Defiance City School District
Bylaws & Policies
 

2623 - STUDENT ASSESSMENT AND ACADEMIC INTERVENTION SERVICES

The Board of Education shall assess student achievement and needs in all program areas in compliance with State law and the rules adopted by the State Board of Education. The purpose of such assessments will be to determine the progress of students and to assist them in attaining student performance objectives and the educational achievement goals of this District.

The Board shall administer the State-mandated tests (e.g., diagnostic assessments, and proficiency and achievement tests) to students at the times designated by the State Board of Education. The Board may, for medical reasons or other good cause, excuse a student from taking a State-mandated test on the date scheduled, but any such test shall be administered to such excused student not later than nine (9) days following the scheduled date. The Board shall annually report, not later than June 30th, the number of students who have not taken one or more of the State-mandated tests to the State Board of Education.

The Board shall provide academic intervention services in pertinent subject areas to students who score below the proficient level in reading, writing, mathematics, social studies, or science on the assessment test, or who do not demonstrate academic performance at their grade level based on the results of a diagnostic assessment.

At least annually, staff members will assess the academic achievement and learning needs of each student. Procedures for such assessments may include, but need not be limited to, teacher observation techniques, cumulative student records, student performance data collected through standard testing programs, and physical examinations.

The Superintendent shall develop a program of testing that includes:

 A.State-mandated tests (e.g., diagnostic assessments, and proficiency and achievement tests;
 B.performance-based tests at appropriate grade levels to measure achievement of performance objectives in composition, mathematics, science, social studies, and reading;
 C.District or teacher-made achievement or performance tests;
 D.vocational inventories;
 E.portfolios;
 F.demonstrations of student capability in nonschool settings.

"Achievement tests" means "tests, aligned to academic content standards, designed to measure the skill in a specific content that is expected at the end of the designated grade."

"Diagnostic assessments" means "the tests designed to measure student comprehension of academic content standards and mastery of related skills for the relevant subject area at each grade, kindergarten through eighth."

"Ohio graduation tests" means the achievement tests, aligned with academic content standards, designed to measure the level of skill expected at the end of the tenth grade in writing, reading, mathematics, social studies, and science.

"Performance standards" means scores adopted by the State Board of Education indicative of proficiency at the designated grade and any other score standards deemed appropriate for that grade (for example, scores indicative of limited, basic, accelerated, or advanced level).

The Superintendent shall develop:

 A.procedures for the regular collection of student performance data;
 B.a plan for the design of classroom-based intervention services to meet the instructional needs of individual students as determined by the results of diagnostic assessments; and
 C.procedures for using student performance data to evaluate the effectiveness of intervention services and, if necessary, to modify such services.

For any student who failed to demonstrate at least a score at the proficient level on a proficiency test or a score in the basic range on an achievement test during the preceding school year, the Board shall provide appropriate intervention services in each such test areas, including intensive intervention required under R.C. 3313.608. This provision does not apply to any student receiving services pursuant to an individualized education program.

The Board shall require that:

 A.parents be informed of the testing program of the schools and of the special tests that are to be administered to their children;
 B.data regarding individual test scores be entered on the student's cumulative record, where it will be subject to the Board’s student records policy;
 C.the aggregate results of each school-wide, program-wide, and District-wide test be made part of the public record.

In accordance with State law, the Superintendent shall develop guidelines for the annual assessment of the reading skills of each student at the end of first and second grade, and identify those students who are reading below their grade level. Each student's classroom teacher shall be involved in the assessment and identification of those students who are reading below grade level.

The Board shall notify the parent or guardian of each student whose reading skills are below grade level and provide intervention services to each student reading below grade level. Such intervention services shall include instruction in intensive, systematic phonetics pursuant to rules adopted by the State Board of Education.

For any student who attains a score in the below basic range on the third-grade reading achievement test, the Board shall do one of the following:

 A.promote the student to fourth grade if the student’s principal and reading teacher agree that other evaluations of the student’s skill in reading demonstrate that the student is academically prepared to be promoted to the fourth grade;
 B.promote the student to fourth grade, but provide the student with "intensive" intervention services in fourth grades; or
 C.retain the student in the third grade.

For any student who does not attain by the end of the third grade at least a score in the range of proficient in the reading test prescribed under R.C. 3301.0710(A)(2)(b), the Board shall offer intense remediation services and another opportunity to take that test, during the summer following third grade.

Summer remediation services shall meet the following conditions:

 A.the remediation methods are based on reliable educational research
 B.testing will be conducted before and after students participate in the program to facilitate monitoring results of the remediation services
 C.the parents of participating student will be involved in programming decisions
 D.the services will be conducted in a school building or community center and not on an at-home basis

The Board shall keep records for each student including the following:

 A.a student data verification code in accordance with R.C. 3301.0714(D)(2)
 B.which tests are required and which are not
 C.which tests, required or not required, are taken and which are not taken at each test administration period
 D.score for each test taken, required or not
 E.whether the student attained the designated performance standard expected for each required test
 F.what if any tests must still be taken
 G.whether or not intervention must be provided, and
 H.for each test required for graduation, the date passed must be recorded on the student’s transcript
  No information will be on the student’s transcript for a test not passed.

When a student who has taken State-mandated tests in one (1) school leaves that school to enroll in another school, the school last attended shall provide, immediately upon request by a school official, all applicable records set forth above.

For each student required to be offered intervention services, the Board shall involve the student's parent or guardian and classroom teacher in developing the intervention strategy, and shall offer to the parent or guardian the opportunity to be involved in the intervention services.

During the school year following the year in which the tests prescribed by R.C. 3301.0710(A)(1) are administered to any student, the Board shall provide intervention services, commensurate with the student’s test performance, including any intensive intervention required under R.C. 3313.608, in any skill in which the student failed to demonstrate at least a score of proficient on a State-mandated test or at least a score in the basic range on an achievement test, or whose diagnostic assessments show they are failing to make satisfactory progress toward attaining the academic standards for their grade level.

Except as authorized by State law, the Board shall not use any student’s failure to attain a specified score on any State-mandated test as a factor in any decision to deny the student promotion to a higher grade level.

All identified disabled students in the School District shall be considered for participation in the State-mandated testing. The extent of the identified disabled student’s participation shall be determined by the IEP Team. Accordingly, the student’s IEP shall require that s/he:

 A.take the prescribed test in the same manner as other students;
 B.take the prescribed test with accommodations appropriate for his/her disability; or
 C.take an alternate assessment that has been approved by the State Department of Education.

The Superintendent shall implement administrative guidelines that comply with the State Department's regulations with regard to the administration of the State-mandated tests, including the reporting of results.

Program evaluations will be reviewed and updated every five (5) years. A schedule for such will be developed and implemented by the Superintendent.

This policy shall be reviewed and updated annually.

R.C. 3301.0710, .0711, .0715, 3313.608, 3313.608(D), 3313.6012
A.C. 3301-13, 3301-35

Revised 4/17/00
Revised 2/10/03
Revised 12/13/04
Revised 2/25/08