The Ongoing Evolution of Test Security in Cleveland
- Slides: 8
The Ongoing Evolution of Test Security in Cleveland Presented at the Council of Great City Schools Curriculum and Research Directors Meeting Las Vegas, Nevada, July 2012 Russell Brown, Ph. D “The Primary Goal of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District is to become a premier school district in the United States of America. ”
Historical Context • District/State had an antagonistic relationship around testing practice • Lack of uniform practice – – Distributed material handling Too much autonomy Poor data quality SLOW turn-around • Problems waiting to happen… “The Primary Goal of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District is to become a premier school district in the United States of America. ”
What we have done… • Test-Director collaborative with other large Districts – Fostered an improved relationship with the State Department – Provides a vehicle to change testing policy for the State – Sharing best practices • Further developed the test-coordinator role – Mandatory training with standardized materials – Online repository of testing resources • Centralized distribution and return of materials with an electronic inventory of all materials. • Electronic data-base of all irregularities “The Primary Goal of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District is to become a premier school district in the United States of America. ”
What we have done… • Proactive building visits – Buildings with prior irregularities – Questionable patterns of data – Random • Accommodations training – standardization • Policy for electronic devices…. “The Primary Goal of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District is to become a premier school district in the United States of America. ”
What we have done: Reactions to Undesirable Behaviors… • Investigation Team – Academic Superintendent, Security, Testing Staff (Legal) • Mandatory reporting to the State with corrective action plan • Pro-active invalidation of suspect tests • Actively pursue additional consequences for staff where appropriate…. “The Primary Goal of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District is to become a premier school district in the United States of America. ”
The Media…. • Regular reporting of assessment results to the board and media • Team approach: Senior Management, Strategic Communications, Assessment. One Voice! • The State Department is part of the team. • AJC…. – Comparative analysis – eliminating alternate explanations – Procedure and policy “The Primary Goal of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District is to become a premier school district in the United States of America. ”
The Changing Landscape… • House Bill 153 specifies that 50% of a teacher’s evaluation will be based on student academic growth… • Principal evaluations equally anchored to student growth. • Cleveland Plan legislation will anchor employment decisions to final ratings. “The Primary Goal of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District is to become a premier school district in the United States of America. ”
The Changing Landscape… • With increased pressure and employment consequences…. • Anticipating steps to increase staff awareness of their personal responsibility for testing security • Have explored additional data screening measures “The Primary Goal of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District is to become a premier school district in the United States of America. ”
