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Privacy, Copyright, and Security Policy

Good partnerships are characterized by mutual cooperation and responsibility to achieve specific goals. To maintain the integrity of its partnerships, CASAS has defined policies in these specific areas.

Personal Privacy

CASAS manages student-level data that comprises personal (private) information in compliance with all applicable federal and California state privacy laws including, but not limited to, the FERPA of 1984 (20 U.S.C. Sec 1232g), HIPAA, COPPA, California Education Code sections 49060 to 49070, and California Assembly Bill 1584. CASAS security measures incorporate advanced industry standards and protocols to ensure data is secure and confidential and that unauthorized personnel are unable to gain access to personal data.

 

Online Privacy

Information collected for website or training registration is solely for CASAS internal use. CASAS will not make it available to any outside organization or business enterprise.

General Notification Emails
To remove yourself from our mailing list, log on and visit your user profile in “My CASAS.” Uncheck the box marked "Send me general announcements about CASAS programs.”

NOTE

If your agency is under contract with the California Department of Education, you may receive important updates via email that pertain to data submission deadlines and other vital program updates. Delivery of these emails is a mandatory contract requirement.

Links
The CASAS website contains links to other websites. CASAS policies do not apply to these linked sites. When interacting with other websites, you should read posted privacy statements.

Cookies
The CASAS Web site uses cookies to assist in identifying users for various user-based applications.

CASAS welcomes requests from our partners to allow their sites to link to our content. The majority of the content on this website is the intellectual property of CASAS, and as such is protected by the Copyright Act of 1976. This Act grants a number of exclusive rights to copyright owners, including:

  • reproduction -- the right to make copies
  • distribution  -- the right to distribute the content
  • derivative  -- the right to prepare new works based on the content
  • display -- the right to display the content

To protect the quality and standardization of our assessments, CASAS grants permission to reproduce only on a case-by-case basis. Please submit requests to info@casas.org with a clear description of materials under consideration for reproduction.

Social Media

From time to time Internet postings of personal experiences related to CASAS or its products come to our attention. Although often gratifying, CASAS does not endorse this type of unsolicited publicity and monitors such postings closely. Any public reference to the CASAS organization or its products is subject to the protections of applicable laws and copyright registrations.

For example, the National External Diploma Program® (NEDP) is a brand protected by CASAS registered copyright. Anyone contemplating making reference to the NEDP or other CASAS brands in social media content should visit www.casas.org or www.nedp.org to verify facts before posting. CASAS does welcome submissions for posting personal experiences on the Social Media/Success Stories page of this site.

CASAS is a Sole Source Provider

All CASAS software, assessments, and support materials are proprietary products developed, owned, and distributed exclusively by CASAS. These products are only available from CASAS. Agencies or organizations are not allowed to resell or distribute materials to other agencies or organizations. Training associated with the use of CASAS assessments and support materials is provided only by CASAS or CASAS authorized certified trainers.

Test Security

CASAS publishes this test security policy to maintain the integrity of its assessments and to assist with the implementation of and adherence to test security practices. Administrators and testing personnel are responsible for following these procedures and ensuring that agency staff are aware of and follow said procedures.

It is the immediate legal responsibility of the agency director, principal, or other primary administrator to enforce securing testing materials upon taking delivery of materials and at all times afterward. Only testing personnel and others qualified as part of the testing process may have access to any testing materials.

Security of Testing Materials

All testing materials must be kept secure. This includes but is not limited to computerized-testing versions of CASAS eTests, whether online or desktop, test booklets, CDs, answer sheets, and answer keys. No unauthorized personnel should be allowed access to CASAS eTests or to paper test booklets. Security procedures for computerized-testing and paper test booklets must be held to the same standard.

Test Administration

Testing personnel must remain in the testing room throughout an entire test session to ensure that everyone follows all testing rules. Examinees must sit three to five feet apart and refrain from talking or seeking help from others in any way during the testing session. Testing personnel must ensure that they follow all test administration directions and language as dictated in the appropriate CASAS Test Administration Manual.

CASAS eTests: CASAS will occasionally embed unpublished test items into operational CASAS eTests in order to maintain and build its item bank. These items are not scored. The security of these items cannot be compromised and must be maintained in the same manner as all testing materials.

Paper test booklets: Paper test booklets and related test support materials should be kept in locked storage at all times when not in use. Prior to the distribution of test booklets, the test administrator must number each test booklet for tracking purposes. As examinees finish a test, they must put their answer sheet inside their test booklet and wait until the conclusion of the testing session. The administrator must ensure that each test booklet is returned before anyone leaves the testing facility.

Confidentiality of Tests and Test Items

No agency, school, or other entity may use any CASAS test or test item – published or unpublished – as a tool to prepare examinees for the testing process. CASAS tests may never serve as practice tests in any capacity or for any purpose. Test items may not be reviewed, discussed, or explained to anyone at any time.

Paper test booklets: If test booklets have been marked in or torn, agencies should shred these test booklets. If an agency is transitioning to a new test series, CASAS requests that agencies shred old test booklets and destroy related testing materials including CDs. Agencies may not retain test materials for use as practice tests or for instructional purposes.

When agencies shred test booklets, they must notify CASAS at info@casas.org and provide the following information: test series, form number, and the number of copies of each test form shredded, e.g., Life and Work Reading 187R: 14 copies.

No agency, school, or other testing entity may share or provide any testing materials to another agency or school. Agencies that make such requests should be advised to contact CASAS directly. Testing materials must remain at the testing site at all times.

Copyright Infringement

No test materials may be duplicated, photocopied, or reproduced in any manner. Federal copyright law prohibits unauthorized reproduction and use of copyrighted test materials.

Agency Test Security

Agency directors, principals, and other primary administrators need to maintain a specific test security policy that discusses the proper handling and use of test materials.

All testing personnel must sign the Agency Test Security Policy statement agreeing to uphold the security policies of the agency, school, or testing entity.

Should CASAS determine that any agency, school, or other testing entity has violated any provision of this test security policy or that testing materials have been compromised in any manner, purposely or otherwise, CASAS reserves the right to take appropriate action to rectify the violation of its test security policy.

Agency Test Security Policy

To protect the quality and standardization of CASAS assessments, I agree to:

  1. Follow all test procedures as required in this Test Security Policy.
  2. Secure all CASAS test materials, whether paper-based or computer-delivered, under lock and key except during testing sessions.
  3. Ensure that before or after any test administration, all test materials are secure and inaccessible to any non-testing personnel, examinees, or others not responsible for test administration.
  4. Remain in the testing room at all times during the testing event and monitor all examinee activity as appropriate and in compliance with test security procedures.
  5. Ensure that examinees sit at least three to five feet apart and do not talk or seek help from others during the testing event.
  6. Refrain from assisting examinees with test answers on any test before or during the testing event.
  7. Refrain from reviewing test questions with examinees after the testing event.
  8. Ensure that agency staff members follow all specific testing procedures as stated in CASAS test administration manuals.
  9. Disallow use of any CASAS assessments as practice tests or as instructional tools.
  10. Advise any agency, school, or testing entity to contact CASAS, and not my agency, with any inquiry about sharing or duplicating CASAS testing materials.
  11. Refrain from duplicating or in any way reproducing any testing materials, including but not limited to test booklets, answer keys, answer sheets, and CASAS eTests.
  12. Report any violation of this Test Security Policy.

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