Dana Herreman, Curriculum Director
740.670-7055
dherremna@laca.org

The Newark City Schools regularly evaluate student achievement and needs. This is done in compliance with State law and the rules adopted by the State Board of Education. The district evaluates student performance to measure a student’s progress and to assist students in achieving performance objectives and educational goals established by the district.

The Newark schools give the state-mandated, statewide assessment tests (e.g., diagnostic assessments, and achievement assessments) to students at the times designated by the State Board of Education. (Please refer to the district testing schedule.) The district may, for medical reasons or other good cause, excuse a student from taking a test on the date scheduled, however that student must make-up the missed test during the approved make up period.

The district also provides prevention and/or intervention services to students who score below the proficient level in reading, writing, mathematics, social studies, or science Ohio Graduation Test or achievement test, or who do not demonstrate academic performance at their grade level based on the results of a diagnostic assessment.

Testing Terminology
"Achievement tests" means "tests, aligned to academic content standards, designed to measure the skill in a specific content that is expected at the end of the designated grade."

Achievement tests by grade include:

• Third Grade - reading and math
• Fourth Grade - reading and math
• Fifth Grade - reading, math, and science
• Sixth Grade - reading and math
• Seventh Grade - reading, writing and math
• Eighth Grade - reading, math, and science

"Diagnostic assessments" means "the tests designed to measure student comprehension of academic content standards and mastery of related skills for the relevant subject area at each grade, kindergarten through eighth."

Third Grade Guarantee
For any student who scores in the below basic range on the third-grade reading achievement test, Newark Board of Education of Board policy calls for the following action:

A. promote the student to fourth grade if the student’s principal and reading teacher agree that other evaluations of the student’s skill in reading demonstrate that the student is academically prepared to be promoted to the fourth grade;

B. promote the student to fourth grade, but provide the student with "intensive" intervention services in fourth grades; or

C. retain the student in the third grade.