Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 7 - Education K-12 › Part 24 - Mississippi Public School Accountability Standards 2023 › ACCREDITATION POLICIES OF THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION › Sec2 7-24-5.0 - ACCREDITATION MONITORING PROCEDURES › Section 7-24-5.0-5.3 - SPECIAL TEST AUDITS

Current through June 25, 2024
Reports regarding potential testing irregularities or test
					 security violations are referred to the Office of Student Assessment. Such
					 reports shall include, but are not limited to, statistical analyses of test
					 data conducted after each test administration, self-reported incidents,
					 third-party allegations regarding violations of testing requirements, and
					 irregularities noted during test security audits. Regular test security audits
					 may be conducted prior to, during, and following each test administration to
					 promote the integrity and security of the Mississippi Assessment System. The
					 Office of Student Assessment will report to the Office of Accreditation each
					 testing irregularity that has been verified as a violation of a testing
					 requirement.
5.3.1 elf-reports or
				  third-party allegations regarding testing irregularities may be either formal
				  written reports (signed or unsigned) or verbal reports or complaints that may
				  be made officially or anonymously and with or without documentary
				  evidence.
5.3.2 If a third-party
				  allegation addresses an area over which the SBE has no authority, the
				  individual filing the allegation will be notified.
5.3.3 A self-report or allegation shall
				  identify specific details concerning alleged violations of test security and/or
				  testing irregularities to warrant an investigative audit.
5.3.4 Any statistical analysis that indicates
				  a potential testing irregularity or test security violation will be reviewed
				  and evaluated by staff in the Office of Student Assessment. If the review and
				  evaluation of the statistical analysis indicate that further information is
				  required to resolve or confirm the testing irregularity, the Office of Student
				  Assessment may require that a school district investigate the potential
				  irregularity and report its findings to the Office of Student Assessment. Any
				  verified testing irregularity is reported to the Office of Accreditation for
				  appropriate action.
5.3.5
Procedures for test security audits are as follows:
* The auditor may arrive at the school without prior
					 notification.
* The auditor informs the school administrator of the
					 purpose of the audit and of the procedures to be followed.
* The auditor requests that the district superintendent be
					 notified that a test audit is in progress.
* The auditor uses the same methods to collect data as
					 described in Appendix F.
* The auditor reports the audit findings to the Office of
					 Student Assessment. If the audit findings indicate that a testing irregularity
					 has occurred, the Office of Student Assessment will notify the district
					 superintendent. If the response from the district superintendent does not
					 resolve the irregularity, the irregularity is reported to the Office of
					 Accreditation for appropriate action.