Summative benchmark assessments are a critical part of instructional planning and academic monitoring. While they may not carry the same public consequences as statewide high-stakes exams, benchmarks still play a central role in guiding teaching decisions, tracking student growth, and identifying areas for intervention. To ensure these assessments yield accurate results and can project state assessment performance, test security is essential. From protecting item integrity to minimizing inappropriate assistance, educators must proactively safeguard the test administration process. The tips below provide practical and up-to-date strategies for maintaining the security and trustworthiness of benchmark assessments.
1. Use Lockdown Browsers and Secure Testing Platforms
Digital delivery of benchmark assessments enhances flexibility and scalability—but it can also introduce new vulnerabilities. Lockdown browsers help reduce the risk of cheating by preventing students from accessing other applications, websites, or digital tools during the test.1
Tips for effective use:
- Ensure regular software updates and prepare contingency plans for technical issues during test administration.
- Supervise students actively during the test session—even if lockdown software is in use.
- Confirm that lockdown browsers are properly configured and fully tested ahead of time, and let students know their activity may be monitored.
According to the U.S. Department of Education Institute for Education Sciences, secure online assessment environments are essential to maintaining data integrity and comparability across schools and districts.2
2. Implement Proctoring Best Practices: Eyes on the Room
Technology supports security, but human oversight is still irreplaceable—especially during in-class assessments. Effective proctoring helps maintain focus and discourages off-task behavior.
Proctoring best practices include:
- Circulating throughout the room to maintain visibility.
- Spacing students out to limit opportunities for collaboration.
- Clearly stating expectations and rules before testing begins.
- Remaining attentive and avoiding distractions during administration.
The Tennessee Department of Education emphasizes the importance of standardized administration procedures—including active proctoring—as a core component of test security protocols.3
3. Protect Test Content: Don’t Use Benchmark Items for Classroom Practice
Benchmark assessments often rely on curated item banks, some of which may be used across multiple administrations or shared among districts. Using actual benchmark items in class instruction can compromise the validity of future assessments.
Better alternatives include:
- Using vendor-provided item banks and formative tests designed for instructional use.
- Reserving secure benchmark items solely for testing environments.
- Post-assessment, if specific benchmark items are reviewed by teachers and students, ensure that those items are carefully controlled.
4. Understand the Role of Test‑Scoring Algorithms
Many summative benchmarks use advanced scoring models that flag irregularities, providing insight into patterns that may indicate issues like coaching or improper access to content.
These systems can detect:
- Clusters of identical incorrect answers.
- Sudden score jumps between test cycles.
- Abnormal response timing or patterns suggesting pre-exposure to test items.
While these patterns aren’t always conclusive, educators should understand that sophisticated algorithms are built to identify not only overt cheating but also subtler anomalies. Many state departments of education, such as the Michigan Department of Education, advise regular data analysis to detect anomalies and irregularities.4
5. Avoid Using Benchmark Scores for Educator Compensation Decisions
While benchmark assessments offer valuable insights into student learning, they are not designed to evaluate teacher performance. Linking benchmark results to pay, bonuses, or formal evaluations can lead to unintended consequences—such as narrowing instruction or increased pressure—that may undermine the assessments’ instructional purpose.
Instead, benchmarks are best used as tools to inform teaching strategies and identify student needs. When decoupled from high-stakes personnel decisions, these assessments can more effectively support a collaborative and growth-focused school culture.
FairTest, the National Center for Fair & Open Testing, and several state agencies advise caution in using assessments to evaluate teachers, noting the potential for data distortion and instructional misalignment.5
6. Secure Test Materials at All Times
Sometimes, the same benchmark assessments are administered to different groups of students at various times throughout the year. This makes secure handling just as critical as with state assessments.
Best practices include:
- Storing both digital and physical materials in secure locations.
- Limiting access to assessment content to authorized personnel only.
- Collecting all test materials immediately after administration.
- Reporting any irregularities to instructional leaders or test coordinators.
The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education recommends a documented chain of custody for all secure materials to preserve test fidelity and avoid unintentional exposure.6
Conclusion: Secure Benchmarks Support Better Instruction
Benchmark assessments only serve their purpose when results reflect authentic student performance. By upholding test security through both practical steps and professional judgment, educators help ensure that benchmarks provide reliable insights for teaching and learning. While the consequences of a compromised benchmark may not be public-facing, the instructional impact is real. When educators take assessment integrity seriously, they preserve the value of the data—and the trust in the decisions that follow.
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Notes
- Davis, M. R. (2014, March 10). Adaptive tech., secure browsers aim to curb student cheating. Education Week. https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/adaptive-tech-secure-browsers-aim-to-curb-student-cheating/2014/03 ↩︎
- Institute of Education Sciences. (2013). Testing integrity: Issues and recommendations for best practice (NCES 2013-454). U.S. Department of Education. https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2013/2013454.pdf ↩︎
- Tennessee Department of Education. (2020, June 11). Assessing student learning. Tennessee Department of Education. https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/education/health-%26-safety/Assessing%20Student%20Learning.pdf ↩︎
- Michigan Department of Education. (n.d.). Assessment integrity and security. Michigan Department of Education. https://www.michigan.gov/mde/services/student-assessment/assessment-integrity-and-security ↩︎
- FairTest. (2009, November 19). Paying teachers for student test scores damages schools and undermines learning. FairTest. https://fairtest.org/paying-for-student-test-scores-damages-schools ↩︎
- Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. (n.d.). Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System: Test administration manual – Security requirements. https://www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/testadmin/manual/PAM-securityreqs.pdf ↩︎
