71st OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2001 Regular Session
NOTE: Matter within { + braces and plus signs + } in an
amended section is new. Matter within { - braces and minus
signs - } is existing law to be omitted. New sections are within
{ + braces and plus signs + } .
LC 3226
House Bill 2815
Sponsored by Representative BACKLUND
SUMMARY
The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the
measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject to
consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor's
brief statement of the essential features of the measure as
introduced.
Allows student who has not met or exceeded mastery level or
grade level standards to advance to next level if certain
requirements are met.
A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to advancement of students; creating new provisions; and
amending ORS 329.485.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
SECTION 1. ORS 329.485 is amended to read:
329.485. (1)(a) The Department of Education shall implement
statewide a valid and reliable assessment system for all students
that meets technical adequacy standards. The assessment system,
to be completed by the year 2000, shall include
criterion-referenced assessments including performance-based
assessments, content-based assessments, as those terms are
defined in ORS 329.075, and other valid methods to measure the
academic content standards and to identify students who meet or
exceed the standards for each mastery level leading to the
Certificate of Initial Mastery and the Certificate of Advanced
Mastery. However, until this plan is operational, assessment
shall continue at grades 3, 5, 8 and 10.
(b) The Department of Education shall develop the statewide
assessment system in:
(A) Mathematics, to be implemented by the 1995-1996 school
year.
(B) English, to be implemented by the 1996-1997 school year.
(C) Science, to be implemented by the 1997-1998 school year.
(D) History, geography, economics and civics, to be implemented
by the 1998-1999 school year.
(2) Prior to full statewide implementation of the assessment
system pursuant to subsection (1) of this section, the State
Board of Education by rule shall establish criteria for
determining whether students have demonstrated the knowledge and
skills necessary to perform successfully at each level in the
manner described in ORS 329.465, 329.475 and 329.855.
(3) Each year the resident district shall be accountable for
determining the student's progress toward achieving the standards
at grades 3, 5, 8 and 10. Progress toward the standards shall be
measured in a manner that clearly enables the student and parents
to know whether the student is making progress toward meeting or
exceeding the standards at grades 3, 5, 8 and 10. In addition,
the district shall adopt a grading system based on the local
school district board adopted course content of the district's
curriculum. The grading system shall clearly enable the student
and parents to know how well the student is achieving course
requirements.
(4) If a student has not met or has exceeded all of the
standards at grades 3, 5, 8 and 10, the school district shall
make additional services or alternative educational or public
school options available to the student.
(5) If the student to whom additional services or alternative
educational options have been made available does not meet or
exceed the standards within one year, the school district, with
the consent of the parents, shall make an appropriate placement,
which may include an alternative education program or the
transfer of the student to another public school in the district
or to a public school in another district that agrees to accept
the student. The district that receives the student shall be
entitled to payment. The payment shall consist of:
(a) An amount equal to the district expenses from its local
revenues for each student in average daily membership, payable by
the resident district in the same year; and
(b) Any state and federal funds the attending district is
entitled to receive payable as provided in ORS 339.133 (2).
{ + (6) Each school district shall develop a policy and
procedure for advancing a student to the next level if the
student has not met or exceeded the standards for a mastery level
or grade level. A school district may determine which content
areas listed in subsection (1)(b) of this section are subject
areas for which a student must meet or exceed the standards for
advancement. The policy and procedure shall include, but not be
limited to, a requirement for:
(a) Documentation verifying notification of a parent no later
than the end of the first semester of a school year if, in the
judgment of the school district staff, a student is at risk of
not meeting the standards for advancement to the next mastery
level or grade level;
(b) Documentation signed by a parent at the time of advancement
explaining the advancement of a student;
(c) A written reason why advancement is educationally desirable
for the student; and
(d) A plan to bring the skills of the student up to the mastery
level or grade level standards.
(7) The policy developed under subsection (6) of this section
shall:
(a) Include reading as a subject area for which a student must
meet the standards for advancement from grades 3, 5, 8 and 10 by
either:
(A) Including English as a subject area for which a student
must meet the standards for advancement; or
(B) Measuring reading skills of students at grades 3, 5, 8 and
10 with a nationally recognized norm-referenced reading test.
(b) Provide that if a student has not met the reading standards
prior to the end of grade 3, the student may not be promoted to a
higher grade level. This paragraph does not apply to a student
who is eligible for special education as a child with
disabilities under ORS 343.035. + }
SECTION 2. { + The amendments to ORS 329.485 by section 1 of
this 2001 Act shall first apply to students entering the first
grade in the 2001-2002 school year. + }
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