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Test Security Guidelines

VIRGINIA STANDARDS OF LEARNING

TEST SECURITY GUIDELINES

Listed below are guidelines to assist those persons involved in the administration of the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) Assessments (paper and online) in determining what actions may compromise test security.

Students must never be exposed to unreleased test items or to the answers to unreleased test items before or following test administration. Using unreleased test items in any form (including rewording of such test items) is STRICTLY PROHIBITED. If in doubt whether test items have been released, contact the Division Director of Testing for verification.
All persons are prohibited from providing students with the answer to any unreleased test item and from making any suggestion as to how to respond to a test item at any time, whether before, during, or after a test administration. This prohibition includes provision of clues, hints, and/or actual answers in any written, printed, verbal, and/or non-verbal form (including chalkboards, charts, and bulletin boards).
Examiners should receive test booklets/writing prompts only on the day of testing. Examiners are not allowed to open sealed packages of writing prompts more than 30 minutes before the test session for the short paper component of the writing tests.
Examiners are not to improperly review test items or test booklets before, during, or after test administration. Examiners administering the paper multiple-choice SOL tests are not to look ahead in the test booklets.
Copying/printing/photographing ALL OR ANY PART of an SOL assessment or taking notes about the items included on an SOL assessment is STRICTLY PROHIBITED. As stated in the copyrights by the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Education, testing materials may not be reproduced or used in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording or by any information storage or retrieval systems.
All persons are prohibited from logging into TestNav? (the Web-based application) posing as a student, current or fabricated, to view any SOL assessments. Only a student whose name appears on a Student Authorization Ticket is permitted to log in and take an online assessment (not applicable for Writing tests).
The tests must be administered strictly in accordance with the instructions outlined in the SOL assessment manuals. This includes following proper procedures for using test manipulatives. Directions that are to be read to the students must be read exactly as written.
No test item that will be scored to obtain students' test results may be used as a sample or practice item for learning how to select responses. Sample items are included in the SOL assessments to familiarize students with the format of the items and the procedures for selecting their answers.
All persons are prohibited from attempting to formally or informally score SOL assessments.
All Examiners, Proctors, or Interpreters using a Proctor Authorization Ticket to administer an online read-aloud assessment to students requiring this accommodation are prohibited from answering test questions in the Web-based assessment before, during, or after the administration of the test (not applicable for Writing tests).
All persons are prohibited from changing students' answers to test items whether by providing hints or clues during a test administration, correcting wrong answers during a test administration, or by erasing or correcting answers or responses recorded/selected by the student.
All known violations of test security procedures shall be reported by phone, fax or in writing. Call (804) 225-2102 to report violations by phone. Fax violation reports to (804) 371-8978. Written reports must be signed by the person making the report and addressed to the Division of Student Assessment and School Improvement, Virginia Department of Education, P.O. Box 2120, Richmond, VA 23218-2120. The Virginia Department of Education will request an investigation of any test improprieties and implementation of an action plan as necessary. All corrective action plans must be submitted to the Division of Student Assessment and School Improvement.

Please read legislation passed by the Virginia General Assembly (?22.1-19.1 Actions for violations of test security procedures and ?22.1-292.1 Violation of test security procedures: revocation of license) regarding the repercussions of violating test security.

?22.1-19.1. Action for violations of test security procedures.

A. The Office of the Attorney General, on behalf of the Board of Education, may bring a cause of action in the circuit court having jurisdiction where the person resides or where the act occurred for injunctive relief, civil penalty, or both, against any person who knowingly and willfully commits any of the following acts related to secure mandatory tests required by the Board to be administered to students:

Permitting unauthorized access to secure test questions prior to testing;
Copying or reproducing all or any portion of any secure test booklet;
Divulging the contents of any portion of a secure test;
Altering test materials or examinees' responses in any way;
Creating or making available answer keys to secure tests;
Making a false certification on the test security form established by the Department of Education;
Excluding students from testing who are required to be assessed; or
Participating in, directing, aiding or abetting, or assisting in any of the acts prohibited in this section.

For the purpose of this subsection, "secure" means an item, question, or test that has not been made publicly available by the Department of Education.

B. Nothing in this section may be construed to prohibit or restrict the reasonable and necessary actions of the Board of Education, Superintendent of Public Instruction or the Department of Education or their agents or employees engaged in test development or selection, test form construction, standard setting, test scoring, reporting test scores, or any other related activities which, in the judgment of the Superintendent of Public Instruction or Board of Education, are necessary and appropriate.

C. Any person who violates any provisions of this section may be assessed a civil penalty not to exceed $1,000 for each violation. Furthermore, any person whose administrative or teaching license has been suspended or revoked pursuant to ?22.1-292.1 may be assessed a civil penalty for the same violation under this section and the reasonable costs of any review or investigation of a violation of test security.

All civil penalties paid to the Commonwealth pursuant to this section shall be deposited into the Literary Fund.

D. For the purpose of this section, "person" shall not mean a student enrolled in a public school.

?22.1-292.1. Violation of test security procedures: revocation of license.

A. The Board of Education may suspend or revoke the administrative or teaching license it has issued to any person who knowingly and willfully commits any of the following acts related to secure mandatory tests administered to students as required by this title or by the Board of Education:

Giving unauthorized access to secure test questions;
Copying or reproducing all or any portion of any secure test booklet;
Divulging the contents of any portion of a secure test;
Coaching or assisting examinees during testing or altering test materials or examinees' responses in any way;
Making available any answer keys;
Failing to follow test security procedures established by the Department of Education;
Providing a false certification on any test security form required by the Department of Education;
Retaining a copy of secure test questions;
Excluding students from testing who are required to be assessed; or
Participating in, directing, aiding, assisting in, or encouraging any of the acts prohibited by this section.

For the purposes of this section, "secure test" means an item, question, or test that has not been made publicly available by the Department of Education.

Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit educational personnel from providing input to administrators or other authorized personnel, including school board members and members of the General Assembly, except when done in a manner that violates test integrity or security regarding the accuracy, clarity, or propriety of test items or test administration procedures.

B. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit or restrict the reasonable and necessary actions of the Board of Education, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, or the Department of Education in test development or selection, test form construction, standard setting, test scoring and reporting, or any other related activities which, in the judgment of the Superintendent of Public Instruction or the Board of Education, are necessary and appropriate.

C. Any suspension or revocation imposed for the acts enumerated in this section shall be rendered pursuant to Board regulations promulgated pursuant to the Administrative Process Act(?2.2-4000 et seq.) and ?22.1-298.1, governing the licensure of teachers.