KRS 158.860: Examination upon completion of core content course.

(1) As used in this section:

(a) "Core course" means any course offered in the middle grades or high school

grades that is a specific high school graduation requirement or a course that

may be used to fulfill a minimum graduation requirement in the content are as

of language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies as specified in

administrative regulation promulgated by the Kentucky Board of Education

under the provisions of KRS 156.160; and

(b) "End-of-course examination" or "end -of-course exam" means a test that

measures a student's knowledge and skills upon completion of a core content

course.

(2) The Kentucky Department of Education shall coordinate the development of end -

of-course exams.

(a) The development process shall initially include end -of-course exams for

Algebra I, Algebra II, and Geometry.

(b) Content teachers in the core courses, postsecondary faculty including subject

matter specialists as well as teacher educators, curriculum specialists, and

other appropriate practitioners shall be involve d in the development and

review of items for the exams. Content teachers shall comprise the majority of

the developers and reviewers of the test items.

(c) The department shall ensure that each end-of-course exam:

1. Aligns with the standards, content, goa ls, and academic expectations

relevant to the course;

2. Requires student demonstration of knowledge, comprehension,

application, and higher order cognitive skills;

3. Provides reliable and valid test items;

4. Is available to schools in an on -line format if resources are available;

and

5. Provides individual student scores; test item analyses; aggregate

comparisons of student data at the school, district, and state levels; and

disaggregated data by student subpopulations at the school district and

state levels.

(d) The department shall make available a parallel form for each exam.

(e) The initial end -of-course exam developed as required in paragraph (a) of this

subsection shall be available and piloted in selected school districts no later

than the end of the 2007-2008 school year.

(3) The department may contract for services as deemed necessary to fulfill its duties

under this section.

(4) The Kentucky Department of Education shall conduct a study of the end -of-course

examinations and the processes used during the pilot of the exams.

(a) Following the initial use of the end -of-course exams in Algebra 1, Algebra II,

and Geometry, the department, with assistance from the developers identified

in subsection (2)(b) of this section, shall determine whether the exams meet

the requirements in subsection (2)(c) of this section. The determination shall

be based on an analysis of individual test items, analyses of student results on

the exams, pilot teachers' input, and review of other data gathered during the

pilot year.

(b) The department shall consult with the Education Assessment and

Accountability Review Subcommittee, the National Technical Advisory Panel

on Assessment and Accountability, and the School Curriculum, Assessment,

and Accountability Council regarding the implications for statewide

implementation and shall advise the Kentucky Board of Education of its

findings and recommendations.

(c) Following the consultations and discussions required in paragraphs (a) and (b)

of this subsection, the commissioner of education shall report the findings of

the pilot project and policy options to the Interim Joint Committee on

Education.

(5) End-of-course exams in the pilot period shall not be used as a criterion for formally

evaluating or compensating teachers. Student results may be discussed during the

formative evaluation stage in compliance with KRS 156.557.

(6) The department shall develop the test procedures, including testing

accommodations for students with special needs, retest provisions, reporting

requirements, and other procedures as necessary to implement the provisions of this

section.

(7) A teacher shall use a student's score on any end-of-course exam that is administered

in calculating the student's final grade in accordance with policies of the local board

of education and the school-based decision making council.

(8) The commissioner o f education or a designee shall provide a written status report

regarding implementation of this section to the Interim Joint Committee on

Education and the Education Assessment and Accountability Review Subcommittee

by December 1, 2007, and July 1, 2008.

(9) The Kentucky Department of Education and local school districts shall use end -of-

course exams to promote increased student accountability. The department and local

school districts shall also use test results to determine the need for technical

assistance, professional development, and other resources to improve instruction.