Testing Portals and Security
Testing Portals
Montana Aligned to Standards Through-Year Assessment Program Page
MAST is the general ELA/math assessment for academic achievement reporting for students in Grades 3 through 8.
DLM ELA/math is the alternate math and reading/language arts assessment for academic achievement reporting in Grades 3–8 and 11 for students with significant cognitive disabilities.
ACT is the general reading/language arts, math, and sience assessment for academic achievement reporting in Grade 11.
Montana Science Assessment Program Page
MSA is the general science assessment for academic achievement reporting for students in Grades 5 and 8.
DLM Alternate Science Assessment Program Page
DLM Science is the alternate science assessment for academic achievement reporting in Grades 5, 8, and 11 for students with significant cognitive disabilities.
WIDA ACCESS and Alternate ACCESS Assessments
WIDA ACCESS is the English Language Proficiency assessment for academic achievement reporting for English Learners (EL) in Grades K–12. Alt ACCESS is the alternate version of the assessment for ELs with significant cognitive disabilities.
Test Security
Who is Responsible for Test Security?
Everyone who works with the Montana Comprehensive Assessment System (MontCAS) statewide assessments, communicates test results, and/or receives testing information is responsible for test security. This includes:
- Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI) staff
- Authorized Representatives (or School System Superintendents)
- System Test Coordinators (STCs)
- Building Coordinators (or School Principals)
- Test Administrators (or Educators)
- Students, parents, and the community at large
- Certified and non-certified public school staff
Test security guidelines have been developed by the OPI for use by STCs, Authorized Representatives/Building Coordinators, and Test Administrators in order to maintain the integrity of all MontCAS assessments. Following these guidelines ensures that no student has access to any form of assistance or material that could provide an unfair advantage. The primary goal of test security is to protect the integrity of the assessment and to ensure that results are accurate and meaningful.
MontCAS Test Security Manual – Describes the standardized test administration and test security procedures to be used by each accredited school.
MontCAS Test Security Collection Schedule – This document is the MontCAS data collection schedule and timeline.
Authorized Representatives must complete the electronic assurance for data privacy and STC designation within the Infinite Campus system.
MontCAS Application is a restricted-use website that contains information on the MontCAS statewide assessments. It is intended for use by STCs unless otherwise specified, and the following actions must occur annually:
- Affirmation of Testing Security – STC Test Security Agreement – STCs must complete the annual online agreement.
- Affirmation of School System Testing Plans – STCs must affirm schools have MontCAS Testing Plans in place.
- Checklist: Test Administration Plan
- Checklist: Test Accessibility Plan
- Checklist: Test Security Plan
- Checklist: Data Use Plan
- Checklist: Test Training Plan
- Requests for Non-Routine Accommodation Process (where appropriate)
- Report Testing Incident (where appropriate)
- Report Non-Participation (where appropriate). For more information, visit the Student Eligibility and Participation page.
Online Test Security Agreements in each test delivery system must be completed annually:
- MAST and DLM Alternate Assessments – Word version TSA
- Montana Science Assessment – Word version TSA
- ACT with Writing – Word version TSA
- WIDA ACCESS and Alternate ACCESS – Non-Disclosure and User Agreement
- MontCAS Test Security Agreement for Supporting Roles – for staff without test delivery system accounts (e.g., handling materials, etc.).
Federal Programs Monitoring Assessment Compliance – schools selected for Federal Programs Monitoring will complete the “State Assessment Common Compliance Monitoring Tool & Checklist.”
Infinite Campus AR Assurances – Authorized Representatives confirm STCs annually within Infinite Campus. This designation is important because the STC is the OPI’s single point of contact for all assessment-related communications. The STC serves as the data steward for managing local users within the test delivery systems and as the local liaison for all standardized testing procedures.
Roles and Responsibilities Letters outline the responsibilities that school- and district-level roles must understand for proper test security. The links below are not the Test Security Agreements (TSAs) that should be collected by STCs, but are representative of the TSAs that are electronically signed within the various testing portals. These documents also serve as valuable training materials.
- Authorized Representative/Building Principal Roles and Responsibilities for Test Security
- STC Roles and Responsibilities for Test Security
- TA Roles and Responsibilities for Test Security
MontCAS Application User Guide – Step-by-step instructions for completing the required STC tasks in the MontCAS Application.
OPI Site Observations and Local Monitoring Checklists
It is the joint responsibility of the OPI and districts to monitor testing practices and follow the MontCAS Test Security Manual guidelines to promote fair, approved, and standardized practices. These checklists can be used by OPI staff and districts to ensure test administration activities are conducted in a standardized and consistent manner.
- WIDA ACCESS Checklist
- MSA Checklist
- MAST Assessment Checklist
- ACT with Writing Checklist
- DLM Alternate Assessments Checklist
Sample MontCAS District Testing Plans
Participate in the STC Workshop Series to receive suggestions and tips to complete plans, including sample strategies.
All statewide assessments must be administered by Montana licensed professionals who have been trained, are familiar with standardized testing procedures, and are employed by the school system. Districts may submit the Exemption to Administer Form if they need additional staff to complete statewide assessments. Schools should submit the form at least 14 business days prior to the administration of the assessment being requested.
MontCAS Test Security Portal – Materials in this toolkit allow STCs (or presenters) to facilitate a training session so TAs can be trained in test security.
MontCAS Ethical Testing Behavior Guidance – This document outlines the dos and don’ts of test security.
MontCAS Test Administration Training Log – This resource can be used to affirm training for all persons involved in handling and administering the assessments. The OPI encourages STCs to use this or a similar training log to ensure all staff involved in statewide assessments have been properly trained and certified to proctor statewide assessments.
Attention
It is a testing irregularity to send student information over a non-secure service such as email. The OPI does not consider even encrypted emails to be secure for sensitive information such as student names and identifying details. Schools are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the OPI Student Records Confidentiality Policy and follow the guidance to maintain student confidentiality at all times.
To share students’ personally identifiable information (PII) with the OPI Assessment Unit, use the Secure File Transfer system . Instructions for creating an account are listed below.
Secure File Transfer System Account Setup
Navigate to: https://transfer.mt.gov/Home/Login
Follow the steps below to set up a new account:
- Click the “Register Now” link on the login page (located just below the login button).
- Fill out the required fields.
- You will receive an activation email with an activation link.
- Click the link and complete your Okta registration.
- Once complete, you will be redirected back to the File Transfer Service.