The proposed bill would amend current statutes related to statewide assessments in Arizona by modifying the testing window and deadlines for score reporting. Specifically, it would require that local education agencies (LEAs) administer the statewide assessment during the last two school weeks of their academic calendar, replacing the existing limit of four consecutive school weeks. Additionally, the bill would change the deadline for LEAs to receive assessment scores and data from July 1, rather than the previous May 15 for the 3rd grade reading portion and May 25 for all other portions. The State Board of Education (SBE) would also be instructed to impose penalties on contractors for scores received after July 1.

Furthermore, the bill clarifies retention requirements for 3rd grade students, ensuring that those who are not retained but score insufficiently on the reading assessment must receive intervention. It removes the provision allowing the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) to adjust the testing window in years when SBE is revising proficiency levels, thereby standardizing the assessment process. Technical and conforming changes are also included to ensure consistency across the statutes.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 15-701, 15-741, 15-742, 15-743, 15-751, 15-761, 15-704, 15-342, 93-380, 15-731, 15-741.02, 15-203, 41-2546