South Carolina Code of Regulations › Chapter 43 - STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION › Article 19 - INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM › Section 43-262 - Assessment Program

Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 6, June 28, 2024
I.
			 STATEWIDE ASSESSMENT PROGRAM
A. The Education
			 Accountability Act of 1998 (EAA), S.C. Code Ann. Section
			 59-18-310,
			 and the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB),
			 20 U.S.C. Section
			 6301, et seq. require that the State Board of
			 Education develop or adopt a statewide assessment program in certain grades and
			 selected content/skill areas.
B.
			 The statewide assessment program will involve testing public school students at
			 selected grade levels and in selected content and skill areas at times
			 specified by the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE). The grade(s)
			 and content/skill areas to be included in the assessment program are identified
			 by the EAA, NCLB, and State Board of Education regulations.
The statewide assessment program includes assessments
				administered to assist in the identification of students for participation in
				programs for the gifted and talented, and assessments administered for
				accountability purposes, including but not limited to the following:
South Carolina Palmetto Assessment of State Standards (SCPASS),
				South Carolina Alternate Assessment (SC-Alt), and End-of-Course Examination
				Program.
C. The program is
			 funded through an annual appropriation included in the South Carolina General
			 Appropriations Act. The request for such funding is included in the annual
			 budget request of the State Superintendent of Education. Continued operation of
			 the program is contingent upon the availability of funds.
D. The following are responsibilities of the
			 SCDE for assessments in which school districts are required to participate.
1. Supply all necessary test materials
			 regardless of the testing format, (e.g., paper/pencil, online, customized),
			 scoring, and standard score reports at no cost to the local school districts.
			 Test materials do not include hardware or software for online
			 testing.
2. Pay all shipping costs
			 for the transportation of test materials and score reports between the SCDE,
			 school districts, and scoring service(s).
3. Provide workshops on test administration,
			 interpretation, and utilization for district test coordinators and other
			 selected staff.
4. Report the
			 statewide results of the program to the State Board of Education on an annual
			 basis.
5. The SCDE will report
			 statewide and school district test results as may be necessary for accurate and
			 meaningful interpretation.
6. Test
			 data for individuals shall be released only in a manner that is consistent with
			 the provisions of Section 438 (Privacy Rights of Parents and Students) of the
			 General Education Provisions Act (Title IV of Public Law 90-247, as amended)
			 and any other relevant legislation, including but not limited to Act 200 of
			 2014.
7. Field/pilot-test, at the
			 discretion of the State Superintendent of Education, new assessment instruments
			 and/or procedures and recommend changes in the Statewide Assessment Program to
			 the State Board of Education, the Education Oversight Committee, and other
			 appropriate policy-making bodies.
E. The participation of local school
			 districts in the statewide testing program is required under Section
			 59-20-60(7)(c)
			 of the South Carolina Education Finance Act and the South Carolina Education
			 Accountability Act of 1998. The following are responsibilities of local school
			 districts.
1. As used in these regulations,
			 "local school district" shall mean public school districts, the South Carolina
			 Public Charter School District, a public or independent institution of higher
			 learning serving as a charter school sponsor pursuant to the South Carolina
			 Charter Schools Act, as well as other publicly funded educational institutions
			 providing instruction to public school students.
2. Designate one or more district test
			 coordinators (DTCs) who will be the point of contact for the SCDE or its
			 contractors as well as attend the workshops provided by the SCDE. The DTC is
			 responsible for ensuring that school test coordinators (STCs) and test
			 administrators are trained. DTCs and/or STCs are responsible for the
			 distribution, receipt, storage, and return of test materials and
			 reports.
3. Administer the tests
			 (including field/pilot tests) in accordance with procedures and at dates and
			 times specified by the SCDE.
F. Students with disabilities shall be
			 included in the assessment program in compliance with the provisions of South
			 Carolina and federal statutes and regulations.
G. The State Superintendent of Education is
			 authorized to develop and implement such administrative procedures as he or she
			 may deem necessary and appropriate for the purpose of implementing the South
			 Carolina Statewide Assessment Program. Any administrative action taken under
			 this regulation will be presented to the State Board of Education during the
			 next regularly scheduled meeting of the Board.
H. End-of-Course Examination Program (EOCEP)
1. Gateway courses in English/language areas,
			 mathematics, science, and social studies as required in Section
			 59-18-310
			 of the EAA will be defined by the State Board of Education. The End-of-Course
			 test for social studies is the United States History and the
			 Constitution.
2. Purposes and Uses
a. The purposes and uses of the end-of-course
			 examinations shall be as follows:
i. The
			 examinations shall encourage instruction in the specific academic standards for
			 the courses, encourage student achievement, and document the level of students'
			 mastery of the academic standards.
ii. The examinations shall serve as
			 indicators of program, school, and school district effectiveness in the manner
			 prescribed by the Education Oversight Committee in accordance with the
			 provisions of the Education Accountability Act of 1998 (EAA).
iii. The examinations shall be weighted 20
			 percent in the determination of students' final grades in the gateway
			 courses.
b. The
			 examination may be used for such other purposes as the State Board of Education
			 may determine to be appropriate and consistent with the Standards for
			 Educational and Psychological Testing (Joint Standards) of the American
			 Psychological Association, the American Educational Research Association, and
			 the National Council on Measurement in Education.
3. The content of the subject-area
			 examinations that are selected or developed pursuant to the provisions of this
			 policy shall be aligned with the academic standards approved by the State Board
			 of Education.
4. Student
			 performance standards for the examinations shall be established by the
			 SCDE.
5. The academic standards for
			 the examinations shall be reviewed on a schedule that is consistent with the
			 requirements of the EAA. Following any revisions of the academic standards, the
			 examinations will be reviewed and revised as necessary to ensure their
			 continued alignment with the standards.
6. Students who are enrolled in the gateway
			 courses shall be provided with copies of the academic standards that pertain to
			 those particular courses. Students will be advised that the final examination
			 for each gateway course will be based on the skills and content represented in
			 the academic standards. District personnel shall provide this information to
			 students no later than the first day of instruction in the course.