Utah U-Pass Tests (page 2)

Introduction

The purpose of this document is to establish the statewide policy for the participation of students in the Utah Performance Assessment System for Students (U-PASS). The central elements of this policy are:

• Rules for inclusion in the statewide assessment program (U-PASS).
• Limited allowances for exempting or excusing students from assessments.
• Allowable accommodations for test administration and student responses.

Note: This policy will be reviewed each year, and revised as needed.

U-PASS serves as an accountability program and as a system for evaluating individual student performance at all grade levels, although grade 12 students participate on a limited basis. Assessment accommodations are allowed on all components of U-PASS, but they vary test by test, and according to students’ characteristics.

U-PASS Tests

Criterion-Referenced Tests

The Criterion-Referenced Tests are carefully aligned with the Utah State Core Curriculum in order to assess students’ knowledge of the state’s academic content standards.

Language Arts - Grades 2-11
Mathematics - Grade 2 through high school courses
Science - Grade 4 through high school courses

Language Arts Criterion-Referenced Tests (CRTs)
Students enrolled in grades 1-11 must take the language arts CRT for their grade level.

Math Criterion-Referenced Tests (CRTs)
Any student who is enrolled in a math class that is identified as a core course must take the related CRT. That is, students enrolled in Math 1-7 or pre-algebra, elementary algebra, geometry, and intermediate algebra must take the CRTs.

Science Criterion-Referenced Tests (CRTs)
Any student who is enrolled in a science class that is identified as a core course must take the related CRT. That is, students enrolled in Science 4-8 or Earth systems science, biology, chemistry and physics must take the CRTs.

Direct Writing Assessment (DWA)

The Direct Writing Assessment is a test designed to assess students’ writing skills.

Writing - Grades 6 and 9

Utah Basic Skills Competency Test

The Utah Basic Skills Competency Test serves as the graduation exam for all students except students classified with severe cognitive disabilities.

Mathematics - Grades 10-12
Reading Comprehension - Grades 10-12

Writing - Grades 10-12

Utah Academic Language Proficiency Assessment

The Utah Academic Language Proficiency Assessment is administered to students with a primary home language other than English to assess English language proficiency.

Listening - Grades K-12
Speaking - Grades K-12
Reading - Grades K-12

Utah Academic Language Proficiency Assessment (UALPA)

Writing - Grades K -12

Utah’s Alternate Assessment

Utah’s Alternate Assessment is administered to students classified as having significant cognitive disabilities on an IEP who are not able to participate in other statewide assessments, even with test accommodations. These students should be exempted from the other U-PASS tests.

Language Arts - Grades 1-12
Math - Grades 1-12

Utah’s Alternate Assessment (UAA)

Science - Grades 4-12

Norm-Referenced Tests

Norm-referenced tests, the Iowa Tests, are administered in Utah to students in select grades.

A limited number of accommodations are allowed on the norm-referenced tests because the test administration conditions must match those of the national comparison group.