Education, Administration

Section R277-402-1

Definitions

Notice of Proposed Rule

(Amendment)

DAR File No.: 33738
Filed: 06/15/2010 07:03:24 AM

RULE ANALYSIS

Purpose of the rule or reason for the change:

This rule is amended to provide for changes in H.B. 166, 2010 Legislative Session, which eliminates the requirement to administer norm-referenced achievement testing, eliminates the requirement to administer criterion-referenced tests in grade 2, and suspends administration of the Utah Basic Skills Competency Test (UBSCT) in high schools for at least two years. (DAR NOTE: H.B. 166 (2010) is found at Chapter 305, Laws of Utah 2010, and was effective 05/11/2010.)

Summary of the rule or change:

The changes include removing language requiring administration of norm-referenced testing, removing language requiring administration of criterion-referenced testing in grade 2, and provides language suspending the UBSCT until at least the 2011-2012 school year.

State statutory or constitutional authorization for this rule:

• Subsection 53A-1-401(3)
• Subsection 53A-1-708(5)

Anticipated cost or savings to:

the state budget:

There are no anticipated costs or savings to the state budget. Although the changes to the rule permanently eliminate norm-referenced testing, administration of criterion-referenced testing in grade 2, and suspend the UBSCT for for two years, funding previously appropriated for this purpose has now been directed toward the High School Assessment Pilot Program.

local governments:

There are no anticipated costs or savings to local government. Public school districts and schools will simply not administer the specific tests that have been eliminated or suspended. School districts and schools may apply for participation in the High School Assessment Pilot Program.

small businesses:

There are no anticipated costs or savings to small businesses. The rule applies only to public school districts and schools.

persons other than small businesses, businesses, or local governmental entities:

There are no anticipated costs or savings to persons other than small businesses, businesses, or local government entities. Students will not be required to take the tests that have been eliminated or suspended.

Compliance costs for affected persons:

There are no compliance costs for affected persons. Public schools will not administer specific tests that have been eliminated or suspended.

Comments by the department head on the fiscal impact the rule may have on businesses:

I have reviewed this rule and I see no fiscal impact on businesses.

Larry K. Shumway, State Superintendent

The full text of this rule may be inspected, during regular business hours, at the Division of Administrative Rules, or at:

Education
Administration
250 E 500 S
SALT LAKE CITY, UT 84111-3272

Direct questions regarding this rule to:

• Carol Lear at the above address, by phone at 801-538-7835, by FAX at 801-538-7768, or by Internet E-mail at carol.lear@schools.utah.gov

Interested persons may present their views on this rule by submitting written comments to the address above no later than 5:00 p.m. on:

08/02/2010

This rule may become effective on:

08/09/2010

Authorized by:

Carol Lear, Director, School Law and Legislation

R277. Education, Administration.

R277-402. Online Testing.

R277-402-1. Definitions.

A. "Board" means the Utah State Board of Education.

B. "Formative assessment" means an activity, such as questioning, observation, interview and assessment, engaged in by teachers and students during instruction that provides feedback to adjust ongoing teaching and learning to improve students' achievement of intended instructional outcomes.

C. "Intent to implement a uniform online summative test system" as used in 53A-1-708(4) means the commitment by the USOE to provide a consistent statewide process for school districts/charter schools to administer 100 percent of CRT U-PASS-required assessments. This includes the willingness of school districts/charter schools to provide documentation of preparatory activities and of actual test-taking by students.

D. "Online formative assessment system" means a system coordinated by the USOE for the online delivery of formative assessments that can be created by teachers, school districts/charter schools, or the USOE. One part of the system is the Utah Test Item Pool Service (UTIPS).

E. "Summative tests" means tests administered near the end of a course to assess overall achievement of course goals.

F. "Uniform online summative test system" means a statewide process coordinated by the USOE for the online delivery of summative tests required under U-PASS.

G. "Utah Performance Assessment System for Students (U-PASS)" means:

[(1) systematic norm-referenced achievement testing of all students in grades 3 (administration in fall and spring), 5, and 8 required by this part in all schools within each school district and in charter schools by means of tests designated by the Board;

]([2]1) criterion-referenced achievement testing of students in all grade levels in:

(a) language arts (grades [2]3-11);

(b) mathematics (grades [2]3-7) and pre-algebra, elementary Algebra 1, Algebra 2 and geometry;

(c) science (grades 4-8) and earth systems, biology, chemistry, and physics; and

([3]2) an online direct writing assessment in grades 5 and 8;

([4]3) a tenth grade basic skills competency test as detailed in Section 53A-1-611 (suspended through at least the 2011-2012 school year); and

([5]4) the use of student behavior indicators in assessing student performance.

(5) The U-PASS Performance Report is suspended through at least the 2011-2012 school year.

H. "USOE" means Utah State Office of Education.

I. "USOE item pool" means all test items developed for or by USOE which are intended to support the instruction of the Utah curriculum for Utah K-12 teachers and students.

J. "Utah Test Item Pool Service (UTIPS)" means a system which includes the USOE item pool, all copyrights, logos, the UTIPS website and domain name, all copyrighted materials, and all other items and equipment used to provide and enhance the USOE item pool.

K. "UTIPS Steering Committee" means a committee formed to govern, support, develop and administer UTIPS. The committee is comprised of the elected co-chairs of the UTIPS User's Group and the UTIPS Operators' Group, the USOE Assessment Director, the USOE Computer Based Assessments Specialist, the USOE Curriculum Director, and one at-large member.

 

KEY: online testing

Date of Enactment or Last Substantive Amendment: [August 7, 2009]2010

Notice of Continuation: July 16, 2009

Authorizing, and Implemented or Interpreted Law: Art X Sec 3; 53A-1-708(5); 53A-1-401(3)