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Educator Integrity

Educator Integrity

Prohibited Testing Conduct by Educators

IMPORTANT
BEFORE YOU ADMINISTER THE REGENTS
EXAMS OR REGENTS COMPETENCY TESTS (RCTs)
PLEASE REVIEW THIS IMPORTANT TEST SECURITY INFORMATION

The State Education Department is devoting greater attention to the security and integrity of the New York State Testing Program. We appreciate your commitment and professionalism as we strive to ensure the most fair administration and scoring of Regents Exams and RCTs. Please accept this reminder of prohibited testing conduct by educators.

Some examples of prohibited testing conduct include:

  • Giving a student more time to take the test than is allowed for that student under State regulations.
  • Defining or explaining for a student words, concepts, or questions contained in the test.
  • Suggesting answers to a student during testing or otherwise coaching a student during testing.
  • Commenting on an answer a student has provided on the answer sheet while the test is in progress.
  • Allowing a student to alter exam answers after the student has handed in his/her test materials.
  • Altering a student’s answers after the student has handed in his/her test materials.
  • Improperly inflating a student’s valid, earned test score in order to help the student pass the exam.
  • Making any attempt to improve a student’s test score during scoring, recording, or reporting.

Some potential consequences of engaging in prohibited testing conduct include:

  • The test score of the affected student will likely be invalidated.
  • The affected student may have to retake the exam.
  • The person who intentionally engaged in testing misconduct could face sanctions and
    discipline, including termination and/or the loss of his/her New York State teacher certification.

You are required to report any known violation of these testing rules to the
Test Security Unit at http://www.nysed.gov/educator-integrity/report-educator-test-fraud .

* Full instructions concerning the administration and scoring of exams are contained in Directions for Administering Regents Examinations and on the Department’s web site at
http://www.p12.nysed.gov/assessment/hsgen.

Any person administering a Regents Exam or RCT must abide fully by these instructions. The examples provided above are simply illustrative of prohibited testing conduct.