Section R7-2-310. Pupil achievement testing

A.      The nationally standardized norm-referenced achievement tests adopted by the State Board shall be given annually during a week in September or October. By June 1 of each year the Board shall designate the week during the fall for testing for the next school year and all school districts shall administer the test during the week designated.

B.       The superintendent or head of district shall be responsible for:

1.        Providing school district enrollment data to the Depart- ment of Education annually for purposes of test material distribution.

2.        Verifying the count of test materials received and distrib- uting the test materials to each public school in the dis- trict.

3.        Securing the test materials prior to distribution to pupils or persons administering the tests at the time of testing, as well as after the time of testing. Test materials shall be kept in locked storage.

4.        Advising all district employees that the test materials are not to be reproduced in any manner.

5.        Familiarizing each person who will administer the test with the test publishers’ directions for administering the tests, the timing of the tests and the testing schedule. This is to be accomplished through meetings which shall not be held prior to one week before the first day of testing. At the conclusion of each such meeting, all test materials are to be collected and returned to locked storage.

6.        Distributing actual test materials to persons administering the tests on the day of testing.

7.        Training persons administering the tests on how to prop- erly complete the identification information on the test booklet/answer sheet and how to code the information required  on  the  variables  being  collected   pursuant  to

A.R.S. § 15-741, et seq.

8.        Properly packaging all tests/answer sheets which are to be scored by the scoring contractor. Packaging shall com- ply with instructions furnished by the scoring contractor or Department of Education.

9.        Forwarding all tests/answer sheets to be scored to the scoring contractor per instructions. Tests/answer sheets for the entire district should be forwarded in one ship- ment.

10.     Retaining all unused and reusable test materials, report- ing them in the school’s inventory and storing them in a safe and secure manner.

11.     Immediately reporting to the Department of Education any losses of test materials or other irregularities.

12.     The superintendent or head of district may designate a testing coordinator to act on his behalf.

C.      Persons designated by the superintendent or head of district to administer the test shall:

1.        Keep all test materials in locked storage.

2.        Not reproduce any test materials in any manner.

3.        Not disclose any actual test items to pupils prior to test- ing.

4.        Not provide answers of any test items to any pupils.

5.        Administer only practice tests which are provided by the test publishers. Previous editions of the test series being used in the statewide testing program may not be used as practice tests.

6.        Strictly observe all timed subtests. The test publishers’ suggested time limits for untimed subtests shall be fol- lowed as closely as possible in order to maintain unifor- mity in test administration.

7.        Follow directions for administering the test explicitly. No test item may be repeated unless otherwise indicated in the directions.

8.        Not change a pupil’s answer.

9.        Return all test materials to the superintendent or head of district immediately upon completion of testing.

D.      All violations of this rule shall be referred by the superinten- dent or head of district to the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, for appropriate action.

E.       For purposes of determining if a student may be exempt from the norm-referenced achievement testing requirement pursuant to A.R.S. § 15-744(B), the local governing board shall:

1.        Verify that all students to be exempted have been assessed for language proficiency as required by R7-2- 306 in the areas of listening, speaking, reading and writ- ing in English and the primary language and have been determined to be limited English proficient.

2.        Verify that all limited-English-proficient students consid- ered for exemption are enrolled in one of the following programs as required by A.R.S. § 15-754:

a.         K-6 Transitional Bilingual Program;

b.        7-12 Structured Bilingual Program;

c.         K-12 Bilingual Bicultural Program;

d.        English as a Second Language Program; or

e.         Individualized Education Program (this program is only acceptable if there are fewer than 10 limited- English-proficient students in a kindergarten pro- gram or a grade in a school).

3.        Submit to the Arizona Department of Education, no later than September 30 of each year, a governing board reso- lution for the exemption of eligible students. This resolu- tion shall contain the number, grade level, year of exemption status and primary language of all students to be exempted and an assurance signed by the governing board president and notarized that the requirements of subsections (E)(1) and (E)(2) have been met.

4.        Submit to the Arizona Department of Education, no later than December 1 of each year, a final report describing the total number of actual students to be exempted.

F.       Limited English students exempted from the norm-referenced achievement testing program shall be assessed annually with an alternative to the norm-referenced achievement test. If the exempted student is in grades 3, 8, or 12, the student shall be administered the assessments prescribed in subsection (F)(2)(c). Alternatives shall be as follows:

1.        In the first year a limited-English-proficient student is enrolled within the district, the district may:

a.         Administer the language proficiency testing con- ducted pursuant to R7-2-306; or

b.        Administer the assessments prescribed in subsection (F)(2)(a) or (b) as the alternative assessment in the areas of reading and writing. In the area of mathe- matics, districts shall administer the district mea- surement  that   has  been  adopted   to  assess   the

essential skills in English or in the primary language to such students.

2.        In the years following the first year of enrollment in the district, the alternative assessment shall be:

a.         The tests that have been adopted by the district in accordance with A.R.S. § 15-741 to assess the essential skills in reading, writing and mathematics in English; or

b.        The tests that have been adopted by the district in accordance with A.R.S. § 15-741 to assess the essential skills in the student’s primary language in reading, writing and mathematics. In determining which primary language assessment to administer, the governing board shall consider the extent to which the exempted student has received recent schooling in the primary language;

c.         Beginning in the 1991-92 school year, the Arizona Student Assessment Program Essential Skills Tests in English or Spanish shall be administered to exempted students who are enrolled in grades 3, 8, or 12.

3.        Alternative assessment instruments specified in subsec- tion (F)(2)(a) or (b) shall be used at the instructional lev- els for which they were designed.

4.        Alternative assessment administered as specified in sub- section (F)(2)(a) or (b) shall be conducted at any time prior to April 30 of the school year.

5.        The results of alternative assessments administered pur- suant to subsections (F)(2)(a) and (b) of this subsection shall be submitted to the Department of Education prior to May 30 of the school year.

G.      The school district shall maintain cumulative files regarding exemptions.

H.      Beginning in the 1991-1992 school year, the District Assess- ment Plan filed pursuant to A.R.S. § 15-741(C)(3) shall include plans for the alternative assessment of limited- English- proficient students.

Historical Note

Adopted effective March 13, 1986 (Supp. 86-2).

Amended subsections (A) and (B) effective February 25, 1987 (Supp. 87-1). Amended effective October 22, 1991;

amended effective December 20, 1991 (Supp. 91-4).