Ethical Standards in Testing: Test Preparation and Administration
WERA Professional Publications Volume 1 1999Revised, 2001

Ethical Standards in Testing:

• Test Preparation and Administration
• WERA Professional Publications Volume 1 (Revised, 2001)
  M. A. Power, Editor
  ©1999 Washington Educational Research Association
• P.O. Box 64489
  University Place, WA 98464
• www.wera-web.org
  

Ethical Standards in Testing: Test Preparation and Administration

Tests should give an accurate picture of students’ knowledge and skills in the subject area or domain being tested. Accurate achievement data are very important for planning curriculum and instruction and for program evaluation. Test scores that overestimate or underestimate students’ actual knowledge and skills cannot serve these important purposes.

The purpose of the Washington State Educational Assessment Program (WSEAP) is to promote learning by assessing essential skills that all students should possess. WSEAP assessments use representative samples of test items from a content area to estimate student achievement. To get valid and reliable results, it is essential that the scores from selected test items accurately reflect the larger domain of knowledge.

Some efforts to help students do well on assessments can cause artificially high test scores. In other situations, when students have not been adequately prepared to take the assessments - or to take them seriously - artificially low test scores can result.

Test preparation activities which promote quality, long-term learning are appropriate, even essential. Good test-taking skills and appropriate content learning can reduce the likelihood that extraneous factors will influence students’ test scores.

Unethical and inappropriate activities are those aimed only at increasing short-term learning and test scores. Any effort to influence performance on specific items or item types is inappropriate, without instruction in and attention to the broader area which those items represent. Attempting to target specific items undermines the purpose of the assessment and calls affected student scores into question.

With the active participation of representatives from other educational associations and agencies in the state, the Washington Educational Research Association (WERA) has developed this position paper on ethical standards in test preparation and administration. Guidelines also are included to help in creating a situation that will assist students in doing their best on tests.

The best way to prevent inappropriate testing practice is to help teachers and administrators become aware of what is good practice, and what is not. WERA invites its members and those of other associations and organizations to help shape and subscribe to these standards. Everyone concerned with the accuracy of data on student achievement needs to help spread the word about what constitutes appropriate and ethical test preparation and administration.

ACTION SEMINAR PARTICIPANTS - ETHICAL TESTING STANDARDS

The following individuals participated in a series of seminars in 1998-99 during which these standards were developed.

Jim Nelson
Seminar Facilitator and Writer
WERA Member Emeritus
Gig Harbor, WA

Linda Elman                                                       Jerry Litzenberger
Director of Research & Evaluation                     Director, Graduate Follow up Study
Central Kitsap School District                            Snohomish, WA

Gordon Ensign Jr.                                              Duncan MacQuarrie
Director of Assessment (Retired)                       Director of Curriculum and Assessment
Commission on Student Learning                       Office Supt. Of Public Instruction

Jill Hearne                                                         Steve Siera
Educational Consultant                                      Director, Research & Assessment
Seattle                                                              Kent School District

Bev Henderson                                                 Bob Silverman
Curriculum Coordinator                                    Senior WASL Analyst
Kennewick School District                                Office Supt. of Public Instruction

Audrian Huff                                                     Donna Smith
Principal, Fairwood Elem. School                      Principal, Terminal Park Elem. School
Kent School District                                          Auburn School District

Wally Hunt                                                        Ric Williams
Supervisor, Title I/Learning                                Director, Evaluation and Research
  Assistance Program                                         Everett Public Schools
Office Supt. of Public Instruction

WASHINGTON EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATION

ETHICAL STANDARDS

TEST PREPARATION AND ADMINISTRATION

IT IS APPROPRIATE AND ETHICAL TO:

1. Communicate to students, parents and the public what any test does and does not do, when and how it will be administered, and how the results may be appropriately used.

2. Teach to the Essential Learning Requirements (WA. state curriculum standards) at each grade level so that students will learn the skills and knowledge they need to accurately show what they know and can do.

3. Incorporate all subject area objectives into the local curriculum throughout the year including, but not limited to, the objectives of the tests to be administered.

4. Review skills, strategies, and concepts previously taught.

5. Teach and review test-taking and familiarization skills that include an understanding of test characteristics independent of the subject matter being tested.

6. Use any test preparation documents and materials prepared by the test-maker, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction or the Commission on Student Learning.

                    7. Read and discuss the test administration manual with colleagues.

8. Schedule and provide the appropriate amount of time needed for the assessment.

9. Take appropriate security precautions before, during and after administration of the test.

10. Include all eligible students in the assessment.

11. Actively proctor students during tests, keeping them focused and on task.

12. Seek clarification on issues and questions from the administrative team responsible for ethical and appropriate practices.

13. Avoid any actions that would permit or encourage individuals or groups of students to receive scores that misrepresent their actual level of knowledge and skill.

BEFORE THE TEST - IT IS INAPPROPRIATE AND UNETHICAL TO:

1. Use any test preparation material that promises to raise scores on a particular test by targeting skills or knowledge from specific test items, and does not increase students’ general knowledge and skills. Materials which target the general skills tested may be appropriate if they reflect school or district priorities and best practices.

2. Limit curriculum and instruction only to those skills, strategies, and concepts included on the test.

3. Limit review to only those areas on which student performance was low on previous tests.

4. "Cram" test material just before the tests are given.

5. Train students for testing using locally developed versions of national norm-referenced tests.

*6. Reveal all or any part of secure copyrighted tests to students, in any manner, oral or written, prior to test administration.

*7. Copy or otherwise reproduce all or any part of secure or copyrighted tests.

*8. Review or provide test question answers to students.

*9. Possess unauthorized copies of state tests.

DURING THE TEST - IT IS INAPPROPRIATE AND UNETHICAL TO:

1. Read any parts of the test to students except where indicated in the directions.

2. Define or pronounce words used in the test.

3. Make comments of any kind during the test, including remarks about quality or quantity of student work, unless specifically called for in the administration manual.

4. Give "special help" of any kind to students taking the test.

5. Suggest or "coach" students to mark or change their answers in any way.

6. Exclude eligible students from taking the test.

*7. Reproduce test documents for any purpose.

* It is illegal under state statute to conduct or assist in carrying out any of the items marked with *. (Penalties may range from fines to dismissal, or even withdrawal of certification. [RCW 28A.230.190. Acts of Unprofessional Conduct, WAC 180-87-050])

 

AFTER THE TEST - IT IS INAPPROPRIATE AND UNETHICAL TO:

1. Make inaccurate reports, unsubstantiated claims, inappropriate interpretations, or otherwise false and misleading statements about assessment results.

*2. Erase or change student answers.

* It is illegal under state statute to conduct or assist in carrying out any of the items marked with *. (Penalties may range from fines to dismissal, or even withdrawal of certification. [RCW 28A.230.190. Acts of Unprofessional Conduct, WAC 180-87-050])

Many of the issues regarding ethical assessment practice are in the hands of the classroom teacher, but a significant number of these issues must be addressed through administrative practice.

GUIDELINES FOR TEST PREPARATION AND ADMINISTRATION

Students will do their best on tests if they find an encouraging and supportive atmosphere, if they know that they are well prepared, and that with hard work they will perform well. To create a situation that will encourage students to do their best, teachers should:

1. Attend workshops on test administration.

2. Develop an assessment calendar and schedule and share it with students and parents.

3. Prepare students well in advance for assessment by teaching test-wiseness skills independent of the subject matter being tested. Teach and review test familiarity that includes an understanding of how to use the test booklets and answer sheets, item response strategies, time management, listening, and following directions.

4. Develop a list of which and how many students will be tested and when. Determine which students will require special accommodations.

5. Develop a list of students who will be exempted from testing and the reason for the exemption. This list must be reviewed and approved by the principal or test administration committee. Parents must be notified and alternative assessments must be identified.

6. Develop plans for the administration of makeup tests for students absent during the scheduled testing period.

7. Prepare and motivate students just before the test.

8. Prepare to administer the test, with sufficient materials available for all students to be tested.

9. Prepare classrooms for the test. Arrange for comfortable seating where students will not be able to see each other's test materials but will be able to hear test directions. Eliminate posters or other materials that may be distracting or contain information that could be used to help students answer test items.

10. Alert neighboring teachers to the testing schedule and ask their help in achieving optimal testing conditions and in keeping noise levels to a minimum.

11. Arrange for a separate supervised area for those students who finish early and may cause a distraction for other students.

12. Read the test administration manual carefully, in advance. Administer the test according to directions.

13. Meet with proctors and discuss their duties and responsibilities. Carefully and actively proctor the test.

14. Arrange for appropriate breaks and student stress relievers.

15. Follow the rules for test security and return all test materials to the test administrator.

GUIDELINES FOR TEST PREPARATION AND ADMINISTRATION

The Principal's Role

There are a number of things the principal can do to enhance the testing atmosphere in the school.

1. Inform both students and parents about what each test does and does not do, when and how it will be administered, and how the results will be reported and used. Indicate the importance of tests for students, staff, and the school. Stress the importance of school attendance on the scheduled testing dates.

2. Encourage the implementation of appropriate test-wiseness teaching and review. Teaching test familiarity skills should be independent of subject matter being tested. Discourage subject matter drill and practice solely for the test.

3. Let parents know about upcoming tests and what they can do to encourage their children's performance.

4. Work with teachers to develop a building testing schedule. Attempt to maximize the efficiency of the building's physical layout and resources.

5. Pay careful attention to school schedules during the testing period. Avoid planning assemblies, fire drills, maintenance, etc., during the testing period.

6. Develop a plan to keep tests and answer sheets secure before and after administration, and ensure that all are returned properly.

7. Arrange, where possible, for teachers to have proctoring help in administering tests. Ensure that tests are carried out according to ethical and legal practice.

8. Provide a handbook or policy statement such as this one to all involved with test administration spelling out proper and improper testing procedures.

9. Create a process to check out any suspicions or allegations of cheating. Document all steps taken.

10. Require detailed written explanations about why a student was not tested or the reason a score was not figured into a school's average.

11. Encourage teachers' participation in workshops and inservice sessions on assessment.

12. Ensure that all students are tested. Review all test accommodations, including exclusion, as a last resort, made for students with special needs. Ensure that accommodations/exclusions are consistent with specific testing program guidelines, and that appropriate accommodations are available as needed.

13. Ensure that there are no interruptions in classrooms during the testing period, including custodial tasks, intercom calls, delivery of messages, etc.

14. Work with the test coordinator and classroom teachers to schedule and staff makeup days for students who miss all or parts of the test. This might include bringing in a substitute or finding other ways to creatively use building staff to administer makeups in an appropriate setting.

15. Share test results with all staff. Staff members need to work together to ensure that the testing process is a smooth one. School improvement is a team effort.

 

REFERENCES

American Association for Counseling and Development (now American Counseling Association) and Association for Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development (now Association for Assessment in Counseling) (1989). Responsibilities of users of standardized tests: RUST statement revised. Alexandria, VA: Author.

American Educational Research Association, American Psychological Association, National Council of Measurement in Education (1985). Standards for educational and psychological testing. Washington, DC: APA.

American Educational Research Association (1992). Ethical standards of the American Educational Research Association. Washington, DC: Author.

American Federation of Teachers, National Council on Measurement in Education, National Education Association (1990). Standards for teacher competence in educational assessment of students. Washington, DC: Author.

American Psychological Association (1992). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct. Washington, DC: Author.

Assessment Handbook: A collection of proper test administration guidelines, prepared collaboratively by staff in the Departments of Planning, Research and Evaluation, Curriculum, Instruction and Staff Development, and Regions 1 and 2 of the South Kitsap School District. Centralia School District (1998)

CTB/McGraw-Hill. (1997). Position Regarding Use of Test-Related Instructional Materials. Monterey, CA: Author.

"Ethics in Assessment." (1995). ERIC Digest. Author: Schmeiser, Cynthia B. Document Identifier: ERIC Document Reproduction Service No ED301111 Publication Year 30 Jan 1995 Document Type: Eric Product (071); Eric Digests

Joint Committee on Standards for Educational Evaluation (1988). The personnel evaluation standards: How to assess systems for evaluating educators. Newberry Park, CA: Sage.

Joint Committee on Standards for Educational Evaluation (1994). The program evaluation standards: How to assess evaluations of educational programs. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Mehrens, W. A. (1984). "National Tests and Local Curriculum: Match or Mismatch?" Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice, 3, (3), 9-15.

Mehrens, W. A. and Kaminski, J. (1989). "Methods for Improving Standardized Test Scores: Fruitful, Fruitless or Fraudulent." Educational Measurement: Issues and Practices, 8 (1), 14-22.

Mehrens, W. A., Popham, J. W. and Ryan, J.M. (1998). "How to Prepare Students for Performance Assessments," Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice, 3, (3), 18-22.

Michigan State Board of Education. (1987). Michigan Educational Assessment Program: Local and intermediate district coordinator’s manual. Lansing, MI: Author.

National Council of Measurement in Education, Ad hoc Committee on the Development of a Code of Ethics (1995). Code of Professional Responsibilities in Educational measurement. Washington, DC: Author.

Popham, J. W. (1991). "Appropriateness of Teachers’ Test-Preparation Practices." Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice, 1, (1), 12-15.

"Preparing Students To Take Standardized Achievement Tests." ERIC Digest. Author: Mehrens, William A. Document Identifier: ERIC Document Reproduction Service No ED314427 Note: 3p.; Dec 1989 Document Type: Eric Product (071); Eric Digests.

Washington State Testing Program Statutory References. (1998). RCW 28A.230.190. Acts of Unprofessional Conduct, WAC 180-87-050. [Ch. 180-87 WAC-p.2]