Recording and reporting testing irregularities is a daunting task—even for experienced test coordinators and administrators. So we set out to find what's worked best for others in managing and reporting test security incidents. Ryan Kuykendall—District Test Coordinator and Director of Accountability & Research for Desoto County Schools in Mississippi—shares his district's method of tracking, analyzing, and reporting incidents, and explains why utilizing technology has worked best for his team.
Drane: What are the biggest challenges and/or frustrations you have faced in the past with the process of recording and reporting test security incidents during spring testing?
Kuykendall: The STC (state testing coordinator) is typically the main one that has most of the information. Therefore, going back and forth with them to get everything needed can be challenging during testing, which is already such a busy time anyway. Then when you add the step of the DTC (district testing coordinator) being the middleman between the STC and the state department, that increases the challenge.
Drane: What inspired you to begin using a technology platform to manage security incidents?
Kuykendall: Since this is a Mississippi Department of Education requirement, we needed to adhere. However, I prefer using a technology collection process over a paper-form collection process. Our state department presented Caveon Core as an option, and we immediately saw how this cut out a significant step from the previous physical (non-technology-based) method.
Drane: What (if anything) do you find most helpful about using a technology platform to track security incidents during testing?
Kuykendall: It made things much easier by taking out the middle step of physically trying to get this information from the STC originally, then getting anything else that is needed added to the report, then getting it physically from the STC again, and then getting it physically to the Mississippi Department of Education. And all of this during such a busy time.
Drane: What kind of data do you value the most during test administration? What are you keeping your eye on in Core? How does Core facilitate your knowledge of what's happening in the district?
Kuykendall: Being able to export a .csv of all irregularities so you can filter by anything you need is very valuable and important. It makes finishing testing in the testing systems much easier. It also allows you to see adjustments that must be made for next year's testing plan.
Drane: Can you recall a memorable or notable experience you've had while using technology to track test security incidents?
Kuykendall: Being able to quickly see how many test irregularities a particular school or category has is very important. Having that allows you to make critical adjustments during the current test window.
Drane: Core was built to be flexible and adaptive to users, meaning that individuals can transform their own work environments to function for their unique needs. Can you describe what makes your use of Core unique?
Kuykendall: A state user can see from the top down, so it makes knowing what incidents are occurring in the state much easier to “see” and manage at the state level. My view and use case are a bit different at the district level. I've utilized Core uniquely by exporting reports, and then being able to filter. It is crucial to us since we are the largest district in Mississippi. Additionally, this information is necessary to us closing out testing in online systems with many different schools and varied situations.