For Parent Use:

Georgia Student Assessment Program

The purposes of the Georgia Student Assessment Program are to measure student achievement of the state mandated curriculum, to identify students failing to achieve mastery of content, to provide teachers with diagnostic information, and to assist school systems in identifying strengths and weaknesses in order to establish priorities in planning educational programs.

The assessment program includes customized criterion-referenced tests at the elementary, middle, and high school levels; and the National Assessment of Educational Progress in grades 4, 8 and 12. These mandatory state assessments include the Primary Assessments as well as Other Assessments.

Primary Assessments

• Georgia Milestones
  
  

Other Assessments

• ACCESS for ELLs
• Georgia Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills (GKIDS)
• National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)

CANDLER COUNTY SCHOOLS STATE TESTING DATES 2016-2017

 See Parent Involvement Calendar for Testing Dates.

For Teacher Use:

TEST SECURITY

 Security and Accountability

 Security Breaches

 Any action that compromises test security or leads to the invalidation of an individual student’s or a group of students’ test scores will be viewed by the Candler County School District as inappropriate use or handling of tests and will be treated as such. Below are guidelines to assist system personnel in determining which activities might compromise test security or score validity. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. Any concern regarding test security must be reported to Testing Director immediately.

 It is a breach of test security if anyone performs any of the following:

 ·         coaches examinees during testing, or alters or interferes with examinees’ responses in any way;

 ·         gives examinees access to test questions or prompts prior to testing;

 ·         copies, reproduces, or uses in any manner inconsistent with test security regulations all or any portion of secure test booklets;

 ·         makes answers available to examinees;

 ·         reads or reviews test questions before, during (unless specified in the IEP, IAP, or ELL/TPC), or after testing;

 ·         questions students about test content after the test administration;

 ·         fails to follow security regulations for distribution and return of secure test materials as directed, or fails to account for all secure test materials before, during, and after testing (NOTE: lost test booklets constitute a breach of test security and will result in a referral to PSC);

 ·         uses or handles secure test booklets and answer documents for any purpose other than examination;

 ·         fails to follow administration directions for the test.

 ·         participates in, directs, aids, counsels, assists, encourages, or fails to report any of these prohibited acts.

 ·         erases, marks answers, or alters responses on an answer document.

Failure to safeguard test materials or to comply with test administration procedures could adversely affect an individual’s certification status. Such must be reported to the GaDOE and may be referred to the Educators Ethics Division of the Professional Standards Commission as failure to adhere to established policies and procedures. Under no circumstances may any tests be reproduced or duplicated for individual or group use unless authorized by GaDOE. Failure to comply with the U.S. Copyright Laws protecting these materials could result in legal action. Any instance of violation of copyright laws must be reported immediately to the GaDOE.

Training

 District-Level

 Testing Overview Training

 The Department of Research, Planning and Accountability will conduct staff development related to the assessment program throughout the year. Samples of all handouts, presentations and sign-in sheets will be kept at the BOE.

Pre-Administration Workshops

 All System and School Test Coordinators must attend the Pre-Administration Workshop prior to the administration of each state mandated assessment. These sessions provide a comprehensive overview of processes and procedures specifically related to individual assessments and will review ethics policies related to testing and assessment. Samples of all handouts, presentations and sign-in sheets will be kept at the BOE. All principals must attend the district-level pre-administration workshop for the CRCT.

School-Level

The School Test Coordinator is responsible for training all personnel within their schools. All proctors and examiners (certified educators) must be trained on procedures and test security. All examiners must sign the Test Examiner Assurance Document to certify the following of all procedures and report any irregularities. The test coordinator must retain a copy of all handouts, presentations and sign-in sheets for their record.

The Georgia Department of Education also recommends that all staff members (Paraprofessionals, custodial staff, and others) in the school who may be in classes during testing or may be near the area where tests are stored.

Monitoring

Documentation of trainings attended by school test coordinators will be reviewed by the System Testing Coordinator and records of said training will be stored at the BOE.