SECURITY PROVISIONS FOR STATE MANDATED ASSESSMENTS | Administrative Procedures

2623B - SECURITY PROVISIONS FOR STATE MANDATED ASSESSMENTS

State Board of Education Rule F.A.C. 6A-10.042 was developed to meet the requirements of the test security statute – F.S. 1008.24, and applies to anyone involved in the administration of a State mandated assessment. This rule prohibits the following activities that threaten the integrity of the assessment:

Revealing test items
Copying test items
Helping students to answer test items
Changing of otherwise interfering with students’ answers to test items
Otherwise causing achievement of students to be inaccurately measured or reported

All school system personnel are prohibited from examining the contents of test booklets.

The security of State assessment test booklets and answer sheets must be maintained before, during, and after the test administration.

In the event that test materials are determined to be missing while in the possession of school personnel, District personnel are authorized to conduct an investigation on the cause of the discrepancy and provide to the Department of Education a report within thirty (30) calendar days. In the event that test administration procedural violations are determined or suspected during the administration of a State mandated assessment, District personnel are authorized to conduct an investigation on the cause of the suspected violation and to provide the Department of Education a report within thirty (30) calendar days. In both cases, at a minimum, the report shall include the nature of the situation, the time and place of occurrence, and the names of persons involved in or witness to the occurrence.

Violations of test security provisions shall be subject to penalties provided in statute, State Board of Education rules and Board rules.

Attachments:

Florida Test Administration and Security Statute

Florida Security Statute

F.S. 1008.24 - Test Administration and Security

A person may not knowingly and willfully violate test security rules adopted by the State Board of Education or the Commissioner of Education for mandatory tests administered by or through the State Board of Education or the Commissioner of Education to students, educators, or applicants for certification or administered by school districts pursuant to F.S. 1008.22, or, with respect to any such test, knowingly and willfully to:
1. give examinees access to test questions prior to testing;
2. copy, reproduce, or use in any manner inconsistent with test security rules all or any portion of any secure test booklet;
3. coach examinees during testing or alter or interfere with examinees' responses in any way;
4. make answer keys available to examinees;
5. fail to follow security rules for distribution and return of secure test as directed, or fail to account for all secure test materials before, during, and after testing;
6. fail to follow test administration directions specified in the test administration manuals; or
7. participate in, direct, aid, counsel, assist in, or encourage any of the acts prohibited in this section.
A person who violates this section commits a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in F.S. 775.082 or 775.083.
A School District may contract with qualified contractors to administer and proctor Statewide, standardized assessments required under F.S. 1008.22 or assessments associated with Florida approved courses under F.S. 1003.499, as approved by the Department of Education in accordance with rules of the State Board of Education. Assessments may be administered or proctored by qualified contractors at sites that meet criteria established by rules of the State Board of Education and adopted pursuant to F.S. 120.536(1) and 120.54 to implement the contracting requirements of this subsection.
A School District may use District employees, such as education paraprofessionals as described in F.S. 1012.37, to administer and proctor Statewide, standardized assessments required under F.S. 1008.22 or assessments associated with Florida approved courses under F.S. 1003.499, in accordance with this section and related rules adopted by the State Board of Education. The rules must establish training requirements that must be successfully completed by District employees prior to the employees performing duties pursuant this paragraph.
A Superintendent, a president of a public postsecondary educational institution, or a president of a nonpublic postsecondary educational institution shall cooperate with the Commissioner of Education in any investigation concerning the administration of a test administered pursuant to State statute or rule.
The identity of a school or postsecondary educational institution, personal identifying information of any personnel of any School District or postsecondary educational institution, or any specific allegations of misconduct obtained or reported pursuant to an investigation conducted by the Department of Education of a testing impropriety are confidential and exempt from F.S. 119.07(1) and Section 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution until the conclusion of the investigation or until such time as the investigation ceases to be active. For the purpose of this paragraph, an investigation is deemed concluded upon a finding that no impropriety has occurred, upon the conclusion of any resulting preliminary investigation pursuant to F.S. 1012.796, upon the completion of any resulting investigation by a law enforcement agency, or upon the referral of the matter to an employer who has the authority to take disciplinary action against an individual who is suspected of a testing impropriety. For the purpose of this paragraph, an investigation is considered active so long as it is ongoing and there is a reasonable, good faith anticipation that an administrative finding will be made in the foreseeable future.
Exceptional students with disabilities, as defined in F.S. 1003.01(3), shall have access to testing sites. The Department of Education and each School District shall adopt policies that are necessary to ensure such access.

History.--s. 17, ch. 86-156; s. 1, ch. 90-99; s. 81, ch. 97-190; s. 29, ch. 99-398.

Revised 10/23/18