Halifax County Schools evaluates the progress of individual students to ensure that educational goals and objectives are met for each student and that continued refinement of instructional programs is assessed. The testing program contributes to the learning process rather than detracts from it.  Data from benchmarks and end-of-grade/course assessments provide measures of student learning that are useful for evaluating educator effectiveness. Efforts are made to use only culture-free or culture-fair tests in order to ensure that measurements are reasonably accurate. 

A. Administration of Tests, Screenings, and Other Assessments

The district provides for the proper administration of all state-required tests, screenings, and other assessments and any state-required remedial instruction, interventions, and/or retesting in accordance with all requirements established by law or the State Board of Education.  Central Services and school principals work collaboratively to determine how results from such measures will be used in determining students’ final grades, provided that the requirements are met. 

Online administration of state-required tests is supported by the district to the extent feasible.  Security and administration procedures for the state & district testing and other assessments are consistent with State Board of Education requirements and relevant law.  The district ensures that all relevant personnel are instructed in such assessment procedures.  All testing personnel, teachers, and school administrators are required to be familiar with and adhere to all applicable testing manuals, handbooks, and guides, including the Testing Code of Ethics, for state and locally required assessments.  Failure to follow procedures may result in disciplinary sanctions, including termination or revocation of administrative and/or teaching licenses.

The district provides procedures to inform parents of their child’s performance on standardized tests in understandable terms.  Parents and legal guardians are offered the opportunity to review and discuss their child’s test results. 

B. High School End-of-Course Testing

High school students must take all end-of-course (EOC) tests and Career and Technical Education (CTE) State Assessments required by the State Board of Education.  For all students, including English Learner students in their first year in a U.S. school and students following the Occupational Course of Study Pathway, the results of EOC tests and CTE State Assessments will count as 20 percent of a student’s final grade in each high school course for which there is an EOC test or CTE State Assessment.  The results of such assessments will not factor into a student’s final grade in a course during the initial implementation year of a new assessment for that course where scores are not immediately available due to standard setting. 

C. Minimizing Time Spent Testing

The district's Office of Testing & Accountability monitors and ensures the time students spend taking standardized state and local tests and the frequency of field testing at a particular school are minimized.  Specific guidelines are as follows:

1. Schools will devote no more than two days of instructional time per year to the taking of practice tests that do not have the primary purpose of assessing current student learning.
2. Students will not be subject to field tests or national tests during the two-week period preceding their school’s administration of end-of-grade tests, end-of-course tests, or regularly scheduled final exams.
3. No school will participate in more than two field tests at any one-grade level during a school year.
4. All annual assessments of student achievement adopted by the State Board of Education pursuant to G.S. 115C-174.11(c)(1) or other applicable law and all final exams for courses will be administered within the final ten instructional days of the school year for year-long courses and within the final five instructional days of the semester for semester courses.  Exceptions will be permitted on an individual basis to accommodate a student’s individualized education program or Section 504 plan; for the administration of final exams for courses with national or international curricula required to be held at designated times; for make-up testing; and as otherwise permitted by the Department of Public Instruction.
5. A report of local standardized testing is provided to the board for review in even-numbered years and, if required, a plan for reducing the time spent on such testing is subsequently prepared and submitted to the State Board of Education in compliance with state law.

Attachment: K-12 Core Curriculum & Benchmark/End of Year (EOY) Assessments