La. Admin. Code tit. 28 § XI-5315

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 9, September 20, 2024

Section XI-5315 - Emergencies during Testing [Formerly LAC 28:CXI.315]

A. For emergencies (e.g., fire alarms, bomb threats) that require evacuation of the classroom during administration of statewide assessments, the following procedures should be followed.

1. If the room can be locked, the test administrator should direct the students to pause a computer-based test or place the answer document inside the test booklet and leave both on the desk for paper-based tests. For computer-based tests, students will resume the test after returning to the classroom. For paper-based tests, before students are allowed back into the room, the test administrator should return to the room, pick up the test booklets, answer documents, and other secure materials, and then distribute them individually to the students when they have returned to their desks.

2. If the room cannot be locked and if at all possible, the test administrators should direct students to place the answer document on top of the test booklet and hand both along with any other secure materials to the test administrator as students file out of the room. Test administrators should carry the documents with them to their designated location outside the building. If return to the building is delayed, the school test coordinator should pick up and check in the materials from the test administrators.

3. If testing has not started prior to the emergency and the students have not yet opened their test booklets and answer documents, testing should start when students return to the room.

4. If students have opened their testing materials to begin testing and test security has been maintained, testing may continue after students return to the room.

5. If the test booklets have been opened and test security has been compromised, testing should not be continued. The answer documents should be sent to the testing company with the responses that were completed prior to the emergency.

6. As a precautionary measure, graduating seniors might be tested together in a single group or in several smaller groups so test security is easier to maintain if there is an emergency.

7. If test security has been compromised, the district test coordinator must notify the LDE, Division of Assessments and Accountability, as soon as possible.

B. Online Testing Emergency Plan

1. Each district shall develop and adopt an emergency plan that includes the steps to be followed in the event of an emergency that results in disruption of online testing.

2. If online testing is disrupted by emergencies, lost internet connections, lost power, or computer crashes aid students are unable to continue testing on the same day, the school test coordinator should document what occurred as a testing irregularity and notify the district test coordinator. If the student will be unable to return to testing by the end of the day after the disruption, the district test coordinator must immediately notify the LDE, Division of Assessments and Accountability.

La. Admin. Code tit. 28, § XI-5315

Promulgated by the Department of Education, Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, LR 31:1532 (My 2005), amended LR 32:234 (February 2006), LR 33:258 (February 2007), LR 34:66 (January 2008), LR 35:218 (February 2009), LR 37:858 (March 2011), LR 38:33 (January 2012), Amended, LR 44464 (3/1/2018).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 17.7.