Rules of Test Participation for the GACE^® Teacher Leadership Assessment

Test takers must read and agree to comply with all of the rules in the Teacher Leadership section of the GACE^® website, in the Teacher Leadership submission system, and those set forth herein.

1. Compliance: I understand that if I fail to comply with the rules and requirements specified or referenced in the Teacher Leadership section of the GACE website (including these Rules of Test Participation) and in the Teacher Leadership submission system, or if I take any prohibited actions, my test results may be voided, no refund will be issued, no portion of the testing fee can be applied toward the cost of any future testing fees, I may not be permitted to register for current or future test administrations, my registration may be canceled, I may not be allowed to test, I may be required to test under controlled conditions, and legal proceedings and actions may be pursued as well as any other remedies that the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC) and/or ETS may deem appropriate. In addition, I understand that violation of the Rules of Test Participation for Teacher Leadership may be a violation of the GaPSC's Code of Ethics for Educators and may constitute sufficient grounds to take action against, revoke, suspend, and/or deny a certificate and constitute grounds for legal action.

2. Registration: I have read and agree to the Fees for the GACE Teacher Leadership Assessment. I understand that if any or all fees that are applicable to me are not paid in full for all test dates and/or tests for which I have registered, or if I do not indicate my agreement to abide by all applicable rules, I may not be permitted to register for current or future test administrations, and/or my score report may not be produced, and/or my score(s) may be voided.

3. Withdrawal: I may cancel my Teacher Leadership registration. If my cancellation is processed online or by phone by the registration deadline for the submission deadline date I have selected (approximately two weeks prior to the submission deadline date), the full registration fee will be refunded, minus a refund fee of $120. Cancellations or withdrawals processed online or by phone after the registration deadline for the submission deadline date are not eligible for a refund. If I do not submit my assessment via the online submission system by the scheduled submission date, I will receive no refund or credit of any kind. See Fees for the GACE Teacher Leadership Assessment for policy concerning cancellation of resubmission registrations.

4. Purpose of Testing: I am a currently certified and practicing educator in Georgia and am seeking to upgrade my certification by successfully completing the GACE Teacher Leadership assessment. I understand that the Teacher Leadership assessment was developed to assess the critical leadership roles that teachers play in contributing to student and school success. I certify that I am taking this assessment for the purpose stated above.

5. Identification: I understand that I will not be permitted to complete the Teacher Leadership assessment without first creating a MyPSC account on the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC) website and providing accurate personal information such as my name, date of birth, Social Security number, and home address. Once I have completed creating a MyPSC account, I am aware that the personal information that I have provided will be electronically transmitted to ETS and a Customer Service Representative will use that information to create an online testing account in the Teacher Leadership submission system for me to use. I acknowledge that all of the information I have provided to the GaPSC and ETS is accurate to the best of my knowledge, and that the GaPSC and ETS have the right to use this personal information for the purposes of creating and/or updating my online testing account, reporting my scores, and any other test-related purpose for which they are required.

6. Task Submission: I acknowledge that all tasks for the Teacher Leadership assessment I am taking must be submitted by the submission deadline date I selected during the registration process. If I cannot meet the selected submission deadline, I will have the opportunity to reschedule to a later submission deadline date, thus incurring a $50 rescheduling fee. In developing and submitting my task responses for this assessment, I agree to follow all reasonable instructions given to me either via the Teacher Leadership section of the GACE website or within the online submission system. I agree to abide by the guidelines/instructions in the Teacher Leadership Assessment Candidate Handbook regarding collaboration with other colleagues/teacher leaders. I agree not to engage in any other form of misconduct, such as repurposing another candidate's work and submitting it as my own. I agree that I will obtain all appropriate signed release forms before submitting artifacts containing samples of student work, work from a colleague(s), or other sources. If I fail to comply with these provisions, my score may be voided without refund or credit of any kind, and other actions, as described in Rule 1, may be taken as deemed appropriate by the GaPSC and ETS.

7. Test Security and Colleague and Student Work: I understand that my responses, without the identification of my name, may be used for research, development, and implementation of testing programs, rater training, study materials, or other purposes associated with the program. My responses to each task within the assessment are my own, and the necessary release and sign-off forms required for submitting colleague or student work in addition to my written response have been filled out truthfully by each person who is contributing any materials toward my task response(s).

8. Plagiarism: ETS reserves the right to cancel the scores of test takers when, in its judgment, there is evidence that a response includes, for example, text that is substantially similar to that found in other GACE responses, or quotations or paraphrasing of language or ideas from published or unpublished sources used without attribution. Such responses do not reflect the independent speaking or compositional writing skills that the tests seek to measure. If ETS finds that a response, or part of a response, contains material submitted by another test taker, was developed improperly by the use of unapproved aids such as having my program provider, colleague, or any other person write the response for me, or if artifacts submitted with the written response were improperly acquired and the required release and sign-off forms were not filled out by me and the person or entity furnishing the artifact, ETS may cancel my scores and not refund my fees, and may bar me from future test-taking activities. The GaPSC and ETS reserve the right to void my test score(s) if, in their sole opinion, there is adequate reason to question its validity or legitimacy due to circumstances within or beyond my control.

9. Score Reporting and Cancellation: I understand that my score(s) will be reported to me; to the GaPSC; to the educator preparation program provider indicated during registration (if applicable); and to any provider, entity, or person authorized or required by law, inclusive of the GaPSC's compliance with applicable Open Records Requests, to receive this information. I understand that my scores will be made available to me via my online testing account in the Teacher Leadership submission system and that paper score reports will not be mailed.

10. Voided Score: I understand that if I fail to comply with the rules and requirements set forth in the Teacher Leadership section of the GACE website (including these Rules of Test Participation and the Teacher Leadership submission system, or if doubts are raised about the validity or legitimacy of my registration or my score(s), ETS will notify the GaPSC and other parties as deemed appropriate. The GaPSC and ETS reserve the right to void my test score(s) if, in their sole opinion, there is adequate reason to question its validity or legitimacy due to circumstances within or beyond my control. Other actions, as described in Rule 1, may be taken as deemed appropriate by the GaPSC and/or ETS.

11. Rights and Obligations Regarding the Teacher Leadership Assessment: I understand and agree that liability for the adequacy or accuracy of the online submission system where I will submit my task responses and artifacts, the adequacy or accuracy of the registration and submission processes or conditions, the adequacy or accuracy of score reports, the adequacy or accuracy of scoring, the adequacy or accuracy of information provided to me in connection with the GACE program, and the adequacy of protection of test-taker information, will be limited to score correction for no additional fee. I waive any and all rights to all other claims, specifically including but not limited to claims for negligence arising out of any acts or omissions of the GaPSC and ETS (including the employees, agents, contractors, or professional advisors of the GaPSC and ETS).

12. Program Changes: I understand that the testing program is subject to change at the sole discretion of the GaPSC.

13. Rules: I understand that should any of these rules or any other requirement or provision contained in the Teacher Leadership section of the GACE website and the Teacher Leadership submission system, be declared or determined by any court to be illegal or invalid, the remaining rules, requirements, and provisions will not be affected and the illegal or invalid rule, requirement, or provision shall not be deemed a part of the current website or submission system. The headings of each of the Rules of Test Participation for Teacher Leadership are for convenient reference only. They are not a part of the rules themselves; they do not necessarily reflect the entire subject matter of each rule; and they are not intended to be used for the purpose of modifying, interpreting, or construing any of these Teacher Leadership Rules of Test Participation. I agree that any legal action arising in connection with my registration for or participation in a test administration shall be brought in the state and federal courts governing Princeton, New Jersey, and I consent to the personal jurisdiction of such courts.

14. Liability: ETS, including its subcontractors, shall not be liable to test takers, schools, school districts, colleges, universities, state agencies, other score users, or anyone else making claims by or through them for any damages, except as indicated in the Teacher Leadership section of the GACE website and the Teacher Leadership submission system. These damages which ETS and its subcontractors will not be liable for include, but are not limited to: direct, indirect, special, incidental, consequential, exemplary, or punitive damages, which are caused by, arising from, or otherwise related to the failure of the online submission system or the use thereof. Any failure of such persons to comply with ETS's and its subcontractors' test security and test administration policies and procedures, whether or not ETS has been advised of the possibility of such damages, will not incur liability in any part by ETS.