New Pathways to Graduation in Pennsylvania

• In Event: Roundtable Session 4
  In Roundtable Session: Validating Local Assessments

Abstract

Objectives
The purpose of this presentation is to provide, in detail, a first-hand account of implementing a state high school graduation policy that allows local school districts to develop alternatives to state-mandated tests. It serves to ground the session in a current political context. The presentation also illustrates the need for a state and its districts to work with a resource that is specifically geared toward establishing and evaluating a validity argument in a local assessment system.

Perspectives
Pennsylvania is a state with a tradition of strong control residing in local school districts. This tradition was maintained when state code was amended to establish a new set of high school graduation requirements. While the state will be developing new end-of-course assessments to test students’ competencies in core curricular subjects, the Keystone exams, a provision was written into law that allowed students to demonstrate competency on locally-developed and independently-validated assessments. This provision was an extension of previous policy that allowed local assessment systems for non-state-mandated content areas. Now, local municipalities will be able to implement their own assessments in content areas considered core for graduation purposes.

Methods
The challenge of this new provision will be to ensure that inferences of student performance on local assessments are comparable to inferences drawn from the Keystone exams. Investigation of the current model of local assessments revealed substantial issues surrounding standards of proficiency. In order to render fair decisions on students and instill public confidence in the state’s education system, it is imperative to establish an evaluation process for the local assessments. To achieve such an end, the state established a Local Assessment Validation Advisory Committee (LAVAC) comprised of representatives from the Department of Education, State Board of Education, School Boards Association, and local district leaders. The charge of the committee is to develop the criteria for the local assessment validation process and for the selection of approved evaluators. The state asked the Center for Assessment to work with the LAVAC to establish a validation handbook for districts. The handbook will address criteria for a valid assessment system, and set forth instructions for submission and review of local assessment system proposals.

Data sources and results
The author will present issues that have arisen in the LAVAC meetings and challenges facing the state as they work through the first operational year of implementing the policy. Concerns and resolutions will be documented in the session paper. In addition, usability study reviews of the validity framework will be discussed.

Significance
This presentation will provide the practical view of what state and local policymakers need from theory. The state policymaker will demonstrate how local and state policymakers work together to implement legislation and how a practical approach to validity theory can both meet legislative requirements and clarify the burden of proof required of local practitioners.

Author

• Richard F. Maraschiello, Pennsylvania Department of Education