2.3 Policy Concerning Individual Testing of Students

The purpose of this section is to establish the policy to be followed in Broken Arrow Public Schools in administering special tests to individual students. All staff members are instructed to become familiar with the policy. Employees of the school system are instructed that individual IQ or similar tests are to be administered only by personnel designated specifically by the director for special services. Privately-administered tests, or tests administered to children in a classroom, are not permitted except upon direct authorization from the director for special services. Only personnel designated to administer the tests are authorized to do so, and those tests will be administered only after proper referral and after permission forms have been reviewed and signed by parents and/or guardian.

Teachers who are enrolled in college or university classes which require that teachers administer individual tests of any type to students, K-12, who are enrolled in Broken Arrow Public Schools, must observe the following procedures:

1. Contact the director for special services and discuss the basis for the request.
2. Submit a request, in writing, to the director for special services who will review requests on a case-by-case basis.
3. If the child is being worked with on a continuing basis by a psychometrist, other special services personnel, or is likely to be referred, the request will be denied.

The basis for this procedure is the fact that if a child is tested outside of school by an individual teacher, and is then referred to Special Services, any official tests administered by the psychometrist will have been rendered invalid. This can result in the misplacement of a child, or in blocking placement of a child.
There are times when tests may be misrepresented to parents and the potential danger to the child is great. The legal danger to the examiner is also great. Therefore, the following will also be required:

1. Federal and State laws which require prior written parent permission before administering any tests must be observed.
2. The parent must be informed of the nature of the test.
3. A statement reassuring the parent that the results of the test will not become a part of the child's cumulative school record must accompany the parent permission form. These forms have already been developed and may be obtained through the office of the director for special services on a case-by-case basis.

A copy of the corrected case study report must be filed with the director for special services. The report must be signed by the college instructor, and must include a comment by the instructor as to the assessment of the validity of the testing.

Based on the procedures outlined in this administrative policy and on the judgment of the director for special services, the case study report may or may not become a part of the confidential file on the child. If the report does not become a part of the file, the information will be used for reference only, and will not be utilized to place the child in special classes. Once the decision on how to use the case study report is made, the parent will be contacted and a conference set up with a psychometrist to discuss the report and its use.
Administrative policy, April, 1977; modified, August, 1985.