No. 30447 (Amendment): R277-473. Testing Procedures

DAR File No.: 30447
Filed: 09/14/2007, 12:55
Received by: NL

RULE ANALYSIS

Purpose of the rule or reason for the change:

This rule is amended to provide for a six-week window instead of a five-week window for student testing. The additional week will provide year-round schools and larger school districts an additional five school days to administer and return testing materials. The amendment also provides for Utah State Office of Education developed training materials to be used for the required annual training for assessment administration.

Summary of the rule or change:

The amended rule provides new definitions, changes the time period for administering and returning testing materials, and provides additional standardized testing rules and professional development requirements.

State statutory or constitutional authorization for this rule:

Subsections 53A-1-603(3) and 53A-1-401(3)

Anticipated cost or savings to:

the state budget:

There are no anticipated costs or savings to the state budget if an additional week is added to the testing window.

local governments:

There are no anticipated costs or savings to school districts/schools in adjusting or lengthening the testing window. This provides greater flexibility for schools.

small businesses and persons other than businesses:

There are no anticipated costs or savings to small businesses and other persons other than businesses. This rule does not affect small businesses or other persons in any way except to provide schools/students more flexibility.

Compliance costs for affected persons:

There are no compliance costs for affected persons. Individual students/parents may be benefited from this rule change, but there are no related costs.

Comments by the department head on the fiscal impact the rule may have on businesses:

I have reviewed this rule and I see no fiscal impact on businesses. Patti Harrington, State Superintendent of Public Instruction

The full text of this rule may be inspected, during regular business hours, at the Division of Administrative Rules, or at:

Education
Administration
250 E 500 S
SALT LAKE CITY UT 84111-3272

Direct questions regarding this rule to:

Carol Lear at the above address, by phone at 801-538-7835, by FAX at 801-538-7768, or by Internet E-mail at [e-mail]

Interested persons may present their views on this rule by submitting written comments to the address above no later than 5:00 p.m. on:

10/31/2007

This rule may become effective on:

11/07/2007

Authorized by:

Carol Lear, Director, School Law and Legislation

RULE TEXT

R277. Education, Administration.

R277-473. Testing Procedures.

R277-473-1. Definitions.

A. "Advanced English Language Learner student" means the student understands and speaks conversational and academic English language. The student demonstrates reading comprehension and writing skills but may need continued support when engaged in complex academic tasks that require increasingly academic language. The student is identified at the A level on the UALPA but not proficiency on the English Language Arts (ELA) CRT.

[A]B. "Basic skills course" means those courses specified in Utah law for which CRT testing is required.

[B]C. "Board" means the Utah State Board of Education.

[C]D. "Criterion Reference Test (CRT)" means a test to measure performance against a specific standard. The meaning of the scores is not tied to the performance of other students.

[D]E. "CS" means the USOE Computer Services section.

[E]F. "Days" for purposes of this rule means calendar days unless specifically designated otherwise in this rule.

[F]G. "Direct Writing Assessment (DWA)" means a USOE-designated test to measure writing performance for students in grades six and nine.

H. "Emergent English Language Learner student" means the student understands and responds to basic social conventions, simple questions, simple directions, and appropriate level text. In general, the student speaks, reads, and writes using single phrases or sentences with support. The student may begin to use minimal academic vocabulary with support and participates in classroom routines. The student is identified at the E level on the UALPA.

I. "Intermediate English Language Learner student" means the student understands and speaks conversational and academic English with decreasing hesitancy and difficulty. The student is developing reading comprehension and writing skills, with support. The student's English literacy skills allow for demonstration of academic knowledge. The student reads and writes independently for personal and academic purposes, with some persistent errors. The student is identified at the I level on the UALPA.

[G]J. "Last day of school" means the last day classes are held in each school district/charter school.

[H]K. "Norm-reference Test (NRT)" means a test where the scores are based on comparisons with a nationally representative group of students in the same grade. The meaning of the scores is tied specifically to student performance relative to the performance of the students in the norm group under very specific testing conditions.

L. "Pre-Emergent English Language Learner student" means the student has limited or no understanding of oral or written English, therefore will be participating by listening. The student may demonstrate comprehension by using a few isolated words or expressions of speech. The student typically draws, copies, or responds verbally in his native language to simple commands, statements and questions. The student may begin to understand language in the realm of basic communication. Reading and writing is significantly below grade level. The student is identified at the P level on the UALPA.

[I]M. "Protected test materials" means consumable and nonconsumable test booklets, test questions (items), directions for administering the assessments and supplementary assessment materials (e.g., videotapes) designated as protected test materials by the USOE. Protected test materials shall be used for testing only and shall be secured where they can be accessed by authorized personnel only.

[J]N. "Raw test results" means number correct out of number possible, without scores being equated and scaled.

[K]O. "Standardized tests" means tests required, consistent with Sections 53A-1-601 through 53A-1-611, to be administered to all students in identified subjects at the specified grade levels.

[L]P. "Utah Academic Proficiency Assessment (UALPA)" means a USOE-designated test to determine the academic proficiency and progress of English Language Learner students.

[M]Q. "Utah Alternative Assessment (UAA)" means a USOE-designated test to measure students with disabilities with severe cognitive disabilities.

[N]R. "Utah Basic Skills Competency Test (UBSCT)" means a USOE-designated test to be administered to Utah students beginning in the tenth grade to include components in reading, writing, and mathematics. Utah students shall satisfy the requirements of the UBSCT, in addition to state and school district/charter school graduation requirements, prior to receiving a high school diploma that indicates a passing score on all UBSCT subtests.

[O]S. "USOE" means the Utah State Office of Education.

 

R277-473-3. Time Periods for Administering and Returning Materials.

A. School districts/charter schools shall administer assessments required under Section 53A-1-603 according to the following schedule:

(1) All CRTs and UAAs (elementary and secondary, English language arts, math, science) shall be given in a [five]six week window beginning [five]six weeks before the last Monday of the end of the course.

(2) The Utah Basic Skills Competency Test shall be given Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of the first week of February and Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of the third week of October.

(3) Sixth and ninth grade Direct Writing Assessment shall be given in a three week window beginning at least 14 weeks prior to the last day of school.

(4) The UALPA shall be administered to all English Language Learner students identified as Pre-Emergent, Emergent, Intermediate and Advanced, or enrolled for the first time in the school district at any time during the school year. The test shall be administered once a year to show progress. The testing window is the school year.

B. School districts shall require that all schools within the school district or charter schools administer NRTs within the time period specified by the USOE and the publisher of the test.

C. School districts/charter schools shall submit all answer sheets for the CRT and NRT tests to the CS Section of the USOE for scanning and scoring as follows:

(1) School districts/charter schools shall return CRT, UAA and DWA answer sheets to the USOE no later than five working days after the last day of the testing window.

(2) School districts/charter schools shall return NRT answer sheets to the USOE no later than five working days after the last day of the testing time period specified by the publisher of the test.

(3) School districts/charter schools shall return UBSCT answer sheets to the USOE no later than three days after the final make-up day.

(4) School districts/charter schools shall return UALPA answer sheets to the USOE no later than May 15 for traditional schedule schools and June 15 for year-round schedule schools beginning with the 2007-08 school year.

D. When determining the date of testing, schools on trimester schedules shall schedule the testing at the point in the course where students have had approximately the same amount of instructional time as students on a regular schedule and provide the schedule to the USOE. Basic skills courses ending in the first trimester of the year shall be assessed with the previous year's form of the CRTs.

E. Makeup opportunities shall be provided to students for the Utah Basic Skills Competency Test according to the following:

(1) Students shall be allowed to participate in makeup tests if they [were not present for the entire]did not participate to any degree in the Utah Basic Skills Competency Test or subtest(s) of the Utah Basic Skills Competency Test.

(2) School districts/charter schools shall determine acceptable reasons for student makeup eligibility which may include absence due to serious illness, absence due to family emergency, or absence due to death of family member or close friend.

(3) School districts/charter schools shall provide a makeup window not to exceed five days immediately following the last day of each administration of the Utah Basic Skills Competency Test.

(4) School districts/charter schools shall determine and notify parents in an appropriate and timely manner of dates, times, and sites of makeup opportunities for the Utah Basic Skills Competency Test.

 

R277-473-9. Standardized Testing Rules and Professional Development Requirement.

A. It is the responsibility of all educators to take all reasonable steps to ensure that standardized tests reflect the ability, knowledge, aptitude, or basic skills of each individual student taking standardized tests.

B. School districts/charter schools shall develop policies and procedures consistent with the law and Board rules for standardized test administration, make them available and provide training to all teachers and administrators who shall administer state tests.

C. At least once [E]each school year, school districts/charter schools shall provide professional development for all teachers, administrators, and standardized test administrators concerning guidelines and procedures for standardized test administration, including teacher responsibility for test security and proper professional practices.

D. School district/charter school assessment staff shall use the Testing Ethics Policy Power Point presentation and the Testing Ethics booklet developed by the USOE, available on the USOE Assessment homepage in providing training for all test administrators/proctors.

E. Each and every test administrator/proctor shall individually sign a Testing Ethics signature page also available on the USOE Assessment homepage.

[D]F. All teachers and test administrators shall conduct test preparation, test administration, and the return of all protected test materials in strict accordance with the procedures and guidelines specified in test administration manuals, school district/charter school rules and policies, Board rules, and state application of federal requirements for funding.

[E]G. Teachers, administrators, and school personnel shall not:

(1) provide students directly or indirectly with specific questions, answers, or the subject matter of any specific item in any standardized test prior to test administration;

(2) copy, print, or make any facsimile of protected testing material prior to test administration without express permission of the specific test publisher, including USOE, and school district/charter school administration;

(3) change, alter, or amend any student answer sheet or any other standardized test materials at any time in such a way as to alter the student's intended response;

(4) use any prior form of any standardized test (including pilot test materials) that has not been released by the USOE in test preparation without express permission of the specific test publisher, including USOE, and school district/charter school administration;

(5) violate any specific test administration procedure or guideline specified in the test administration manual, or violate any state or school district/charter school standardized testing policy or procedure;

(6) knowingly and intentionally do anything that would inappropriately affect the security, validity, or reliability of standardized test scores of any individual student, class, or school;

[F]H. Violation of any of these rules may subject licensed educators to possible disciplinary action under Rules of Professional Practices and Conduct for Utah Educators, R686-103-6(I).

 

KEY: educational testing

Date of Enactment or Last Substantive Amendment: [August 7,] 2007

Notice of Continuation: May 9, 2005

Authorizing, and Implemented or Interpreted Law: Art X Sec 3; 53A-1-603(3); 53A-1-401(3)