2016 Arizona Revised Statutes
Title 15 - Education
§ 15-741.02 Menu of locally procured achievement assessments; requirements; rules

15-741.02. Menu of locally procured achievement assessments; requirements; rules

A. The state board of education shall adopt a menu of locally procured achievement assessments to measure pupil achievement of the state academic standards. Beginning in the 2017-2018 school year, each local education agency that offers instruction in grades nine through twelve may select from that menu an achievement assessment that is locally procured to administer to the pupils in one or more schools as provided for in the rules and procedures of the state board of education in that local education agency instead of the test to measure pupil achievement adopted by the state board of education pursuant to section 15-741. Beginning in the 2018-2019 school year, each local education agency that offers instruction in grades three through eight may select from that menu an achievement assessment that is locally procured to administer to the pupils in that local education agency instead of the test to measure pupil achievement adopted by the state board of education pursuant to section 15-741.

B. A locally procured achievement assessment in use by a local education agency that is not on the menu of assessments may be added to the menu at the request of the local education agency and approval by the state board of education. The state board of education shall evaluate locally procured assessments not on the menu pursuant to this section annually.

C. A local education agency that selects a locally procured achievement assessment pursuant to this section meets the requirements prescribed in section 15-741. The local education agency shall include the name of the assessment it administers in the school report card required in section 15-746 and administer the assessment for a minimum period of time prescribed by the state board of education.

D. The state board of education shall adopt rules and procedures for the approval of locally procured assessments to be administered by the superintendent of public instruction pursuant to this section. Any rule or procedure adopted pursuant to this subsection may not require a local education agency to receive additional approval from the state board of education or the department of education to select an assessment from the menu of assessments pursuant to this section except that a local education agency assigned a letter grade of D or F pursuant to section 15-241 may not choose an assessment from the menu and shall continue to use the statewide assessment adopted by the state board of education pursuant to section 15-741.

E. The state board of education shall require that the provider of a locally procured achievement assessment that is proposed to be considered for the menu of locally procured achievement assessments shall do all of the following:

1. Provide evidence that the assessment is a high quality assessment.

2. Demonstrate that the assessment meets or exceeds the state board's adopted academic standards.

3. Demonstrate that the assessment scores can be equated for state accountability programs including establishing comparable student assessment scores and performance levels for achievement profiles and letter grade classifications issued pursuant to section 15-241.

4. Submit an evaluation from a third party approved by the state board of education that shows the assessment meets the requirements prescribed in paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 of this subsection.

5. Provide a copy of assessment scores to the department of education when scores are provided to their partnering local education agency.