This training document provides an overview of test security procedures and expectations for administering the 2015 STAAR test. It emphasizes that test security and confidentiality are mandated by law and violations may result in sanctions. Administrators must closely monitor students, ensure test materials are securely stored, and adhere to strict time limits. The training reviews what constitutes serious security breaches and appropriate responses to potential issues.

1. 2015 STAAR Test
Administrator Training
Chico Elementary School

2. This training does NOT take
the place of reading the manual.
EXPECTATION: READ the manual!

3. It’s the law!
Violation of security or confidentiality of any test required by the Texas
Education Code (TEC) Chapter 39, Subchapter B, shall be
prohibited. A person who engages in conduct prohibited by the
Test Security Supplement may be subject to sanction of
credentials.
Conduct that violates security and
confidentiality of a test is defined as
any departure from the test
administration procedures established
in the Test Security Supplement and all
other test administration materials.

4. Texas Education Code (TEC)
Sec. 39.0301. SECURITY IN
ADMINISTRATION OF ASSESSMENT
INSTRUMENTS.
(a) The commissioner:
(1) shall establish procedures for the
administration of assessment instruments
adopted or developed under Section 39.023,
including procedures designed to ensure the
security of the assessment instruments; and …
It’s
the
law!

5. Texas Administrative Code (TAC)
Title 19. Education
Chapter 101. Assessment
Subchapter CC. Commissioner’s Rules
Division 3. Security of Assessments,
Required Test Administration Procedures
and Training Activities
19 TAC §101.3031
Required Test Administration Procedures
and Training Activities to Ensure Validity,
Reliability, and Security of Assessments.
It’s the law!

6. 19 TAC §101.3031
(a) Purpose. To ensure that each assessment
instrument is reliable and valid and meets applicable
federal requirements for measurement of student
progress, the commissioner of education shall
establish test administration procedures and required
training activities that support the standardization and
security of the test administration process.
(b) Test administration procedures. These test
administration procedures shall be delineated in the
test administration materials provided to school
districts and charter schools annually. Districts and
charter schools must comply with all of the applicable
requirements specified in the test administration
materials…
It’s the law!

7. Expectations for
Test Administrators and Hall Monitors
 Turn off the screen to your computer after
attendance has been sent in.
 You are not allowed to use the computers in
the testing rooms (excluding STAAR-L labs).
 You are not allowed to have any reading
materials in the testing rooms.
 You are not allowed to have use any
electronic devices.
 You are not allowed to carry small off-task
conversations throughout the testing period.

8. Testing Irregularities
Serious Irregularities
- constitute severe violations of test security or
confidentiality
- must be investigated by the district coordinator
immediately
- require a district to call or email TEA immediately to
inform test security of the incident
- can result in the individual(s) responsible being
referred to the TEA Educator Certification and
Standards Division for consideration of disciplinary
action

9. SERIOUS IRREGULARITIES
 Directly or indirectly assisting students with responses to test
questions.
 Tampering with student responses
 Viewing secure test content before, during, or after a test
administration (unless specifically authorized to do so by the
procedures outlined in the test administration manuals)
 Discussing secure test content, student responses, or student
performance
 Scoring student tests, either formally or informally
 Duplicating, recording, or capturing (electronically or by any
other means) confidential test content without permission for
TEA
 Reinforcing, reviewing for, and/or distributing testing
strategies during an assessment is strictly prohibited.

10. Penalties for Violation of Security and
Confidentiality of Assessments
Release or disclosure of confidential test
content is a Class C misdemeanor and could
result in criminal prosecution under TEC
§39.0303, Section 552.352 of the Texas
Government Code, and section 37.10 of the
Texas Penal Code.
In addition, any irregularities in test security or
confidentiality may result in the invalidation of
student results.

11. When in doubt…
Stop and ask for
help!
Put out your “HELP” sign.

12. March 2015 STAAR Assessments
Answer Documents for Grades 5 and 8
Reading
– printed prior to the decision to shift the test
administration date for grades 5 and 8 mathematics
– labeled “March 2015 Mathematics and Reading”
– contain sections for both mathematics and reading
Make sure students mark their responses to the
reading questions on the reading portion of the
answer document.

13. March 2015 STAAR Assessments
Answer Documents for Grades 5 and 8
Reading
– Students should not mark any answers to the reading
questions in the mathematics section.
– Leave the SCORE CODE and TEST TAKEN INFO for
mathematics blank.

14. April 2015 STAAR Assessments
Answer Documents for Grades 5 and 8
Mathematics
– same form as the March 2015 answer documents
– labeled “March 2015 Mathematics and Reading”
– contain sections for both mathematics and reading
Make sure students mark their responses to the
mathematics questions on the mathematics portion
of the answer document.

15. April 2015 STAAR Assessments
Answer Documents for Grades 5 and 8
Mathematics
– Students should not mark any answers to the
mathematics questions in the reading section.
– Leave the SCORE CODE and TEST TAKEN INFO for
reading blank.

16. Monitoring error
 A test administrator left a room unattended when students or
secure materials were present or when secure online tests were
open and visible.
 Secure materials were left unattended, or secure online tests
were left open and visible, during a lunch break, a short break
taken in the testing room, or restroom breaks.
 Testing personnel did not monitor students during a break.
 A test administrator did not ensure that students worked
independent during testing (for example, students were not
prevented from using cell phones to test messages to each other
during testing).
 A test administrator did not verify that student filled in their
responses on their answer document.
 A student was allowed to remove secure materials from the
testing areas.
 PLAN OF ACTION: 14 Point Test Security Plan
ACTIVE MONITORING so important!

17. Penalties for Violation of Security and
Confidentiality of Assessments
Penalties for participation in a serious violation of test
security or confidentiality may include the following
reprimands.
 Placement of restrictions on the issuance, renewal, or holding of a
Texas teacher certificate
 Issuance of an inscribed or non-inscribed reprimand
 Suspension of Texas teacher certificate
 Revocation or cancellation of a Texas teacher certificate

18.  Procedural Testing Irregularities are less severe,
more common, and are typically the result of
minor deviations from testing procedures.
 Students are not allowed to talk to one another
during testing.
 Students are not allowed to return to a subject-
area assessment attempted on a previous test day
or one that hasn’t been administered.
 Districts are required to investigate ALL potential
testing violations! Failure to cooperate with TEA in
an investigation or to properly report that an
individual has engaged in conduct that violates the
security and/or
confidentiality of a test is itself a
violation and could result in sanctions.

19. Training Requirements
 Testing personnel are required to receive annual training
in test security and administration procedures and to
sign an Oath of Test Security and Confidentiality.
 A Trained test administrator must be
present in each testing room at all times
during testing.

20. Secure Storage Areas
 Coordinators are required to place all secure
materials in limited-access locked storage when not
in use.
 Place test booklets and answer documents in secure,
limited-access, locked storage when not in use.
 Do not allow any student to transport testing materials
outside of the testing environment. If a student needs
to change locations, the test administrator will collect
the student’s testing materials and escort them to the
alternate location.
Keep tests secure at all times!!

21. CHECK OFF THE CHECKLIST!
 ALL state-supplied reference materials, graph paper, or scratch paper that students
have written on during a test must be turned in after each test administration. Please
do not leave any of these items inside the testing booklet! These items will be
collected and destroyed after each test administration.

22. Four-hour Time Limits
Students will be provided four hours in which to complete STAAR,
STAAR Modified, or STAAR L tests.
 Start and Stop Times
- four-hour time period begins after the test administrator
reads directions and tells students to begin working on their
tests
- test administrators must use a clock or timer
- start and stop times must be recorded on the seating chart
- students must record all responses by the end of the four-hour
time period
The Clock is Ticking…

23. Four-hour Time Limits…
 “SAY” Directions
- not included in four-hour time period
 Announcement of Time Left to Test
- communicate orally or in writing
- one hour intervals, more if desired during last hour
- the last hour of testing remind students when they have
> 45 minutes left,
> 30 minutes left,
> 15 minutes left,
> 10 minutes left,
> and five minutes left

24. Four-hour Time Limits
 Breaks Included in the Four-hour Time Limit
(not allowed to stop the time clock)
- water breaks - bathroom breaks
- snack breaks - short physical or mental breaks
 Breaks NOT Included in the Four-hour Time Limit
(required to stop and restart the time clock)
- lunch - emergencies
- movement of students - medical breaks
Remember to record stop and restart times
on the seating chart.

25. Four-hour Time Limits
 Extended Time‒Extra Time (same day)
- available for eligible students with disabilities and English
language learners
- students start at the beginning of the school day and are
allowed to test up to the end of the school day, not beyond
 Extended Time‒Extra Day (rare)
- for eligible students with disabilities for whom TEA has
approved an Accommodation Request Form
- special procedures and guidelines provided with approval

26. Miscellaneous Testing Information
 Before testing, ensure that you have all the
necessary materials to administer a test:
1. test administrator manuals
2. seating charts
3. clock or stopwatch to monitor testing time
4. test session rosters
5. accommodations lists and materials
6. pencils and erasers

27. Miscellaneous Testing Information
 Make sure each testing room, prior to testing, is free of any instructional aids
(bulletin boards). We will walk through and verify that no visible instructional
aids are present and that the environment is appropriate for testing on
Wednesday, March 27th. (Keep in mind that many errors involving a failure to
conceal instructional aids result from transferring examinees to rooms that the
campus did not originally intend to use as testing areas.)
 MONITOR, MONITOR, MONITOR –visits will be made to each testing
area to ensure that test administrators are actively monitoring and as
directed in the test administrator manuals, periodically reminding
students to record their responses on the answer document.

28. Miscellaneous Testing Information…SIGN OATH!
 Confirm that a seating chart has been completed for each test session. Record
test session start and stop times.
 Ensure that students are being issued the appropriate test and have the
corresponding answer document.
 Test administrators should personally administer test materials to examinees.
◦ Be especially careful when issuing materials to students with the same or similar names.
 Verify that students have marked their responses on
their STAAR answer documents before the end of the
four-hour time period.
 No element of the testing room environment should not
hinder any student’s performance. Testing room
should be quiet, well-ventilated, and comfortable.

29. When in doubt…
Stop and ask for
help!
Put out your “HELP” sign.