Sec 15-248.01. Task force on K-3 accountability and assessments

A. The task force on K-3 accountability and assessments is established in the department of education consisting of the superintendent of public instruction or the superintendent's designee and the following members, each of whom shall be appointed by the superintendent of public instruction:

1. Three persons, each of whom is employed by a different school district in this state that provides instruction in kindergarten programs and grades one through three and that has an average daily membership of at least thirty-five thousand.

2. Three persons, each of whom is employed by a different school district in this state that provides instruction in kindergarten programs and grades one through three and that has an average daily membership of at least one thousand five hundred but not more than thirty-five thousand.

3. Three persons, each of whom is employed by a different school district in this state that provides instruction in kindergarten programs and grades one through three and that has an average daily membership of not more than one thousand five hundred.

4. Three persons, each of whom is employed by a different charter school in this state that provides instruction in kindergarten programs and grades one through three.

B. The task force shall elect a new chairperson from among its members each calendar year. A quorum shall consist of a majority of the members. The task force shall meet at least once each calendar quarter.

C. The appointed members of the task force serve at the pleasure of the superintendent of public instruction.

D. The department of education shall provide staff support, assistance and resources to the task force.

E. Task force members are eligible to receive compensation pursuant to section 38-611.

F. The task force shall:

1. Examine and evaluate best practices in accountability and assessment measures and measures of academic gains for schools that provide instruction in kindergarten programs and grades one through three.

2. Conduct trial examinations of pupils in kindergarten programs and grades one through three.

3. Solicit and accept funding from any lawful public and private source to carry out the task force's activities. The superintendent of public instruction shall maintain monies collected pursuant to this paragraph in a separate account on the books of the department of education.

4. Submit an annual report on or before December 1 regarding the task force's findings to the governor, the speaker of the house of representatives and the president of the senate. Copies of this report shall be provided to the secretary of state.

G. School districts and charter schools may voluntarily participate in the measurement of academic gains developed by the task force pursuant to this section.

H. The department of education shall develop mechanisms to allow a school district or charter school that voluntarily participates in the measurement of academic gains developed by the task force pursuant to this section to improve its school classification designated pursuant to section 15-241 if the school district's or charter school's academic gains meet the criteria developed by the department of education and approved by the state board of education. The state board of education shall review and approve the mechanisms developed by the department of education.

I. The department of education shall establish procedures to maintain the integrity of the testing process that will be used to measure academic gains developed by the task force pursuant to this section, including procedures for testing and scoring validity and reliability. The state board of education shall review and approve the testing process developed by the task force.

(Rpld. 7/1/16)