Assessment Test Administration Procedure
Assessments of Student Achievement – Test Administration
Educators are obligated to provide students with opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge and skills fairly and accurately. Educators and District personnel must conduct testing in a fair and ethical manner (R277-217-3.14).
Purpose of Testing
Valid and reliable results from statewide assessments provide parents/guardians, students, the Legislature, the Utah State Board of Education (USBE), the Cache County Board of Education (Board), Cache County School District (District), schools, administrators, and educators with information about students’ proficiency, growth, achievement, and college readiness. Such results also inform the evaluation of the effectiveness of school programs/curriculum and help to guide instructional planning. Educators also use this information to recognize excellence, guide and improve instruction, identify the need for additional resources, and inform the allocation of resources to ensure equitable education opportunities for all students.
Statewide Assessments
The Standard Test Administration and Testing Ethics Policy requires that educators adhere to all ethical practices and procedures involving assessments that are federally-mandated, state mandated, and/or require the use of a state assessment system or software that is provided or paid for by the state (53G-6-803.9a)
Administrator Responsibilities
Each school administrator (or designee) shall ensure that:
- All students are tested or accounted for according to each assessment’s specific instructions.
- Parents are provided with information and procedures regarding student participation in statewide testing.
- All tests are administered under the supervision of a licensed educator.
- Educators and school staff serving as assessment administrators or proctors have completed annual ethics training and signed an acknowledgment of the training and assurance to administer tests ethically (R277-404). The signed acknowledgment should be retained at the school site and replaced annually when a new acknowledgment is signed.
Licensed Educator or Trained Employee Responsibilities
Each licensed educator or trained employee shall ensure that:
- An appropriate environment reflective of an instructional setting is set for testing to limit distractions from surroundings or unnecessary personnel. o Any information relevant to the assessment (e.g., posters, charts, diagrams, formulas) that is visible to students should be covered or removed from the setting so as to make it inaccessible to testing students.
- All students are tested or the reason for their non-participation is recorded.
- A student is not discouraged from participating in statewide assessments.
- A student is not penalized who has been exempted from a statewide assessment by a parent/guardian (R277-404-7-3b).
- Students are provided an alternate learning activity if they are exempted by a parent from a statewide assessment (R277-404-7-9).
- Students who have been exempted from participating may be allowed to be physically present in the room, but testing procedures and security should still be followed (R277404-7).
- Students are not provided with a nonacademic reward for participating in or performing well on a statewide assessment (R277-404-7-8; 53G6-803-9-c(iii)).
- Statewide assessments are administered in-person and testing procedures meet all test administration requirements.
- At least two (2) assigned proctors are actively involved in each testing session.
- A proctor/test administrator is always present during standardized testing for a defined class or group of students throughout the test session and active proctoring takes place throughout the test session.
- A second, roving proctor supports the needs of one (1) or more active proctor/test administrators by actively overseeing multiple rooms and sessions, supporting the active proctor/test administrator with both expected and unexpected contingencies that could include student emergencies, providing test administrator guidance, or reporting technical issues to minimize disruptions for all students.
- Test administrators and proctors review and follow test preparation guidelines and the instructions and scripts included in the test administration manuals (TAM) for each assessment.
- Accommodations are provided to eligible students, as identified by each student’s individual EL, IEP, and/or 504 plan and are consistent with those provided during instruction.
- Any electronic devices (e.g., smart watches, recording devices, cell phones) remain inaccessible to students if they can be used to 1) access non-test content or 2) distribute test content and materials. Any student found to be using an electronic device during testing for either of these reasons will have their test invalidated and be unable to retake it. o Any electronic device necessary for a student’s health and safety (e.g., monitoring insulin levels) should be made available to the student when the need arises.
- Test materials are secure before, during, and after testing. When not in use, all materials shall be protected, where students and/or parents/guardians cannot gain access.
- Paper testing materials that aren’t returned (e.g., Acadience Math C&A sheets, Acadience Math Computation sheets) are retained by the school for three (3) years after the end of the school year in which the test was administered.
- Confidentiality of tests, materials, answer sheets, and electronic records is maintained.
- All assessments are administered within the designated assessment windows.
- All products of student testing are collected and protected between and after testing sessions and securely destroyed when testing is completed as appropriate.
- Educators or trained employees shall not change student answers in any way, for any reason.
Use of Assessment Results
- Within three (3) weeks of receiving assessment results, school personnel will provide parents/guardians and students with the results, along with information on how to appropriately interpret scores and reports.
- Acadience Math and Reading results shall be provided to parents/guardians of students in grades 1, 2, and 3 by October 30 (Benchmark 1), the last day of February (Benchmark 2), and June 30 (Benchmark 3).
- Assessment results shall be made available to educators for the use of improving instruction.
- A student’s score from a statewide assessment may be used to improve the student’s academic grade or to demonstrate competency within a relevant course (53E-4-3 & R277404-7).
- A student’s statewide assessment score (or lack thereof due to parental exclusion) shall not be used to prohibit a student from enrolling in an honors, advanced placement (AP), or International Baccalaureate (IB) course.
Legal References:
Utah Code 53G-6-803: Parental Rights to Academic Accommodations
Utah Code 53E-4-3: Assessments
USBE R277-217: Educator Standards and LEA Reporting
USBE R277-404: Requirements for Assessment of Student Achievement
USBE Policy: Standard Test Administration and Testing Ethics Policy
Approved by District Administration: September 19, 2024