. Seating charts are required for all testing environments (e.g., small groups, computer labs, etc.)
   
   

10. Procedures described in the test manuals shall include, but are not limited to, the following.

1. All test booklets, answer documents, student log-in information, and supplementary secure materials must be kept in a designated locked secure storage area prior to and after administration of any test.

1. Test administrators are to be given access to the tests and any supplementary secure materials only on the day the test is to be administered, and these are to be retrieved immediately after testing is completed for the day and stored in the designated locked secure storage area each day of testing.

2. All test booklets, answer documents, student log-in information, and supplementary secure materials must be accounted for and written documentation kept by test administrators and proctors for each point at which test materials are distributed and returned.
   
   

3. Any discrepancies noted in the serial numbers of test booklets, answer documents, and any supplementary secure materials, or the quantity received from contractors must be reported to the LDE, Division of Assessments and Accountability by the designated institutional or school district personnel prior to the administration of the test.
   
   

4. In the event that test booklets, answer documents, or supplementary secure materials are determined to be missing while in the possession of the institution or school district or in the event of any other testing irregularities or breaches of security, the designated institutional or school district personnel must immediately notify by telephone the LDE, Division of Assessments and Accountability, and follow the detailed procedures for investigating and reporting specified in this policy.
   
   

5. Only personnel trained in test security and administration shall be allowed to have access to or administer any statewide assessments.
   
   

6. Each school principal must annually designate one individual in the school as school test coordinator, who is authorized to receive test materials that are utilized in testing programs administered by or through the SBESE of the LDE.  The names of the individuals designated as school test coordinator and backup school test coordinator must be provided in writing to the DTC.
   
   

7. Testing shall be conducted in class-sized groups. Bulletin 741 (913A) states that K-3 classroom enrollment should be no more than 26 students, and in grades 4-12, no more than 33, except in certain activity types of classes in which the teaching approach and the material and equipment are appropriate for large groups.  For grades K-8, the maximum class size for Health and Physical Education classes may be no more than 40.  Class size for exceptional students is generally smaller Bulletin 741, (915).  Permission for testing in environments that differ from the usual classroom environment must be obtained in writing from the LDE at least 30 days prior to testing.  If testing outside the usual classroom environment is approved by the LDE, the school district must provide at least one proctor for every 30 students.
   
   

8. The state superintendent of education may disallow test results that may have been achieved in a manner that is in violation of test security.

11. The LDE shall establish procedures to identify:

1. improbable achievement of test score gains in consecutive years;
   
   

2. situations in which collaboration between or among individuals may occur during the testing process;
   
   

3. a verification of the number of all tests distributed and the number of tests returned;
   
   

4. excessive wrong-to-right erasures for multiple-choice tests;
   
   

5. any violation to written composition or open-ended responses (including electronic submissions) that involves plagiarism;
   
   

6. any other situation that may result in invalidation of test results.

12. In cases in which test results are not accepted because of a breach of test security or action by the LDE, any programmatic, evaluative, or graduation criteria dependent upon the data shall be deemed not to have been met.
    
    

13. Individuals shall adhere to all procedures specified in all manuals that govern mandated testing programs.
    
    

14. Anyone known to be involved in the presentation of forged, counterfeit, or altered identification for the purposes of obtaining admission to a test administration site for any test administered by or through the SBESE or the LDE shall have breached test security.  Any individual who knowingly causes or allows the presentation of forged, counterfeited, or altered identification for the purpose of obtaining admission to any test administration site must forfeit all test scores but will be allowed to retake the test at the next test administration.
    
    

15. School districts must ensure that individual student test data are protected from unauthorized access and disclosure:  The Louisiana Department of Education’s Assessment and Reporting systems are designed for authorized state, district, and school users, and contain confidential data including state test scores, names of teachers and test administrators, students’ names, identification numbers, and other information:

1. The Data Recognition Corporation (DRC) eDirect Online Assessment System is designed for administrators only and contains students' private information, including state test scores and state identification numbers.  The system is password-protected and requires a user ID and an assigned password for access.  The system is not for public use and any student information from the system must not be disclosed to anyone other than a state, district, or school official as defined by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA).  A state, district, or school official is a person employed by the state, district, or school as an administrator, supervisor, district test coordinator, school test coordinator, principal, and the principal's designated office staff.  Such a user must have a legitimate educational purpose to review an educational record in order to fulfill his/her professional responsibility.  Curiosity does not qualify as a right to know.  State, district, and school users who are granted a password to this system must read and abide by Family and Educational Rights Privacy Act (FERPA).  Disclosure of passwords to anyone other than those authorized is prohibited.  Disclosure of a student's data to their parent or guardian must be in accordance with FERPA. For more information on FERPA, see US Department of Education web page at http://www.ed.gov/offices/OM/fpco/ferpa/.

1. The Data Recognition Corporation (DRC) eDirect Online Assessment System User Access:  At the school level, only school test coordinators, teachers,and test administrators participating in a given administration should have access to the system and must sign a confidentiality agreement. Signed security agreements are valid until the DTC receives notification that the security agreement available online has been revised.  A new confidentiality agreement should be signed by all users each year after the new password letters for schools and districts are automatically generated in August.  If a breach in security occurs, principals should immediately contact the DTC or the backup DTC for a replacement password.  Principals should always contact their DTC or backup DTC for assistance and training.
   
   

2. A Confidentiality agreement must also be signed by DTCs for the DRC Online Assessment System, and returned to the LDE.  New signed agreements should be submitted to LDE and EBRPSS when personnel changes are made within the district.  Log-in information will not be issued until a signed agreement is on file with the LDE and EBRPSS.

2. The Louisiana Department of Education's Enhanced Assessment of Grade Level Expectations (EAGLE 2.0) System contains students' private information, including test scores and state identification numbers.  This system is password protected and requires a user ID and an assigned password for access. Any student information from the system must not be disclosed to anyone other than a state, district, or school official, or parent/guardian as defined by The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA).  For more information on FERPA, see the U.S. Department of Education web page at http://www.ed.gov/offices/OM/fpco/ferpa/.  A state, district, or school official is a person employed by the state, district, or school as an administrator, supervisor, district test coordinator, school test coordinator, principal, teacher, or support staff member.  This user has a legitimate educational purpose to review an educational record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility. Curiosity does not qualify as a right to know.  All users who are granted a password to this system must abide by FERPA law.  Disclosure of passwords to anyone other than those authorized is prohibited.

3. EAGLE System User Access. Principals should contact their district designee, DTC, backup DTC, or district curriculum supervisor for assistance in training teachers.  All users (e.g., teachers, counselors, test coordinators) must read and sign the confidentiality agreement and return it to the principal.  Signed security agreements are valid until the DTC receives notification that the security agreement available online has been revised.  A new confidentiality agreement should be signed by all users each year after the new password letters for schools and districts are automatically generated in August.  Keep copies signed by all school users on file at the school.  If a breach in security occurs, principals should immediately contact the district designee, district test coordinator, or backup district designee for a replacement password.  Principals should always contact their district designee, DTC, backup DTC, or district curriculum supervisor for assistance and training.

4. All users who have access to these systems and leave their positions at a district or school site must not use or share the password.

16. School principals and test coordinators are responsible for providing training regarding the security and confidentiality of individual student test data (in paper and electronic formats) and of aggregated data of fewer than 10 students.
    
    

17. LDE staff will conduct site visits during testing to observe test administration procedures and to ensure that appropriate test security procedures are being followed.  Schools with prior violations of test security or other testing irregularities will be identified for visits.  Other schools will be randomly selected.  EBRPSS will conduct site visits during testing at all testing sites.
    
    

18. Any teachers or other school personnel who breach test security or allow breaches in test security shall be disciplined in accordance with the provisions of La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§17:416 et seq., La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§17:441 et seq., La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§17:81 et seq., policy and regulations adopted by the SBESE, and any and all laws that may be enacted by the Louisiana Legislature.

4. Change of School Test Coordinator Notification

1. If during the academic year the person appointed as school test coordinator changes, the principal must notify the District Test Coordinator.  The notification must be in writing and must be submitted within 15 days of the change in appointment.
   
   The principal shall inform the new school test coordinator the location of the testing materials.

5. Erasure Analysis
   
   To investigate erasures on student answer documents for the multiple-choice portions of the state testing programs, the SBESE and the LDE have developed the following procedures.

1. Scoring contractors scan every answer document for wrong-to-right erasures, and the state average and standard deviation are computed for each subject at each grade level.
   
   

2. Students whose wrong-to-right erasures exceed the state average by more than four standard deviations are identified for further investigation.  For each student with excessive erasures, the proportion of wrong-to-right erasures to the total number of erasures is considered.
   
   

3. Based on the criteria for excessive wrong-to-right erasures, scoring contractors produce the following reports.

1. District/School Erasure Analysis Report.  This report identifies districts and schools within the districts whose answer documents have excessive wrong-to-right erasures.
   
   

2. Student Erasure Analysis Report.  This report identifies individual students whose answer documents have excessive wrong-to-right erasures.  The answer documents of students identified as having excessive wrong-to-right answers are available for review at the LDE upon request.

4. Once districts, schools, and individual students have been identified, the state superintendent of education sends letters to district superintendents stating that students in those districts have been identified as having excessive wrong-to-right erasures.  Copies of the district/school and student erasure analysis reports are enclosed with the letters.  Copies of the correspondence are provided to the Deputy Superintendent of Education, the Assistant Superintendent of the Office of Student and School Performance, the Director of the Division of Assessments and Accountability, and the district test coordinator.
   
   

5. The local superintendent must investigate the cause of the irregularity and provide a report of the investigation and a written plan of action to the state superintendent of education within 30 calendar days.
   
   

6. A summary report of erasure analysis irregularities will be presented to BESE after each test administration.
   
   

7. Erasure-online answer-changing as well as erasing answers on a paper and pencil test.

6. Addressing Suspected Violations of Test Security and Troubling Content in Written Responses (Constructed Responses, Short Answers, and Essays)

1. The Test Security Policy approved by the SBESE requires that the LDE establish procedures to deal with breaches of test security.  District authorities provide the LDE information about voiding student tests because of student violations observed during test administration or violations by school personnel or others that have been reported.  In addition, the scoring process produces information regarding student responses that have common elements, which indicate a student accessed unauthorized materials before or during testing and used them to assist in writing; that indicate that teacher interference might have been a significant factor, and in which troubling content was evident.  Procedures for dealing with these issues follow.

1. Violation by Student as Observed by Test Administrator

1. The test administrator must notify the school test coordinator about any suspected incident of cheating and provide a written account of the incident.  Answer documents in such cases should be processed like all other answer documents.
   
   

2. The school test coordinator must then convene a school-level test security committee consisting at a minimum of the principal, the school test coordinator, and the test administrator to determine whether a test should be voided.
   
   

3. If it is deemed necessary to void the test, the school test coordinator must notify the district test coordinator of the void request in a letter written on school letterhead, signed by the school principal and the school test coordinator.  The original account of the incident written by the test administrator must be enclosed.
   
   

4. The district test coordinator must then fax a completed void form to the LDE, Division of Assessments and Accountability, as directed in the District and School Test Coordinators Manual.  The original Void Verification form, along with a copy of the school test coordinator's request for the void, must also be mailed to the LDE, Division of Assessments and Accountability, as directed in the manual.

2. Reported Violations by School Personnel or Other Persons.  All suspected instances of cheating should be reported directly to the school's district test coordinator for further investigation, and a report of the incident must be sent to LDE.  If it is deemed necessary to void tests, the DTC must fax a completed void form to the LDE.  The original Void Verification form along with a written report of the investigation carried out must be mailed to the LDE.
   
   

3. Suspected Violations Discovered by Scoring Contractors

1. In addition to erasure analysis for multiple-choice items, possible incidents of the following violations may be discovered during the scoring process:

1. plagiarism.  Responses contain exact or almost exact content, and/or words or phrases, and/or format;
   
   

2. use of unauthorized materials, including cell phones or other unauthorized electronic devices.  Students brought unauthorized materials into the testing environment and used them to assist in written responses;
   
   

3. teacher interference.  Teacher interference is evident in written responses.

2. If possible incidents of violations are discovered in the scoring process, the scoring contractor notifies the LDE, Division of Assessments and Accountability, of suspect documents with a summary of its findings.
   
   

3. Professional assessment and related-content personnel from the Division of Assessments and Accountability review the suspect documents and determine whether the evidence supports voiding the responses.
   
   

4. If voiding is recommended, LDE mails the district superintendent a letter of what was observed during the scoring process that caused the alert and identifies the particular document that was voided.  Copies of the correspondence are provided to the deputy superintendent of education, the assistant superintendent of the Office of Student and School Performance, the director of the Division of Assessments and Accountability, and the local district test coordinator.

5. Within 30 calendar days of the receipt of such a letter, the district must investigate the incident and provide a written plan of action to the state superintendent of education.  If the district and/or parent/guardian(s) wish to discuss the situation further or to examine the student responses, a meeting may be scheduled at the LDE offices between staff members from the Division of Assessments and Accountability district representatives, and parent/guardian(s).

4. Disturbing Content.  If student responses with disturbing content are discovered during the scoring process, the scoring contractor will notify the appropriate staff member at the LDE, Division of Assessments and Accountability.

1. Professional assessment personnel review the responses.  If it is determined that disturbing content causes a compelling need to break confidentiality, LDE will contact the district superintendent by telephone to summarize findings and inform him or her that materials are being mailed regarding the alert.
   
   

2. Issues regarding troubling content are for the district's information to assist the student and do not require further communication with LDE.
   
   

7. Administrative Error

1. Administrative errors that result in questions regarding the security of the test or the accuracy of the test data are considered testing irregularities.  If it is deemed necessary to void the test, the district test coordinator must email a completed void form to the LDE, Division of Assessments and Accountability, as directed in the District and School Test Coordinators Manual.  The original void verification form, along with a copy of the account of the incident, must also be mailed to the LDE, Division of Assessments and Accountability, as directed in the manual.
   
   

2. If tests are voided by the district due to administrative error, the LEA superintendent, on behalf of individual students, must initiate a request to the state superintendent of education for an opportunity to retest prior to the next scheduled test administration on behalf of individual students.
   
   

3. If administrative errors result in a question of the accuracy of the test data, the LEA superintendent or the parent, or legal guardian of an affected student may initiate a request for an opportunity to retest prior to the next scheduled test administration.  The LEA superintendent or parent must provide the state superintendent of education with school- and student-level documentation describing the administrative error.
   
   

4. If the LDE determines that an administrative error that allows for a retest did occur the tests will be voided. LDE will notify the LEA of the determination and of arrangements for the retest.  The LEA must provide a corrective plan of action.
   
   

5. To offset costs involved in retesting, the vendor will assess the LEA a fee for each test.
   
   

6. The LDE will provide a report to the SBESE of retests due to administrative errors.
   
   

7. Administrative errors that result from failure to transfer answers from a test booklet onto an answer document require the following steps:

1. the LEA superintendent will place a request on behalf of individual students, which request must include a description of the administrative error and a corrective plan of action, to the state superintendent of education to have the testing vendor send to the district the student’s test booklet and a new answer document;
   
   

2. the DTC and STC will transfer only the answers not initially transferred from the test booklet onto the new answer document; and
   
   

3. the DTC will return all testing materials to the vendor, who will assess the LEA a fee for the service.

8. LEAs have the right to appeal to SBESE to replace the voided or invalid scores with the results from the administrative error retests for accountability purposes.  The appeal must include a description of the testing irregularity; a summary of the LEA’s investigation including who conducted the investigation; the findings of the investigation; and a corrective action plan.  After review of the submitted documentation by LDOE, the state superintendent will make a recommendation to SBESE.

8. Viewing Answer Documents

1. A parent, guardian, student, school, or district must place a request to view an answer document through the district test coordinator.
   
   

2. The district test coordinator must send a written request to view the answer document to the LDE, Division of Assessments and Accountability.  The request must include:

1. the student's name;

2. the student's state ID number;

3. the student's enrolled grade;

4. the type of assessment and the content area of the answer document student responses requested; and

5. the district name and code and school name and code where the student tested.

3. LDE will notify the testing contractor of the request; the testing contractor will send a copy of the requested student responses to LDE.
   
   

4. Upon receipt of the requested answer document(s), LDE will contact the district test coordinator who placed the request to schedule an appointment to review the answer document(s).
   
   

5. The district test coordinator or his or her designee must accompany the school personnel, parent, guardian, and/or student to the appointment.
   
   

6. LDE will black out test items on answer documents prior to viewing.  Only the student's responses may be observed.
   
   

7. LDE staff will remain in the room during the viewing of the answer document(s).  Answer documents may not be copied or removed from the room.  Written notes of student responses may not be made.

9. Emergencies During Testing

1. For emergencies (e.g., fire alarms, bomb threats) that require evacuation of the classroom during administration of statewide assessments, the following procedures should be followed.

1. If the room can be locked, the test administrator should direct the students to pause a computer-based test or place the answer document inside the test booklet and leave both on the desk for paper-based tests.  For computer-based tests, students will resume the test after returning to the classroom.  For paper-based tests, before students are allowed back into the room, the test administrator should return to the room, pick up the test booklets, answer documents, student log-in information, and other secure materials, and then distribute them individually to the students when they have returned to their desks.
   
   

2. If the room cannot be locked and if at all possible, the test administrators should direct students to place the answer document on top of the test booklet and hand both along with any other secure materials to the test administrator as students file out of the room.  Test administrators should carry the documents with them to their designated location outside the building.  If return to the building is delayed, the school test coordinator should pick up and check in the materials from the test administrators.
   
   

3. If testing has not started prior to the emergency and the students have not yet opened their test booklets and answer documents, or entered their log-in information, testing should start when students return to the room.
   
   

4. If students have opened their testing materials to begin testing and test security has been maintained, testing may continue after students return to the room.
   
   

5. If the test booklets have been opened and test security has been compromised, testing should not be continued.  The answer documents should be sent to the testing company with the responses that were completed prior to the emergency.
   
   

6. As a precautionary measure, graduating seniors might be tested together in a single group or in several smaller groups so test security is easier to maintain if there is an emergency.
   
   

7. If test security has been compromised, the district test coordinator must notify the LDE, Division of Assessments and Accountability, as soon as possible.

2. Online Testing Emergency Plan

1. In the event of an emergency that results in disruption of online testing, the EBRPSS will utilize the Professional Development Center or other available computer labs.  The steps will include, but are not limited to:

1. STC will immediately contact the DTC

2. DTC will contact the alternative testing site

3. DTC will notify school with location of the alternative online testing site

2. If online testing is disrupted by emergencies, lost internet connections, lost power, or computer crashes and students are unable to continue testing on the same day, the school test coordinator should document what occurred as a testing irregularity and notify the district test coordinator.  If the students will be unable to return to testing by the end of the day, the district test coordinator must immediately notify the LDE, Division of Assessments and Accountability.

10. Cell Phones and Other Electronic Devices

1. Test administrators must collect all cell phones or other similar technological devices with imaging or text-messaging capability, so they are not in the possession of students or personnel during the administration of a statewide test.  Cell phones and other devices described above are not permitted in the vicinity of the testing area during computer-based testing sessions.

1. The consequences for using and/or having a cell phone or other electronic device during the test administration will be that the student will not receive a score;
   
   

2. If the student uses a cell phone or electronic device in any manner during the administration of the test, the phone or electronic device will be confiscated until such time that the parent or guardian can come to the school, and in the presence of the parent or guardian, the cell phone or other electronic device will be viewed to ensure that all traces of information, in print, image, or verbal form, have been removed by the DTC from all local and cloud storage and that no such traces remain on the device;
   
   

3. Violation of the no cell phone or other electronic device rule by students or adults will result in discipline and that discipline will vary depending on whether test material has been compromised;
   
   

4. Any extenuating circumstances or exceptions must be approved by the DTC prior to test administration.

Ref:    La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§17:24, 17:81, 17:81.6, 49:953

Statewide Assessment Standards and Practices, Bulletin 118, Louisiana Department of Education

Board minutes, 11-15-07, 1-20-11, 10-20-11, 12-20-12, 1-15-15, 11-17-16, 11-16-17, 12-12-19, 12-17-20, 12-16-21

East Baton Rouge Parish School Board