Table of Contents Title 28 EDUCATION Part CXI. Bulletin 118―Statewide Assessment Standards and Practices Chapter 1. General Provisions .................................................................................................................... 1 §101. Purpose ......................................................................................................................................... 1 §103. Overview ...................................................................................................................................... 1 §105. Testing and Accountability ........................................................................................................... 1 §107. Assessment Programs ................................................................................................................... 1 §109. Assessment Populations ............................................................................................................... 2 §111. Limitations on Public Release of Assessment Data ..................................................................... 3 Chapter 3. Test Security ............................................................................................................................. 3 §301. Participation .................................................................................................................................. 3 §303. Definitions .................................................................................................................................... 3 §305. Test Security Policy ...................................................................................................................... 3 §307. Change of District Test Coordinator Notification ........................................................................ 7 §309. Erasure Analysis ........................................................................................................................... 7 §311. Addressing Suspected Violations of Test Security and Troubling Content in Written Responses (Constructed Responses, Short Answers, and Essays) ............................................... 8 §312. Administrative Error ..................................................................................................................... 9 §313. Viewing Answer Documents ...................................................................................................... 10 §315. Emergencies during Testing ....................................................................................................... 10 §316. Cell Phones and Other Electronic Devices ................................................................................. 11 §317. Virtual Charter Schools .............................................................................................................. 11 §319. E-mail Addresses for Nonpublic School Test Coordinators ...................................................... 11 Chapter 5. Test Coordinator Responsibilities ........................................................................................... 12 Subchapter A. District Test Coordinator ................................................................................................... 12 §501. District Test Coordinator Role ................................................................................................... 12 Subchapter B. School Test Coordinator .................................................................................................... 13 §511. School Test Coordinator Role .................................................................................................... 13 Chapter 7. Assessment Program Overview .............................................................................................. 13 §701. Overview of Assessment Programs in Louisiana ....................................................................... 13 Chapter 9. Kindergarten Developmental Readiness Screening Program ................................................. 14 §901. Statement of Purpose .................................................................................................................. 14 §903. Definitions .................................................................................................................................. 15 §905. Target Population ....................................................................................................................... 15 §907. Agency Administrative Participation ......................................................................................... 15 §909. State BESE-Approved Instruments ............................................................................................ 15 Chapter 11. Louisiana Educational Assessment Program ...................................................................... 15 Subchapter A. General Provisions ............................................................................................................. 15 §1101. Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 15 Subchapter B. Achievement Levels and Performance Standards .............................................................. 15 §1113. Achievement Levels ............................................................................................................... 15 §1115. Performance Standards ........................................................................................................... 16 Subchapter C. LEAP Achievement Level Descriptors .............................................................................. 16 §1125. Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 16 §1127. Grade 4 Achievement Level Descriptors ................................................................................ 16 §1129. Grade 8 Achievement Level Descriptors ................................................................................ 19 EDUCATION Subchapter D. LEAP Assessment Structure .............................................................................................. 22 §1141. Content Standards ................................................................................................................... 22 §1143. English Language Arts Tests Structure .................................................................................. 22 §1145. Mathematics Tests Structure ................................................................................................... 23 §1147. Science Tests Structure ........................................................................................................... 23 §1149. Social Studies Tests Structure ................................................................................................. 24 §1151. Retests and Rescores ............................................................................................................... 24 §1153. Transfer Students .................................................................................................................... 25 §1155. Student Membership Determination ....................................................................................... 25 Chapter 13. Graduation Exit Examination .............................................................................................. 25 Subchapter A. General Provisions ............................................................................................................. 25 §1301. Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 25 Subchapter B. Achievement Levels and Performance Standards .............................................................. 26 §1311. Achievement Levels ............................................................................................................... 26 §1313. Performance Standards ........................................................................................................... 26 Subchapter C. GEE Achievement Level Descriptors ................................................................................ 26 §1323. Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 26 §1325. Grade 10 Achievement Level Descriptors .............................................................................. 26 §1327. Grade 11 Achievement Level Descriptors .............................................................................. 28 Subchapter D. GEE Assessment Structure ................................................................................................ 29 §1335. Content Standards ................................................................................................................... 29 §1337. English Language Arts Tests Structure .................................................................................. 29 §1339. Mathematics Tests Structure ................................................................................................... 30 §1341. Science Test Structure ............................................................................................................ 30 §1343. Social Studies Tests Structure ................................................................................................. 31 §1345. Double Jeopardy Rule ............................................................................................................. 32 §1347. First and Second Cohorts ........................................................................................................ 32 §1348. Last Cohorts ............................................................................................................................ 32 §1349. Rescores .................................................................................................................................. 32 §1351. GEE Administration Rules .................................................................................................... 32 §1353. Summer Retest Administration ............................................................................................... 33 §1355. GEE Transfer Students ........................................................................................................... 33 §1357. Student Membership Determination ....................................................................................... 34 Chapter 15. Norm-Referenced Tests ...................................................................................................... 34 §1501. Description .............................................................................................................................. 34 Chapter 17. Integrated LEAP .................................................................................................................. 34 Subchapter A. General Provisions ............................................................................................................. 34 §1700. Sunset Provision ..................................................................................................................... 34 §1701. Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 34 Subchapter B. iLEAP Test Design ............................................................................................................ 35 §1703. Format ..................................................................................................................................... 35 Subchapter C. Achievement Levels and Performance Standards .............................................................. 35 §1705. Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 35 §1707. Performance Standards ........................................................................................................... 36 Subchapter D. iLEAP Achievement Level Descriptors ............................................................................. 37 §1709. Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 37 §1711. Grade 3 Achievement Level Descriptors ................................................................................ 37 §1713. Grade 5 Achievement Level Descriptors ................................................................................ 40 §1715. Grade 6 Achievement Level Descriptors ................................................................................ 43 §1717. Grade 7 Achievement Level Descriptors ................................................................................ 46 §1719. Grade 9 Achievement Level Descriptors ................................................................................ 49 Subchapter E. iLEAP Assessment Structure ............................................................................................. 50 §1721. Content Standards ................................................................................................................... 50 §1723. English Language Arts Tests Structure .................................................................................. 51 §1725. Math Tests Structure ............................................................................................................... 52 §1727. Science Tests Structure ........................................................................................................... 52 §1729. Social Studies Tests Structure ................................................................................................. 53 Chapter 18. End-of-Course Tests ............................................................................................................ 53 Subchapter A. Background ........................................................................................................................ 53 §1801. Overview ................................................................................................................................ 53 Subchapter B. General Provisions ............................................................................................................. 54 §1803. Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 54 §1804. EOCT Development and Implementation Plan [Formerly §1805] ......................................... 54 Subchapter C. EOCT Test Design ............................................................................................................. 54 §1805. Algebra I Test Structure [Formerly 1807] .............................................................................. 54 §1806. Biology Test Structure [Formerly §1808] .............................................................................. 54 §1807. English II Test Structure [Formerly §1809] ........................................................................... 55 §1808. Geometry Test Structure [Formerly §1810] ........................................................................... 55 §1809. U.S. History Test Structure ..................................................................................................... 55 §1810. English III Test Structure ........................................................................................................ 55 Subchapter D. Achievement Levels and Performance Standards .............................................................. 56 §1811. EOCT Achievement Levels .................................................................................................... 56 §1813. Performance Standards ........................................................................................................... 56 Subchapter E. Achievement Level Descriptors ......................................................................................... 56 §1815. Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 56 §1817. EOCT Achievement Level Descriptors .................................................................................. 56 Subchapter F. EOCT Administrative Rules ............................................................................................... 59 §1819. Double Jeopardy Rule ............................................................................................................. 59 §1821. First Cohort ............................................................................................................................. 59 §1823. Rescores .................................................................................................................................. 59 §1825. EOC Administration Rules ..................................................................................................... 59 §1827. EOC Retest Administration .................................................................................................... 60 §1829. EOC Transfer Rules ................................................................................................................ 60 §1831. College and Career Diploma ................................................................................................... 60 Chapter 19. LEAP Alternate Assessment, Level 1 ................................................................................. 60 Subchapter A. Background ........................................................................................................................ 60 §1900. Sunset Provision ..................................................................................................................... 60 §1901. Overview ................................................................................................................................. 60 Subchapter B. General Provisions ............................................................................................................. 60 §1903. Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 60 Subchapter C. Target Population ............................................................................................................... 61 §1905. Participation Criteria ............................................................................................................... 61 Subchapter D. LAA 1 Test Design ............................................................................................................ 61 §1907. Test Structure .......................................................................................................................... 61 §1909. Scoring .................................................................................................................................... 61 Subchapter E. Alternate Achievement Levels and Performance Standards .............................................. 61 §1911. LAA 1 Alternate Achievement Levels .................................................................................. 61 §1913. Performance Standards ........................................................................................................... 61 Subchapter F. Alternate Achievement Level Descriptors ......................................................................... 62 §1915. Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 62 §1917. Grade Span 3-4 Alternate Achievement Level Descriptors .................................................... 62 §1919. Grade Span 5-6 Alternate Achievement Level Descriptors .................................................... 62 §1921. Grade Span 7-8 Alternate Achievement Level Descriptors .................................................... 63 EDUCATION §1923. Grade Span 9-10 Alternate Achievement Level Descriptors .................................................. 64 §1925. LAA 1 Science Alternate Achievement Level Descriptors .................................................... 65 Chapter 20. LEAP Alternate Assessment, Level 2 ................................................................................. 66 Subchapter A. Background ........................................................................................................................ 66 §2000. Sunset Provision ..................................................................................................................... 66 §2001. Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 66 Subchapter B. Target Population ............................................................................................................... 67 §2003. Participation Criteria ............................................................................................................... 67 Subchapter C. Achievement Levels and Performance Standards .............................................................. 67 §2005. Achievement Levels ............................................................................................................... 67 §2007. Performance Standards ........................................................................................................... 67 Subchapter D. Achievement Level Descriptors ......................................................................................... 69 §2009. Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 69 §2011. Grade 4 Achievement Level Descriptors ................................................................................ 69 §§22001122.. Grade 5 Achievement Level Descriptors ................................................................................ 71 §2013. Grade 6 Achievement Level Descriptors ................................................................................ 72 §2014. Grade 7 Achievement Level Descriptors ................................................................................ 74 §§22001155.. Grade 8 Achievement Level Descriptors ................................................................................ 76 §§22001166.. Grade 9 Achievement Level Descriptors ................................................................................ 78 §2017. Grade 10 Achievement Level Descriptors .............................................................................. 80 §2019. Grade 11 Achievement Level Descriptors .............................................................................. 81 Subchapter E. LAA 2 Assessment Structure ............................................................................................. 82 §2021. Content Standards ................................................................................................................... 82 §2023. English Language Arts Tests Structure .................................................................................. 82 §2025. Mathematics Test Structure .................................................................................................... 83 §2027. Science Tests Structure ........................................................................................................... 83 §2029. Social Studies Tests Structure ................................................................................................. 83 Subchapter E. LAA 2 Assessment Structure ............................................................................................. 84 §2031. Double Jeopardy Rule ............................................................................................................. 84 §2033. Rescores .................................................................................................................................. 84 §2035. LAA 2 Administration Rules .................................................................................................. 84 §2037. Summer Retest Administration ............................................................................................... 85 §2039. LAA 2 Transfer Students ........................................................................................................ 85 §2041. Student Membership Determination ....................................................................................... 86 Chapter 21. National Assessment of Educational Progress .................................................................... 86 §2101. General Provisions .................................................................................................................. 86 §2103. Inclusions and Accommodations ............................................................................................ 86 Chapter 22. ACT Program ...................................................................................................................... 87 §2201. Background ............................................................................................................................. 87 §2203. EXPLORE .............................................................................................................................. 87 §2205. PLAN ...................................................................................................................................... 87 §2207. ACT ........................................................................................................................................ 87 Chapter 23. English Language Development Assessment (ELDA) ....................................................... 87 Subchapter A. Background ........................................................................................................................ 87 §2301. Overview ................................................................................................................................. 87 Subchapter B. General Provisions ............................................................................................................. 87 §2303. Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 87 Subchapter C. ELDA Test Design ............................................................................................................. 87 §2305. Format ..................................................................................................................................... 87 Subchapter D. Target Population ............................................................................................................... 88 §2307. Participation Criteria ............................................................................................................... 88 Subchapter E. Proficiency Levels and Proficiency Standards ................................................................... 88 §2309. Proficiency Levels .................................................................................................................. 88 §2311. Proficiency Standards ............................................................................................................. 89 Subchapter F. ELDA Proficiency Level Descriptors ................................................................................. 90 §2313. Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 90 §2315. Proficiency Level Descriptors ................................................................................................ 90 Subchapter G. ELDA Assessment Structure ............................................................................................. 90 §2317. Listening Domain Structure .................................................................................................... 90 §2319. Speaking Domain Structure .................................................................................................... 91 §2321. Reading Domain Structure ...................................................................................................... 91 §2323. Writing Domain Structure ...................................................................................................... 91 Chapter 24. Academic Skills Assessment (ASA) ................................................................................... 91 Subchapter A. Background ........................................................................................................................ 91 §2400. Sunset Provision ..................................................................................................................... 91 §2401. Description .............................................................................................................................. 91 Subchapter B. General Provisions ............................................................................................................. 91 §2403. Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 91 Subchapter C. ASA Test Design ................................................................................................................ 92 §2405. Format ..................................................................................................................................... 92 Subchapter D. Target Population ............................................................................................................... 92 §2407. Membership ............................................................................................................................ 92 §2409. Achievement Levels ............................................................................................................... 92 §2411. Performance Standards ........................................................................................................... 92 Subchapter F. Achievement Level Descriptors ......................................................................................... 92 §2412. Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 92 §2413. ASA Mathematics Achievement Level Descriptors ............................................................... 93 §2415. ASA LAA 2 Mathematics Achievement Level Descriptors ................................................... 93 Chapter 25. Field Testing ........................................................................................................................ 94 §2501. General Provisions .................................................................................................................. 94 §2503. Field Test Administration ....................................................................................................... 94 Chapter 27. Placement Tests ................................................................................................................... 95 §2701. Administration and Scoring .................................................................................................... 95 §2703. Security ................................................................................................................................... 95 Chapter 29. Graduation Exit Examination ("Old" GEE) ........................................................................ 95 §2901. General Provisions .................................................................................................................. 95 §2903. Performance Standards ........................................................................................................... 95 §2905. Transfer Students .................................................................................................................... 95 §2907. Student Membership Determination ....................................................................................... 96 Chapter 31. Louisiana Alternate Assessment-B ..................................................................................... 96 §3101. Special Education Needs ........................................................................................................ 96 Chapter 33. Assessment of Special Populations ..................................................................................... 97 §3301. Participation ............................................................................................................................ 97 §3303. Special Education Students ..................................................................................................... 97 §3305. Students with One or More Disabilities According to Section 504 ........................................ 97 §3306. Approved Accommodations for Special Education and Section 504 Students ...................... 99 §3307. Limited English Proficient Students ..................................................................................... 100 Chapter 35. Assessment of Students in Special Circumstances ........................................................... 101 §3501. Approved Home Study Program Students ............................................................................ 101 §3503. Homebound Students ............................................................................................................ 101 §3505. Foreign Exchange Students .................................................................................................. 102 §3507. Office of Juvenile Justice ...................................................................................................... 102 §3509. Expelled Students ................................................................................................................. 102 §3511. Migrant Students ................................................................................................................... 102 Louisiana Administrative Code June 2013 1 Title 28 EDUCATION Part CXI. Bulletin 118―Statewide Assessment Standards and Practices Chapter 1. General Provisions §101. Purpose A. Bulletin 118 is intended to provide Louisiana educators and education administrators with a unified and comprehensive guide to testing programs, policies, and procedures in the state. AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 17:24.4 and R.S. 17:391.1…391.11. HISTORICAL NOTE: Promulgated by the Department of Education, Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, LR 31:1526 (July 2005). §103. Overview A. The Louisiana Legislature in Regular Session during the summer of 1997 amended and reenacted R.S. 17:24.4(F) and (G)(1), relative to the Louisiana Competency-Based Education Program, to require proficiency on certain tests as determined by the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (SBESE) for student promotion and to provide guidelines relative to the content of pupil progression plans. B. The amendment and reenactment of the Louisiana Competency-Based Education Program was the result of an ever-increasing demand by Louisiana taxpayers for a better accounting of educational dollars. Act 621, the Public School Accountability Law statute initiated the following guidelines, which continue in the Louisiana Competency-Based Education Program. The Public School Accountability Law called for: 1. the establishment of a program for shared educational accountability in the public educational system of Louisiana; 2. the attainment of established testing standards for education; 3. the provision of information for an analysis of the effectiveness of instructional programs through test assessment results; and 4. the annual assessment of students based on state content standards. C. The Louisiana Competency-Based Education Program is based on the premise that the program must provide options to accommodate the many different learning styles of students. Every effort is made to tailor the test design and structure to the needs of individual students, including students with special instructional needs who subsequently need test accommodations. D. The Louisiana Department of Education (LDE) will provide leadership and assistance to school districts in an effort to attain a public system of education that makes the opportunity to test successfully available to all students on equal terms. AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 17.7 and R.S. 24:4. HISTORICAL NOTE: Promulgated by the Department of Education, Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, LR 31:1526 (July 2005). §105. Testing and Accountability A. Every school shall participate in a school accountability system based on student achievement as approved by the SBESE. B. Under No Child Left Behind (NCLB), the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 2002, a state's definition of Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) must apply the same high standards of academic achievement to all public elementary and secondary school students in the state and result in continuous and substantial academic improvement for all students, including students with disabilities. C. All LEAs must administer all assessments according to the testing schedule dates approved by SBESE. AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 17:10.1. HISTORICAL NOTE: Promulgated by the Department of Education, Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, LR 31:1526 (July 2005), amended LR 33:255 (February 2007). §107. Assessment Programs A. Kindergarten Developmental Readiness Screening Program (KDRSP). Each school district is required to administer an approved screening instrument to each child entering kindergarten for the first time, with the results to be used for placement and planning instruction. B. Louisiana Educational Assessment Program (LEAP). Criterion-referenced tests in English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies assess student performance relative to specific benchmarks established in the state's content standards and provide data for evaluating student, school, and district performance. The tests assess a student's complex thinking skills as well as knowledge and application of information. These high-stakes tests are tied to promotional policy for grades 4 and 8. C. Graduation Exit Examination (GEE). Criterion-referenced tests in English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies assess student performance relative to specific benchmarks established in the state's content standards and provide data for evaluating student, school, and district performance. These high-stakes tests require high school students to meet established achievement levels to be eligible to receive a high school diploma. EDUCATION Louisiana Administrative Code June 2013 2 D. Integrated Louisiana Educational Assessment Program (iLEAP). The iLEAP will integrate criterion-referenced tests and norm-referenced tests into one program to provide data for evaluating students, schools, and district performance in grades 3, 5, 6, 7, and 9 beginning with the 2005-2006 academic year. E. LEAP Alternate Assessment, Level 1 (LAA 1). The LAA 1 is a performance-based student assessment that evaluates each eligible special education student's knowledge and skills in targeted areas. It is an "on-demand" assessment, which means the test administrator directs the student to perform a specific task and then scores the student's performance after the task is completed. F. LEAP Alternate Assessment, Level 2 (LAA 2). The LAA 2 is a criterion-referenced assessment, which is based on modified academic achievement standards that allow students with persistent academic disabilities who are served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) to participate in academic assessments that are sensitive to measuring progress in their learning. G. English Language Development Assessment (ELDA). The ELDA is a research-based program designed to measure proficiency in reading, writing, speaking, and listening to English of LEP students; the program began in the 2004-2005 academic year. H. End-of-Course Tests (EOCT). The EOCT will be administered to high school students enrolled in and/or receiving credit for an EOCT course online beginning fall 2007. The tests, which are criterion-referenced and standards-based, will be phased in over a period of six years to assess student mastery of six high school courses. I. The Iowa Tests. The Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS), used in grades 3, 5, 6, and 7, and the Iowa Tests of Educational Development (ITED), used in grade 9, are norm-referenced tests that provide comparative data to evaluate student, school, and district performance. The last administration of The Iowa Tests will occur in the academic year 2004-2005. J. Graduation Exit Examination ("old" GEE). The "old" GEE measures curricula-based proficiencies in English Language Arts, Mathematics, Written Composition, Science, and Social Studies. The administration of the "old" GEE became a district responsibility beginning with the 2003-2004 academic year. K. LEAP Alternate Assessment-B (LAA-B). The LAA-B, which was administered from 2000 through 2003, assessed special education students who met specific criteria at their functioning levels in language/reading and/or mathematics, rather than at their enrolled grade levels. L. National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Also known as the Nation's Report Card, NAEP is administered nationally to a random stratified sample population of students to gather data about subject-matter achievement, instructional experiences, and school environment. M. Field Tests. Representative student populations from school districts throughout Louisiana are chosen to field test new items to be used in future statewide assessments, including LEAP, GEE, ELDA, and iLEAP. The items are tested, scored, ranked statistically, and identified as effective or ineffective. N. Placement Tests. Students from out-of-district or in-state educational settings, such as approved home study programs or nonpublic schools, who wish to enroll in public schools at grades 5 and 9 must take a placement test if they have not taken and met the requirements for LEAP. Students taking the placement test must score basic or above in English Language Arts or Mathematics and approaching basic or above in the other to enroll in grade 5 and score approaching basic or above in English Language Arts and Mathematics to enroll in grade 9. AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 17:24.4. HISTORICAL NOTE: Promulgated by the Department of Education, Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, LR 31:1526 (July 2005), amended LR 32:233 (February 2006), LR 33:255 (February 2007), LR 36:477 (March 2010). §109. Assessment Populations A. Classified Populations 1. Definition Classified Population―a population of students that is identified for educational and accountability purposes. 2. Regular Education Students. These are students who have not been identified as eligible for special education and related services. 3. Special Education Students. This group includes: a. Students with Disabilities. These are students who have been evaluated in accordance with CFR 300.530-300.536 as having mental retardation, a hearing impairment including deafness, a speech or language impairment, a visual impairment including blindness, serious emotional disturbance (hereafter referred to as emotional disturbance), an orthopedic impairment, autism, traumatic brain injury, and other health impairment, a specific learning disability, deaf-blindness, or multiple disabilities, and who, by reason thereof, needs special education and related services (Federal Register, Vol. 64, No. 48); b. Gifted and Talented Students. These are students who have been identified as possessing demonstrated or potential abilities that give evidence of high-performing capabilities in intellectual, creative, specific academic or leadership areas, or ability in the performing or visual arts and who require services or activities not ordinarily provided by the school in order to fully develop such capabilities (HR 637-Gifted and Talented Students Education Act of 1999); c. Section 504 Students. These are students with one or more disabilities according to the regulations for Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which defines disability as a physical or mental impairment which Title 28, Part CXI Louisiana Administrative Code June 2013 3 substantially limits one or more major life activities. (PL95-602 Title 1, Sec.122 [a] [4]-[8]); d. limited English proficient students. These are students who are aged 3 through 21; who were not born in the United States or whose native language is a language other than English; who are Native Americans or Alaska Natives or native residents of the outlying areas and come from an environment where a language other than English has had significant impact on their level of English language proficiency; or who are migratory, whose native language is a language other than English, and who come from an environment where a language other than English is dominant; and whose difficulties in speaking, reading, writing, or understanding the English language may be sufficient to deny them: i. the ability to meet the state's proficient level of achievement on state assessments; ii. the ability to successfully achieve in classrooms where the language of instruction is English; or iii. the opportunity to participate in society. B. Nonclassified Populations 1. Definition Nonclassified Population―a population of students that is identified for reasons other than educational or accountability purposes. 2. Homebound Program Students. These are students who are unable to attend school as a result of health care treatment or physical illness and who are assigned a teacher to instruct them at home or in a hospital environment. 3. Approved Home Study Program Students. These students are taught in a program with a state-approved curriculum that is implemented under the direction and control of a parent or a tutor. A tutor is defined as a court-appointed guardian under Louisiana law. 4. Foreign Exchange Students. These students are citizens of another nation who have come under the auspices of a specific program to study in U.S. public elementary and secondary schools. 5. Correctional Facilities. These are students attending alternative schools under the Office of Youth Development. AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 17:24.4. HISTORICAL NOTE: Promulgated by the Department of Education, Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, LR 31:1527 (July 2005), amended LR 33:255 (February 2007). §111. Limitations on Public Release of Assessment Data A. When the total N-count in any reporting category or group on an assessment report is nine or less, do not release the assessment data publicly. B. When the total N-count in any reporting category or group on an assessment report is ten or greater and all students are reported at one achievement level, do not release the assessment data publicly. AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 17:24.4. HISTORICAL NOTE: Promulgated by the Department of Education, Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, LR 33:255 (February 2007). Chapter 3. Test Security §301. Participation A. All persons involved in assessment programs must abide by the security policies and procedures established by the LDE and the SBESE. AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 17:81.6 et seq., R.S. 416 et seq., and R.S. 441 et seq. HISTORICAL NOTE: Promulgated by the Department of Education, Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, LR 31:1528 (July 2005). §303. Definitions Access„access to secure test materials means physically handling the materials, not reading, reviewing, or analyzing test items, either before or after testing. Secure Materials―test materials that contain test items or student responses and to which access is restricted. Secure test materials include: 1. student test booklets; 2. student answer documents; and 3. any other materials that contain test items or student responses. Testing Irregularity―any incident in test handling or administration that leads to a question regarding the security of the test or the accuracy of the test data. AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 17:81.6 et seq., R.S. 416 et seq., and R.S. 441 et seq. HISTORICAL NOTE: Promulgated by the Department of Education, Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, LR 31:1528 (July 2005), amended LR 34:65 (January 2008). §305. Test Security Policy A. The SBESE first approved a test security policy on December 10, 1998. The policy has been periodically revised. The state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education holds the test security policy to be of utmost importance and deems any violation of test security to be serious. The test security policy follows. 1. Tests administered by or through the SBESE shall include but not be limited to: a. all alternate assessments; b. all criterion-referenced tests (CRTs) and norm-referenced tests (NRTs). 2. For purposes of this policy, school districts shall include: EDUCATION Louisiana Administrative Code June 2013 4 a. local education agencies (LEAs) as well as the Recovery School District (RSD); b. special school districts; c. approved special schools, such as the Louisiana School for the Visually Impaired and Louisiana School for the Deaf; d. laboratory schools; e. type 2 charter schools; f. Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts; and g. Recovery School District. The RSD district test coordinator has oversight over and is responsible for all tasks indicated in Chapter 5, Subchapter A, for all schools in RSD including but not limited to: i. all directly served RSD schools; and ii. all RSD charter schools (type 5). h. participating nonpublic/other schools that utilize tests administered through the SBESE or the LDE. 3. It shall be a violation of test security for any person to do any of the following: a. administer tests in a manner that is inconsistent with the administrative instructions provided by the LDE that would give examinees an unfair advantage or disadvantage; b. give examinees access to test questions prior to testing; c. examine any test item at any time (except for students during the test or test administrators while providing the accommodations Tests Read Aloud or Communication Assistance, Transferred Answers, or Answers Recorded for students determined to be eligible for those accommodations); d. at any time, copy, reproduce, record, store electronically, discuss or use in a manner inconsistent with test regulations all or part of any secure test booklet, answer document, or supplementary secure materials; e. coach examinees in any manner during testing or alter or interfere with examinees' responses in any manner; f. provide answers to students in any manner during the test, including provision of cues, clues, hints, and/or actual answers in any form: i. written; ii. printed; iii. verbal; or iv. nonverbal; g. administer published parallel, previously administered, or current forms of any statewide assessment (e.g., Louisiana Educational Assessment Program [LEAP]; Integrated LEAP [iLEAP]; Graduation Exit Examination [GEE]; Graduation Exit Examination ["old" GEE]; LEAP Alternate Assessment, Level 1 [LAA 1]; LEAP Alternate Assessment, Level 2 [LAA 2]; the English Language Development Assessment [ELDA]; end-of-course tests (EOCT) online assessments; forms K, L, M, A, and B and all new forms of the Iowa tests; or EXPLORE and PLAN as a practice test or study guide; h. fail to follow security regulations for distribution and return of secure test booklets, answer documents, supplementary secure materials as well as overages as directed; or fail to account for and secure test materials before, during, or after testing; i. conduct testing in environments that differ from the usual classroom environment without prior written permission from the LDE, Division of Standards, Assessments, and Accountability; j. fail to report any testing irregularities to the district test coordinator (a testing irregularity is any incident in test handling or administration that leads to a question regarding the security of the test or the accuracy of the test data), who must report such incidents to the LDE, Division of Assessments and Accountability; k. participate in, direct, aid, counsel, assist in, encourage, or fail to report any of the acts prohibited in the section. 4. Each school district as described in this policy shall develop and adopt a district test security policy that is in compliance with the state's test security policy. A copy of the policy and a Statement of Assurance regarding the LEA's test security policy must be submitted annually to the LDE, Division of Assessments and Accountability. This statement must include the name of the individual designated by the district superintendent or institution to procure test material. The policy shall provide: a. for the security of the test materials during testing, including test booklets, answer documents, supplementary secure materials, videotapes, and completed observation sheets; b. for the storage of all tests materials, except district and school test coordinator manuals and test administration manuals, in a designated secure locked area before, during, and after testing; all secure materials, including any parallel forms of a test, must be kept in locked storage at both the district and school levels; secure materials must never be left in open areas or unattended; c. a description and record of professional development on test security, test administration, and security procedures for individual student test data provided for all individuals with access to test materials or individual student test data (access to test materials by school personnel means any contact with or handling the materials but does not include reviewing tests or analyzing test items, which are prohibited); d. a list of personnel authorized to have access to the locked secure storage area; Title 28, Part CXI Louisiana Administrative Code June 2013 5 e. procedures for investigating any testing irregularities, including violations in test security, such as plagiarism and excessive wrong-to-right erasures identified through erasure analysis; f. procedures for the investigation of employees accused of irregularities or improprieties in the administration of standardized tests, as required by the amended R.S. 17:81.6; g. procedures for the investigation of any missing test booklets, answer documents, or supplementary secure material; h. procedures for ensuring the security of individual student test data in electronic and paper formats…including encryption of student demographics in any email correspondence; i. to the extent practicable, procedures to assign a different test administrator for a class than the teacher of record for the class, except for teachers testing students with accommodations and younger students, grades 3 through 8; j. procedures for monitoring of test sites to ensure that appropriate test security procedures are being followed and to observe test administration procedures. 5. Procedures for investigating missing secure materials, any testing irregularity (including cheating), and any employees accused of improprieties must, at a minimum, include the following. a. The district test coordinator shall initiate the investigation upon the district's determination of an irregularity or breach of security or upon notification by the LDE. The investigation shall be conducted by the district test coordinator and other central office staff as designated by the district superintendent. b. The location of the designated secure locked area for storage of materials shall be examined, and the individuals with access to secure materials shall be identified. c. Interviews regarding testing administration and security procedures shall be conducted with the principal, school test coordinator(s), test administrator(s), and proctor(s) at the identified schools. All individuals who had access to the test materials at any time must be interviewed. d. Interviews shall be conducted with students in the identified classes regarding testing procedures, layout of the classroom, access to test materials before the test, and access to unauthorized materials during testing. 6. After completion of the investigation, the school district shall provide a report of the investigation and a written plan of action to the state superintendent within 30 calendar days of the initiation of the investigation. At a minimum, the report shall include the nature of the situation, the time and place of occurrence, and the names of the persons involved in or witness to the occurrence. Officials from the LDE are authorized to conduct additional investigations. 7. All test administrators and proctors must sign the Oath of Security and return it to the STC to keep on file for three years. The STC and principal must sign an oath of security and return it to the DTC to be kept on file at the district for three years. 8. Test materials, including all test booklets, answer documents, and supplementary secure materials containing secure test questions, shall be kept secure and accounted for in accordance with the procedures specified in the test administration manuals and other communications provided by the LDE. Secure test materials include test booklets, answer documents, and any supplementary secure materials. 9. Procedures described in the test manuals shall include, but are not limited to, the following. a. All test booklets, answer documents, and supplementary secure materials must be kept in a designated locked secure storage area prior to and after administration of any test. i. Test administrators are to be given access to the tests and any supplementary secure materials only on the day the test is to be administered, and these are to be retrieved immediately after testing is completed for the day and stored in the designated locked secure storage area each day of testing. b. All test booklets, answer documents, and supplementary secure materials must be accounted for and written documentation kept by test administrators and proctors for each point at which test materials are distributed and returned. c. Any discrepancies noted in the serial numbers of test booklets, answer documents, and any supplementary secure materials, or the quantity received from contractors must be reported to the LDE, Division of Assessments and Accountability, by the designated institutional or school district personnel prior to the administration of the test. d. In the event that test booklets, answer documents, or supplementary secure materials are determined to be missing while in the possession of the institution or school district or in the event of any other testing irregularities or breaches of security, the designated institutional or school district personnel must immediately notify by telephone the LDE, Division of Assessments and Accountability, and follow the detailed procedures for investigating and reporting specified in this policy. e. Only personnel trained in test security and administration shall be allowed to have access to or administer any statewide assessments. f. Each district superintendent or institution must annually designate one individual in the district or institution as district test coordinator, who is authorized to procure test materials that are utilized in testing programs administered by or through the SBESE of the LDE. The name of the individual designated must be provided in writing to the LDE, Division of Assessments and Accountability, and included on the Statement of Assurance. EDUCATION Louisiana Administrative Code June 2013 6 g. Testing shall be conducted in class-sized groups. Bulletin 741 (913A) states that K-3 classroom enrollment should be no more than 26 students, and in grades 4-12, no more than 33, except in certain activity types of classes in which the teaching approach and the material and equipment are appropriate for large groups. For grades K-8, the maximum class size for Health and Physical Education classes may be no more than 40. Class size for exceptional students is generally smaller Bulletin 741, (915). Permission for testing in environments that differ from the usual classroom environment must be obtained in writing from the LDE, Division of Assessments and Accountability, at least 30 days prior to testing. If testing outside the usual classroom environment is approved by the Division of Assessments and Accountability, the school district must provide at least one proctor for every 30 students. h. The state superintendent of education may disallow test results that may have been achieved in a manner that is in violation of test security. 10. The LDE shall establish procedures to identify: a. improbable achievement of test score gains in consecutive years; b. situations in which collaboration between or among individuals may occur during the testing process; c. a verification of the number of all tests distributed and the number of tests returned; d. excessive wrong-to-right erasures for multiple-choice tests; e. any violation to written composition or open-ended responses that involves plagiarism; f. any other situation that may result in invalidation of test results: 11. In cases in which test results are not accepted because of a breach of test security or action by the LDE, any programmatic, evaluative, or graduation criteria dependent upon the data shall be deemed not to have been met. 12. Individuals shall adhere to all procedures specified in all manuals that govern mandated testing programs. 13. Anyone known to be involved in the presentation of forged, counterfeit, or altered identification for the purposes of obtaining admission to a test administration site for any test administered by or through the SBESE or the LDE shall have breached test security. Any individual who knowingly causes or allows the presentation of forged, counterfeited, or altered identification for the purpose of obtaining admission to any test administration site must forfeit all test scores but will be allowed to retake the test at the next test administration. 14. School districts must ensure that individual student test data are protected from unauthorized access and disclosure. a. The Louisiana Department of Education's LEAPdata Query is designed for teachers and contains students private information, including state test scores and state identification numbers. The system is password protected and requires a user ID and an assigned password for access. The system is not for public use, and any student information from the system must not be disclosed to anyone other than a state, district, or school official as defined by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA). A state, district, or school official is a person employed by the state, district, or school as an administrator, supervisor, district test coordinator, school test coordinator, principal, teacher, or principal's designated office staff. Such a user must have a legitimate educational purpose to review an educational record in order to fulfill his/her professional responsibility. Curiosity does not qualify as a right to know. State, district and school officials who are granted a password to these systems must abide by FERPA law. Disclosure of passwords to anyone other than those authorized is prohibited. Disclosure of a students data to their parent or guardian must be in accordance with FERPA. For more information on FERPA, see the U.S. Department of Education web page at http://www.ed.gov /offices/OM/fpco/ferpa/. i. LEAPdata Query System. Principals should contact their DTC or backup DTC for assistance in training teachers. After training, all school users (e.g., teachers, counselors, test coordinators) must read and sign the security agreement and return it to the principal. Signed security agreements are valid until the DTC receives notification that the security agreement available online has been revised. A new security agreement should be signed by all users each year after the new password letters for schools and districts are automatically generated in August. If a breach in security occurs, principals should immediately contact the DTC or the backup DTC for a replacement password. Principals should always contact their DTC or backup DTC for assistance and training. b. The Louisiana Department of Education's LEAPweb Reporting System is designed for administrators only and contains students' private information, including state test scores and state identification numbers. The system is password protected and requires a user ID and an assigned password for access. The system is not for public use and any student information from the system must not be disclosed to anyone other than a state, district, or school official as defined by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA). A state, district, or school official is a person employed by the state, district, or school as an administrator, supervisor, district test coordinator, school test coordinator, principal, and the principal's designated office staff. Such a user must have a legitimate educational purpose to review an educational record in order to fulfill his/her professional responsibility. Curiosity does not qualify as a right to know. State, district, and school users who are granted a password to this system must read and abide by Family and Educational Rights Privacy Act (FERPA). Disclosure of passwords to anyone other than those authorized is prohibited. Disclosure of a student's data Title 28, Part CXI Louisiana Administrative Code June 2013 7 to their parent or guardian must be in accordance with FERPA. For more information on FERPA, see the U.S. Department of Education web page at http://www.ed.gov/offices/OM/fpco/ferpa/. i. LEAPweb Reporting System. At the school level, only principals (not teachers) and their designated school personnel (test coordinators, counselors, or office staff with whom the principal shares his/her PIN) should have access to the system and must sign a security agreement. Signed security agreements are valid until the DTC receives notification that the security agreement available online has been revised. A new security agreement should be signed by all users each year after the new password letters for schools and districts are automatically generated in August. If a breach in security occurs, principals should immediately contact the DTC or the backup DTC for a replacement password. Principals should always contact their DTC or backup DTC for assistance and training. ii. Security agreements must also be signed by DTCs for the LEAPweb Reporting and LEAPdata Query Systems and returned to the LDE. c. The Louisiana Department of Education's Enhanced Assessment of Grade Level Expectations (EAGLE) System contains students' private information, including test scores and state identification numbers. This system is password protected and requires a user ID and an assigned password for access. Any student information from the system must not be disclosed to anyone other than a state, district, or school official, or parent/guardian as defined by The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA). For more information on FERPA, see the U.S. Department of Education web page at http://www.ed.gov/offices/OM/fpco/ferpa/. A state, district, or school official is a person employed by the state, district, or school as an administrator, supervisor, district test coordinator, school test coordinator, principal, teacher, or support staff member. This user has a legitimate educational purpose to review an educational record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility. Curiosity does not qualify as a right to know. All users who are granted a password to this system must abide by FERPA law. Disclosure of passwords to anyone other than those authorized is prohibited. i. EAGLE System. Principals should contact their district designee, DTC, backup DTC, or district curriculum supervisor for assistance in training teachers. After training, all users (e.g., teachers, counselors, test coordinators) must read and sign the security agreement and return it to the principal. Signed security agreements are valid until the DTC receives notification that the security agreement available online has been revised. A new security agreement should be signed by all users each year after the new password letters for schools and districts are automatically generated in August. Keep copies signed by all school users on file at the school. If a breach in security occurs, principals should immediately contact the district designee, district test coordinator, or backup district designee for a replacement password. Principals should always contact their district designee, DTC, backup DTC, or district curriculum supervisor for assistance and training. d. All users who have access to these systems and leave their positions at a district or school site must not use or share the password. 15. District test coordinators are responsible for providing training regarding the security and confidentiality of individual student test data (in paper and electronic formats) and of aggregated data of fewer than 10 students. 16. LDE staff will conduct site visits during testing to observe test administration procedures and to ensure that appropriate test security procedures are being followed. Schools with prior violations of test security or other testing irregularities will be identified for visits. Other schools will be randomly selected. 17. Any teachers or other school personnel who breach test security or allow breaches in test security shall be disciplined in accordance with the provisions of R.S. 17:416 et seq., R.S. 17:441 et seq., R.S. 17:81 et seq., policy and regulations adopted by the SBESE, and any and all laws that may be enacted by the Louisiana Legislature. AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 17:391.7 (C)(G). HISTORICAL NOTE: Promulgated by the Department of Education, Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, LR 31:1528 (July 2005), amended LR 32:233 (February 2006), LR 33:255 (February 2007), LR 33:424 (March 2007), LR 33:2033 (October 2007), LR 34:65 (January 2008), LR 34:431 (March 2008), LR 34:1351 (July 2008), LR 35:217 (February 2009), LR 37:858 (March 2011), repromulgated LR 37:1123 (April 2011), amended LR 38:747 (March 2012), LR 39:1018 (April 2013). §307. Change of District Test Coordinator Notification A. If during the academic year the person appointed as district test coordinator changes, the district superintendent must notify the LDE, Division of Assessments and Accountability. The notification must be in writing and must be submitted within 15 days of the change in appointment. 1. The former district test coordinator must inform the new district test coordinator of passwords for LEAPweb and LEAPdata, location of placement tests, and location of "Old" GEE testing materials. AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 17:24 et seq. HISTORICAL NOTE: Promulgated by the Department of Education, Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, LR 31:1530 (July 2005), amended LR 32:234 (February 2006), LR 33:257 (February 2007), LR 34:1351 (July 2008), LR 35:217 (February 2009). §309. Erasure Analysis A. To investigate erasures on student answer documents for the multiple-choice portions of the state criterion-referenced and norm-referenced testing programs, the SBESE and the LDE have developed the following procedures. EDUCATION Louisiana Administrative Code June 2013 8 1. Scoring contractors scan every answer document for wrong-to-right erasures, and the state average and standard deviation are computed for each subject at each grade level. 2. Students whose wrong-to-right erasures exceed the state average by more than four standard deviations are identified for further investigation. For each student with excessive erasures, the proportion of wrong-to-right erasures to the total number of erasures is considered. 3. Based on the criteria for excessive wrong-to-right erasures, scoring contractors produce the following reports. a. District/School Erasure Analysis Report. This report identifies districts and schools within the districts whose answer documents have excessive wrong-to-right erasures. b. Student Erasure Analysis Report. This report identifies individual students whose answer documents have excessive wrong-to-right erasures. The answer documents of students identified as having excessive wrong-to-right answers are available for review at the LDE upon request. 4. Once districts, schools, and individual students have been identified, the state superintendent of education sends letters to district superintendents stating that students in those districts have been identified as having excessive wrong-to-right erasures. Copies of the district/school and student erasure analysis reports are enclosed with the letters. Copies of the correspondence are provided to the Deputy Superintendent of Education, the Assistant Superintendent of the Office of Student and School Performance, the Director of the Division of Assessments and Accountability, and the district test coordinator. 5. The local superintendent must investigate the case of the irregularity and provide a report of the investigation and a written plan of action to the state superintendent of education within 30 calendar days. 6. A summary report of erasure analysis irregularities will be presented to the Louisiana Educational Assessment Testing Commission and the SBESE after each test administration. AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 17:24 et seq. HISTORICAL NOTE: Promulgated by the Department of Education, Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, LR 31:1530 (July 2005), amended LR 32:234 (February 2006), LR 33:257 (February 2007), LR 35:217 (February 2009), LR 35:443 (March 2009). §311. Addressing Suspected Violations of Test Security and Troubling Content in Written Responses (Constructed Responses, Short Answers, and Essays) A. The Test Security Policy approved by the SBESE requires that the LDE establish procedures to deal with breaches of test security. District authorities provide the LDE information about voiding student tests because of student violations observed during test administration or violations by school personnel or others that have been reported. In addition, the scoring process produces information regarding written responses that have common elements, which indicate a student brought unauthorized materials to testing and used them to assist in writing; that indicate that teacher interference might have been a significant factor, and in which troubling content was evident. Procedures for dealing with these issues follow. 1. Violation by Student as Observed by Test Administrator a. The test administrator must notify the school test coordinator about any suspected incident of cheating and provide a written account of the incident. Answer documents in such cases should be processed like all other answer documents. b. The school test coordinator must then convene a school-level test security committee consisting at a minimum of the principal, the school test coordinator, and the test administrator to determine whether a test should be voided. c. If it is deemed necessary to void the test, the school test coordinator must notify the district test coordinator of the void request in a letter written on school letterhead, signed by the school principal and the school test coordinator. The original account of the incident written by the test administrator must be enclosed. d. The district test coordinator must then fax a completed void form to the LDE, Division of Assessments and Accountability, as directed in the District and School Test Coordinators Manual. The original Void Verification form, along with a copy of the school test coordinator's request for the void, must also be mailed to the LDE, Division of Assessments and Accountability, as directed in the manual. 2. Reported Violations by School Personnel or Other Persons. All suspected instances of cheating should be reported directly to the school's district test coordinator for further investigation, and a report of the incident must be sent to LDE, Division of Assessments and Accountability. If it is deemed necessary to void tests, the DTC must fax a completed void form to the LDE, Division of Assessments and Accountability. The original Void Verification form along with a written report of the investigation carried out must be mailed to the LDE, Division of Assessments and Accountability. 3. Suspected Violations Discovered by Scoring Contractors a. In addition to erasure analysis for multiple-choice items, possible incidents of the following violations may be discovered during the scoring process: i. plagiarism. Responses contain exact or almost exact content, and/or words or phrases, and/or format; ii. use of unauthorized materials. Students brought unauthorized materials into the testing environment and used them to assist in written responses; Title 28, Part CXI Louisiana Administrative Code June 2013 9 iii. teacher interference. Teacher interference is evident in written responses. b. If possible incidents of violations are discovered in the scoring process, the scoring contractor notifies the LDE, Division of Assessments and Accountability, of suspect documents with a summary of its findings. c. Professional assessment and related-content personnel from the Division of Assessments and Accountability review the suspect documents and determine whether the evidence supports voiding the responses. d. If voiding is recommended, LDE mails the district superintendent a letter of what was observed during the scoring process that caused the alert and identifies the particular document that was voided. Copies of the correspondence are provided to the deputy superintendent of education, the assistant superintendent of the Office of Student and School Performance, the director of the Division of Assessments and Accountability, and the local district test coordinator. i. Within 30 calendar days of the receipt of such a letter, the district must investigate the incident and provide a written plan of action to the state superintendent of education. If the district and/or parent/guardian(s) wish to discuss the situation further or to examine the student responses, a meeting may be scheduled at the LDE offices between staff members from the Division of Assessments and Accountability district representatives, and parent/guardian(s). 4. Disturbing Content. If student responses with disturbing content are discovered during the scoring process, the scoring contractor will notify the appropriate staff member at the LDE, Division of Assessments and Accountability. a. Professional assessment personnel review the responses. If it is determined that disturbing content causes a compelling need to break confidentiality, LDE will contact the district superintendent by telephone to summarize findings and inform him or her that materials are being mailed regarding the alert. b. Issues regarding troubling content are for the district's information to assist the student and do not require further communication with LDE. AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 17:24 et seq. HISTORICAL NOTE: Promulgated by the Department of Education, Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, LR 31:1531 (July 2005), amended LR 33:257 (February 2007), LR 35:217 (February 2009). §312. Administrative Error A. Administrative errors that result in questions regarding the security of the test or the accuracy of the test data are considered testing irregularities. If it is deemed necessary to void the test, the district test coordinator must fax a completed void form to the LDE, Division of Assessments and Accountability, as directed in the District and School Test Coordinators Manual. The original void verification form, along with a copy of the account of the incident, must also be mailed to the LDE, Division of Assessments and Accountability, as directed in the manual. B. If tests are voided by the district due to administrative error, the LEA superintendent, on behalf of individual students, may initiate a request to the state superintendent of education for an opportunity to retest prior to the next scheduled test administration on behalf of individual students. C. If administrative errors result in a question of the accuracy of the test data, the LEA superintendent or the parent, or legal guardian of an affected student may initiate a request for an opportunity to retest prior to the next scheduled test administration. The LEA superintendent or parent must provide the state superintendent of education with school- and student-level documentation describing the administrative error. D. If the LDE determines that an administrative error that allows for a retest did occur the tests will be voided. LDE will notify the LEA of the determination and of arrangements for the retest. The LEA must provide a corrective plan of action. E. To offset costs involved in retesting, the vendor will assess the LEA a fee for each test. F. The LDE will provide a report to the SBESE of retests due to administrative errors. G. Administrative errors that result from failure to transfer answers from a test booklet onto an answer document require the following steps: 1. the LEA superintendent will place a request on behalf of individual students, which request must include a description of the administrative error and a corrective plan of action, to the state superintendent of education to have the testing vendor send to the district the students test booklet and a new answer document; 2. the DTC and STC will transfer only the answers not initially transferred from the test booklet onto the new answer document; and 3. the DTC will return all testing materials to the vendor, who will assess the LEA a fee for the service. H. LEAs have the right to appeal to SBESE to replace the voided or invalid scores with the results from the administrative error retests for accountability purposes. The appeal must include a description of the testing irregularity; a summary of the LEAs investigation including who conducted the investigation; the findings of the investigation; and a corrective action plan. After review of the submitted documentation by LDOE, the state superintendent will make a recommendation to SBESE. I. Where retests are available, LEAs may request that SPS calculations include retest results through a waiver request to BESE for accountability purposes. In such waiver request, the LEA shall demonstrate that it financed retests for all affected students and that it took corrective action as EDUCATION Louisiana Administrative Code June 2013 10 necessary to prevent a recurrence of the irregularity, including specific measures regarding any employee found to have willfully caused the irregularity. AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 17:24 et seq. HISTORICAL NOTE: Promulgated by the Department of Education, Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, LR 32:390 (March 2006), amended LR 33:257 (February 2007), LR 34:66 (January 2008), LR 34:1351 (July 2008), LR 35:218 (February 2009), LR 36:967 (May 2010), LR 38:33 (January 2012), amended LR 38:748 (March 2012), LR 38:2358 (September 2012). §313. Viewing Answer Documents A. A parent, guardian, student, school, or district must place a request to view an answer document through the district test coordinator. B. The district test coordinator must send a written request to view the answer document to the LDE, Division of Assessments and Accountability. The request must include: 1. the student's name; 2. the student's state ID number or social security number; 3. the student's enrolled grade; 4. the type of assessment (i.e., LEAP, GEE, LAA 1, LAA 2, iLEAP, ELDA) and the content area of the answer document or documents requested; and 5. the district name and code and school name and code where the student tested. C. LDE will notify the testing contractor of the request; the testing contractor will send a copy of the requested answer document(s) to LDE. D. Upon receipt of the requested answer document(s), LDE will contact the district test coordinator who placed the request to schedule an appointment to review the answer document(s). E. The district test coordinator or his or her designee must accompany the school personnel, parent, guardian, and/or student to the appointment. F. LDE will black out test items on answer documents prior to viewing. Only the student's responses may be observed. G. LDE staff will remain in the room during the viewing of the answer document(s). Answer documents may not be copied or removed from the room. Written notes of student responses may not be made. AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 17:24 et seq. HISTORICAL NOTE: Promulgated by the Department of Education, Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, LR 31:1532 (July 2005), amended LR 32:234 (February 2006), LR 33:258 (February 2007), LR 33:218 (February 2007). §315. Emergencies during Testing A. For emergencies (e.g., fire alarms, bomb threats) that require evacuation of the classroom during administration of statewide assessments, the following procedures should be followed. 1. If the room can be locked, the test administrator should direct the students to place the answer document inside the test booklet and leave both on the desk. Before students are allowed back into the room, the test administrator should return to the room, pick up the test booklets, answer documents, and other secure materials, and then distribute them individually to the students when they have returned to their desks. 2. If the room cannot be locked and if at all possible, the test administrators should direct students to place the answer document on top of the test booklet and hand both along with any other secure materials to the test administrator as students file out of the room. Test administrators should carry the documents with them to their designated location outside the building. If return to the building is delayed, the school test coordinator should pick up and check in the materials from the test administrators. 3. If testing has not started prior to the emergency and the students have not yet opened their test booklets and answer documents, testing should start when students return to the room. 4. If students have opened their testing materials to begin testing and test security has been maintained, testing may continue after students return to the room. 5. If the test booklets have been opened and test security has been compromised, testing should not be continued. The answer documents should be sent to the testing company with the responses that were completed prior to the emergency. 6. As a precautionary measure, graduating seniors might be tested together in a single group or in several smaller groups so test security is easier to maintain if there is an emergency. 7. If test security has been compromised, the district test coordinator must notify the LDE, Division of Assessments and Accountability, as soon as possible. B. End-of-Course (EOC) Tests Emergency Plan 1. Each district shall develop and adopt an emergency plan that includes the steps to be followed in the event of an emergency that results in disruption of online testing. 2. If online testing is disrupted by emergencies, lost internet connections, lost power, or computer crashes and students are unable to continue testing on the same day, the school test coordinator should document what occurred as a testing irregularity and notify the district test coordinator. If the student will be unable to return to testing by the end of the day after the disruption, the district test coordinator must immediately notify the LDE, Division of Assessments and Accountability. Title 28, Part CXI Louisiana Administrative Code June 2013 11 AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 17.7. HISTORICAL NOTE: Promulgated by the Department of Education, Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, LR 31:1532 (July 2005), amended LR 32:234 (February 2006), LR 33:258 (February 2007), LR 34:66 (January 2008), LR 35:218 (February 2009), LR 37:858 (March 2011), LR 38:33 (January 2012). §316. Cell Phones and Other Electronic Devices A. If district and school policy allows for students and personnel to carry cell phones or other similar technological devices with imaging or text-messaging capability, test administrators must make certain that the devices are in the off position while test booklets and answers documents are in the vicinity. AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 17:24 et seq. HISTORICAL NOTE: Promulgated by the Department of Education, Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, LR 32:391 (March 2006). §317. Virtual Charter Schools A. Virtual charter schools shall be responsible for testing their own students. 1. Virtual charter schools shall test their students with staff of the virtual school. Virtual charter schools shall administer all state assessments and are subject to the Louisiana School and District Accountability System. Virtual charter schools shall conduct all state assessments at secure, proctored locations within reasonable distance of students homes, as approved by the charter authorizer. 2. Parents and/or family members of the students of the virtual school shall not test their own children and/or family members. The local school district shall not test any students enrolled in virtual charter schools unless there is a written agreement between the local school district and the virtual charter school. No local school district shall ever be required to test students attending the virtual school. 3. The district will develop and submit to LDOE annually a test security policy approved by its board. 4. The virtual charter schools assessment plan shall be part of its board approved test security policy. The plan must identify: a. the state assessments to be administered throughout the year; b. the cities/towns where testing will occur; c. description of testing locations; d. qualifications of testing personnel; e. procedures for implementation of the requirement of a photo ID of all students to ensure the students reporting for testing are the actual students assigned to that testing site; and f. provisions for students transportation to the testing locations. 5. LDOE will monitor the assessment plan. 6. If the student population of the virtual school is spread across multiple parishes, the virtual school shall secure testing centers in those parishes (e.g., public library meeting rooms; public meeting facility; private meeting facility; rooms at community colleges, technical colleges, colleges). Testing centers shall be physical locations and must be submitted to LDOE prior to testing. A plan for providing student transportation to the assessment location on an as needed basis. 7. Thirty days prior to testing, the virtual charter school shall provide LDOE a list of students with testing accommodations as specified in the IEP for students with disabilities according to IDEA, IAPs for students with disabilities according to section 504, and accommodation plans for limited English proficient (LEP) students. 8. Within 30 days of testing, the virtual charter schools shall provide LDOE documentation of training in test administration and test security for each test administration. A copy of the following must be included: a. the agenda; b. all training materials; and c. all sign-in-sheets. 9. Within 30 days of testing, the virtual charter school shall provide LDOE documentation of the test administration including the: a. testing locations; b. schedule; c. all sign-in sheets for the students assessed with the name of the assessment administered; d. days and times the student was assessed; and e. provided accommodations. 10. LDOE staff shall have the authority to: a. monitor the implementation of the testing plan; b. require changes to the testing plan as deemed necessary. 11. LDOE staff shall: a. notify virtual charter schools of any new requirements to their testing plan; b. annually evaluate the testing plan to ensure full compliance with policies and procedures. AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 17:24. HISTORICAL NOTE: Promulgated by the Department of Education, Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, LR 38:33 (January 2012). §319. E-mail Addresses for Nonpublic School Test Coordinators A. All designated school test coordinators for nonpublic schools are required to provide the department with a valid EDUCATION Louisiana Administrative Code June 2013 12 work email address. Personal email addresses (Yahoo! Hotmail, Google, etc.) will not be accepted. AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 17:24. HISTORICAL NOTE: Promulgated by the Department of Education, Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, LR 39:74 (January 2013). Chapter 5. Test Coordinator Responsibilities Subchapter A. District Test Coordinator §501. District Test Coordinator Role A.1. A district test coordinator's responsibilities fall into three categories: a. making arrangements for testing; b. handling and maintaining the security of test materials; and c. training school test coordinators, district special education directors/supervisors, district Section 504 coordinators, district student information system coordinators, and principals. 2. Specific tasks include: a. submitting enrollment data by the yearly deadline; b. appointing a school test coordinator for every school involved in state testing; c. scheduling testing and makeup dates and times of state tests based on state-approved schedules; d. arranging for testing students enrolled in approved home study programs and nonpublic schools; e. coordinating with the district Section 504 coordinator the submission of student Section 504 data to the student information system (SIS); f. conducting district training sessions for all principals, school test coordinators, district Section 504 coordinators, district student information system coordinators, district special education directors/supervisors, and district LEP coordinators; g. answering questions about test security, administration, and return of materials; h. receiving and verifying the delivery and return of testing materials; i. designating an appropriate locked, secure area for storing testing materials; j. maintaining the security of test materials immediately upon receipt of testing materials from testing contractors and from schools; k. distributing testing materials to school test coordinators; l. collecting, assembling, and packaging all testing materials and completing and submitting or filing all forms as instructed in the manuals; m. arranging for pickup of testing materials for shipment to the scoring contractor as instructed in the manuals; n. reporting immediately to the LDE, Division of Standards, Assessments, and Accountability, any missing test booklets or answer documents and returning them to test contractors if they are found; o. investigating any testing irregularities and reporting them to the LDE, Division of Assessments and Accountability; p. reporting to the LDE, Division of Assessments and Accountability, instances of students marking in a wrong section of the answer document; q. submitting all void and test irregularities forms and documentation as instructed in the manuals; r. returning any secure materials used for test accommodations, such as transparencies or computer disks, to the LDE, Division of Assessments and Accountability; s. maintaining the district password and all school passwords within the district that are used with LEAPweb Reporting System and the LEAPdata Query System; t. training district and school users within a district to effectively use the systems; ensure they are familiar with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) law governing confidentiality of student records, and ensure they have signed a security agreement before receiving a password for access to the LEAPdata Query System; u. ensuring: i. that all district/school users maintain the security of and access to all student information obtained via the LEAPweb Reporting and LEAPdata Query systems; ii. that all school users are aware that student test data shall not be disclosed to anyone other than another school official and only for a legitimate educational purpose. v. confirming that TA numbers have been assigned at each school for each scheduled test administration; w. distributing passwords annually to each schools STC; x. distributing student reports and summary reports to school test coordinators and principals in a timely manner. AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 17:24.4. HISTORICAL NOTE: Promulgated by the Department of Education, Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, LR 31:1533 (July 2005), amended LR 33:258 (February 2007), LR 34: 1352 (July 2008), LR 34:2552 (December 2008), repromulgated LR 35:57 (January 2009), amended LR 35:218 (February 2009), LR 38:748 (March 2012). Title 28, Part CXI Louisiana Administrative Code June 2013 13 Subchapter B. School Test Coordinator §511. School Test Coordinator Role A. A school test coordinator's responsibilities include: 1. supervising testing procedures and materials control at the school level; 2. scheduling testing dates and times with the district test coordinator; 3. making arrangements for a location to test students with certain accommodations or in the case of untimed tests, students who need time beyond that scheduled to complete testing; 4. scheduling and monitoring makeup testing; 5. notifying the district test coordinator immediately of any missing secure materials; 6. verifying the count of all materials received and reporting any discrepancies to the district test coordinator; 7. ensuring the security of testing materials from the time they arrive at the school until the time they are returned to the district test coordinator; 8. noting any discrepancies in the count or numbering of test booklets or answer documents from that recorded on the security check off lists from the testing contractor; 9. notifying the district test coordinator of additional test booklets, answer documents, or manuals needed; 10. reviewing all manuals in their entirety; 11. conducting a training session in test security and administration for test administrators and all other individuals who have access to secure materials before, during, and after test administration; 12. submitting the Verification of Section 504 forms to the school district Section 504 coordinator by the date established in the district; 13. compiling a list of students approved for accommodations, with the accommodations they are to receive, and providing a list of such students in a testing group to individual test administrators; 14. verifying that classrooms have been prepared for testing (test-related content material removed or covered, sufficient space for students, testing sign on door); 15. distributing materials to test administrators on the appropriate testing day and collecting, checking in and putting into the secure storage area all secure testing materials at the end of each day of testing and during any extended breaks; 16. monitoring testing sessions; 17. supervising test administrators who must transfer student answers from large-print, braille, or other accommodation formats to a scorable answer document; 18. collecting and returning any computer disks or other accommodation-format testing materials; 19. reporting any testing irregularities to the district test coordinator; and 20. packaging test materials as instructed in the manuals for return to the district test coordinator. 21. assigning TA numbers before scheduled test administrations; 22. distributing student reports and summary reports to teachers and parents in a timely manner. AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 17:24.4. HISTORICAL NOTE: Promulgated by the Department of Education, Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, LR 31:1533 (July 2005), amended LR 33:258 (February 2007), LR 34:1352 (July 2008), LR 34:2552 (December 2008), repromulgated LR 35:57 (January 2009). Chapter 7. Assessment Program Overview §701. Overview of Assessment Programs in Louisiana A. Norm-Referenced and Criterion-Referenced Testing Programs Since 1986 Name of Assessment Program Assessment Population Administered Kindergarten Screening Kindergarten Developmental Readiness Screening Program (KDRSP) Kindergarten fall 1987- Norm-Referenced Tests (NRTs) California Achievement Test (CAT/F) grades 4, 6, and 9 spring 1988- spring 1992 (no longer administered) California Achievement Test (CAT/5) grades 4 and 6 grade 8 spring 1993- spring 1997 spring 1997 only (no longer administered) Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) (form L) and Iowa Tests of Educational Development (ITED) (form M) grades 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, and 11 spring 1998 (no longer administered) ITBS ITED (form M) grades 3, 5, 6, and 7 grade 9 spring 1999- spring 2002 (no longer administered) ITBS ITED (form B) grades 3, 5, 6, and 7 grade 9 spring 2003- spring 2005 (no longer administered) ITBS grade 2 spring 2012- Criterion-Referenced Tests (CRTs) National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) grades 4, 8, and 12 spring 1990- EDUCATION Louisiana Administrative Code June 2013 14 Name of Assessment Program Assessment Population Administered Louisiana Educational Assessment Program (LEAP) grades 3, 5, and 7 spring 1989- spring 1998 (no longer administered) Graduation Exit Examination (oldŽ GEE) grades 10 and 11 spring 1989- spring 2003 (state administered) fall 2003- (district administered) Louisiana Educational Assessment Program (LEAP) (ELA and Mathematics) grades 4 and 8 spring 1999- LEAP (Science and Social Studies) grades 4 and 8 spring 2000… Graduation Exit Examination (GEE) (ELA and Mathematics) grade 10 spring 2001- GEE (Science and Social Studies) grade 11 spring 2002- End-Of-Course Tests (EOCT) Algebra I fall 2007- EOCT English II fall 2008- EOCT Geometry fall 2009- EOCT Biology fall 2010- EOCT Applied Algebra I form spring 2011- EOCT English III fall 2011- EOCT U. S. History fall 2012- EXPLORE grades 8 and 9 spring 2013 PLAN grade 10 spring 2013 ACT grade 11 spring 2013 Integrated NRT/CRT Integrated Louisiana Educational Assessment Program (iLEAP) grades 3, 5, 7, and 9 spring 2006- iLEAP grade 9 spring 2010 (last administration of grade 9 iLEAP) Special Population Assessments Louisiana Alternate Assessment, Level 1 (LAA 1) Students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) who meet participation criteria in grades 3…11 spring 2000-2007 LAA 1 ELA and Mathematics (grade spans 3-4; 5-6; 7-8; 9-10); Science (grades 4, 8, and 11) Revised spring 2008- LAA 1 ELA and Mathematics grade 9 spring 2010 (last administration of grade 9 LAA 1) Louisiana Alternate Assessment, Level 2 (LAA 2) ELA and Mathematics (Grades 4, 8, and 10) Science and Social Studies (Grade 11) grades 4, 8, 10, and 11 spring 2006- Name of Assessment Program Assessment Population Administered LAA 2 ELA and Mathematics grades 5, 6, 7, and 9 spring 2007- LAA 2 ELA and Mathematics grade 9 spring 2010 (last administration of grade 9 LAA 2) LAA 2 Science and Social Studies grades 4 and 8 spring 2008… Louisiana Alternate Assessment-B (LAA-B) ["out-of-level" test] Students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) who met eligibility criteria in grades 3-11. spring 1999… spring 2003 (no longer administered) English Language Development Assessment (ELDA) Limited English Proficient (LEP) students in grades K-12 spring 2005- Academic Skills Assessment (ASA) and ASA LAA 2 form Students pursuing a State-Approved Skills Certificate (SASC) or GED spring 2012 (one administration only, spring 2012) B. As a result of these initiatives, the SBESE in May, 1997 approved content standards in English language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, foreign languages, and the arts. The LDE initiated new criterion-referenced tests to align with these standards. In the 1997 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature, the state law was changed to require that criterion-referenced tests be given in grades 4 and 8 rather than in grades 3, 5, and 7. In spring 2002, the new state criterion-referenced tests at grades 4, 8, 10, and 11 were completely phased in and previous criterion-referenced tests were phased out. AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 17:24.4. HISTORICAL NOTE: Promulgated by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, LR 31:1534 (July 2005), amended LR 32:235 (February 2006), LR 34:66 (January 2008), LR 34:1352 (July 2008), LR 35:218 (February 2009), LR 36:967 (May 2010), LR 37:858 (March 2011), LR 38:34 (January 2012), LR 39:74 (January 2013), LR 39:1019 (April 2013). Chapter 9. Kindergarten Developmental Readiness Screening Program §901. Statement of Purpose A. This Chapter provides for the implementation of local kindergarten developmental readiness screening programs as required by Act 146, Regular Session, 1986. Activities conducted under this Chapter shall be coordinated with other forms of screening conducted by the school district. AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 17:24.4 (F) (1) (b). HISTORICAL NOTE: Promulgated by the Department of Education, Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, LR 31:1535 (July 2005). Title 28, Part CXI Louisiana Administrative Code June 2013 15 §903. Definitions Developmental―the process of identifying appropriate behavior by age level in areas such as motor skills, oral language development, cognitive development, social-emotional development, auditory discrimination, visual discrimination, and self-help skills. Readiness Screening―the process of identifying the performance levels, skills, and abilities of young children through gathering of information concerning their physical, intellectual, emotional, and social development. AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 17:391.11, R.S. 17.24.4 (F) (1) (b), and R.S. 17:151.3. HISTORICAL NOTE: Promulgated by the Department of Education, Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, LR 31:1535 (July 2005). §905. Target Population A. Every child entering public school kindergarten for the first time shall be screened with a nationally recognized developmental readiness instrument. If a student is identified as having a disability according to Bulletin 1508 and has a current multidisciplinary evaluation, he or she shall not be excluded from this screening. If appropriate developmental screening information from the current evaluation cannot be used, appropriate adaptations of the developmental screening instrument shall be made. The results of the screening shall not exclude any child who meets the age requirements from entering public school kindergarten. AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 17:139.11, 20, R.S. 17:151.3, R.S. 17:1941, and USCS §1400 et seq. HISTORICAL NOTE: Promulgated by the Department of Education, Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, LR 31:1535 (July 2005). §907. Agency Administrative Participation A. Screening Instruments. Each school district shall elect and administer one nationally recognized readiness screening instrument from among those recommended by the LDE and approved by the SBESE. The results of this screening shall be used in placing children within a regular kindergarten classroom setting and planning their instructional programs to meet identified needs. B. Administrative Timelines 1. Each school district shall submit to the LDE by the date established by the LDE and annually thereafter the name of the developmental readiness screening instrument selected for system-wide use by the local school board for the purpose of program implementation. 2. Beginning with the 1987-1988 academic year and annually thereafter, screening shall occur within 30 days before or after the opening date of school. C. Parental Advisement. Beginning with the 1987-1988 academic year and annually thereafter, school districts shall inform the parent or guardian of the results of the individual student's screening. AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 17:24 et seq., and R.S. 17:139 et seq. HISTORICAL NOTE: Promulgated by the Department of Education, Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, LR 31:1535 (July 2005). §909. State BESE-Approved Instruments A. Instruments Approved for Use in 1990. School districts that elected to use these instruments at that time can continue to use them. School districts cannot, however, now elect to use these instruments. Name of Instrument Publisher Chicago EARLY Assessment Educational Teaching Aids Miller Assessment for Preschoolers The Psychological Corporation Developing Skills Checklist (DSC) CTB McMillan/McGraw-Hill Developmental Indicators for the Assessment of Learning-Revised (DIAL-R) American Guidance Service B. Instruments Approved for Use in April 2001. School districts may use any of these instruments. Name of Instrument Publisher Developmental Indicator for the Assessment of Learning„Third Edition (DIAL-3) American Guidance Service Developing Skills Checklist (DSC) CTB McMillan/McGraw-Hill Brigance K & 1 Screen Curriculum and Associates Early Screening Inventory„Revised Rebus Screening Test for Education Prerequisite Skills (STEPS) Western Psychological Services AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 17:24.4 and R.S. 17:391.11. HISTORICAL NOTE: Promulgated by the Department of Education, Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, LR 31:1535 (July 2005). Chapter 11. Louisiana Educational Assessment Program Subchapter A. General Provisions §1101. Introduction A. The LEAP is a criterion-referenced testing program that is directly aligned with the state content standards, which by law are as rigorous as those of NAEP. The LEAP measures how well students in grades four and eight have mastered the state content standards. Test results are reported in terms of achievement levels. AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 17:24.4 (F) (1) (c). HISTORICAL NOTE: Promulgated by the Department of Education, Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, LR 31:1536 (July 2005), amended LR 32:235 (February 2006). Subchapter B. Achievement Levels and Performance Standards §1113. Achievement Levels A.1. The Louisiana achievement levels are: a. Advanced; EDUCATION Louisiana Administrative Code June 2013 16 b. Mastery (Exceeding the Standard); c. Basic (Meeting the Standard); d. Approaching Basic (Approaching the Standard); and e. Unsatisfactory. 2. Though the names of the achievement levels differ slightly from those detailed in the NCLB Act, the definitions are similar. The definitions of the Louisiana achievement levels are also consistent with the definitions of basic, proficient, and advanced in English language arts and mathematics for NAEP. B. Achievement Level Definitions 1. Advanced―a student at this level has demonstrated superior performance beyond the mastery level. 2. Mastery (formerly Proficient)―a student at this level has demonstrated competency over challenging subject matter and is well prepared for the next level of schooling. 3. Basic―a student at this level has demonstrated only the fundamental knowledge and skills needed for the next level of schooling. 4. Approaching Basic―a student at this level has only partially demonstrated the fundamental knowledge and skills needed for the next level of schooling. 5. Unsatisfactory―a student at this level has not demonstrated the fundamental knowledge and skills needed for the next level of schooling. AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 17.24.4 (F) (1) and (C). HISTORICAL NOTE: Promulgated by the Department of Education, Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, LR 31:1536 (July 2005). §1115. Performance Standards A. Performance standards for LEAP English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies tests are finalized in scaled-score form. The scaled scores range between 100 and 500 for all grades and content areas. B. LEAP Achievement Levels and Scaled Score RangesGrade 4 Achievement Level English Language Arts Scaled Score Range Mathematics Scaled Score Range Science Scaled Score Range Social Studies Scaled Score Range Advanced 408-500 419-500 405-500 399-500 Mastery 354-407 370-418 360-404 353-398 Basic 301-353 315-369 306-359 301-352 Approaching Basic 263-300 282-314 263-305 272-300 Unsatisfactory 100-262 100-281 100-262 100-271 C. LEAP Achievement Levels and Scaled Score RangesGrade 8 Achievement Level English Language Arts Scaled Score Range Mathematics Scaled Score Range Science Scaled Score Range Social Studies Scaled Score Range Advanced 402-500 398-500 400-500 404-500 Mastery 356-401 376-397 345-399 350-403 Basic 315-355 321-375 305-344 297-349 Approaching Basic 269-314 296-320 267-304 263-296 Unsatisfactory 100-268 100-295 100-266 100-262 AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 17:391.4 (A). HISTORICAL NOTE: Promulgated by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, LR 31:1536 (July 2005), amended LR 32:235 (February 2006). Subchapter C. LEAP Achievement Level Descriptors §1125. Introduction A. Achievement level descriptors for Louisiana assessments were developed by committees composed of Louisiana educators who represented the subjects and grades assessed. The descriptors define what a student should know and be able to do at each achievement level for each subject assessed at a given grade level. AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 17:391.4 (B). HISTORICAL NOTE: Promulgated by the Department of Education, Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, LR 31:1536 (July 2005). §1127. Grade 4 Achievement Level Descriptors A. Grade 4 English Language Arts Achievement Level Descriptors Advanced Students scoring at this level generally exhibit the following skills. In the areas of reading and use of resources, students: 1. demonstrate a thorough understanding of what they read; 2. extend ideas in texts by making generalizations supported by textual evidence; 3. explain how authors use different literary elements; and 4. research topics by evaluating information in a variety of sources. In the area of writing, students: 1. develop responses with sharply focused central ideas, thorough elaboration, and well-chosen evidence from texts; 2 create compositions with effective transitions and a sense of wholeness; 3. demonstrate thorough understanding of the writing task through the use of effective word choice, sentence variety, and engaging voice; and 4. demonstrate consistent command of spelling, grammar, punctuation, and capitalization. Title 28, Part CXI Louisiana Administrative Code June 2013 17 Mastery Students scoring at this level generally exhibit the following skills. In the areas of reading and use of resources, students: 1. demonstrate an understanding of what they read; 2. extend ideas in texts by making inferences and drawing conclusions based on textual evidence; 3. identify an authors intent and purpose; and 4. research topics by selecting relevant information in a variety of sources. In the area of writing, students: 1. develop responses with clear central ideas, sufficient elaboration, and appropriate evidence from texts; 2. create compositions with a clear organizational structure and logical order; 3. demonstrate understanding of the writing task, through the use of interesting language, varied sentence structure and clear voice; and 4. demonstrate reasonable command of spelling, grammar, punctuation, and capitalization. Basic Students scoring at this level generally exhibit the following skills. In the areas of reading and use of resources, students: 1. demonstrate a general understanding of what they read; 2. extend ideas in texts by making simple inferences; and 3. research topics by locating information in a variety of sources. In the area of writing, students: 1. develop responses with central ideas, some elaboration and evidence from text, and observable organization; 2. demonstrate awareness of the writing task through the use of generic vocabulary, some sentence variety, and voice; and 3. demonstrate some control of spelling, grammar, punctuation, and capitalization. Approaching Basic Students scoring at this level generally exhibit the following skills. In the areas of reading and use of resources, students: 1. demonstrate a partial understanding of what they read; 2. identify obvious meanings in texts and make limited inferences; and 3. research topics by locating information in commonly used resources. In the area of writing, students: 1. develop responses with vague central ideas, little elaboration or evidence from texts, and weak organization; 2. demonstrate limited understanding of the writing task through use of simple vocabulary, simple sentences, and little voice; and 3. demonstrate little control of spelling, grammar, punctuation, and capitalization. Unsatisfactory Students scoring at this level generally have not demonstrated the fundamental knowledge and skills needed for the next level of schooling. In the areas of reading and use of resources, students at this level have not exhibited the ability to: 1. demonstrate an overall understanding of what they read; 2. extend ideas in texts and draw conclusions; or 3. locate appropriate information in commonly used resources. In the area of writing, students at this level have not exhibited the ability to: 1. develop responses with central ideas, elaboration, relevant evidence from texts, and observable organization; 2. demonstrate understanding of the writing task through the use of appropriate vocabulary, some variety in sentence structure and voice; and 3. demonstrate acceptable control of spelling, grammar, punctuation, and capitalization. B. Grade 4 Mathematics Achievement Level Descriptors Advanced Students scoring at this level generally exhibit the ability to: 1. apply whole numbers, fractions, and decimals to solve complex and non-routine real-life problems; 2. solve word problems leading to one-step equations; 3. demonstrate fluency by selecting and using appropriate units and tools of measurement; 4. construct angles having a specific measure and identify acute, right, and obtuse angles that are part of a larger diagram or picture; 5. create, analyze, and interpret various representations of data; 6. identify missing, non-consecutive elements in a number pattern; and 7. draw logical conclusions and justify answers and solution processes by clearly and concisely explaining the procedures and the rationale for using them. Mastery Students scoring at this level generally exhibit the ability to: 1. use place-value representations, perform computations, and order whole numbers; 2. conceptually understand and model fractions and decimals and their relationships; 3. solve one-step equations with whole numbers; 4. use number sentences to represent and solve real-life problems; 5. select and use appropriate units of measure for lengths and shapes, including volume, and apply basic unit conversions; 6. draw, identify, and classify angles that are acute, right, and obtuse; 7. create, use, and interpret various representations of data including graphs and charts; 8. identify missing elements in a number pattern; 9. employ problem-solving strategies such as identifying appropriate information and modeling; and 10. organize and present solutions with supporting information and explanations of how they were achieved. Basic Students scoring at this level generally exhibit the ability to: 1. read, write, compare, and perform simple computations with whole numbers; 2. show a working understanding of fractions and decimals and their relationships; 3. solve one-step equations with no context and some simple real-life problems; 4. demonstrate a working knowledge of unit conversions related to length, area, and volume; 5. identify and classify angles that are acute, right, and obtuse; 6. use and interpret some representations of data; 7. identify missing internal elements of a number pattern; and 8. provide explanatory responses with limited supporting information. Approaching Basic Students scoring at this level generally exhibit the ability to: 1. read, write, and perform simple computations with whole numbers; 2. recognize fractions and decimals; 3. solve simple one-step equations with no context; 4. perform basic measurements and some common conversions; 5. recognize acute, right, and obtuse angles; 6. identify missing internal elements of a simple number pattern; and 7. provide written responses with minimal or no support. Unsatisfactory Students scoring at this level have not demonstrated the fundamental knowledge and skills needed for the next level of schooling. Students scoring at this level generally have not exhibited the ability to: 1. read, write, and perform simple computations with whole numbers; 2. recognize fractions and decimals; 3, solve simple one-step equations; 4, perform basic measurements and some common conversions; 5, recognize acute, right, and obtuse angles; 6, identify missing internal elements of a simple number pattern; and 7. provide written responses. EDUCATION Louisiana Administrative Code June 2013 18 C. Grade 4 Science Achievement Level Descriptors Advanced Students scoring at this level generally exhibit the ability to: 1. design and carry out scientific investigations by selecting and using appropriate tools, technology, and techniques/methods; 2. formulate appropriate questions that demonstrate critical thinking and a broad base of scientific knowledge; 3. interpret relationships and make inferences based on data and apply to new situations; 4. organize data in graphic form, evaluate validity of data, and draw/justify conclusions based on data; 5. develop, elaborate, and modify predictions, models, and explanations; 6. use/apply concepts about properties of objects/materials, position/motion of objects, and forms of energy to new ideas/situations; 7. use/apply concepts about characteristics, life cycles, and environments of organisms to recognize, and analyze observed phenomena; 8. use/apply concepts about properties of Earth materials, weather, and objects in the night sky to predict/justify patterns and relationships; and 9. use/apply concepts about interrelationships among the human, biological, chemical, and physical aspects of the environment. Mastery Students scoring at this level generally exhibit the ability to: 1. design and carry out scientific investigations using appropriate methods, tools, technology, and techniques; 2. formulate appropriate questions demonstrating broad base of scientific knowledge; 3. identify relationships based on data and apply to new situations; 4. organize data in a graphic form, draw conclusions, justify conclusions, and make predictions based on data; 5. explain and connect concepts about properties of objects/materials, position/motion of objects, and formation of energy; 6. explain and connect concepts about characteristics, life cycles, and environments of organisms; 7. explain and connect concepts about properties of Earth materials, weather, and objects in the night sky; and 8. explain and connect concepts about the interrelationships among the human, biological, chemical, and physical aspects of the environment. Basic Students scoring at this level generally exhibit the ability to: 1. perform simple scientific tasks when given clear, sequential directions; 2. recognize questions that are appropriate to investigation; 3. organize and present data in a graphic form and draw conclusions based on data; 4. demonstrate basic knowledge/understanding of properties of objects, motion of objects, and forms of energy as they apply to their everyday life; 5. demonstrate basic knowledge/understanding of characteristics, life cycles, and environments of organisms and relationships; 6. demonstrate knowledge/understanding of basic concepts of properties of Earth materials, weather, and objects in the night sky; and 7. demonstrate knowledge/understanding of basic components of an ecosystem and recognize how change impacts the system. Approaching Basic Students scoring at this level generally exhibit the ability to: 1. perform portions of simple scientific tasks when given clear, sequential directions; 2. read/interpret some data in a graphic form; 3. respond to simple directed questions; 4. exhibit partial understanding of properties of objects, motion of objects, and forms of energy as they apply to their everyday life; 5. exhibit partial understanding of characteristics, life cycles, and environments of organisms and relationships; 6. exhibit partial understanding of basic concepts of properties of Earth materials, weather, and objects in the night sky; and 7. exhibit partial understanding of basic components of ecosystems and recognize how change impacts systems. Unsatisfactory Students scoring at this level have not demonstrated the fundamental knowledge and skills needed for the next level of schooling. Students scoring at this level generally have not exhibited the ability to: 1. perform portions of simple scientific tasks when given clear, sequential directions; 2. read/interpret some data in a graphic form; 3. respond to simple directed questions; 4. exhibit partial understanding of properties of objects, motion of objects, and forms of energy as they apply to their everyday life; 5. exhibit partial understanding of characteristics, life cycles, and environments of organisms and relationships; 6. exhibit partial understanding of basic concepts of properties of Earth materials, weather, and objects in the night sky; and 7. exhibit partial understanding of basic components of ecosystems and recognize how change impacts systems. D. Grade 4 Social Studies Achievement Level Descriptors Advanced Students scoring at this level generally exhibit the ability to: Geography: 1. interpret major geographic features on maps and globes; 2. classify geographic vocabulary; 3. analyze the connection between people; 4. compare geographical data; 5. compare the world in spatial terms; and 6. compare processes that shape Earth. Civics: 1. evaluate the structure and purpose of government; and 2. interpret rights as stated in the U.S. Constitution. Economics: 1. evaluate the economic factors involved in a choice or a decision; and 2. analyze decisions made by individuals, households, businesses, and governments and their economic outcomes. History: 1. express the significance of key historical people, events, and documents; 2. use an understanding of historical perspective, time, and chronology to analyze past and current events; 3. interpret both primary and secondary sources; and 4. evaluate the social and economic impact of major scientific and technological advancements. Mastery Students scoring at this level generally exhibit the ability to Geography: 1. analyze and compare major geographic features on maps and globes; 2. compare the connection between people and the environment; 3. classify geographical data; 4. describe the world in spatial terms; and 5. describe processes that shape Earth. Civics: 1. explain the branches and responsibilities of government; and 2. explain rights and responsibilities of citizens as stated in the U.S. Constitution. Economics: 1. apply economic concepts; 2. explain how individuals, households, businesses, and governments are dependent on each other; and 3. demonstrate an understanding of the economic outcomes of decisions made by individuals, households, businesses, and governments. History: 1. identify and describe key historical people, events, and documents; 2. apply an understanding of historical perspective, time, and chronology; 3. interpret primary and secondary sources; and 4. explain the importance of major scientific and technological advancements.