COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT SYSTEM
I. Policy Statement
Educators, parents, and other stakeholders in public education all have the obligation and
duty to ensure that our students meet or exceed the performance expectations and
proficiency standards as defined by state standards, and as measured through state and local
assessments. Upon graduation, our students must demonstrate college and career
readiness. They must be adequately prepared to compete and excel in secondary and
higher education settings, as well as training that leads to meaningful career opportunities
requiring mastery of content learning and its application in real world settings.
In order to monitor and support the achievement of college and career readiness in our
students, we will provide a Comprehensive Assessment System that is based upon
applicable state and national standards, local classroom assessments and standardized
measures including state assessments in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science.
A Comprehensive Assessment System is a coordinated plan for monitoring the academic
achievement of students from Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12. The goal of the
comprehensive assessment system is to increase student learning by producing actionable
data, evaluate the effectiveness of programs, and ensure that all students are making
progress toward achieving learning goals. Research has shown that data-informed
decision-making on the part of educators leads to greater student achievement. In addition,
students benefit when they understand the criteria for success and receive regular,
descriptive feedback on their progress toward their goals.
Curricula, instruction, and assessment for all students will be aligned to state and national
standards, along with accompanying identified benchmarks which will serve as indicators
of student proficiency, including those deemed appropriate by the State Board of Education
and the RI Department of Education. To provide students, teachers, and parents with
appropriate data to monitor student success, all students are required to participate in the
designated local and state assessments appropriate to their grade level. This will include
appropriate accommodations as required within IEP and 504, and in accordance with other
federal regulations.
II. Legal Authority
Title 1 of the Federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act requires that each school
district receiving federal funding is required to use the state academic assessments to
determine whether the school is making adequate yearly progress. 1 School districts are
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1 SEC. 1116. ACADEMIC ASSESSMENT AND LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY AND SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT.
(a) LOCAL REVIEW-
1) IN GENERAL – Each local educational agency receiving funds under this part shall – required to attain a minimum student participation rate of 95 percent in the statewide assessment program.
The Rhode Island General Assembly empowers and requires the Rhode Island Board of
Education 2 and the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) to implement a state
assessment program including performance standards and assessments of student
performance 3 . The Rhode Island General Assembly mandates that school committees,
including the West Warwick School Committee develop educational policies to meet
the needs of the community, to provide for and assure the implementation of federal
and state laws and regulation and to establish policies governing curriculum and
courses of instruction. 4
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(A) Use the State academic assessments and other indicators described in the State plan to review
annually the progress of each school served under this part to determine whether the school is
making adequate yearly progress as defined in section 1111(b)(2);
216-97-1.1 Purposes of the board of education. –
The Rhode Island Board of Education shall be responsible for long-range planning and for coordinating and evaluating policies and programs for the public educational systems of the state. The general assembly finds and declares that the board of education shall have the following purposes:
(a) To develop and adopt educational, financial and operational goals for the education systems of the state that represent achievable benchmarks for a ten (10) year and twenty (20) year time frame and that can be implemented by the council on elementary and secondary education, the council on postsecondary education, and the commissioners for elementary and secondary education and postsecondary education;
(b) To ensure that the education systems of the state are aligned with the projected opportunities in
workforce development and economic development and that the education systems are preparing students to participate in the future workforce of Rhode Island;
(c) To coordinate programs and courses of study and promote collaboration between and among pre-kindergarten through higher education institutions and agencies, including, but not limited to:
(1) improving career and college readiness;
(2) reducing the need for remedial instruction;
(3) implementing and coordinating common core and other system wide standards;
(4) ensuring a quality system for adult education and certification programs in secondary school and college.
(d) To present strategic budget and finance recommendations to the council on elementary and secondary education and council on postsecondary education that are aligned with the long-range goals adopted by the board.
316-97-8. Assessment of student performance. –
(a) The commissioner of elementary and secondary education shall implement the state assessment
program. The program shall include performance standards and an annual report that disaggregates
performance by race, poverty, native language and gender.
(b) Prior to the graduating class of 2017, no state assessment conducted pursuant to this chapter, and no other standardized testing program or assessment, shall be used to determine a student’s eligibility to graduate from high school. Any such assessments implemented prior to the graduating class of 2017, shall be used to promote school improvement and to target remediation programs to individual students and groups of students.
*See R.I. Gen. Laws 16-2-9 § (a) (2), (3) & (20)
The Rhode Island General Assembly requires superintendents of schools to implement
policies established school committees and to comply with provisions of federal and state
Law.
III. District’s Adoption of the Comprehensive Assessment System
The West Warwick School Committee hereby adopts Comprehensive Assessment
System, including but not limited to the state assessments. Students are hereby required
to participate in all such required or designated assessments.
IV. District Proposal
The Superintendent of Schools shall forthwith establish a districtwide protocol
facilitating the terms of this policy. Consistent with applicable state law, rule, and
guidance from the Rhode Island Department of Education, the Superintendent shall
provide for alignment of appropriate curricula to the state standards, Comprehensive
Assessment System, and ensure that all students are assessed by the statewide assessment
Program.
V. Evaluation and Review
This policy shall be reviewed and updated on a regular basis, and shall be automatically
amended to conform to amendments and changes in applicable state and federal laws,
rules and regulations.
VI. Current State Assessment Program (subject to amendment from time to time):
The Rhode Island General Assembly has determined that state assessments be based upon
the Common Core standards.
RIDE has identified the following assessments for the statewide assessment program
The PARCC assessment for students enrolled in English Language Arts Grades 3-
10 and Mathematics, given in Grades 3-8, Algebra 1 and Geometry
NECAP Science, given in May to students in Grades 4, 8, and 11
NCSC Alternative Assessments, for students with significant cognitive disabilities, given in Grades 3-8 and 11, ELA and Mathematics