Creating Test Security Documents with TestHound
Testing formats may be evolving from paper-based to computer-based, but the requirements for collecting state-mandated test administration information remain. The TestHound program, powered by Education Advanced, allows district and campus test coordinators to quickly collect and manage the information needed for these documents through data integration and test schedule configuration.
Each state’s department of education has strict requirements regarding what test administration information must be included during each assessment. The required information includes a list of students assigned to each testing room, attendance information, test group code information, accommodations provided to students, accommodations used by the students, and signatures for the test administrator, proctors, and campus test coordinators. Along with this long list of requirements, they also need to know the unique test material security numbers assigned to each student and the dates and times when test administrators receive secure materials and return them to the test coordinator. Additionally, test administrators must maintain an accurate seating chart for each group of students in their testing room.
The information collected on the test security documents complies with the state’s testing protocols and often are used when testing irregularity investigations occur, adding another layer of importance to having correctly formatted and filled out forms. Many states require that the test security documents be retained for several years.
Speaking as a former district test coordinator, before purchasing TestHound, receiving a campus-created security document that was missing vital information and printed on different-sized sheets of paper was frustrating.
The excellent news for TestHound users is that the program generates the necessary documents and populates all the student, test, and test administrator information onto the forms. Coordinators no longer need to create documents using Microsoft Word or Excel manually. As the essential information needed on the test security documents is exported easily from TestHound, it lessens the risk of having incomplete forms submitted by the test administrator after testing.
If a student needs to be relocated to another testing room or test date, with a couple of clicks of the mouse, the task is done. Furthermore, an updated security document can be generated without worrying about forgetting to change the information on each form affected.
Along with the necessary test administration security documents, TestHound also offers reports to track student accommodations individually or per test room, room labels, a master student testing schedule, a test administrator schedule, a form letter, and so much more. Testing may be transitioning to computer-based testing, but the need for universally formatted test administrator security documents still resides.
Whether computer-based or paper-based testing, the test security administration records are still mandatory but are easily generated using TestHound.