4250557 Public Hearing - B20-109, Testing Integrity Act of 2013

           

COUNCILMEMBER DAVID A. CATANIA

CHAIRMAN, COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

ANNOUNCES A PUBLIC HEARING

on

Bill 20-109 the Testing Integrity Act of 2013

on

Thursday, April 18, 2013 at 10:00 a.m.

Hearing Room 120, John A. Wilson Building

1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20004

 

Councilmember David A. Catania, Chairman of the Committee on Education, announces the scheduling of a Public Hearing by the Committee on Education on Bill 20-109, the Testing Integrity Act of 2013.  The public hearing will take place at 10:00 a.m. in room 120 of the John A. Wilson Building.

 

The purpose of the hearing is to provide the public and government witnesses an opportunity to testify on the bill which would codify testing security protocols and procedures for statewide assessments administered in the District of Columbia.  The Act outlines each educational institution’s responsibility for testing integrity and makes it a violation of District law to facilitate cheating on a statewide assessment test.  It requires all teachers, proctors and monitors to undergo test security training and sign an agreement to abide by the terms of the District’s testing security laws.  In addition, it requires public schools and public charter schools to develop and submit to OSSE a testing security plan that describes the procedures used for storing test materials in a secure location, monitoring test administration in individual schools, and a description of the plan used in training personnel in test security.  DCPS and Public Charter Schools would be required to identify a system-wide Testing Integrity Coordinator as well as Testing Integrity Monitors.  The legislation identifies impermissible behaviors and actions – or those that would constitute cheating – such as altering test documents or allowing students to preview test items, among others. Finally, the legislation establishes a procedure for instituting sanctions for violations of testing security.

 

Those who wish to testify are asked to contact Mr. Jamaal Jordan with the Committee on Education at [phone] or via email at [e-mail] and furnish their name, address, telephone number, and organizational affiliation, if any, by the close of business on Tuesday, April 16, 2013.  Persons wishing to testify are encouraged, but not required, to submit 15 copies of written testimony.  If you are unable to testify at the hearing, written statements are encouraged and will be made a part of the official record.  Copies of written statements should be submitted to the Committee on Education, Council of the District of Columbia, Suite 119 of the John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20004.  The record will close at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 2, 2013.