Ethical Issues in Testing: Following the Rules - The Basics and Beyond

Department of Education Office of Educational Assessment & Accountability Marilyn Roberts, Director, OEAA Michael Radke Ph.D. Supervisor, MEAP Jim Griffiths Manager, MEAP Test Administration Kim Young, State Coordinator, NAEP

Objectives: By the end of this session you should be able to - Identify testing ethics issues, guidelines and processes Define administrative, ethical, student and other testing issues Propose preventative and corrective solutions Recognize prohibited testing practices and initiate resolution

The Purpose of the Michigan Educational Assessment Program To assess what students know and can do in relation to the state curriculum/benchmarks To provide valid and reliable results for parents and students, teachers and school administrators To assist in providing quality teaching and learning To provide information for AYP, and Education YES! and MERIT Awards

Curriculum Alignment The state establishes curricula, related benchmarks and content standards Districts and schools define their own curricula and align them with the state content standards MEAP tests student performance in relation to the state content standards

What makes a practice ethical? Any action that provides a fair and equal opportunity for a student to get a valid score Problematic practices are those that give a student an unfair advantage or disadvantage and an invalid score

MEAP Testing Practices: Ethics Policies Prohibited practices before testing –Use of unreleased test questions –Teach SOLELY to skills, strategies, and concepts measured by MEAP test Questions –Drill on test questions/require students to memorize answers –Exclude students from testing –Administer tests to ineligible 10 th graders –Other practices that compromise validity

Prohibited Practices During Testing Actions that may guide a student response Alter a response (darkening, erasing, editing, etc.) Read, define, explain, or interpret except when expressly directed by instructions Allow collaboration or communication among students

Prohibited Practices During Testing Schedule a break during a part of a test Post answers or any other material specifically related to tests Prompt students to reconsider, review, or reevaluate responses Allow a student to complete, revise, delete, correct or alter responses on another test part Other practices that compromise validity

Prohibited Practices After Testing Failure to return or destroy testing materials as required Copy testing materials except as allowed Alter responses Allow students to retrieve answer folders or alter responses Participate in…or fail to report prohibited actions Other practices that compromise validity

Prohibited Student Practices Before During or After Testing Communicate or collaborate with someone Copy another’s answers, request/accept help Use materials not expressly permitted Answer or provide assistance for another student Other practices that compromise validity

How are issues reported? Student Issues: Bubble Unethical Practice Other issues: Contact MEAP –Self report –Third party report –Scoring alert

Scoring Alerts Readers are trained to look for potential issues 4 types of alerts –Individual Student Issues –Teacher/School Interference –At-Risk –Erasure analysis (MC’s)

How are issues addressed? Schools report immediately upon becoming aware of possible issue Conduct internal school investigation: accurate description of what occurred Investigation in cooperation with MEAP Resolution and follow up (test reports, public relations, consequences) Retesting when required and possible

What types of issues arise? Administrative errors: An error made that may affect the validity of the test with no intention of improving scores Ethical issues: Practice occurred to improve scores that may affect validity Student Issues: Student practice affecting validity Non-issues: After investigation is completed, prohibited practice did not occur and is determined not to affect validity

Prevention is the best solution: MEAP Coordinators Schedule testing sessions Plan student preparation activities Train staff for administration Clarify test security guidelines Define requirements for material receipt & return Communicate with administrators and teachers Use the manuals effectively and consistently Contact MEAP with questions !

Prevention is the best solution: Teachers and Proctors Read and follow the manual consistently Prepare the room for testing Administer tests in a single session Read students the testing directions as written Monitor during testing Follow test security and return materials promptly Contact your MEAP coordinator with questions

Keys to resolution: What is in the student’s best interest? Early reporting Complete disclosure Cooperation between MEAP and the school Thorough investigation Retesting where appropriate

Sample Issues & Solutions Part 2 (Reading) of the ELA was given before Part 1(Writing) –Is this an inappropriate practice (administrative error, or unethical)? –Should it be reported? –How could this have been prevented? –Solution?

Sample Issue #2 Student writes a math constructed response in the wrong place on the answer folder. –Is this an inappropriate practice (administrative error, unethical, or student)? –Should it be reported? –How could this have been prevented? –Solution?

Sample Issue #3 You just transferred to the high performing building in your district. The principal distributes a binder of MEAP questions that are not among the released items on the website - for use during the building MEAP prep classes. –Is this an inappropriate practice (administrative error, or unethical)? –Should it be reported? –How could this have been prevented? –Solution?

Sample Issue #4 Students were allowed to use inappropriate supplementary materials or not given access to supplementary materials where allowed –Is this an inappropriate practice (administrative error, or unethical)? –Should it be reported? –How could this have been prevented? –Solution?

Sample issue #5 During MEAP testing, a classroom is found to have posters on the wall that list, describe and give examples of the Core Democratic Values –Is this an inappropriate practice (administrative error, or unethical)? –Should it be reported? –How could this have been prevented? –Solution?

Sample Issue #6 A student bubbles in answers for the test to create a design/pattern on the answer folder –Is this an inappropriate practice (administrative error, unethical, or student)? –Should it be reported? –How could this have been prevented? –Solution?

Sample Issue #7 Principal passes out the current year test booklets at a staff meeting for review prior to testing. Staff is told not to discuss the contents with students prior to the assessment. –Is this an inappropriate practice (administrative error, or unethical)? –Should it be reported? –How could this have been prevented? –Solution?

Sample Issue #8 A colleague tells you that they allowed some students to complete their ELA test the next morning (or after a break). –Is this an inappropriate practice (administrative error, or unethical)? –Should it be reported? –How could this have been prevented? –Solution?

Sample Issue #9 Two of your best students run out of space to answer to a constructed response mathematics question. You tell them to complete it on a separate piece of paper? –Is this an inappropriate practice (administrative error, or unethical)? –Should it be reported? –How could this have been prevented? –Solution?

Sample Issue #10 Your best friend says he will lose his job if the MEAP scores don’t go up this year. After MEAP testing is done for the day, you observe a staff member erasing and writing something on MEAP answer folders. You also see a list of numbers with A’s, B’s, C’s, and D’s on it. –Is this an inappropriate practice (administrative error, or unethical)? –Should it be reported? What other follow up is needed? –How could this have been prevented? –Solution?

What suggestions do you have for revising the current MEAP Testing Practices policy us with suggestions at: