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34 C.F.R. § 668.150   Agreement between the Secretary and a test publisher.

Title 34 - Education

Title 34: Education
PART 668—STUDENT ASSISTANCE GENERAL PROVISIONS
Subpart J—Approval of Independently Administered Tests; Specification of Passing Score; Approval of State Process

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§ 668.150   Agreement between the Secretary and a test publisher.

(a) If the Secretary approves a test under this subpart, the test publisher must enter into an agreement with the Secretary that contains the provisions set forth in paragraph (b) of this section before an institution may use the test to determine a student's eligibility for Title IV, HEA program funds.

(b) The agreement between a test publisher and the Secretary provides that the test publisher shall—

(1) Allow only test administrators that it certifies to give its test;

(2) Certify test administrators who have—

(i) The necessary training, knowledge, and skill to test students in accordance with the test publisher's testing requirements; and

(ii) The ability and facilities to keep its test secure against disclosure or release;

(3) Decertify a test administrator for a period that coincides with the period for which the publisher's test is approved if the test publisher finds that the test administrator—

(i) Has repeatedly failed to give its test in accordance with the publisher's instructions;

(ii) Has not kept the test secure;

(iii) Has compromised the integrity of the testing process; or

(iv) Has given the test in violation of the provisions contained in §668.151;

(4) Score a test answer sheet that it receives from a test administrator;

(5) If a computer-based test, provide the test administrator with software that will:

(i) Immediately generate a score report for each test taker;

(ii) Allow the test administrator to send to the test publisher a secure write-protected diskette copy of the test taker's performance on each test item and the test taker's test scores; and

(iii) Prohibit any changes in test taker responses or test scores.

(6) Promptly send to the student and the institution the student indicated he or she is attending or scheduled to attend a notice stating the student's score for the test and whether or not the student passed the test;

(7) Keep for a period of three years each test answer sheet or electronic record forwarded for scoring and all other documents forwarded by the test administrator with regard to the test;

(8) Three years after the date the Secretary approves the test and for each subsequent three-year period, analyze the test scores of students to determine whether the test scores produce any irregular pattern that raises an inference that the tests were not being properly administered, and provide the Secretary with a copy of this analysis; and

(9) Upon request, give the Secretary, a guaranty agency, or an accrediting agency access to test records or other documents related to an audit, investigation, or program review of the institution, test publisher, or test administrator.

(c)(1) The Secretary may terminate an agreement with a test publisher if the test publisher fails to carry out the terms of the agreement described in paragraph (b) of this section.

(2) Before terminating the agreement, the Secretary gives the test publisher the opportunity to show that it has not failed to carry out the terms of its agreement.

(3) If the Secretary terminates an agreement with a test publisher under this section, the Secretary notifies institutions through publication in the Federal Register when they may no longer use the publisher's test(s) for purposes of determining a student's eligibility for Title IV, HEA program funds.

(Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 1840–0627)

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1091(d))

[60 FR 61842, Dec. 1, 1995, as amended at 61 FR 31035, June 19, 1996]

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