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Gimme Shelter: Weathering the Media Storm of a Cheating Scandal

Gimme Shelter: Weathering the Media Storm of a Cheating Scandal. Speakers Steve Addicott Vice President, Client Services Caveon Test Security Ray Nicosia Executive Director of the Office of Testing Integrity Educational Testing Services (ETS ) Faisel Alam Test Security Specialist

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Gimme Shelter: Weathering the Media Storm of a Cheating Scandal

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  1. Gimme Shelter: Weathering the Media Storm of a Cheating Scandal

  2. Speakers • Steve Addicott • Vice President, Client Services • Caveon Test Security • Ray Nicosia • Executive Director of the Office of Testing Integrity • Educational Testing Services (ETS) • FaiselAlam • Test Security Specialist • Law School Admission Council (LSAC)

  3. Agenda • The Media’s Perspective, Steve • Everything You Say Can and Will Be Used Against You, Ray • Test Security and the Media, Faisel

  4. “I think there is a morally bankrupt culturethere,” Mr. Duncan said, referring specifically to Atlanta, where a recent government probe found that 44 schools and 178 teachers and principals had been faking test scores for the past decade. August 25, 2011

  5. www.caveon.com/citn

  6. HEADLINES WE WON’T SEE “99% of Teachers Toil Tirelessly to Educate Your Kids” “20% of College Students Surveyed Admit That They Would Never Cheat!” “Vast Majority of Doctors Discovered Studying Diligently to Pass Boards Honorably!”

  7. WHAT MOTIVATES A JOURNALIST? • Not trying to bring people down • Sell Advertising • Increase Circulation • Respond to Political Pressures • Journalism is HYPER-Competitive - Print, TV, Radio - Blogs, websites, Social Media

  8. WHY IS CHEATING SO SALACIOUS? • It’s a (FILL IN THE BLANK) issue - emotional - ethical - (in many cases) political • It affects public trust • It affects public safety

  9. WHAT REPORTERS SHOULD KNOW…BUT PROBABLY DON’T How to work with percentages and other numbers Understand the differences between median, mean, and mode Identifying meaningful gains in scores Conduct basic statistical analyses on test scores (really?)

  10. GOOD REPORTERS WILL… Hold subjective judgments in check Report from objective measures Test scores Confirmed incidents of test fraud Past school performance Teacher turnover Build relationships with sources they can trust However…

  11. SINCE MANY REPORTERS CAN’TMEET THE CRITERIA OF “GOOD” Unable to hold subjective judgments in check… Arm yourself with facts Prepare speaking points AHEAD OF TIME News organizations regularly utilize databases and spreadsheets Sort, summarize, analyze, and publish Test scores, pass rates, etc YOU SHOULD, TOO

  12. A REPORTER’S RECOMMENDATIONS Don’t wait and be reactive Be proactive Press releases Provide talking points to key staff Address issues on your website Leverage all available channels Drive the conversation Make sure your side of the story is heard Forge relationships with local reporters and editors

  13. Anything You Say Or Do Can Be Held Against YouRay NicosiaEducational Testing Service

  14. TV News Coverage

  15. Teacher-Licensing Scheme Lands Memphis Man in Court THE COMMERCIAL APPEALJuly 11, 2012

  16. Purpose Today • Share some high profile cases • Provide insight into media strategy related to investigations • Q+A

  17. Educational Testing Service • Administers 50 million tests in 192 countries in 25,000 test centers. • The Office of Testing Integrity, with a staff of 52, oversee both the paper- and computer-based security operations.

  18. Four Types of Cheating • Copying/Communication • Impersonation • Preknowledge • Internal Fraud

  19. ALL Types Get Media Coverage • Copying/Communication: Rolling Stone • Impersonation: 60 Minutes • Preknowledge: Times of India • Internal Fraud: New York Times

  20. Does The Media Learn About And Cover Every Case? • Individual cases • Group cases

  21. Everything You Say…. • Web site/bulletin • Letters/e-mails to test takers/school officials/testing staff • Recordings/transcripts and notes from phone calls • Quotes in media from past cases • Papers and presentations

  22. Posted:February 26,2012 Three Mainland "gunmen” suspected to Hong Kong on behalf of the TOEFL test arrested

  23. Hong Kong, October 2011

  24. Facebook, October 2011

  25. Media Copy Cat • Impersonation case • Usual excuses • Father a Detective • ID the proctor • Handwriting analysis

  26. Top Two Media?

  27. Coordinate Efforts • Legal AND Court of Public Opinion • Media training • Keep communication professionals informed • Be prepared • Legal, testing program and test security involved • One voice • Media interviews are not subpoenas

  28. Thank You If any questions, contact rnicosia@ets.org Please complete the session evaluation that has been distributed to you.

  29. NCTA 2012 • FAISEL ALAM TEST SECURITY AND THE MEDIA

  30. outline LSAT Headlines Media Relations 101 Nontraditional Media Media Relations 102 Working with Your Lawyer

  31. Lsat headlines Case 1: 1997 – 2000 LSAT Robbery Prompts Arrests Law Exam Scam? Three Suspects Charged Danny Khatchaturian and Dikran Iskendarian wanted to be lawyers. Now they need one… Two Sentenced in Elaborate Scheme to Cheat Law Test The students pay someone to steal the exam, then get the questions answered and transmitted via pager to them in Hawaii.

  32. Lsat headlines Case 2: 2007 LSAT Theft Foiled by Undercover Sting Man Pleads Guilty over LSAT Employees Were Offered Money for Copy of Law Exam Would-be Attorney Sentenced for Trying to Steal Law Test “Hi, I know this is unusual, but please do not be alarmed by this letter. The purpose of this letter is merely to request your help in a matter that I would like to discuss with you personally.”

  33. Media relations 101 Designate a spokesperson and a response team Train staff, trustees, and volunteers in how to refer inquiries Gather facts, and stick to them Determine how much you can say about security protocols andthe specific matter at hand Try to stay within your limits Develop a narrative that tells your story Keep law enforcement on your side Let them take the lead, so long as that’s working for you Coordinate, as much as possible, when it’s not

  34. Media relations 101 Reply to all inquiries as quickly as possible Practice saying “I don’t know, but I’ll get back to you” (It’s better than making stuff up) Coordinate messaging and protocol with third parties: contractors, investigators, test-center personnel, score users, etc. Manage expectations

  35. Nontraditional media Blogs, bulletin boards, chat rooms, file-sharing sites, and socialmedia No professional code of ethics No editors No fact checkers No obligation to get your side of the story Can keep a story alive well after traditional media has lostinterest, even well after it actually has died May be more influential with your key audiences than traditionalmedia

  36. Media relations 102 • Determine who your key audiences are • Think broadly: score users, test takers, families, customers for your other programs, current and potential partners, future cheaters, government bodies • For-profits: owners, shareholders, parent corporations • Non-profits: governing board, members • Identify the best ways to reach them • Are there audiences that you can ignore? • What’s the best way to interact with nontraditional media? • Traditional media doesn’t care when you “win,” but thenontraditional media might (just be careful of their spin!)

  37. Working with your lawyer • Involve counsel early • Review written policies and make sure they’re being followed • Determine whether counsel should be the primary contact with law enforcement • Work with counsel on insurance matters • Understand your test-taker privacy commitments and consult with counsel before breaching them • Distinguish legal advice from policy advice • Remember that legal advice is one input among many

  38. Thank you! Faisel Alam Law School Admission Council 215.504.3805 falam@LSAC.org

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