(1)There is created a
pilot program to allow local education providers to create or select assessments,
which the local education provider may administer to prove the validity and
reliability of the assessments and the comparability of the assessments with the
state assessments. The goals of the pilot program are to provide more timely and
relevant data to educators to inform instruction throughout the school year, while
continuing to provide comparative data for state accountability purposes.
(2)(a) For a local education provider to participate in the pilot program as
described in this section, the local school board or other governing body of the local
education provider must first adopt a written resolution that authorizes the local
education provider to participate in the p
Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI
(1) There is created a
pilot program to allow local education providers to create or select assessments,
which the local education provider may administer to prove the validity and
reliability of the assessments and the comparability of the assessments with the
state assessments. The goals of the pilot program are to provide more timely and
relevant data to educators to inform instruction throughout the school year, while
continuing to provide comparative data for state accountability purposes.
(2) (a) For a local education provider to participate in the pilot program as
described in this section, the local school board or other governing body of the local
education provider must first adopt a written resolution that authorizes the local
education provider to participate in the pilot program.
(b) If authorized by its local school board or other governing body, a local
education provider, individually or in combination with one or more other local
education providers, may participate in the first phase of the pilot program by
creating or selecting assessments that meet the requirements specified in
subsection (3) of this section and administering those assessments for two school
years to all or a portion of the students enrolled in at least one elementary grade,
one middle school grade, and one high school grade. After administering the
assessments for two school years, the local education provider must submit to the
department of education the assessment results for each year in which they were
administered and the local education provider's demonstration that the results are
comparable to the results obtained on the state assessments administered in the
same school years.
(c) A local education provider that is selected to participate in phase two of
the pilot program pursuant to subsection (4) of this section shall administer its
selected assessments for up to two years to students enrolled by the local
education provider in grades three through eleven. The local education provider
shall submit to the department the assessment results for each year in which they
were administered and the local education provider's demonstration that the
results are comparable to the results obtained on the state assessments
administered in the same school years.
(d) A local education provider that participates in the pilot program must:
(I) Notify the department of education at the beginning of each school year
in which it intends to administer assessments pursuant to this section and identify
the assessments that the local education provider intends to administer;
(II) Notify the parents of the students enrolled by the local education
provider at the beginning of each school year in which it intends to administer
assessments pursuant to this section that the local education provider is choosing
to administer assessments pursuant to this section; and
(III) If the local education provider is a school district, work with the school
district's personnel performance evaluation council created pursuant to section 22-9-107 in selecting or creating and administering assessments pursuant to this
section.
(3) The assessments that a local education provider chooses to administer
pursuant to this section must:
(a) In phase one of the pilot program, assess students in each of the subject
areas required in section 22-7-1006.3 in at least one elementary grade, one middle
school grade, and one high school grade;
(b) In phase two of the pilot program, assess students in all of the subject
areas and at all of the grade levels required in section 22-7-1006.3;
(c) Provide sufficient data each school year to disaggregate and report
results for student groups as defined in section 22-11-103 (34); and
(d) Provide sufficient data each school year to measure, for each student
enrolled in the grades that are assessed, the student's progress in meeting the
state academic standards.
(4) (a) Each local education provider that participates in phase one of the
pilot program shall submit the results of the local assessments to the department
of education for analysis and evaluation. After the department receives the local
assessment data from all participating local education providers, the department
shall review the data to ensure that each assessment meets the requirements
specified in subsection (3) of this section and that each assessment is valid and
reliable. Based on the assessment data, the department shall recommend to the
state board two of the local education providers to participate in phase two of the
pilot program. The state board, taking into consideration the department's
recommendations, shall select the two local education providers that may
participate in phase two of the pilot program.
(b) Each local education provider that participates in phase two of the pilot
program shall submit the results of the local assessments to the department of
education for analysis and evaluation. After the department receives the local
assessment data from all participating local education providers, the department
shall review the data to ensure that each assessment meets the requirements
specified in subsection (3) of this section and that each assessment is valid and
reliable. Based on the assessment data, the department shall recommend to the
state board one of the local assessments for approval as the new state assessment
or recommend that the state continue administering the existing state
assessments. The state board shall review the assessment data and, taking into
account the department's recommendation, select the new state assessment or
continue administering the existing state assessments. The department and the
state board shall base the recommendation and selection on the validity, reliability,
and comparability of the assessment and ensure that the selected assessment, if
any, meets the goals of the pilot program stated in subsection (1) of this section.
(c) If the state board adopts a new state assessment, the state board shall
notify the general assembly. Implementation of a new state assessment is
conditional on the enactment of legislation that approves the use of the new
assessment.
(d) As soon as possible after May 20, 2015, the department of education
shall apply to the federal department of education for a waiver of federal statutory
and regulatory requirements to the extent necessary to implement phase one of the
pilot program, including a waiver of the requirement to administer a single
statewide assessment as applied to the local education providers that participate in
phase one and phase two of the pilot program. Before the beginning of phase two of
the pilot program, the department shall apply to the federal department of
education for a waiver of federal statutory and regulatory requirements to the
extent necessary to implement phase two of the pilot program. If the state board
adopts a new state assessment, the department shall apply to the federal
department of education for a waiver of federal statutory and regulatory
requirements as necessary to implement the new state assessment if adopted as
provided in paragraph (b) of this subsection (4).
(e) Upon the request of a local education provider that participates in the
pilot program, the department shall provide technical assistance to the local
education provider in selecting local assessments and evaluating the assessment
results.
(f) If the federal department of education requires a local education provider
to administer the state assessments required in section 22-7-1006.3 while the local
education provider is participating in the pilot program, the local education provider
shall:
(I) Administer the state assessments as required in section 22-7-1006.3 in
addition to the local assessments while participating in the pilot program; and
(II) Specify in the notice required in paragraph (d) of subsection (2) of this
section that the local education provider is choosing to administer assessments
through the pilot program in addition to the state assessments required in section
22-7-1006.3.