Q: Why do students have to take all of these state tests?
A: Various laws, including Act 155, Act 200 and the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), require public schools to measure student performance. These tests are selected by the state in cooperation with the South Carolina Department of Education and the Education Oversight Committee (EOC). The district and its schools are bound by law to administer these assessments.
Q: What are the dates for state tests (SC READY, EOCEP, etc.) this year?
A: Check out this website for information on state tests (including dates), or take a look at the calendar on our home page for dates specific to Lexington District One. Schools sometimes have some flexibility within testing windows, so be sure to pay attention to any communication from your schools regarding testing.
Q: What do my child's state test scores mean?
A: Here are some resources for understanding your child's score reports:
Q: Why does the district administer standardized tests other than the required state tests?
A: Most state standardized tests are mainly used for state and federal accountability purposes, and they provide little instructional information that schools and teachers can use to monitor and improve student learning. Tests like SC READY, ACT and WorkKeys are summative measures of student achievement. The district supplements these assessments with carefully selected tests that can fill specific instructional needs. For example, we give interim assessments like iReady up to 3 times per year because tests like iReady provide teachers with detailed information on a student instructional levels and growth throughout the year. This kind of information helps teachers identify or confirm specific areas of need for students. The district also uses some tests to identify students for special programs, like EAGLES, while others help teachers measure proficiency in classes like World Language. The district periodically reviews its assessment plan to ensure that all of the tests we administer locally are useful so that we can keep testing to a minimum and protect instructional time.
Q: I want to do a research study in Lexington School District One. How can I get permission to conduct my study?
A: Visit our district website. HERE is the direct link to the information about conducting research in Lexington One. You can also check out the "Research" section of this website, HERE.