Testing Out

CHAPTER: INSTRUCTION

TITLE: TESTING-OUT

Purpose:     In accordance with West Virginia Department of Education Policy 2510, students enrolled in Clay County Schools shall be provided the opportunity to receive course credit for required courses by demonstrating mastery of the state and county Content Standards and Objectives associated with the successful completion of those courses. Students who demonstrate mastery on course-specific tests may receive credit and progress to the next level of instruction. The option to demonstrate mastery through a test is available only for high school credit.

Criteria for

Eligibility:  To be eligible to apply for mastery testing, a student must meet all of the following criteria:

a.        Score at or above the 70th percentile in relevant subtest on the most recently administered current state standardized assessment.

b.       Meet attendance requirements from OEPA Policy (WVDE Policy 2320) for the previous year.

c.       Submit request forms in accordance with established procedures.

d.       Have an average of at least 3.00 in the last three courses taken in the discipline being tested.

Procedures:

a.       A request for testing out must be made in the sequence in which the student would normally take the course(s).

b.       A student meeting the eligibility criteria will submit a written application to the principal no later than sixty (60) days prior to the start of the semester for grades 9-12.

c.       The test will be administered and scored by qualified school personnel applying the same standards used with students taking the course through traditional means.

d.       Test results will be forwarded to the student and to the principal no later than ten (10) calendar days prior to the beginning of the next semester for grades 9-12.

Mastery Test Criteria:

a.       The test used to determine mastery is developed by appropriately credentialed personnel approved by the superintendent.

b.       The test is comprehensive and reflects the state and county Content Standards and Objectives for the course for which credit is to be awarded.

c.       The test provides the students an opportunity to demonstrate mastery of the entire course through: (a) a variety of types of questions, i.e., multiple choice, short answer, and essays; (b) a range of levels of questions, i.e., knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, evaluation, and synthesis of the content of the course; (c) performance-based methods appropriate to the discipline.

d.       Tests are maintained and administered under standardized testing conditions.

e.       The same standards are used to evaluate the performance of students who test out and students who earn credit by traditional means.

Awarding

Credit:        A student shall receive a passing (P) grade for the course if he/she achieves a 93% level of mastery or higher. 'P" will be recorded on his/her transcript and the student will receive credit. The grade will not be included in the student's GPA calculation. I f a student is not successful (scores below 65% mastery); the grade will not be recorded.

Retesting:   A student may retest only once for grade 9-12 courses. The student must wait at least one semester prior to retesting.

Approved: December 1, 2003