Test Security

Maintaining test security is an important responsibility for all assessment coordinators and assessors. Test security is important for several reasons:
  • all students need to have the same testing experience so the scores of all students can be interpreted similarly;
  • some test items are used across years and test forms to provide important longitudinal data;
  • item development is expensive and includes writing, reviewing, and piloting new items which requires many people and many months to complete;
  • student data must remain secure and confidential.
Maintaining test security refers to keeping test materials (including individual items) secure BEFORE, DURING, and AFTER test administration. This is especially relevant to PASA assessments since, unlike general assessments, administration of the PASA requires reviewing the test items prior to administration and may involve saving a video recording of the assessment to your computer before uploading to the website.

It is important to know that under Pennsylvania School Code, there are consequences if test security procedures are not followed. Additionally, it is the responsibility of district personnel to report violations of test security to the PA Department of Education. Failure to report violations of test security procedures can result in the same consequences as those imposed for violating the security procedures.

As a reminder, all personnel in the room during an assessment MUST have a signed test security agreement. This includes videographers, interpreters, teacher's aides, etc. If an electronic security affidavit has not been signed, print a copy of the agreement, sign it, and return it with your test materials at the end of the testing window.

To report testing irregularities, please contact Lisa Hampe at lihampe@pa.gov or 724-425-3000 OR Lynda Lupp at llupp@pattan.net.


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