HIDOE Cell Phone and Electronic Devices Policy ACT Aspire and

HIDOE

Cell Phone and Electronic Devices Policy ACT Aspire and The ACT with Writing

Hawai‘i Department of Education's Policy Regarding Students' Access to Electronic Devices during the

Administration of Statewide Assessments- Applies to ACT Aspire and The ACT with Writing.

The Test Administrator must direct each student who enters the testing room with a cell phone or any other

electronic device to turn it off, put it in a back pack or bag, and place the back pack or bag in a designated, secure

area in the testing room that cannot be accessed during the test sessions or breaks. If a student does not have a

back pack or bag, his/her cell phone or any other electronic device must be placed in a box or envelope or

somehow labeled on the Test Administrator's desk in a designated area. Students’ cell phones and/or other

electronic devices will be returned to them after all students have ended their test sessions.

All schools are being asked to use this procedure to prevent students’ from having their tests invalidated when

they use their cell phones for any reason during test sessions, e.g., checking their social networking feeds, texting

friends and family members, listening to music, using the calculator on their cell phones to answer Mathematics

items when an online calculator is not allowed for these items, accessing the Internet on their cell phones to locate

answers to test items, taking pictures of test items and posting them on social networking sites, e.g., Snapchat,

Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Any of these actions constitute a breach in test security and will result in the

invalidation of a student’s score for the assessment or exam. Test administrators are required to report any use of

a cell phone or other electronic device during test sessions and/or breaks to the school’s test coordinator. Failure

to report cell phone use during test sessions and/or breaks will result in the revocation of test administrator

credentials for the remainder of the test window and for a minimum of one year. Failure to report a potential test

security breach may also result in personnel action.

The ACT Test with writing (additional information)

The ACT Administration Manual includes strict guidelines and information on the use of cell phones and other

electronic devices. Below is an excerpt from the ACT Administration manual on the use of cell phones and other

electronic devices on test day.

Excerpt from The ACT Test Administration Manual State and District Testing Paper Testing pg. 3

“Examinees may not handle or access a cell phone or electronic device at any time in the test room or

during breaks. This includes smart watches, fitness bands, and any other devices with recording, internet,

or communications capabilities.

All devices, including cell phones and wearable devices, must be turned off and placed out of sight.”

Excerpt from The ACT Test Administration Manual State and District Testing Online Testing pg. 40

“From the time examinees are admitted to the test room until their dismissal, they may not access cell

phones or other electronic devices suspected to have recording, internet, or communication capabilities.

All devices must be powered off and stored out of sight.

If an examinee accesses a device at any time, or if a device activates after being stored away, the

examinee must be dismissed.”

Please note that school staff are not to use electronic devices during test sessions and should be attentive to the

testing environment.

For additional information on cell phone and electronic devices policy, and other profited behaviors for examinees,

please review the following pages.

HIDOE

Cell Phone and Electronic Devices Policy ACT Aspire and The ACT with Writing

The ACT Test Administration Manual State and District Testing Paper Testing

• Non-Test Portions Before Test Day (pg. 15-19)

• Checking for Prohibited Behavior (pg. 33)

• Checking for Prohibited Behavior-Break After Test 2 (pg. 34)

• Verbal Instructions (pg. 4257)

• Prohibited behavior at the test Site (pg. 39-40)

• Training Session Outline and Topics for Discussion (pg. 66-68)

The ACT Test Administration Manual State and District Testing Online Testing

• Preparing Staff- test Day (pg. 27-28)

• Test Day Process Overview (pg. 32)

• Examinee Announcement about Cell Phones and Electronic Devices (pg. 35)

• Allowed and prohibited behavior (pg. 40)

• Prohibited behaviors (pg.45)

• Monitoring the test room (pg. 59)