Board approves summer retesting plan; staff to administer retests during the school year and recommends alternative accountability model for nontraditional
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Summary
The board approved a plan allowing students who did not pass EOG/EOC tests to retake exams during the school year window; staff also recommended using the state—s alternative accountability (Option B) for certain nontraditional schools and an approach for insufficient data.
The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Board of Education voted Apr. 22 to approve a summer retesting plan that lets students who did not meet proficiency on End-of-Grade (EOG) or End-of-Course (EOC) assessments opt into a retest administered during the school-year testing window rather than after the school year, a change staff said principals and teachers welcomed. The motion to approve the plan passed 8–1.
"We can now administer these retests during the test window at the end of the year before school ends," Chief Accountability Officer Andrew Craft told the board, adding the change reduces the need for teachers and principals to conduct make-up testing outside of normal school operations. Craft said participation is optional for students.
Craft also reviewed the district—s annual recommendation for accountability treatment of six nontraditional schools that serve students with special needs. He recommended the board adopt the state—s Option B model, which adds an alternative progress measure (student persistence, achievement and growth) alongside a school performance grade, rather than relying solely on a traditional A–F grade. Staff noted the district participated in creating the Option B model with state officials and favors its use for these schools.
Board members asked a few clarifying questions about implementation and eligibility; Craft said most elementary and middle schools see the largest benefit from retesting. The board approved the summer retesting plan; no separate formal vote on the Option B recommendation was recorded during the meeting, although staff said they will proceed with the same recommendation used in previous years.
