Educational evaluation center to host test security conference

LAWRENCE — Experts in assessment and education from across the United States and Canada will convene next week in Lawrence for the fourth-annual Conference on Test Security. Hosted by the Center for Educational Testing & Evaluation (CETE) at the University of Kansas, the gathering will bring together industry leaders and experts for presentations on a variety of test-security topics.

Members of the press interested in reporting on the conference should contact AAI Communications Manager Bill Woodard for credentials.

Scheduled for Nov. 4-6 at Lawrence’s Holiday Inn, the conference will focus on test security capabilities and enhancements that protect the validity of test results and brand integrity. Topics will include:

• Papers and presentations regarding statistical methods and applications for detecting potential test fraud
• Presentations regarding other test security tools and methods for protecting the validity of testing results and brand integrity
• Presentations regarding developing or improving an organization’s test security program
• Presentations regarding development and use of standards for the prevention and detection of test fraud

Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter Alan Judd will deliver the conference keynote address, “The Tyranny of Metrics: Field Notes from a Cheating Scandal.” Judd was a member of the reporting team that uncovered cheating on standardized tests in the Atlanta Public School system, the largest scandal of its kind in the United States. The articles received the Hillman Award for Journalism in 2012 and were a finalist in 2013 for the Goldsmith Award for Investigative Journalism at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.

Registration will continue through the start of the conference or when the attendance limit of 300 is reached. Through support from sponsoring organizations, including Caveon Test Security, ACT, CETE and the University of Wisconsin Center for Placement Testing, conference registration is $85 per person, including meals. To register, visit the conference website.

The 2015 conference program will begin with an opening reception Nov. 4, then run for 1 3/4 days Nov. 5–6. The conference will include keynote sessions, presentations and posters by industry leaders, and numerous opportunities to network with others in the industry.

The conference returns to Lawrence after being held in Iowa City, Iowa, in 2014, and Madison, Wisconsin, in 2013. Founded in 2012 by CETE, the gathering in its first two years was called the Conference on the Statistical Detection of Potential Test Fraud and focused primarily on statistical methods. In 2014, the Conference Executive Committee expanded the scope of the conference to include a broader range of test-security subjects and changed the name to reflect the expansion of topics.

“We are delighted to again welcome our colleagues to Kansas,” said Neal Kingston, director of KU’s Achievement & Assessment Institute, of which CETE is part. “This conference has grown significantly as various concerned constituencies have seen the value of getting together to share solutions that protect the integrity of testing results. Working together with our colleagues at the University of Wisconsin, as well as Caveon and ACT, we expect to have stimulating exchanges of ideas on topics of great significance in the field.”

About AAI & CETE
AAI is the umbrella organization for four specialized research centers at KU, including CETE, a nationally recognized research center specializing in large-scale assessment and online test-delivery systems. As part of a major research university community, staff members are deeply committed to expanding the knowledge base for academic assessment, applying their findings with the fundamental aim of helping teachers and students achieve the best possible outcomes. For more than 30 years, CETE has developed leading-edge testing programs and technology tools.

AAI’s other research centers are Agile Technology Solutions, the Center for Public Partnerships & Research, and the Center for Educational Opportunity Programs. In all, AAI employs about 500 professionals, all committed to building partnerships, products and programs in educational practice, assessment and evaluation. These initiatives benefit children, adults, communities, and publicly funded agencies at the local, state, and national levels.