DATE:
Thursday, May 11, 2023
TO:
All School Administrators
FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching and Learning
Ben Jameson, Director of Evaluation, Research and Accountability
SUBJECT:
State Testing Reminders
The following are friendly reminders from the state’s testing ethics policy:
- “Utah LEAs and Licensed Utah educators may use a student’s score from a statewide assessment to improve the student’s academic grade for or demonstrate the student’s competency within a relevant course.”
- “Licensed Utah educators shall ensure that:
- “Students are not penalized who have been exempted by a parent from a statewide assessment
- “Students aren’t provided a nonacademic award for participating in or performing well on a statewide assessment
- “Students are provided an alternate learning activity if they are exempted by a parent from a statewide assessment”
The following additional guidance may help address specific questions that arise from the part of the state’s testing ethics policy quoted above:
- Using a student’s score from a state assessment can only improve a student’s grade – not hurt it.
- Educators may not use a student’s score on a state assessment to determine an overall grade for the course. It can be used in conjunction with other evidence to help determine a student’s overall grade.
- Educators may not assign participation points on students’ grades for taking a state assessment.
- The alternate learning activity for students whose parents have opted them out of taking the state assessment can be an alternate assessment. That said, using a student’s score on the alternate assessment or activity on a student’s grade can only improve the student’s grade – not hurt it.
