P6146.2

Instruction

Statewide Proficiency/Mastery Examinations (Statewide Summative Assessments)

Annually, unless exempted according to federal and/or state criteria, each student, in grades three through eight inclusive shall take a mastery examination (measuring whether or not a student has mastered essential grade level skills in reading, writing and mathematics). Students enrolled in grade eleven shall annually take a nationally recognized college readiness assessment approved by the State Board of Education that measures essential and grade appropriate skills in reading, writing and mathematics. Students in grades five, eight, and ten shall annually, take a statewide mastery examination in science. The State Board of Education shall approve the provision and administration of all mastery examinations. All examinations shall take place during the regular school day.

Note:  Students in Connecticut participate in the Smarter Balanced Assessments in English, language arts, literacy and mathematics in grades three through eight inclusive. In science, students participate in the Science CMT in grades five and eight and the science CAPT in grade ten. (Beginning in the 2018-2019 school year the science exam will be in grade 11.) In grade eleven students take the Connecticut SAT School Day in English language arts and mathematics.

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. Students with significant cognitive disabilities in grades 3 through 8 and 11 shall be assessed in English/language arts and mathematics with the Connecticut Alternate Assessment. Students with significant cognitive disabilities shall be assessed in science with the CMT/CAPT Skills Checklist/Science in grades five, eight and ten.

Each student in the ninth grade who fails to meet or exceed each statewide standard for remedial assistance on each component of the statewide eighth grade mastery examination shall annually take or retake each such component at its regular administration.

All students identified as English Learners (EL) regardless of how long they have been enrolled in school shall take the mastery examination in all content areas (reading/language arts, mathematics, science). Scores on each component of the mastery examination for English learners who have been enrolled in school, in this state or another state, for fewer than twenty (20) school months shall not be used for the purposes of calculating the school accountability index as defined in C.G.S. 10-223e. Scores for year 1 is to serve as a baseline for academic growth in year 2. In year 3, the scores of recently arrived EL students will be included toward academic achievement and academic growth indicators in Connecticut’s accountability system.

Student scores on each component of the mastery examination for each tenth or eleventh grade student may/shall be included on the permanent record and transcripts of students.  Tenth or eleventh grade students who meet or exceed the statewide mastery goal on any component of the mastery examination, shall have a certification of such mastery made on the permanent record and transcript and be provided a certificate of mastery for each such component.

The school district may not require achievement of a satisfactory score on a mastery examination, or any subsequent re-test on a component of such examinations as the sole criterion of promotion or graduation.

(cf. 5125 - Student Records; Confidentiality)

(cf. 5121 - Examination/Grading/Rating)

(cf. 6146 - Graduation Requirements)

(cf. 6162.31 - Test Exclusion)

Legal Reference:  Connecticut General Statutes

10-14n Statewide mastery examination.  Conditions for reexamination.  Limitation on use of test results.  (as amended by PA 03-174, PA 03-168, PA 13-207, Section 115 of PA 14-217, PA 15-238 and PA 17-14)

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

10-14p Reports by local and regional boards re instructional improvement and student progress.

10-14q Exceptions (as amended by PA 01-205)

10-223e State-wide education accountability plan.

PA 15-238 An Act Concerning Students Assessments

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

Policy adopted:  October 9, 2018

GRISWOLD PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Griswold, Connecticut