FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Contact: Ayan Islam (202) 316-1841; [email protected]

(WASHINGTON, DC) – The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) today announced the initiation of its test integrity investigations on the 2013 District of Columbia Comprehensive Assessment System (DC CAS) results. As the state education agency, OSSE is charged with raising the quality of education for all D.C. residents and is responsible for the design and administration of the statewide academic assessments. In addition, OSSE conducts an annual review of DC CAS administration and security procedures as part of the District’s education accountability plan to ensure students’ academic progress. 

The investigations will be conducted by OSSE’s independent auditor, Alvarez and Marsal Public Sector Services, LLC (A&M) for the third consecutive year and will examine the integrity and security procedures of the DC CAS. The statewide DC CAS exam was administered in grades 3rd through 8th and 10th last April 22-May 3 at 195 schools, within 52 Local Education Agencies (LEAs), including DC Public Schools (DCPS) and 51 public charters, and was taken by 32,838 students.

“As the state education agency, ensuring that our assessment process is implemented in a way that truly reflects our students’ knowledge is vital to ongoing efforts,” said State Superintendent Jesús Aguirre. “Test integrity is an important aspect of our assessment plan as it ensures that an implementation of the DC CAS is valid for all students.” 

The testing groups* chosen for further review as part of OSSE’s test integrity process were selected using random classroom sampling (newly required by the Testing Integrity Act of 2013), and forensic analyses of six (6) flags:

• wrong-to-right erasures;
• person-fit analysis (unusual response patterns);
• score growth;
• score drops;
• performance variations between multiple choice and constructed response; and
• difference in performance on previously unused items. 

A testing group is selected for integrity investigation when any, or a combination, of the following occurs:

• testing groups trigger two or more flags;
• there is an extreme value in a single flag;
• consecutive years of wrong-to-right erasures;
• the same flag occurred across multiple subjects; or
• inclusion in random sampling. 

The score drop analysis in the flagging criteria began last year and helped to further detect testing irregularities. 

Applying the methodology to the test results from the 2013 DC CAS, OSSE flagged testing groups in both DCPS and public charter schools for further review. There are 45 testing groups (21 DCPS; 24 PCS), in 17 LEAs identified for further review.

Beyond classrooms flagged by OSSE, all LEAs will also have, at their individual request and cost, the opportunity to analyze additional forensic data unique to their schools, such as formative assessment results compared to DC CAS results, to recommend other classrooms for investigations. A&M will conduct any additional investigations and upon completion, OSSE will review all investigative findings, accept appeals, and issue final determinations.

Each year, during the review of the DC CAS administration, OSSE analyzes and enhances its flagging methodology with the objective of ensuring the validity of the data used for calculating metrics in the District’s accountability system. The enhancements for the 2013 testing year was a result of an extensive vetting process with OSSE’s Technical Assistance Committee, comprised of national assessment and psychometrics experts, as well as requirements by the recently enacted Testing Integrity Act of 2013. 

The Act also defined sanctions, which will be administered by OSSE, for an LEA found in violation of the regulations or test security plan. These include: Payment of expenses incurred due to violation,

• Administrative fines, not to exceed $1,000 for each violation,
• Invalidation of test scores, and
• Denial, suspension, revocation, or cancellation of, or restrictions on the issuance or renewal of a teaching or administrative credential or teaching certificate issued by OSSE. 

View the Testing Integrity Act of 2013.