MAINTENANCE OF TEST SECURITY | Administrative Procedures

2623C - MAINTENANCE OF TEST SECURITY

Tests implemented in accordance with the requirements of F.S. 1004.93, 1008.22, 1008.30, 1012.55, and 1012.56 shall be maintained and administered in a secure manner such that the integrity of the tests shall be preserved.
1. Test questions shall be preserved in a secure manner by individuals who are developing and validating the tests. Such individuals shall not reveal in any manner, verbally or in writing, the test questions under development.
2. Tests or individual test questions shall not be revealed, copied, or otherwise reproduced by persons who are involved in the administration, proctoring, or scoring of any test.
3. Examinees shall not be assisted in answering test questions by any means by persons administering or proctoring the administration of any test.
4. Examinees' answers to questions shall not be interfered with in any way by persons administering, proctoring, or scoring the examinations.
5. Examinees shall not be given answer keys by any person.
6. Persons who are involved in administering or proctoring the tests or persons who teach or otherwise prepare examinees for the tests shall not participate in, direct, aid, counsel, assist in, or encourage any activity which could result in the inaccurate measurement or reporting of the examinees' achievement.
7. Each person who has access to tests or test questions during the development, printing, administration, or scoring of the tests shall be informed of specifications for maintaining test security, the provisions in statute and rule governing test security, and a description of the penalties for breaches of test security.
8. During each test administration, School District and institutional test administration coordinators and contractors employing test administrators and proctors shall ensure that required testing procedures are being followed at all test administration sites. Officials from the Department are authorized to conduct unannounced observations of test administration procedures at any test administration site to ensure that testing procedures are being correctly followed.
9. In accordance with F.S. 1008.24, 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. All test administrators and proctors for the Statewide assessments administered pursuant to F.A.C. 6A-1.09422 must complete training requirements outlined in Training Requirements for Administering and Proctoring the Statewide Assessments.
Test materials, including all test booklets and other materials containing secure test questions, answer keys, and student responses shall be kept secure and precisely accounted for in accordance with the procedures specified in the examination program administration manuals and other communications provided by the Department. Such procedures shall include, but are not limited to, the following:
1. All test materials shall be kept in secure, locked storage prior to and after administration of any test.
2. All test materials shall be precisely 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 number or serial numbers of testing materials received from contractors shall be reported to the Department by designated institutional or School District personnel prior to the administration of the test.
4. In the event that test materials are determined to be missing while in the possession of an institution or School District, designated institutional or school district personnel shall investigate the cause of the discrepancy and provide the Department with a report of the investigation within thirty (30) 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 Department are authorized to conduct additional investigations.
5. In those cases where the responsibility for secure destruction of certain test materials is assigned by the Department to designated institutional or School District personnel, the responsible institutional or School District representative shall certify in writing that such destruction was accomplished in a secure manner.
6. In those cases where test materials are permitted by the Department to be maintained in an institution or School District, the test materials shall be maintained in a secure manner as specified in the instructions provided by the Department. Access to the materials shall be limited to the individuals and purposes specified by the Department.
In those situations where an employee of the educational institution, School District, or contractor, or an employee of the Department suspects a student of cheating on a test or suspects other violations of the provisions of this rule, a report shall be made to the Department or test support contractor, as specified in the test administration procedures, within ten (10) calendar days. The report shall include a description of the incident, the names of the persons involved in or witness to the incident, and other information as appropriate. Officials from the Department are authorized to conduct additional investigations.
Violations of test security provisions shall be subject to penalties provided in statute and State Board rules.
School districts and public educational institutions under F.S. 1003.49, may contract with third-party 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.
1. School districts and educational institutions must require the contractor to provide a safe and comfortable facility that does not interfere with a student’s ability to demonstrate mastery on the tests.
2. School District or educational institution use of third-party contractors (including contracted affiliates, such as franchises) shall not relieve the District or institution of its obligation to provide access to Statewide testing for Florida Virtual School or virtual charter school students pursuant to F.S. 1002.33(20), 1002.37, and 1002.45(6)(b).
3. The contractor must adhere to all test administration and security protocols as prescribed by the Department pursuant to F.S. 120.81(1)(c) and shall be subject to all provisions of this rule.
4. The contractor must not collect nor maintain any student’s personally-identifiable information beyond that required for test administration.
5. All technology used to administer computer-based tests must meet assessment technology guidelines and online test security requirements as prescribed by the Department pursuant to F.S. 120.81(1)(c).

Revised 10/23/18