South Carolina General Assembly
116th Session, 2005-2006

Download This Bill in Microsoft Word format

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

S. 123

STATUS INFORMATION

General Bill
Sponsors: Senators Short and Ford
Document Path: l:\council\bills\pt\2214sj05.doc

Introduced in the Senate on January 11, 2005
Currently residing in the Senate Committee on Education

Summary: References to Exit Exam deleted

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

     Date      Body   Action Description with journal page number
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  12/15/2004  Senate  Prefiled
  12/15/2004  Senate  Referred to Committee on Education
   1/11/2005  Senate  Introduced and read first time SJ-143
   1/11/2005  Senate  Referred to Committee on Education SJ-143

View the latest legislative information at the LPITS web site

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

12/15/2004

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

A BILL

TO AMEND SECTIONS 59-18-310, 59-18-320, 59-30-10, 59-48-35, AND 59-139-60, ALL RELATING TO THE HIGH SCHOOL EXIT EXAM, SO AS TO DELETE THE PORTIONS RELATING TO THE EXIT EXAM; AND TO REPEAL SECTIONS 59-30-11 AND 59-30-15 BOTH RELATING TO THE HIGH SCHOOL EXIT EXAM.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION    1.    Section 59-18-310(B) of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"(B)    The statewide assessment program in the four academic areas shall must include grades three through eight, an exit examination which is to be first administered in grade ten, and end of course tests for gateway courses in English/language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies for grades nine through twelve."

SECTION    2.    Section 59-18-320(B) of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"(B)    After review and approval by the Education Oversight Committee, the standards based assessment of mathematics, English/language arts, social studies, and science will must be administered to all public school students to include those students as required by the 1997 reauthorization of the Federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and by Title 1 at the end of grades three through eight. The exit examination in these four academic areas will be administered for the first time at the end of grade ten. For students with documented disabilities, the assessments developed by the Department of Education shall must include the appropriate modifications and accommodations with necessary supplemental devices as outlined in a student's Individualized Education Program and as stated in the Administrative Guidelines and Procedures for Testing Students with Documented Disabilities."

SECTION    3.    Section 59-30-10 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 59-30-10.    The State Board of Education, through the State Department of Education, shall:

(a)(1)    Establish statewide educational objectives in the basic skills for kindergarten through grade twelve and establish minimum standards of student achievement for readiness and Grades 1, 2, 3, 6, 8 and 11 grades one, two, three, six, eight, and eleven. The term 'basic skills' shall include includes mathematics and the communication skills of reading and writing. The minimum standards for readiness and Grades 1, 2, 3, 6, 8 and 11 grades one, two, three, six, eight, and eleven shall must be designed to reflect the level of skill mastery, as determined by the State Board of Education, each student is expected to have attained at the various grades.

(b)(1)(2)(a)    Establish a state basic skills assessment program that shall include includes the administration to all public school students at the beginning of grade one a readiness test that will be designed to measure a student's readiness to begin the formal school curriculum. The results of the readiness test shall must be used to provide appropriate developmental activities in the first grade.

(2)(b)    Provide for the administration of the readiness test at the beginning of the school year in grade one. Based on the results of the test, the school district shall advise the parents of any a student not indicating readiness for first grade work to secure a complete physical examination for that child. Such This advice by the school district shall contain information about local governmental health services that are available.

(c)(1)(3)(a)    As a part of the basic skills assessment program, develop or select criterion-referenced tests that can measure student achievement in reading and mathematics in grades one, two, and three against the standard established for each of those respective grades.

(2)(b)    Cause to be administered the tests provided for herein in this section to all public school students at the end of grades one, two, and three. The purpose of the tests shall be is that of diagnosis of student deficiencies and that of an aid in determining instruction needed by the student in achieving the minimum statewide standard established for each respective grade.

(d)(1)(4)(a)    As a part of the basic skills assessment program, develop or select criterion-referenced tests that can measure student achievement in reading, writing, and mathematics in grades six and eight against the standard established for each of those respective grades.

(2)(b)    Cause to be administered the test provided for grade six to all public school students at the end of grade six and shall cause to be administered the test provided for grade eight to all public school students at the end of grade eight. The purpose of the tests shall be is that of diagnosis of student deficiencies and that of an aid in determining instruction needed by the student in achieving the minimum statewide standard established for each respective grade.

(e)    Develop or select, and field test, tests that will measure student achievement in the basic skills areas of reading, writing, and mathematics at the end of grade 11 which shall include items requiring the application of school skills to life situations. The field test shall be conducted for the purpose of establishing the reliability and validity of the test.

(f)    Beginning in the school year 1981-82 and continuing through the school year 1984-85, administer the test specified in item (e) of this section to all students in grade eleven for the purpose of collecting baseline data. The Department of Education shall use the baseline data for the purpose of program assessment and shall provide assistance to those schools or districts in which the data indicate that program adjustment or modification is most needed due to inordinate numbers of children not passing the test. The State Board of Education shall use the baseline data for the purpose of determining the high school credentials to be awarded students not meeting the minimum achievement scores. Beginning with the school year 1985-86, the eleventh grade examination may be no longer administered and the board shall cause to be administered an exit examination to all tenth grade students. Local school districts shall establish remedial programs to assist those students who do not pass the examination. Passage of this exit examination is a condition for the receipt of a state high school diploma for those students who otherwise meet the requirements for the diploma during the school year 1989-90 and thereafter. Additionally, during the school year 1989-90 and thereafter individuals participating in adult education programs must pass the exit examination as an additional requirement for the receipt of a state high school diploma. Failure to pass the examination obligates the student to enroll in a remedial program. Students who do not pass the examination in the tenth grade must retake the test in the eleventh grade and may retake the test twice in the twelfth grade, thereby providing students with four opportunities to pass the exit examination. If an individual exits the school system at the end of the twelfth grade without having passed the exit examination, he shall be awarded an appropriate State certificate indicating the number of credits earned and grades completed or may be offered the opportunity to:

(1)    accept a certificate indicating the number of credits earned and grades completed instead of a diploma;

(2)    return in the fall as a senior if he is under the maximum age for attending high school, fully enroll in school, and retake the exit examination twice if necessary in the same manner it is offered to other seniors;

(3)    enroll in the summer school exit exam program established below; or

(4)    enroll in adult education.

For a student who has failed to pass the exit examination after four chances and who certifies that his military, educational, or other career goals must be placed on hold as a result of his failure to pass the exit exam, a summer testing of the exit exam following a remediation program in summer school after the student's twelfth grade year may be offered to allow these students to move forward with their career in a timely manner. If the student fails the exit exam following this summer program, he must then be offered the options (1), (2), or (4) referred to above. All costs related to the summer school program and summer testing of the exit exam must be paid by the student.

(g)(5)    Use utmost care to insure ensure that to the maximum extent feasible, within existing knowledge and technology cultural bias is eliminated in the tests administered as a part of the basic skills assessment program.

(h)(6)    Purchase and distribute necessary materials for the assessment program and train state and local staff and teachers to administer the tests in the assessment program and to interpret the results of those tests.

(i)(7)    Provide for the security and integrity of the tests that are administered under pursuant to the assessment program.

(j)(8)    Revise and update the tests administered under pursuant to the assessment program as deemed considered appropriate by the department.

(k)(9)    Render advice and aid to school districts concerning their curricula and the assessment program.

(l)(10)    Report the results of the program annually to the Governor, the General Assembly, the school districts, and to the general public, together with any recommendations of the South Carolina Basic Skills Advisory Commission created pursuant to Section 59-30-20.

(m)(11)    Consult with such this commission concerning the implementation of, or major changes to, the provisions of this chapter.

(n)(12)    Provide school districts with information concerning basic instructional programs which that have been demonstrated to be effective in developing readiness skills or in the teaching of reading, writing, and mathematics. The Department of Education shall encourage school districts to adopt programs that are determined to be appropriate to the needs of their students.

(o)(13)    Provide appropriate office space, staff, equipment, and supplies to the Basic Skills Advisory Commission.

(14)    Establish statewide educational objectives in science for grades one through eight and establish minimum standards of student achievement for grades three, six, and eight. The State Board of Education, through the Department of Education, also shall develop and field-test, as part of the Basic Skills Assessment Program, criterion-referenced tests that will measure student achievement in science in grades three, six, and eight against the standards established for each of these respective grades and cause to be administered the tests provided for herein in this section to all public school students at the end of grades three, six, and eight. The purpose of the test is that of diagnosis of student deficiencies and that of an aid in determining instruction needed by the student in achieving the minimum statewide standard established for each respective grade."

SECTION    4.    Section 59-48-35 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 59-48-35.    The students enrolled in the Special School of Science and Mathematics who earn a total of twenty units of credit distributed as specified in the Defined Minimum Program for South Carolina school districts, who pass the exit examination described in Section 59-30-10(f), and who meet the school's requirements for graduation are eligible to receive a state high school diploma. The board of the Special School, in its discretion, may issue its own high school diploma."

SECTION    5.    Section 59-139-60 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 59-139-60.    The State Board of Education, through the State Department of Education and in consultation with the Education Oversight Committee, shall establish an assessment system to evaluate the degree to which the purposes of this chapter are met. To that end, the State Board of Education, through the Department of Education shall:

(1)    develop or adapt a developmentally appropriate assessment program to be administered to all public school students by the end of grade three that is designed to measure a student's strengths and weaknesses in skills required to perform academic work considered to be at the fourth grade level. Information on each student's progress and on areas in need of improvement must be provided to the student's parent or guardian and fourth grade teacher. Aggregated information on student progress must be given to the students' kindergarten through third grade schools so that deficiencies in the schools' academic programs can be addressed;

(2)    review the performance of students on the eighth grade basic skills assessment test and performance on the exit examination pursuant to Section 59-30-10, or their its equivalent, for progress in meeting the skill levels required by these examinations this examination. Student data must be aggregated by the schools the students attended so that programs' deficiencies can be addressed;

(3)    review the data on students overage for grade in each school at grades four and nine;

(4)    monitor the performance of schools and districts so that continuing weaknesses in the programs preparing students for the fourth grade, and ninth grade, and exit examination tests shall receive special assistance from the Department of Education; and

(5)    propose other methods or measures for assessing how well the purposes of this chapter are met."

SECTION    6.    Sections 59-30-11 and 59-30-15 of the 1976 Code are repealed.

SECTION    7.    This act takes effect beginning with the 2005-06 school year.

----XX----

This web page was last updated on Friday, December 4, 2009 at 3:26 P.M.