Legally Required Notices 8/2/22
To be in compliance with federal and state law, the school district is required to inform residents about various programs, policies, and procedures that are in place in the district. All board policy and guidelines referenced may be accessed at http://www.neola.com/northcanton-oh
ARP IDEA Funds Notice
The North Canton City School District is receiving $206,840 in federal stimulus funds due to the COVID-19 pandemic that must be spent on the education of students with disabilities. These funds must be spent by September 30, 2023. In order to access these funds, districts are required to provide an opportunity for input from the community on how the district plans to spend the funds. Below is a brief summary of how the district is considering spending these funds:
The school district hired an additional intervention specialist at North Canton Middle School starting in the 2021-22 school year to reduce some class sizes and student-to-teacher ratios.
The school districtpaid costs not covered by the state school psychologist intern grant to cover excess costs of hiring a school psychologist intern for the 2021-22 school year.
The school district paid instructional coaches to work with teachers in co-teaching classrooms (inclusion classrooms) to help implement research-based best teaching practices and also will use the funds to provide professional development in co-teaching to staff.
If anyone wishes to provide any input, comments, or suggestions, please email John Welch, Director of Student Services and/or Dave Pilati, Assistant Superintendent, at the email addresses listed below:
John.welch@northcantonschools.org
dave.pilati@northcantonschools.org
Accessibility
of District Facilities
Upon request to the
Superintendent/designee, the district shall make reasonable accommodations for a
disabled person to be able to participate in activities.
AHERA Management Plan
1. The EPA has indicated that
schools should be free of friable asbestos.
2. Air samples are required every
three years.
3. All potential areas of concern
are to be inspected by the environmental support network, the Industrial
Commission of
Ohio, our maintenance
staff, and an independent testing laboratory.
4. Asbestos testing and inspection
has been done to bring all buildings into compliance with AHERA standards.
5. Any friable materials in
buildings have been inspected and repaired to meet current standards.
6.
Inspections will be done twice each year by the maintenance/custodial staff to
notify the administration of any friable
material.
7. Any
areas of concern will be reviewed by the Board of Education during its annual
building tour and placed on a priority
list for permanent
improvement.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s
document titled, “How to Manage Asbestos in Schools” may be accessed
at: www.epa.gov/region2/ahera/e23.pdf
Americans with Disabilities Act (A.D.A.)
The North Canton City Board of Education welcomes and encourages
any and all comments from individuals interested in the Americans with
Disabilities Act (A.D.A) The A.D.A. contains Title I-Employment, Title
II-Public Services, and Title III-Public Accommodations. Please contact the
Special Services Office at 330-497-5665.
Anti-Harassment/Intimidation/Bullying
Policy
Ohio Revised Code 3313.666 defines harassment,
intimidation, or bullying to mean any intentional written, verbal, electronic,
or physical act that a student or group of students exhibits toward another
particular student(s) more than once and the behavior both causes mental or
physical harm to the other student(s) and is sufficiently severe, persistent,
or pervasive that it creates an intimidating, threatening, or abusive
educational environment for the other student(s). Ohio Revised Code
3313.666 additionally requires the board of education of each school district to
establish a policy prohibiting harassment, intimidation, and bullying and
requires each district to bi-annually report the number of verified acts of
harassment, intimidation, and/or bullying, whether in the classroom, on school
property, to and from school, or at school-sponsored events. The
following charts show the number of such verified acts in the North Canton City
School District:
Please contact
Assistant Superintendent Dave Pilati at 330-497-5600 with any questions.
Asbestos Management Plan
The US EPA published their AHERA (Asbestos Hazard Emergency
Response Act) Regulations in 1986. These regulations require all local
education agencies (LEA’s) to have their buildings inspected for
asbestos-containing building materials (ACBM), to have a written Asbestos
Management Plan created, and to institute an Asbestos Operations and
Maintenance (O&M) Program to train in-house personnel how to properly
manage and work around the ACBM in their buildings. An annual notification is
required to be sent to all school district employees, parents, groups and
organizations to explain the Management Plans and any current relevant
activities. The Jackson Local School District has completed all of these
requirements.
The master copy of the Asbestos Management Plan for all school buildings is maintained in the office of Todd Henee, Building and Grounds Supervisor, at (330) 497-5600. A copy of the Asbestos Management Plan that is specific to each building is maintained in the principal’s office.
The purpose of this Annual Notification is to explain the status
and availability of the Asbestos Management Plan, to review recent
asbestos-related activities in the school district, and to list the
asbestos-related activities that are planned to take place in the upcoming
calendar year.
Board of Education
The Board of Education is a policy-making body
comprised of five residents of the school district. Members of the Board
are elected by voters of the district and serve a four-year term. The Board
derives its powers and responsibilities from the Ohio General Assembly to
establish a sound educational philosophy. The Board establishes policy:
• To be
responsible to the residents of the North Canton City School District
• To serve as a
policy-making body
• To develop
sound financial plans based upon educational needs and available resources
• To provide
leadership for educational progress
• To be solely
responsible for the employment and evaluation of the Superintendent and
Treasurer
• To recognize
the Superintendent’s responsibility for all administrative functions
• To refer
applications, complaints, communication, and other matters directly to the
Superintendent
• To approve an
annual school calendar
• To levy taxes
when residents approve a tax issue
The Board of Education meetings are open to
the public. The regular meetings begin at 6:00 p.m. and are held on the
third Wednesday of every month in the high school library unless otherwise
announced. The Board, under Ohio law, may hold executive sessions during
the meeting to discuss:
• Personnel
matters
• Purchase of
property for public purposes
• Pending or
imminent court action
• Negotiations
with employees
• Matters to be
kept confidential by federal or state statutes
• Specialized
details of security arrangements
Executive sessions are for discussion only.
All board action is taken in public session.
In order to present helpful suggestions to the
North Canton City Schools, public participation is encouraged during the
“Recognition of visitors and hearing of the public” portion of each
meeting. To allow the Board to deal with all items on the agenda in an
effective and efficient manner, public input may be limited. Each person
wishing to address the Board shall sign up at the meeting location prior to the
start of the meeting. When signing up, each individual must provide
his/her first and last name, full address, telephone number, email address, and
the issue to be addressed. The speaker will have a maximum of five (5)
minutes to address the Board.
Child
Find
Each year school
districts throughout Ohio participate in an effort to identify, locate and
evaluate all children with disabilities, birth through 21; for age birth to 3,
an established condition known to result in delay or documented developmental
delay; for ages 3 through 21, identification of one or more of the following
conditions: Autism Spectrum Disorder, developmental disability,
deaf-blindness, hearing impairment-including deafness, intellectual disability,
multiple disabilities, orthopedic impairment, other health impairment,
emotional disturbance, specific learning disability, speech or language
impairment, traumatic brain injury and/or visual impairment- including
blindness. Parents are not always aware that there are programs and
services available for children identified with a disability.
If you know of a child
who may have one or more of the above suspected disabilities, including
preschool age children, please contact the Special Services Office at (330)
497-5665.
Child Nutrition Programs
North Canton City School District participates in the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s document titled “Eligibility Guidance for School Meals Manual” contains notices, an application form, and a chart describing information regarding free and reduced eligibility status. This document may be accessed at: www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/Guidance/eligibility_guidance.pdf.
Copyright Law
WARNING CONCERNING COPYRIGHT
RESTRICTIONS: The copyright law of the U.S. (Title 17, United States
Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted
material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and
archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One
of these specified conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to
be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or
research.” If a user makes a request for, or later use, of a photocopy or
reproduction for purpose in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for
copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to
refuse to accept a copying order if in its judgment, fulfillment of the order
would involve violation of copyright law.
County Plan of Service
The Stark County
Educational Service Center developed a core services plan during the 1988-89
school year for its member districts. The North Canton City School District is
one of 21 member districts served by this plan. The purpose of this core
services plan is to promote excellence through cooperation while acknowledging
the diversity and uniqueness of each member district. The plan is on file and
available for review at the North Canton City Board of Education office at 525
7th Street NE, North Canton, OH.
Drug Free School
In accordance with Federal Law, the Board of
Education prohibits the use, possession, concealment, or distribution of drugs
by students on school grounds, in school or school-approved vehicles, or at any
school- related event. Drugs include any alcoholic beverage, anabolic
steroid, and dangerous controlled substance as defined by State statute, or
substance that could be considered a “look-a-like” controlled substance. Compliance
with this policy is mandatory for all students. Any student who violates
this policy will be subject to disciplinary action, in accordance with due
process and as specified in the student handbooks, up to and including
expulsion from school. When required by State law, the District will also
notify law enforcement officials. The District is concerned about
any student who is a victim of alcohol or drug abuse and will facilitate the
process by which s/he receives help through programs and services available in
the community. Student and their parents should contact the school principal or
counseling office whenever such help is needed.
Equal Opportunity Notice
North Canton City
School District does not discriminate in education, employment practices,
services, programs, or activities because of race, color, religion, sex,
national origin, handicap, or age.
Federal Grants Program
Federal grants provide
valuable supplemental instructional support and staff development in the
following areas:
Title I – Elementary reading intervention
Title II A & D – Supporting effective instruction
Title III – Limited English Proficiency (LEP)
intervention
Title IV – Student support and academic enrichment
Title V – Gifted intervention
IDEA-B – Special education support services
A Comprehensive
Continuous Improvement Plan (CCIP) must be submitted annually to comply with
the requirements and accountability standards of the No Child Left Behind Act.
FERPA: Notification of Rights for Elementary and Secondary
Districts
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords parents and students over 18 years of age ("eligible students") certain rights with respect to the student's education records. These rights are:
(1) The right to inspect and review the student's education records within 45 days of the day the District receives a request for access. Parents or eligible students should submit to the principal a written request that identifies the record(s) they wish to inspect. The principal will make arrangements for access and notify the parent or eligible student of the time and place where the records may be inspected.
(2) The right to request the amendment of the student’s
education records that the parent or eligible student believes are inaccurate.
Parents or eligible students may ask the District to amend a record that they
believe is inaccurate. They should write the Director of Pupil Services,
clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it
is inaccurate. If the District decides not to amend the record as requested by
the parent or eligible student, the District will notify the parent or eligible
student of the decision and advise them of their right to a hearing regarding
the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing
procedures will be provided to the parent or eligible student when notified of
the right to a hearing.
(3) The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student's education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. One exception, which permits disclosure without consent, is disclosure to District officials with legitimate educational interests. A District official is a person employed by the District as an administrator, supervisor, instructor, or support staff member (including health or medical staff and law enforcement unit personnel); a person serving on the District Board; a person or company with whom the District has contracted to perform a special task (such as an attorney, auditor, medical consultant, or therapist); or a parent or student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another District official in performing his or her tasks. A District official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility. Upon request, the District discloses education records without consent to officials of another District in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.
(4) The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of
Education concerning alleged failures by the District to comply with the requirements
of FERPA. The name and address of the Office that administers FERPA are:
Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202-5901
Student records shall be available only to students and
their parents, eligible students, designated school officials, and designated
school personnel, who have a legitimate educational interest in the
information, or to other individuals or organizations as permitted by law.
Both parents shall have equal access to student records unless stipulated otherwise by court order or law. In the case of eligible students, parents may be allowed access to the records without the student's consent, provided the student is considered a dependent under section 152 of the Internal Revenue Code. Only "directory information" regarding a student shall be released to any person or party, other than the student or his/her parent, without the written consent of the parent, or, if the student is an eligible student, without the written consent of the student, except to those persons or parties stipulated by the Board's policy and administrative guidelines and/or those specified in the law.
Each year the District provides public notice to students and their parents of the District's intent to make available, upon request, certain information known as "directory information." The Board designates as student "directory information": a student's name; major field of study; participation in officially-recognized activities and sports; height and weight, if a member of an athletic team; dates of attendance; date of graduation; awards received; honor rolls; and scholarships. Directory information shall not be provided to any organization for profit-making purposes. The Board may disclose "directory information" on former students without student or parental consent. For information about parent and student rights to inspect, review and request amendments to educational records, or if parents/students believe their rights under Federal law have been violated, please contact the Special Services Office at 330-497-5665.
Gifted Education Program
Our gifted/talented program offers a wide
range of services to students. The Gifted Coordinator works within the
district to identify and coordinate services to gifted students. Gifted
intervention specialists serve students directly through enrichment groups in
math and reading, pullout classes, field trips, mentorship programs, and whole
class enrichment presentations. Gifted students may also be served through
accelerated classes, and enrollment in honors, Advanced Placement, or
International Baccalaureate classes. In addition, the gifted program offers
support to classroom teachers through staff development seminars, teaching
materials, and funding to attend conferences that deal with issues in the
gifted area. Our goal is to help students become independent, lifelong
learners who have all the skills they need to pursue their passion. Please contact Gifted Coordinator, Denise Cooley, at 330-497-5600 with any questions.
Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act
HIPAA requires that North Canton School
District provide notice of its privacy practices. The U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services “Summary of the HIPAA Privacy Rule” may
be accessed at: http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacysummary.pdf
Highly Qualified Teachers
The North Canton City School District is
striving to provide the best education for your child. As part of our
efforts, we are complying with the No Child Left Behind Act which requires all
teachers to be highly qualified. As a parent or guardian, you may request
information regarding the professional qualifications of your child’s classroom
teachers including the following information:
• Whether the teacher has met state qualification and licensing criteria for the grade level and subject areas taught.
• Whether the
teacher is teaching under emergency or provisional status.
• Baccalaureate
degree major, graduation certification, and field of discipline.
• Whether the
student is provided services by a paraprofessional and if so, their
qualifications
This information is kept on file at the North
Canton City Schools District Office and may be obtained by contacting North
Canton City Schools Assistant Superintendent’s office by mail at 525 Seventh
St. NE, North Canton, OH 44720 or by telephone at 330-497-5600.
You may download the
U.D. Department of Education’s Model Notification of Rights under the Federal
Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) for elementary and secondary schools
at the following web
address: http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/pdf/ferparights.pdf
HIPAA Compliance Notice
Applies to all individuals covered by the
North Canton City School District’s health plan.
IDEIA
The North Canton City
School District provides educational services to disabled students from birth
to age 21 utilizing federal assistance through IDEIA funds to enhance the basic
program.
Disabilities including
the areas of hearing, vision, learning, behavior, speech/language,
health/physical disabilities, traumatic brain injury, autism, or any
combination of these, are considered handicapping conditions.
An application is on
file at the Administration Building and is available for examination and
recommendations by district residents. If you, or someone you know, may be in
need of special education and related services, please contact John Welch at
330-497-5665.
Immunization
Requirements
Ohio law now requires that all students entering 7th grade have proof of receiving the following immunizations BEFORE the first day of school: TDaP vaccine (to protect from Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis) and Meningococcal (A, C, Y, W-135) vaccine (to protect from Meningitis). Any 7th-grade student who has not had both the TDaP and Meningococcal (A, C, Y, W-135) vaccinations will not be permitted to attend school until proof of these immunizations has been provided to the school.
Ohio law requires that
all students entering 12th grade have proof of receiving the following
immunizations BEFORE the first day of school: Meningococcal (A, C, Y, W-135)
vaccine (to protect from Meningitis). Students entering 12th grade must have a
second dose of the Meningococcal (A, C, Y, W-135) vaccine. If the 1st dose of
Meningococcal was administered after the 16th birthday, a second dose is not
required. Students will not be permitted to attend school until proof of
these immunizations has been provided to the school.
Immunizations may be
obtained from your child’s healthcare provider, most local pharmacies, and the
Stark County Health Department. Please submit a copy of your child’s
immunization or a signed form to the school nurse prior to the first day of
school.
Input Sought On Federal Funds
The North Canton City School District receives notification of
their entitlement to federal funds allocated in accordance with the Individuals
with Disabilities Education Act, Public Law 92-142. The utilization of these funds
is designated to provide services and programs for disabled students. Persons
who wish to comment on how to utilize these designated funds are welcome and
encouraged to contact the North Canton City Schools Special Services Director
by mail at 239 Portage St. NW, North Canton, Ohio 44720 or by telephone at
330-497-5665.
Inspection
of Instructional Materials
Further information
regarding the rights to inspect instructional materials, textbooks, reading
lists, and academic curriculum may be obtained by viewing the following school
board policies or by contacting our Assistant Superintendent, Dave Pilati at
330-497-5600.
Insurance Notice
North Canton City Schools does not carry personal property insurance on student property. Students should be encouraged to be responsible for items they take to school. Parents may want to check with their own insurance carrier before permitting students to bring expensive personal property items to school. The school assumes no responsibility for personal property items lost, damaged, or stolen on the buses, at the schools, or at school events.
North Canton City
Schools does not carry student medical insurance for accidents or injuries
sustained on the buses, at the schools, or at school events. Parents may
purchase insurance of this type through a school insurance program offered by a
private carrier. Information about this plan will be distributed to all
students at the beginning of the school year.
Inter-District Open Enrollment
The North Canton City
School District does not participate in inter-district open enrollment with
other districts. If enrollment numbers permit, intra-district open
enrollment for elementary students in grades K-5 who reside within the
boundaries of the North Canton City School District is an option parents may
exercise for their children. Parents must obtain an Intra-district
enrollment application from either the Superintendent’s office or the
principal’s office at any elementary building and must submit the completed
application by April 30th in order to be considered for the
following school year. For more information, contact the North Canton
City Schools Superintendent’s office at 330-497-5600.
McKinney
– Vento Act
It is the policy of
the North Canton City School District to enroll, educate and not segregate or
stigmatize children on the basis of their status as homeless. John
Welch is the North Canton City Schools’ Homeless Liaison and may be
reached at 330-497-5665. Any person suspecting a child is homeless should
notify Mr. Welch to ensure that homeless children enroll in school and have the
opportunity to succeed academically.
* The North Canton
City School District is in compliance with the H.R. 1, “No Child Left Behind
Act of 2001” which was enacted in January of 2002.
Media
Permissions
There may be times
during the school year when your child may be photographed, videotaped, or
audiotaped under the supervision of school staff. The photographs,
videotapes, and/or audiotapes may be used in various media (newspaper,
internet, concert DVD, newsletter, etc). If you refuse to permit your
child to be photographed, videotaped, or audiotaped, please inform the building
principal in writing within 20 school days of the start of each school
year.
Medical Notices
The following policies should be reviewed by
individuals that may find them relevant to their situation:
• 5310 Health Services
• 5320 Immunization
• 5330 Use of Medications (including inhalers)
• 5340 Student Accidents
• 5341 Emergency Medical Authorization
• 8450 Control of Casual-Contact Communicable Diseases
• 8453 Direct Contact Communicable Diseases
• 8453.01 Control of Blood-Borne Pathogens
Non-Discrimination Policy
The North Canton City School District affirms that no persons shall, on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin, or disability, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity conducted under its auspices. This shall extend to employees therein and to admission thereto. Inquiries concerning the application of this policy may be referred to the superintendent or designated coordinator. This policy shall prevail in all board policies concerning school employees and students. Title VI complaints (sex, race, color, national origin, or disability) should be referred to David Pilati, Assistant Superintendent, at 330-497-5600.
Records Access and Confidentiality
Under the Federal Education and Privacy Act of 1996, parents or
adult students (18 years or older) in the North Canton City School District
have the right to inspect and review official student records and related
information upon written request to the principal of the building to which the
student is assigned. An appointment for the review of the records will be made
at a mutually convenient time as soon after the receipt of the written request
as possible. A parent or adult student who believes that information contained
in the educational records of the student is inaccurate or misleading or
violates the privacy or other rights of the student may request in writing that
the records be amended. A student’s records and related information shall not
be released to any individual, group, organization or agency, except with the
written consent of the student’s parents or an adult student himself/herself.
Exception to this rule would be in regard to compliance with judicial order
(subpoena) or other situations as defined by law and/or Board of Education
Policy.
Section 504 Concerns and/or Complaints
Students, employees, or residents with complaints or concerns
under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 can obtain a complaint form
from the District’s 504 Compliance Officer, John Welch, at our Special Services
Office: 330-497-5665. The District’s grievance procedure may be obtained
from the above individual at the address and phone number indicated.
Security Cameras
For students’ safety
and welfare, video surveillance cameras are placed throughout the building,
school grounds, and on buses. Actions recorded on these cameras may be used as
evidence in disciplinary action. Any attempt to damage or interfere with the
function of these devices may result in disciplinary action by the school and
possible referral to local law enforcement agencies.
Security Procedures for State of Ohio Testing
SUMMARY OF DISTRICT TEST SECURITY PROCEDURES
The District Test Security Procedures ensure all involved that there are purposeful and precautionary measures in place to safeguard the security and accurate delivery and reporting of your child’s state assessments. If you have any questions about this summary document, please contact the building principal or Janet Peare, District Testing Coordinator, at (330) 497 - 5608.
Per Ohio Administrative Code 3301-13-05, the district is required to develop and maintain District Test Security Procedures and make them available to parents and students. These procedures, as they pertain to students, are summarized below; staff members receive further, more specific training via the District Test Security Procedures about their involvement with the specific assessments and are required to follow written procedures set forth by the Ohio Department of Education.
AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL
The North Canton City School District appoints a district test coordinator and building test coordinator at each building who are responsible for handling and tracking test materials before, during, and after published testing windows. Additionally, licensed professionals in each building where tests are administered will receive training in order to be prepared to administer state assessments.
TEST ADMINISTRATOR CRITERIA
Any person administering a test must be an employee of the district and hold a license, certificate or permit issued by the Ohio Department of Education. In situations where a local education agency, such as a Developmental Disabilities (DD) facility or Educational Services Center (ESC), is providing services for a district, employees at those locations may be considered “de facto” employees of the district and administer tests as long as they also hold a license, certificate or permit issued by the Ohio Department of Education.
During every administration, a test administrator who meets these criteria must be in the room at all times. This person must actively monitor students to ensure test security. If the test administrator must leave the room in which the test is being administered, another test administrator who meets the criteria must be called to be in the test room. The ratio for testing purposes is one test administrator to 30 students in any testing room. For any group of more than 30 students, a proctor or monitor must be in the room with the test administrator. The proctor or monitor is not required to meet the criteria for administering a test. A test administrator must be in each testing room, including rooms where small groups are administered the tests or where accommodations are provided.
ACTIVELY MONITOR TEST SESSIONS
A test administrator must actively monitor the test session. This includes but is not limited to the following:
- Walking around the room (the test administrator may sit at the test administrator desk for short periods but may not be involved with non-test activities)
- Make sure the students are taking the correct test
- Observing that students are not involved in activities that might be considered cheating
- Monitoring test completion per student
- Monitoring how much time is left in a test session
These are not active monitoring behaviors:
- Reviewing a test so closely that student responses are clearly examined
- Being involved with non-test administration activities such as grading papers, completing lesson plans or completing tasks on an electronic device for a non test reason
- Leaving the students unattended while the test is still in session
If a student for any reason leaves the room while testing is in progress, students must first get permission from the test administrator. If the student has yet completed their testing session, the test administrator must consider the amount of testing time lost and provide equal time to complete the administered test.
HANDLING AND TRACKING PROCEDURES FOR SECURE TEST MATERIALS
The district test coordinator is responsible for ordering and providing all test materials. As secure materials arrive in the district, the district test coordinator conducts an inventory of all materials, prepares and securely delivers materials to the appropriate buildings. The building test coordinator(s) are responsible for the security and distribution of test materials at the building level. When testing is completed, the building test coordinator(s) conduct an inventory of materials then package and arrange for the secure return of materials to the district test coordinator. Materials are then returned to the testing company for scoring.
RELEASE OF SECURE MATERIAL
No person shall reveal, cause to be revealed, release, cause to be released, reproduce, or cause to be reproduced any secure assessment materials through any means or medium including, but not limited to, electronic, photographic, photocopy, written, paraphrase, or oral.
All tests, including special versions, are kept secure until the day of testing, serially numbered and tracked, and then returned to the scoring contractor. Special versions of the tests include Braille, large print, English audio CD, foreign language CD, and Language Translation Scripts.
No secure test materials shall be photocopied or duplicated in any manner. Loading, storing, transferring or copying the test CD into a central server to be vectored to individual terminals would constitute a reproduction as noted in OAC 3301-13-05 (F). As soon as the audio data are stored, a security breach has occurred. Therefore, loading, storing, transferring or copying the test CD into a central server to be vectored to individual terminals is strictly prohibited.
Test administrators (DTC/BTC/TA) should be reminded to never take photographs of students, tests, computers or the testing room during testing.
Under Ohio law, releasing any test questions or other contents of a test or helping students cheat in any other way may result in an invalidation of test scores, termination of employment, suspension of certificates to teach and/or prosecution. Districts must ensure that students are aware of test security requirements and associated consequences. Violations of test security provisions in the district’s written procedures may also be punishable by penalties specified by the district. 3311.82 or 3319.16 of the ORC.
It is illegal and unethical for anyone to reproduce or disclose any of the test content or cause the content to be reproduced or disclosed in any format. Test security is vital to the successful administration of the tests. All district and school personnel are responsible for ensuring the security of the individual test questions. The responsibility to maintain the security of the test questions continues even after the test concludes. Under Ohio law, releasing any test questions or other contents of a test or helping students cheat in any other way may result in an invalidation of test scores, termination of employment, suspension of certificates/licenses and/or prosecution.
ELECTRONIC DEVICES DURING AN OPEN TEST ADMINISTRATION
Accessing an electronic device during testing can be grounds for an invalidation; however, if cheating can be ruled out, the district may elect not to invalidate the test. If a student was observed having a cell phone out during or after the test session, it is important to determine if any test question, passage or prompt was photographed, texted or in any way compromised. In extreme cases where test questions, passages or prompts have been posted on any social medium, the district must immediately contact the Office of Curriculum and Assessment. District/school policy will determine if an invalidation is required for any other situation.
Within North Canton City Schools, no student under any circumstance may be allowed to use a cellphone or other like electronic device during the administration of state tests. If a student has completed their assessment, submits his/her assessment answers and logs off their computer, he/she must still keep their electronic device away and out of site. Cell phones or other like devices do not qualify as silent work.
Test administrators may have a cell phone for medical and technological emergencies, to use as a timekeeper or to otherwise perform necessary test-related actions. Test administrators must not use the cell phone for non-test related issues or personal issues. Test administrators should be reminded to never take photographs of students, tests, computers or the testing room during testing.
SECURITY VIOLATIONS DURING TESTING ADMINISTRATION
- Using a student’s login information to access an online test in order to review the test content
- Reviewing the test and creating a study guide or in some way releasing the test questions to students
- Describing the test questions in an e-mail, or discussing the test questions with anyone
- Standing over a student who is taking the test and indicating in some manner that the student’s answer is incorrect, blank or deficient
- Coaching a student in any manner to indicate the correct answer or any answer
SECURITY VIOLATIONS AFTER TESTING ADMINISTRATION
- Posting any portion of the test content, verbatim or paraphrased, and/or a student response on social media before, during or after the test administration
- Marking, tampering with or contaminating a student’s responses in any way, unless by a scribe or test administrator with permission to transcribe the student’s responses with no changes
- Failing to collect and securely shred any scratch paper that was provided to and used by students during a test and that contains student writing;
- Failing to account for and return any secure paper test materials
- Discussing test questions after the test has been administered
- Describing the test questions in an e-mail or discussing the test questions with anyone
At any point, if personnel believe that a violation of test security has occurred, he or she should contact the building test coordinator about the alleged test security violation. The building test coordinator should report the alleged security violation to the district test coordinator. The district test coordinator will contact the department to discuss the situation.
ASSESSMENT SECURITY AND VALIDATION DOCUMENTATION