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Tag: Testing

Published on
  • Effective:  9/22/2020
  1. Board Directive
    The Board of Education recognizes the statutory requirement for individual school districts to administer the statewide assessment system to uniformly measure statewide student performance.  The Board further recognizes the public investment in statewide assessments, and supports an orderly and manageable process to allow private and home school students to participate in public school achievement tests if desired, in accordance with R277-604.  The Administration is authorized by the Board of Education to establish Administrative Regulations consistent with this policy.
  2. Administrative Policy
    It is the policy of the Administration to address parent requests for statewide testing of home school or private school students with the following administrative policy provisions:

    1. Definitions
      1. "Home school student" means a student who has been excused from compulsory education and for whom documentation has been completed under 53G-6-204, R277-404-2 and AA438-Releasing Minors from School Attendance.
      2. "Private school" means a school that is not a public school but:
        1. has a current business license through the Utah Department of Commerce;
        2. is accredited as described in R277-410; and
        3. has and makes available a written policy for maintaining and securing student records.
      3. “Statewide Assessment” means:
        1. the summative adaptive assessment of a student in grades 3 through 8 in basic skills courses;
        2. the online writing assessment in grades 5 and 8;
        3. a high school assessment in grades 9 and 10;
        4. a statewide English Language proficiency assessment;
        5. the college readiness assessment;
        6. the summative adaptive assessment of a student in grades 1-3 to measure reading grade level using the end of year benchmark reading assessment; and
        7. the summative adaptive assessment of a student in grades 1-3 to measure math grade level using the end of year benchmark math assessment.
    2. Procedure for Statewide Assessments - Participation for Private Schools and Private School Students
      1. Applications for participation in statewide assessments must be received by Evaluation, Research & Accountability at least forty-five (45) days prior to the opening of the applicable assessment window. Evaluation, Research & Accountability shall respond to the application in a timely manner.
      2. Private schools that are interested in participating in statewide assessments must participate, at the school district’s discretion, in the public school district where the private school is located.
      3. The number of private school students will be limited to space available after currently enrolled public school students have been accommodated.
      4. In the event that a private school student has an IEP or 504 Accommodation Plan in place requiring special accommodations, it is the responsibility of the private school to indicate such at the time of the application. Evaluation, Research & Accountability shall review the requested accommodation(s) and determine the feasibility of the request.  The private school shall be informed of the results of the determination prior to the testing date.
      5. A private school may request the following from the school district in which it is located:
        1. an annual schedule of statewide assessment dates;
        2. the location at which private schools may be tested; and
        3. written policies for private school student participation.
      6. Private school students who are not Utah residents may participate in statewide assessments only by payment in advance of the full cost of individual assessments.
        1. Evaluation, Research & Accountability shall provide reasonable costs for the participation of Utah private school students in statewide assessments to be paid in advance by either the student or the student’s private school.
        2. Evaluation, Research & Accountability shall provide an explanation of reasonable costs including administration materials, scoring, and reporting of assessment results.
        3. Evaluation, Research & Accountability shall provide notice to private school administrators of any required private school administrator participation in monitoring or proctoring of tests.
      7. Assessment results will be delivered electronically to the email address of the private school administrator indicated in the application.
    3. Procedure for Statewide Assessment Participation of Home School Students
      1. The student must have completed and submitted an Annual Home School Affidavit and received a District Certificate of Exemption from Planning & Enrollment.
      2. Applications for participation in statewide assessments must be received by the Evaluation, Research & Accountability department at least forty-five (45) days prior to the opening of the applicable assessment window. Evaluation, Research & Accountability shall respond to the application in a timely manner.
      3. A home school student may participate in statewide assessments only if the student has satisfied the home school requirements of 53G-6-204, R277-404-2, and AA438-Releasing Minors from School Attendance.
      4. A home school student who desires to participate in statewide assessments must participate in the public school district in which the home school student’s parent or legal guardian resides.
      5. In the event that a home school student has an IEP or 504 Accommodation Plan in place requiring special accommodations, it is the responsibility of the applicant/parent to indicate such at the time of the application. Evaluation, Research & Accountability shall review the requested accommodation(s) and determine the feasibility of the request.  The applicant/parent shall be informed of the results of the determination prior to the testing date.
      6. A home school student or parent may request the following from Evaluation, Research & Accountability in which the home school student or parent resides:
        1. an annual schedule of statewide assessment dates;
        2. the location at which the home school student may be tested; and
        3. written policies for home school student participation.
      7. The Jordan School District may not require a home school student to pay a fee that is not charged to traditional students.
      8. Evaluation, Research & Accountability shall provide notice to home school students or parents of any required parent or adult participation in monitoring or proctoring of tests.
      9. Assessment results will be delivered electronically to the email address of the student’s parent indicated in the

Published on
  • Effective: 8/27/1969
  • Revision: 2/25/2014
  1. Board Directive
    The Board recognizes the need of a group testing program to gain information for use in individual student planning and to help evaluate the instructional programs of the District. Therefore, the Board charges the Administration with establishing a District-wide group testing program.
  2. Administrative Policy
    The Director of Evaluation, Research and Accountability, under the direction of the Administrator of Teaching and Learning and in cooperation with the Administrators of Schools, shall be responsible for the general direction and administration of the District-wide group testing program.

    1. Group tests are administered to gain information about the achievement of individual students, to provide information used in the screening and placement of students and to help evaluate
      instructional programs.

      1. Achievement tests are to be used in the basic District-wide group testing program.
      2. Tests will also be administered to establish competency and mastery of core curriculum standards as directed by the Jordan School District Board of Education, Utah State Board of Education, and the U.S. Department of Education.
      3. Other tests may be administered to determine student aptitude, achievement and interest levels for vocational guidance, for placement of students in remedial classes and for grouping students in various academic courses.
    2. A Testing Advisory Committee, composed of staff members from Teaching and Learning and Evaluation, Research and Accountability, shall periodically review the District-wide group testing program and make recommendations concerning test selection, testing procedures and the testing calendar.
    3. Procedures for administering the District-wide group testing program are to be established by Evaluation, Research and Accountability and include:
      1. The development and distribution of an annual group testing calendar and distribution of monthly updates to the group testing calendar.
      2. The ordering, distribution and security of test materials.
      3. The preparation of orientation programs and materials regarding the proper use, administration, interpretation and security of tests.
      4. The preparation and submission of electronic pre-print data requisite for online or computer-based assessment administrations.
    4. Principals shall be responsible for the administration of the District-wide group testing program at the local school level.  They are responsible for distribution and security of test materials and relaying test orientation information to the professional staff members within their building.  At the middle school and high school levels, an administrator or counselor shall be designated as the school testing coordinator.  Principals are responsible to oversee and ensure the standardized, ethical and efficient administration of all District-wide group testing including assessments administered in both paper-based and online or computer-based formats.  Utilizing resources provided by Evaluation, Research and Accountability, principals shall annually conduct professional development with their faculty and staff stipulating that all District-wide assessments are to be administered in a standardized and ethical manner, and of potential employee consequences if standardized and ethical procedures are not followed.
    5. Test scores shall be released to parents/guardians and to secondary students on appropriate occasions through (1) conferences in which test scores are interpreted by a professional educator, or (2) by other procedures deemed appropriate.
    6. Evaluation, Research and Accountability shall be responsible for preparation and distribution of test results and reports.
      1. It shall be each principal's responsibility to see that requisite test scores are maintained in each student's permanent record folder.
      2. Reports containing statistical summaries of test data shall be prepared as required by the Administration, and state and federal programs.
    7. The procedures for students/parents to appeal a given test score or scores are as follows:
      1. Within 60 days of receipt of test results, the parents or guardian shall notify the school principal in writing, detailing the specific testing irregularity or inaccuracy that has resulted in their appeal and their request for a remedy.
      2. Assisted by Evaluation, Research and Accountability, the principal will review the appeal in a timely manner.  In the case of students receiving special education services, the IEP team will be included in the review.
      3. The principal will notify the parent or guardian of the decision on the appeal.
      4. Should the parents or guardian disagree with the decision of the principal, they may appeal within 60 days to the Board of Education.
      5. The Administration will schedule such a hearing with the Board at the convenience of the parties directly concerned and shall notify those persons who will be in attendance at this hearing.
      6. The student, parents or guardian may exercise the right to be represented by legal counsel at the hearing.
      7. The Board must receive a notice ten (10) school days prior to the hearing if the student wishes to be represented by legal counsel in order that the Administration may exercise the same right.
      8. After the hearing, the Administration will inform the parents or guardian in writing of the Board’s decision.