South Carolina Assessment Letter 3
August 23, 2004
Honorable Inez M. Tenenbaum
State Superintendent of Education
South Carolina Department of Education
1429 Senate Street
Columbia, South Carolina 29201
Dear Superintendent Tenenbaum:
I am pleased to approve South Carolina’s assessment system under Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by the Improving America’s Schools Act of 1994 (IASA). I appreciate your cooperation in making the changes in your assessment system to meet fully the IASA assessment requirements.
The Department granted South Carolina a waiver of timeline on July 30, 2001, to complete its final assessment system under IASA. Specifically, the timeline waiver required South Carolina to provide the Department with evidence of a State high school assessment that included: (1) the establishment of performance standards; (2) the alignment of standards and assessments; (3) the dissemination of assessment results; (4) the development of technical manuals; and (5) evidence of an accountability system.
Peer reviewers external to the Department and Department staff have reviewed evidence of compliance submitted by South Carolina. We have concluded that this evidence satisfies the IASA assessment requirements for Title I.
As South Carolina prepares for the peer review of its standards and assessments under NCLB, I encourage you to review carefully the "Standards and Assessments Peer Review Guidance: Information and Examples for Meeting Requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001." The purpose of this document is twofold: (1) to inform States about what would be useful evidence to demonstrate that they have met NCLB standards and assessments requirements; and (2) to guide teams of peer reviewers who will examine the evidence submitted by States and advise the Department as to whether a State has met the requirements. I have enclosed a copy of this document with this letter.
Please be aware that approval of South Carolina’s assessment system for Title I is not a determination 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. Finally, please remember that if South Carolina makes significant changes in its assessment system, the State must submit information about those changes to the Department for review and approval.
We have found it a pleasure working with your staff on this review. Congratulations on a fully approved assessment system under IASA. I wish you well in your continued efforts to improve student achievement in South Carolina.
Sincerely,
Raymond Simon
Enclosure
