On June 2-3, the State Board of Education will make decisions on the testing program for students on the Occupational Course of Study.
In 2008-09, the United States Department of Education determined that the NCEXTEND2 statewide alternate assessments for students on the Occupational Course of Study (OCS) did not meet their approval. The OCS students could no longer count as participants for determining AYP at the high school level. OCS students still had to take the tests, but they were not counted towards AYP.
Over the next 2 years, the NC Department of Public Instruction (DPI) will be developing a new NCEXTEND2 test. In the meantime, students on the OCS will be taking the regular EOC. They will not be taking the NCEXTEND2. The timeline for the new NCEXTEND2 is 2012-2013.
State Board of Education policy states that EOC scores count as 25% of a student’s grade. The State Board of Education will be voting on June 2-3 to waive this policy and approve the new testing timelines.
Please send your comments to June Atkinson, Bill Harrison and Members of the State Board of Education.
And where does this leave the children that are already failing in math and english. What type of supports will be put in place for elementary students that are already struggling. It\’s really not fair if the students in Occupation Courses have to take the EOC at the end of the years they just as well take the regular classes so they can be prepared.
My son had one OC class and I really could not tell a difference anyway.