Test Security and Test Integrity
Overview
The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) provides test security guidelines and resources to ensure that schools and local education agencies (LEAs) deliver statewide assessments in a uniform and equitable manner. Assessments must be administered in consistent and standardized conditions to yield fair and accurate results. The best way for OSSE to support schools and LEAs in administering quality assessments is to ensure educators understand and recognize acceptable and unacceptable assessment practices.
OSSE has established policies and procedures to equip LEAs to administer statewide assessments reliably and impartially to all students, as defined in the Statewide Assessments Participation and Performance policy and in accordance with the Test Integrity Act of 2013, as amended in 2015. OSSE develops annual Test Security Guidelines to set forth minimum requirements that ensure LEAs and school personnel are aware of the state requirements for maintaining strict test security procedures, before, during and after assessment administration. LEAs are also provided with a notification letter template to customize and send to families of all students participating in statewide assessments, in accordance with the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
To read more about the importance of test security, please refer to the June 2011 letter from the US Department of Education addressed to the Council of Chief State School Officers.
Maintaining Test Integrity and Test Security
LEAs are expected to maintain test security according to OSSE-established policies and procedures as outlined by the Testing Integrity Act. OSSE has developed training and resources to help LEAs prepare, document and execute test security with accuracy and integrity. LEAs are trained annually in secure administration practices and may use the documents found at the bottom of this webpage as additional reference.
Any disruption to test administration must be reported immediately to OSSE. The reporting individual may be anyone who observes or suspects a test security incident or irregularity such as an LEA representative, a school employee or the public at large. Any incidents must be reported to OSSE by LEA personnel using established procedures. The District of Columbia Incident Reporting Form is available for use by members of the public who wish to report a suspected incident, or school personnel who wish to report anonymously and do not have access to the assessments portal.
OSSE is also charged with monitoring and overseeing statewide assessment security practices. OSSE monitors all statewide assessments by visiting schools to observe administration practices. OSSE selects schools for onsite monitoring primarily based on random selection but may also select schools for monitoring based on security or administration issues.
Each year, OSSE, in conjunction with its assessment vendors, carefully reviews and analyzes statewide assessment results to verify that the assessment was administered with fidelity and that the results are valid and trustworthy. Indications of irregularities documented through an incident report, a monitoring visit, or through student response analysis may warrant a test integrity investigation to gain an understanding of the cause or causes of anomalies. Test integrity investigations in the District are OSSE-initiated and LEA-led. The investigation also helps OSSE determine whether the assessment results that include anomalies are valid and trustworthy. If an investigation is a result of suspected anomalies on the part of the LEA, then OSSE will conduct the investigation. Additional information about test integrity investigations and other test security documents and resources can be found below.
Test Security and Test Integrity Resources for 2024-25 Statewide Assessment Administration
Guiding Documents
Test Security and Test Integrity Training
- Test Security and Integrity Notification Statement
- Test Security Training Attendance Template
- Test Security Training
School Test Security Plan Resources
- OSSE Assessment Portal
- Test Security Plan Guide
- Test Security Plan Exemplar
- Test Schedule Template and Exemplars
- Authorized Personnel Template
- Test Security File Checklist
Family Notification Letter Templates
Test Security Resources for During Administration
- Incident Report Form in OSSE Assessment Portal (for use by LEAs or members of the public)
- Plan to Improve Test Security Policies and Procedures
- Test Security Fact-Finding Inquiry
- Monitoring Checklists
Test Security Resources for After Administration
Contact Information
For direct inquiries, please contact Rohini Ramnath, Test Security Specialist at [email protected]. You may also contact the OSSE Office of Assessments via email at [email protected].
Looking for Another Section?
Test Security and Incident Forms Archive
2022-23 Test Security and Incident Forms
2021-22 Test Security and Incident Forms
About State Assessments
The District of Columbia administers multiple assessments annually in accordance with DC and federal law. These districtwide assessments are an important source of data on students’ progress and proficiency relative to DC’s educational standards. DC’s system of Next Generation Assessments are aligned to the Common Core State Standards, Next Generation Science Standards, and DC Standards. These assessments are also technology and computer enhanced.
We value the use of comparable student performance data, and our statewide assessment systems provide us with critical information on academic performance across the city. We are committed to working with our stakeholders to be able to provide information that is meaningful and useful in improving programs and supports for all students and schools.