Code of Maine Rules
05 - DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
071 - EDUCATION - GENERAL
Chapter 127 - INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM, ASSESSMENT, AND DIPLOMA REQUIREMENTS
Section 071-127-4 - Comprehensive Assessment System
Universal Citation: 05 ME Code Rules § 071-127-4
Current through 2025-13, March 26, 2025
4.01 State-wide Assessment Program
Each school administrative unit and each student enrolled in a school covered by this rule shall participate in the Maine Education Assessment (MEA) in grades 4, 8, and 11. Participation can be through standard administration of the MEA, through administration with accommodations, or through alternate assessment.
4.02 Local Assessment System
The school board of each school administrative unit that operates a school shall, by the end of the 2003-2004 school year, adopt and fully implement a local assessment system as the measure of student progress on achievement of the content standards of the system of Learning Results established in Me. Dept. of Ed. Reg. 131. The assessment system shall address the grade spans of the schools operated. For school units that tuition all students in a grade level, assessment of that grade level shall be the responsibility of the receiving unit or school.
A. Purpose of Assessment
The purpose of assessment is to:
1). Produce high quality information about
student performance that will inform teaching and enhance learning,
2). Monitor and hold school administrative
units accountable for students achieving the content standards of the system of
Learning Results; and
3). Certify
student achievement of the content standards of the system of Learning
Results.
B.
Implementation of Local Assessment System
1).
By the end of the 2003-2004 school year, and annually thereafter, the
Superintendent shall certify to the Commissioner that the local assessment
system meets the assessment system standards established by this rule for the
content areas English Language Arts, Health and Physical Education,
Mathematics, Science and Technology, and Social Studies.
2). By the end of the 2006-2007 school year,
and annually thereafter, the Superintendent shall certify to the Commissioner
that the local assessment system meets the assessment system standards
established by this rule for the content areas Career Preparation, Modern and
Classical Languages, and Visual and Performing Arts, contingent upon funding
based on Essential Programs and Services or its equivalent.
C. Standards for Local Assessment
System
The Local Assessment System adopted by the school board of an administrative unit shall meet the following standards:
1). Each assessment in the Local Assessment
System shall meet the standards specified in part D. of this section.
2). There shall be multiple measures of
student performance for each content area and for each grade span, sufficient
to provide the results specified below, with criteria for selecting the type
and range of measures, and for aligning the multiple measures with the content
standards.
3). The local assessment
system shall include at least the following levels of assessments: classroom,
school, school administrative unit, and state. The system may include regional
and commercially produced assessments.
4). The role of the Maine Education
Assessment (MEA) in the local assessment system shall be explicitly stated.
Neither the MEA nor a commercially produced test may be the only measure of
student achievement.
5). Alternate
assessment shall be a component of the Local Assessment System, with clear
guidelines for participation in alternate assessment.
6). The mechanism for managing data produced
by the Local Assessment System shall be clearly described and well
coordinated.
7). The Local
Assessment System shall be sufficient to determine student progress on the
content standards of the system of Learning Results. This does not require
assessment of each performance indicator specified in Me. Dept. of Ed. Reg.
131. This shall include an explanation on how results are aggregated up from
specific assessments to a content standard and from the individual student to
the school unit.
8). Training and
development of school personnel shall be adequate to develop, use, and adapt
assessment data.
9). A
communications strategy shall provide for understanding of results by students,
parents, and citizens, in addition to educators.
10). The Local Assessment System shall
provide school and student results across the grade spans as follows. "School"
means that for each school in the unit there are results for each content area
as a whole; "student" means that for each student there are results for each
content area as a whole. "None" means that there are no results for the content
area for the grade span indicated.
By the end of the 2003-2004 school year:
Results Reported for:
| Pre-K-2 | 3-4 | 5-8 & 9-12 | |
| English Language Arts | student | student | student |
| Mathematics | student | student | student |
| Health & Physical Education | none | school | student |
| Science & Technology | none | school | student |
| Social Studies | none | school | student |
By the end of the 2006-2007 school year:
| Pre-K-2 | 3-4 | 5-8 & 9-12 | |
| English Language Arts | student | student | student |
| Mathematics | student | student | student |
| Health & Physical Education | school | student | student |
| Science & Technology | school | student | student |
| Social Studies | school | student | student |
| Career Preparation | school | school | student |
| Modern & Classical Languages | school | school | student |
| Visual & Performing Arts | school | school | student |
NOTE: Assessment of Career Preparation, Modern and Classical Languages, and Visual and Performing Arts in 2006-2007 is contingent upon funding of Essential Programs and Services or its equivalent.
D. Standards for Assessments To
meet technical standards, those assessments that are a part of a school
administrative unit's Local Assessment System shall satisfy the following:
1). The content standard(s), performance
indicator(s), and grade span addressed in each assessment are accurately
specified. For school administrative units that have developed local indicators
to measure student performance on the content standards specified in Me. Dept.
of Ed. Reg. 131, the administrative unit shall identify which of the state's
performance indicators are addressed by the specified local
indicators.
2). The assessment is
developmentally appropriate for the grade span and is part of a continuum for
that standard across the grade spans.
3). The assessment provides all students with
fair opportunity to demonstrate knowledge and understanding.
4). The assessment meets the requirements of
validity:
(a) The assessment is aligned with
the specified performance indicators of the Learning Results content
standards;
(b) The assessment is
fair to all students;
(c) The
assessment specifies the method used to ensure validity, subject to the
approval of the Commissioner;
(d)
Accommodations are specified that maintain validity of the assessment, with
clear guidelines for use of those accommodations; and
(e) The assessment meets the requirements of
reliability, specifying the method used to ensure reliability, subject to the
approval of the Commissioner.
5). The assessment has established rigorous
performance standards and specifies:
(a) The
method used to establish performance standards, subject to the approval of the
Commissioner;
(b) Who was involved
in setting performance standards;
(c) How the percentage of students at each
performance level compares to the school unit's MEA performance; and
(d) The process for revising performance
standards.
E.
Presentation of data from a local assessment system shall permit interpretation
to determine school and school administrative unit performance on specified
content areas of the system of Learning Results, and to determine statewide
performance.
F. The school board
shall annually review and publish school and school administrative unit results
on the local assessment system, and, if required based on these results, shall
adjust the Comprehensive Education Plan developed in accordance with Me. Dept.
of Ed. Reg. 125.
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