Section 08.02.03.111 - ASSESSMENT IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS01.Philosophy. Acquiring the basic skills is essential to realization of full educational, vocational and personal/social development. Since Idaho schools are responsible for instruction in the basic scholastic skills, the State Board of Education has a vested interest in regularly surveying student skill acquisition as an index of the effectiveness of the educational program. This information can best be secured through objective assessment of student growth. The State Board of Education will provide oversight for all components of the comprehensive assessment program.02.Purposes. The purpose of assessment in the public schools is to:a. Measure and improve student achievement;b. Assist classroom teachers in designing lessons;c. Identify areas needing intervention and remediation, and acceleration;d. Assist school districts in evaluating local curriculum and instructional practices in order to make needed curriculum adjustments;e. Inform parents and guardians of their child's progress;f. Provide comparative local, state and national data regarding the achievement of students in essential skill areas;g. Identify performance trends in student achievement across grade levels tested and student growth over time; andh. Help determine technical assistance/consultation priorities for the State Department of Education.03.Content. The comprehensive assessment program will consist of multiple assessments, including, the Idaho Reading Indicator (IRI), the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), the Idaho English Language Assessment, the Idaho Standards Achievement Tests (ISAT), the Idaho Alternate Assessment, and a college entrance exam.04.Testing Population. All students in Idaho public schools, grades kindergarten through twelve (K-12), are required to participate in the comprehensive assessment program approved by the State Board of Education and funded.a. All students who are eligible for special education shall participate in the statewide assessment program.b. Each student's individualized education program team shall determine whether the student shall participate in the regular assessment without accommodations, the regular assessment with accommodations or adaptations, or whether the student qualifies for and shall participate in the alternate assessment.c. Limited English Proficient (LEP) students, as defined in Subsection 112.05.g.iv., 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 shall outline the designated supports or accommodations, or both, in an ELP prior to the assessment administration. Designated supports or accommodations, or both, shall be familiar to the student during previous instruction and for other assessments. LEP students who are enrolled in their first year of school in the United States may take Idaho's English language assessment in lieu of the English language ISAT, but will still be required to take the ISAT (Mathematics and Science). Such LEP students will be counted as participants for the ninety-five percent (95%) participation target, as described in Subsection 112.05.e. However, such LEP students are not required to be counted for accountability purposes as described in Subsection 112.05.i.05.Scoring and Report 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, shall 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.a. All students taking the Idaho Standards Achievement Test (ISAT) must have a unique student identifier.b. Districts must send all assessment results and related communication to parents within three (3) weeks of receipt from the state.06.Comprehensive Assessment Program. The State approved comprehensive assessment program is outlined in Subsections 111.06.a. through 111.06.n. Each assessment will be comprehensive of and aligned to the Idaho State Content Standards it is intended to assess. In addition, districts are responsible for writing and implementing assessments in those standards not assessed by the state assessment program.a. Kindergarten - Idaho Reading Indicator, Idaho Alternate Assessment, Idaho English Language Assessment.b. Grade 1 - Idaho Reading Indicator, Idaho Alternate Assessment, Idaho English Language Assessment.c. Grade 2 - Idaho Reading Indicator, Idaho Alternate Assessment, Idaho English Language Assessment.d. Grade 3 - Idaho Reading Indicator, Grade 3 Idaho Standards Achievement Tests in English language usage and mathematics, Idaho Alternate Assessment, Idaho English Language Assessment.e. Grade 4 - National Assessment of Educational Progress, Grade 4 Idaho Standards Achievement Tests in English language usage and mathematics, Idaho Alternate Assessment, Idaho English Language Assessment.f. Grade 5 - Grade 5 Idaho Standards Achievement Tests in English language usage, mathematics, and science; Idaho Alternate Assessment; Idaho English Language Assessment.g. Grade 6 - Grade 6 Idaho Standards Achievement Tests in English language usage and mathematics, Idaho Alternate Assessment, Idaho English Language Assessment.h. Grade 7 - Grade 7 Idaho Standards Achievement Tests in English language usage and mathematics, Idaho Alternate Assessment, Idaho English Language Assessment.i. Grade 8 - National Assessment of Educational Progress; Grade 8 Idaho Standards Achievement Tests in English language usage, mathematics, and science; Idaho Alternate Assessment; Idaho English Language Assessment.j. Grade 9 - High School Idaho Standards Achievement Tests (optional at the discretion of the school district or charter school), Idaho Alternate Assessment, Idaho English Language Assessment.k. Grade 10 - High School Idaho Standards Achievement Tests (optional at the discretion of the school district or charter school), Idaho Alternate Assessment, Idaho English Language Assessment.l. Grade 11 - High School Idaho Standards Achievement Test in English language usage and mathematics, science, Idaho Alternate Assessment, Idaho English Language Assessment, and college entrance exam (optional at the discretion of the student's parent).m. Grade 12 - National Assessment of Educational Progress, Idaho English Language Assessment, and college entrance exam (optional at the discretion of the student's parent).07.Comprehensive Assessment Program Schedule. a. The Idaho Standards Achievement Tests will be administered in the Spring in a time period specified by the State Board of Education.b. The Idaho Alternate Assessment will be administered in a time period specified by the State Board of Education.c. Idaho's English Language Assessment will be administered in a time period specified by the State Board of Education.08.Achievement Standards. Assessment achievement standards, development standards, and performance level descriptors will be set by the State Board of Education in a schedule and format established by the Board and will be made available through the State Board of Education and Department of Education websites. Achievement standards, development standards, and performance level descriptors include, but are not limited to:a. The Idaho English Language Proficiency Assessment Achievement Standards.b. The Idaho Standards Achievement Tests (ISAT) Achievement Standards.c. The Idaho Alternate Assessment Achievement Standards.09.Costs Paid by the State. Costs for the following testing activities will be paid by the state: a. All consumable and non-consumable materials needed to conduct the prescribed statewide comprehensive assessment program;b. Statewide distribution of all assessment materials; andc. Processing and scoring student response forms, distribution of prescribed reports for the statewide comprehensive assessment program.10.Costs of Additional Services. Costs for any additional administrations or scoring services not included in the prescribed statewide comprehensive assessment program will be paid by the participating school districts.11.Test Security, Validity and Reliability.a. Test security is of the utmost importance. To ensure integrity of secure test items and protect validity and reliability of test outcomes, test security must be maintained. School districts will employ security measures in protecting statewide assessment materials from compromise. Each individual who has any opportunity to see test items must sign a state-provided confidentiality agreement, which the district must keep on file in the district for at least two (2) years. Documentation of security safeguards must be available for review by authorized state and federal personnel.b. Any assessment used for federal reporting shall be independently reviewed for reliability, validity, and alignment with the Idaho Content Standards.12.Demographic Information. Accurate demographic information must be submitted as required for each test to assist in interpreting test results. It may include but is not limited to race, sex, ethnicity, and special programs, (Title I, English proficiency, migrant status, special education status, gifted and talented status, and socioeconomic status).13.Dual Enrollment. For the purpose of non-public school student participation in non-academic public school activities as outlined in Section 33-203, Idaho Code, the Idaho State Board of Education recognizes the following: a. The Idaho Standards Achievement Tests (grades 3-8 and High School).b. A portfolio demonstrating grade level proficiency in at least five (5) of the subject areas listed in Subsections 111.13.b.i. through 111.13.b.vi. Portfolios are to 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 desired. i. Language Arts/Communications.Idaho Admin. Code r. 08.02.03.111