P6162.31

Instruction

Testing Program

Test Exclusion

The Board of Education believes that the annual assessment of student and District progress is a vital component of the instructional process. It is recognized that some students may need to be excluded from the system-wide testing program and/or the statewide mastery testing program because of unique exceptionalities. All exclusions shall be made as a result of the Planning and Placement Team process.

Special education students shall participate in mastery testing except in the rare case when their Planning and Placement Team determines that participation would be inappropriate and recommends the use of an alternative assessment as specified by the State Board of Education.

English Learners (EL) including those also identified as requiring special education, who are in their first year of enrollment in a U.S. school and have been in attendance for one school year or less may be permitted to be exempt from one administration of the reading/language arts portion of the mastery examination.  These students must take the Language Assessment Scales (LAS-Links). No such exemption is permitted, based on federal guidelines, from the mathematics and science assessments of the SBAC and SAT.  Accommodations, as provided in classroom instruction may be used.

Limited English proficient students eligible for special education due to significant cognitive impairment must be tested on the Connecticut Alternate Assessment (CTAA), regardless of the one school year exemption option.

The Connecticut Alternate Assessment (CTAA) shall be available only to those students with significant cognitive disabilities.  Students with significant cognitive disabilities in grades three through eight and eleven shall be assessed with the Connecticut Alternative Assessment in English/language arts and mathematics. In science, eligible students with significant cognitive disabilities shall be assessed with the Connecticut Alternate Science (CTAS) in grades five, eight and eleven.

(cf. 6141.31 - Bilingual-Bicultural Education)

(cf. 6141.311 - Limited English Proficiency Program)

(cf. 6146.2 - Statewide Proficiency/Mastery Examinations)

(cf. 6171 - Special Education)

Legal Reference:  Connecticut General Statutes

10-14n Statewide mastery examination. Conditions for reexamination. Limitation and use of test results. (as amended by PA 03-174, PA 03-168 and Section 115 of PA 14-217)

10-14o Compensatory education grant. Financial statement of expenditures

10-14q Exceptions

Title VII of the Improving America’s Schools Act of 1994, P.L. 103-282

P.L. 107-110 – Title I, CFR Part 2080

34 CFR, Part 200, Regulations appearing in Federal Register, 9-13-06.

Every Student Succeeds Act, P.L. 114-95

Policy adopted:  June 1, 1999

Policy revised:  April 22, 2003

Policy revised:  March 15, 2016

Policy revised and approved:  February 5, 2019

PORTLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Portland, Connecticut