Achieving Classroom Excellence Act (ACE) of 2006

Summary

Senate Bill 1792

Effective July 1, 2006

Signed June 7, 2006

The Oklahoma ACE legislation provides a framework for all Oklahoma
school systems to implement standards, curriculum and assessments
with the rigor and relevance necessary for Oklahoma students to be
prepared for college and the world of work.

Table of Contents of ACE Summary 2006

Section 1: Achieving Classroom Excellence (ACE) Steering Committee

Section 2: College Preparatory/Work Ready Curriculum

Section 3: Release end-of-instruction test items to the public

Section 4:
• Eighth grade online tests in reading and mathematics
• Students who complete instruction shall complete end-of-instruction tests
• During 2006-2007 tests shall be developed and field tested in English III, Geometry, and Algebra II and implemented in 2007-2008 online
• Test retakes
• Beginning with students who enter the ninth grade in 2008-2009, performance levels of satisfactory and above on the end-of-instruction tests shall be reported on students’ high school transcript
• State Board of Education shall review, realign, and recalibrate tests in reading and mathematics in 3rd through 8th grade and end-of-instruction tests
• Reliability and validity studies for end-of-instruction tests shall be done

Section 5:
• Remediation in reading and mathematics for 7th grade students in 2006-2007 and for 8th grade students in 2007-2008
• Remediation formats

Section 6:
• Students shall demonstrate mastery in four out of seven end-of-instruction tests
• Remediation/Retakes
• Technology Centers Intervention and Remediation
• Alternative Methods for testing students
• Exceptions and Exemptions for students
• Students with Individualized Education Programs
• English Language Learners
• Communication to Public

Section 7: Alternative education student plans

Effective Date: July 1, 2006

Achieving Classroom Excellence (ACE) Summary 2006

Section 1: Achieving Classroom Excellence (ACE) Steering Committee
70 O.S. § 1210.525

Until December 31, 2009, an Achieving Classroom Excellence (ACE) Steering Committee is created. The ACE Committee shall assist that State Board of Education with implementation of the student assessment requirements enacted pursuant to the ACE Act of 2005.

The ACE Steering Committee shall advise the State Board of Education on the following:
1. Curriculum alignment of third through eighth grade and high school subjects which are assessed;
2. Review of existing and development of new assessments;
3. Determination of cut scores for required assessments;
4. Alternate tests or assessment which equal or exceed the rigor of the end-of-instruction assessments;
5. Intervention and remediation strategies and delivery methods for students who do not meet the mandated standards; and
6. Consequences for eighth grade students who do not meet the mandated standard.

The membership of the ACE Steering Committee shall be composed of 25 identified members.
1. Chair of State Senate Education Committee, or designee;
2. Chair of the Oklahoma House of Representatives Common Education Committee, or designee;
3. One member of the State Senate to be appointed by the minority leader of the Senate, or designee;
4. One member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives to be appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives, or designee;
5. One representative of the private business sector selected from the Governor’s Council on Workforce and Economic Development to be appointed by the Governor;
6. The State Superintendent of Public Instruction, or designee;
7. The Director of the State Department of Career and Technology Education, or designee;
8. The Chancellor of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, or designee;
9. Four faculty members from institutions within the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education with expertise in the curriculum areas of mathematics, English, science and social studies, to be appointed by the Chancellor of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education;
10. One superintendent of a technology center to be appointed by the Director of the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education;
11. The State Superintendent of Public Instruction shall appoint one representative from each of the following:
a. a statewide organization representing rural schools;
b. a statewide organization representing rural elementary schools;
c. a statewide organization representing suburban schools;
d. a statewide organization representing secondary school principals;
e. a statewide organization representing parent-teacher organizations;
f. a statewide organization representing school administrators;
g. a state wide association representing teachers;

h. a statewide federation representing teachers;
i. a statewide association representing professional educators;
j. nonaffiliated teachers;
k. a statewide organization representing school board members; and
l. a statewide coalition representing business and education; and
12. The State Superintendent may also appoint interested members who served on the ACE Task Force created pursuant to the Achieving Classroom Excellence Act of 2005.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction shall serve as chair of the ACE Steering Committee.

The ACE Steering Committee shall present a written report of recommendations to the State Board of Education, the Legislature, and the Governor annually, beginning December 1, 2006, with a final report presented by December 31, 2009.

Section 2: College Preparatory/Work Ready Curriculum 70 O.S. § 11-103.6

Beginning with students entering the ninth grade in the 2006-2007 school year, in order to graduate from a public high school accredited by the State Board of Education with a standard diploma, students shall complete the following college preparatory/work ready curriculum units or sets of competencies at the secondary level:

1. Four units of English to include Grammar, Composition, Literature, or any English course approved for college admission requirements;
2. Three units of mathematics, limited to Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, Trigonometry, Math Analysis, Calculus, Advanced Placement Statistics, or any mathematics course with content and/or rigor above Algebra I and approved for college admission requirements;
3. Three units of laboratory science, limited to Biology, Chemistry, Physics, or any laboratory science course with content and/or rigor equal to or above Biology and approved for college admission requirements;
4. Three units of history and citizenship skills, including one unit of American History, one-half unit of Oklahoma History, one-half unit of United States Government and one unit from the subjects of History, Government, Geography, Economics, Civics, or Non-Western culture and approved for college admission requirements;
5. Two units of the same foreign or non-English language or two units of computer technology approved for college admission requirements whether taught at a high school or a technology center school including computer programming, hardware, and business computer applications, such as word processing, databases, spreadsheets, and graphics, excluding keyboarding or typing courses;
6. One additional unit selected from paragraphs 1 through 5 or career and technology education courses approved for college admission requirements; and
7. One unit or set of competencies of fine arts, such as music, art, drama, or one unit or set of competencies of speech.

Beginning with students entering the ninth grade in the 2006-2007 school year, in lieu of the requirements of the college preparatory/work ready curriculum, a student may enroll in the core curriculum upon written approval of the parent or legal guardian of the student.

School districts may require a parent or legal guardian of the student to meet with a designee of the school prior to enrollment.

For students who entered the ninth grade prior to the 2006-2007 school year and for those students subject to the requirements of the core curriculum, in order to graduate from a public high school accredited by the State Board of Education with a standard diploma, students shall complete the core curriculum units or sets of competencies at the secondary level. (70 O.S. 11-103.6)

For students who enter the ninth grade in or prior to the 2007-2008 school year who are enrolled in an alternative education program and meet the requirements of their plans leading to high school graduation developed pursuant to 70 O.S. § 1210.568 shall be awarded a standard diploma.

Section 3: Release end-of-instruction test items 70 O.S. § 1210.507

Subject to the availability of funds, the Board shall annually release end-of-instruction test items and make them available to the public.

Section 4: Eighth grade online tests in reading and mathematics
70 O.S. § 1210.508

The State Board of Education shall administer the tests for grade eight in reading and mathematics online with raw score test results reported immediately and complete results reported in less than two weeks beginning in the 2007-2008 school year.

Students who complete instruction shall complete end-of-instruction tests
Each student who completes the instruction for English II, English III, United States History, Biology I, Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II at the secondary level shall complete an end-of-instruction test, when implemented, to measure for attainment in the appropriate state academic content standards in order to graduate from a public high school with a standard diploma.

During 2006-2007 tests shall be developed and field tested in English III, Geometry, and Algebra II and implemented in 2007-2008 online
The State Board of Education shall develop and field test the end-of-instruction tests in English III, Geometry, and Algebra II during the 2006-2007 school year, implement the tests during the 2007-2008 school year, and administer them each year thereafter.

The State Board of Education shall administer the multiple choice portion of the end-of-instruction tests online with raw score test results reported immediately and complete results reported in less than two weeks beginning in the 2008-2009 school year.

English II and English III end-of-instruction tests shall include a writing component.

Test retakes
Students who do not score at least at the satisfactory level shall be afforded the opportunity to retake each test up to three times each calendar year until at least achieving at the satisfactory level.

Reporting student performance level on end-of-instruction tests
Beginning with students who enter the ninth grade in 2008-2009, school districts shall report the student’s performance levels of satisfactory and above on the end-of-instruction tests on the student’s high school transcript.

American Diploma Project benchmarks
All state academic content standards shall reflect the benchmarks of the American Diploma Project and the goal of improving the state average ACT score.

Review, realign, and recalibrate tests in reading and mathematics in 3rd through 8th grade and end-of-instruction tests and determine cut scores
The State Board of Education shall review, realign, and recalibrate, as necessary, the tests in reading and mathematics in third through eighth grade and the end-of-instruction tests. The Board shall determine the cut scores for the performance levels on the end-of-instruction tests, which shall be phased in over a multi-year period.

Reliability and validity studies for end-of-instruction tests shall be done
The State Board of Education, for the purposes of conducting reliability and validity studies, monitoring contractor adherence to professionally accepted testing standards, and providing recommendations for testing program improvement, shall retain the services of an established, independent agency or organization that is nationally recognized for its technical expertise in educational testing but is not engaged in the development of aptitude or achievement tests for elementary or secondary level grades. These national assessment experts shall annually conduct studies of the reliability and validity of the end-of-instruction tests administered pursuant to this law. Validity studies shall include studies of decision validity, concurrent validity and the validity of performance level cut scores.

Section 5: Remediation in reading and mathematics for 7th grade students in
2006-2007 and for 8th grade students in 2007-2008 70 O.S. § 1210.522

Every public school student shall demonstrate mastery of the state academic content standards in reading and mathematics by the end of the student’s seventh-grade year, beginning in the 2006-2007 school year. To demonstrate mastery of reading and mathematics, a student shall attain at least a satisfactory score on the seventh-grade criterion-referenced tests in reading and mathematics. Each student who does not score at least at the satisfactory level shall be provided remediation for the purpose of assisting the student in performing at least at the satisfactory level on the eighth-grade criterion-referenced tests in reading and mathematics.

Beginning in the 2007-2008 school year, each student who does not score at least at the satisfactory level on the eighth-grade criterion-referenced tests in reading and mathematics shall be provided remediation for the purpose of assisting the student in performing at least at the satisfactory level on the end-of-instruction tests administered in high school.

Remediation
Remediation may be provided by means which may include, but are not limited to, extended time during the school day, a summer academy, tutoring, online coursework, or other supplementary services.

The State Department of Education shall provide information about best practices for remediation and interventions. School districts will monitor results of the remediation and interventions implemented and report the findings to the State Department of Education.

Section 6: Beginning with students entering the ninth grade in 2008-2009, every student shall demonstrate mastery of the state academic content standards in the following subject areas in order to graduate from a public high school with a standard diploma 70 O.S. § 1210.523

1. Algebra I;
2. English II; and
3. Two of the following five:
a. Algebra II,
b. Biology I,
c. English III,
d. Geometry, and
e. United States History.

Students Demonstrate Mastery
To demonstrate mastery, the student shall attain at least a satisfactory score on the end-of-instruction criterion-referenced tests.

Remediation and Retake Opportunities
Students who do not attain at least a satisfactory score on any end-of-instruction test shall be provided remediation and the opportunity to retake the test until at least a satisfactory score is attained on the tests of Algebra I, English II and two of the tests required or an approved alternative test.

Technology Center Schools Intervention and Remediation
Technology center schools shall be authorized to provide intervention and remediation in Algebra I and Biology I to students enrolled in technology center schools, with the approval of the independent school district board.

Alternative Methods for Students
Students who do not meet the requirements of testing may graduate from a public high school with a standard diploma by demonstrating mastery of state academic content standards by alternative methods as approved by the State Board of Education.

Exceptions and Exemptions
The State Board of Education shall adopt rules providing for necessary student exceptions and exemptions to the requirements of this section.

The Board shall collect data by school site and district on the number of students provided and categories of exceptions and exemptions granted.

Beginning October 1, 2012, the Board shall provide an annual report of this data to the Governor, President Pro Tempore of the State Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Students with Individualized Education Programs (IEP)
Students who have individualized education programs shall have an appropriate statement on the student’s individualized education program requiring administration of the assessment with or without accommodations or an alternate assessment. All documentation for each student shall be on file in the school prior to administration of the assessment.

English Language Learners
Students identified as English language learners shall be assessed in a valid and reliable manner with the state academic assessments with acceptable accommodations as necessary or, to the extent practicable, with alternate assessments aligned to the state assessment provided by the school district in the language and form most likely to yield accurate data of the student’s knowledge of the content areas.

Communication to Public
The State Board of Education shall be authorized to contract with an entity to develop and advise on the implementation of a communications campaign to build public understanding of and support for the testing requirements of this section.

Section 7: Alternative Education Graduation Plan 70 O.S. § 1210.568

Beginning with the first semester of the 2002-2003 school year, all school districts of this state shall provide alternative education programs that conform to the requirements of statutes and rules applicable to alternative education. A program shall:
Require a plan leading to graduation be developed for each student in the program which will allow the student to participate in graduation exercises for the school district after meeting the requirements of the school district as specified in the individual graduation plan for that student; provided, for students who enter the ninth grade in or prior to the 2007-2008 school year, the plan shall specifically address whether the student is required to meet the graduation requirements established in 70 O. S. § 11-103.6.

This act shall become effective July 1, 2006.