In accordance with state and federal law, the district has established a comprehensive assessment program designed to promote educational excellence so all students master the knowledge and skills necessary to attain college and career readiness. At all levels of instruction, the district will assess student achievement in order to inform curriculum decisions and instructional practices, identify areas needing intervention, remediation or acceleration, and improve the educational program.
CONTENT
The comprehensive assessment program will consist of multiple standardized assessments as adopted by the State Board of Education (SBOE). The district will also use other types of assessments to improve its educational program, including but not limited to, district-adopted assessments, teacher-made tests, and end of course assessments.
TESTING OF STUDENTS
All students attending district schools, grades kindergarten through twelve (K-12) are required to participate in the comprehensive assessment program approved and funded by the SBOE.
Special Education Students
All students who are eligible for special education pursuant to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) will participate in the statewide assessment program. Each student’s individualized education program (IEP) team will determine whether the student will participate in the regular assessment without accommodations, the regular assessment with accommodations or adaptations, or whether the student qualifies for and will participate in the alternative assessment.
Limited English Proficient Students
Limited English Proficient (LEP) students may receive designated supports or accommodations, or both, for the ISAT assessment if need has been indicated by the LEP student’s Educational Learning Plan (ELP) team. The team will outline the designated supports or accommodations, or both, in an ELP prior to the assessment administration. Designated supports or accommodations, or both, will be familiar to the student and used throughout the school year during instruction and for other assessments.
LEP students who are enrolled in their first year of school in the United States may take the IELA in lieu of the English language ISAT, but are still required to take the ISAT (Mathematics and Science). Such LEP students will be counted as participants for the ninety-five percent (95%) participation target. However, such LEP students are not required to be counted for accountability purposes.
SCORING AND REPORTING FORMATS
Scores will be provided for each subject area assessed and reported in standard scores, benchmark scores, or holistic scores. Test results will be presented in a class list report of student scores, building/district summaries, content area criterion reports by skill, disaggregated group reports, and pressure sensitive labels as appropriate. Information about the number of students who are eligible for special education who participate in regular and alternate assessments, and their performance results, will be included in reports to the public if it is statistically sound to do so and would not disclose performance results identifiable to individual students. All students taking the Idaho Standards Achievement Test (ISAT) will have a unique student identifier. The district will send all assessment results and related communication to parents within three (3) weeks of receipt from the state.
COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT PROGRAM
The district will administer state-required standardized assessments in compliance with the time period required by the U.S. Department of Education and/or the Idaho State Board of Education. Each assessment will be comprehensive of and aligned to the Idaho State Content Standards it is intended to assess.
SECURITY MEASURES
Test security is of the utmost importance. To ensure integrity of secure test items and protect validity and reliability of test outcomes, the district will take appropriate steps to ensure that test security is maintained. The district will identify at least one district test coordinator and may identify specific school test administrators who will be responsible for assessment administration activities in the district or school. The district will employ the same security measures in protecting statewide assessment materials from compromise as they use to safeguard other formal assessments. The district will require each individual who has any opportunity to see test items to sign a state-provided confidentiality agreement and will keep the agreements on file for a minimum of two (2) years. The district will document all security safeguards and will make such documentation available for review by authorized state and federal personnel.
The district’s assessment program will ensure appropriate test preparation by providing an equal opportunity for all students to:
- learn and apply content standards;
- be familiar with the testing environment, testing device, and applicable software; and
- have access to, and be familiar with, appropriate tools, supports, and accommodations.
The district’s assessment program will also consider appropriate scheduling and training for all school staff involved in the test administration process. District and school test coordinators will also give appropriate consideration to the test environment to ensure that assessments accurately measure student performance.
DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION
The district will provide each student’s unique identifier and accurate demographic information as required by the SBOE for each test, including, but not limited to, race, sex, ethnicity, and special programs (Title I, English proficiency, migrant status, special education status, gifted and talented status, and socio-economic status).
ATTENDANCE
All students are required to participate in statewide assessments; therefore, the district will not charge student time spent in statewide assessments against attendance requirements.
ASSESSMENT FOR DUAL ENROLLMENT
For the purpose of non-public school student participation in non-academic public school activities as outlined in Idaho Code §33-203, the district may utilize either of the following assessment methods:
- The ISATs (Grades 3-8 and High School).
- A portfolio demonstrating grade level proficiency in at least five (5) of the following subject areas: Language Arts/Communication, Math, Science, Social Studies, Health, and Humanities. Portfolios will be judged and confirmed by a committee comprised of at least one (1) teacher from each subject area presented in the portfolio and the building principal at the school where dual enrollment is sought.
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LEGAL REFERENCE:
Idaho Code Sections
33-118 – Courses of Study – Curricular Materials
33-133 – Definitions – Student Data – Use and Limitations – Penalties
33-203 – Dual Enrollment
33-1002 – Educational Support Program
33-1612 – Thorough System of Public Schools
33-1806 – Reading and Literacy Assessment
IDAPA 08.02.03.111 – Assessment in the Public Schools
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESEA section 1111(b)(2)(B)(ii)-(iv))
ADOPTED: January 15, 2024
AMENDED: