North Carolina Assessment Letter 3

June 12, 2001

Honorable Mike Ward
Superintendent of Public Instruction
North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
301 N. Wilmington Street
Raleigh, North Carolina 27601-2825

Dear Superintendent Ward:

The purpose of this letter is to convey approval of North Carolina’s final assessment system under Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. I appreciate your cooperation in making the changes in your assessment system that were necessary to meet the requirements of sections 1111(b)(3) and 1116(a) of Title I.

We received copies of the administrative rules, approved by the North Carolina State Board of Education on June 7, 2001, that require greater inclusion of English language learners in assessment and accountability systems and reporting of the results for students who take the alternate assessments. Based on those rules, I am pleased to approve North Carolina’s final assessment system.

If additional changes are made to North Carolina’s assessment system, you must submit information about those changes to the Department as required by section 1111(e)(2) of Title I. Moreover, please be advised that approval of North Carolina’s assessment system for Title I does not mean that the system complies with Federal civil rights requirements, including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and requirements under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

Staff in the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education have found it a pleasure working with your staff on this review. Congratulations on a fully approved assessment system.

Sincerely,

Thomas M. Corwin
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary


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