16 NCAC 06D .0307 test administration in public schools

(a) Only current or retired professional educators as defined in G.S. 115C-270.1 or teachers who

(1) are employed by local education agencies (LEAs); and

(2) have training in the Annual Testing Program as required in Rule .0308 of this Section shall administer secure tests.

(b) "Secure test" for purposes of this Chapter means "any test developed, adopted, or provided by the State Board of Education that has not been released under G.S. 115C-174.13."

(1) beginning of grade 3 reading proficiency test;

(2) grades 3 through 8 end-of-grade (EOG) English language arts/reading and mathematics;

(2) grades 5 and 8 EOG science;

(3) grade 10 end-of-course (EOC) English II;

(4) grade 11 EOC assessments in NC Math 1, NC Math 3, and EOC Biology;

(5) grade 11 ACT; and

(6) grade 12 Career and Technical Education Concentrators and ACT WorkKeys.

(d) The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) shall supply the secure tests to LEAs. LEAs shall:

(1) account to the NCDPI for all secure tests received;

(2) provide a secure, locked storage facility for all secure tests received;

(3) prohibit the reproduction of any or all parts of a secure test; and

(4) prohibit their employees from disclosing the content of a secure test or specific items contained in a secure except as necessary to administer the test.

(e) LEAs shall monitor test administration procedures. If a school employee discovers any violation of the rules in this Subchapter, he or she shall notify the principal, charter school director, or school test coordinator who shall notify the superintendent or the LEA test coordinator. If the superintendent or the LEA test coordinator determines that the violation affected the validity of the test for its intended purpose, he or she shall have the authority to order the affected students to be retested.

(f) If NCDPI determines that the failure to administer a test in accordance with the rules in this Subchapter produced a result which is invalid for measuring student achievement, then NCDPI may remedy the error or order the LEA to remedy the error, including requiring retesting students.

(g) LEAs shall, at the beginning of each school year, provide information to students and parents or guardians advising them of the districtwide and State-mandated tests that students will be required to take during that school year. In addition, LEAs shall advise students and parents or guardians of the dates the tests will be administered and how the results from the tests will be used. Also, information provided to parents shall include whether the State Board of Education or the local board of education requires the test(s).

(h) LEAs shall report scores resulting from the administration State-mandated tests from the Annual Testing Program to students and parents or guardians no later than 30 days after the test is administered and along with available score interpretation information within 30 days from receipt of the scores and interpretive documentation from the NCDPI.

Selected LEAs and schools, determined through stratified random samples, shall participate in field testing and other sample testing.

(i) LEAs shall participate in National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and other national or international assessments as designated by the SBE.

History Note: Authority G.S. 115C-12(9); 115C-174.10; 115C-174.11; 115C-174.12; 115C-174.13; 115C-174.16;

Emergency Adoption Eff. August 20, 2019;

Eff. March 1, 2021.