Sylvania City School District
Bylaws & Policies
 

2623 - STUDENT ASSESSMENT AND ACADEMIC PREVENTION/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 outcome goals of this District.

The Board shall administer the state-mandated, statewide assessment 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, statewide assessment 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, statewide assessment tests to the State Board of Education.

The Board shall provide prevention/intervention services in pertinent subject areas to students who score below the proficient level in reading, writing, mathematics, social studies, or science proficiency or achievement 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 proficiencies and 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, statewide assessment tests (e.g., diagnostic assessments, and proficiency and achievement tests;
 B.locally developed, performance-based tests at appropriate grade levels to measure achievement of performance objectives in composition, mathematics, science, social studies, and reading;
 C.aptitude tests;
 D.District or teacher-made achievement or performance tests;
 E.vocational inventories;
 F.tests of mental ability;
 G.portfolios;
 H.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."

"Proficiency tests" means "all fourth, sixth, and ninth, grade proficiency tests, designed to measure the skill expected at the end of the designated grade."

The Superintendent shall further 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 also 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

If any fourth grade student attains a score in the range of below basic level of skill on the statewide achievement test in reading (designed to measure the level of reading skill at the end of the third grade), the Board shall do one of the following:

 A.promote the student to fifth 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 fifth grade
 B.promote the student to fifth grade, but provide the student with intensive intervention services in fifth grade or,
 C.retain the student in fourth grade

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 assessment 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.

Students for whom the Board is expected to provide intervention services shall be required to attend.

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 level on a proficiency test or 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, statewide assessment 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 proficiency 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 proficiency test in the same manner as other students;
 B.take the proficiency 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, statewide assessment tests, including the reporting of results.

A schedule of program evaluations will be developed and updated 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 2/24/97
Revised 5/11/98
Revised 4/26/99
Revised 3/26/01
Revised 12/16/02
Revised 12/13/04