Whitmire Community School

* Note: For the summer administrations, the HSAP tests can be administered on any of the three test dates listed.What is the HSAP?
The High School Assessment Program (HSAP) consists of two tests-one in English language arts and one in mathematics-that are administered to public high school students in South Carolina. The HSAP meets both federal and state requirements. It meets the requirement of the South Carolina Education Accountability Act (EAA) of 1998 that each public school student pass an exit examination to receive a South Carolina high school diploma. It is also used to measure students' academic achievement on high school standards in accordance with the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB).

What does the HSAP assess?The HSAP assesses selected South Carolina academic standards in English language arts and mathematics. It is designed to measure a mastery of skills that have been addressed across several grade levels. The standards tested and a description of the skills which fall under those standards are outlined in the HSAP ELA Test Blueprint and the HSAP Math Test Blueprint.

Who takes the HSAP?Students who meet the state HSAP participation guidelines, given below, will take the HSAP unless they meet the qualifications for the South Carolina Alternate Assessment (SC-Alt). To be eligible to take the HSAP tests, students must be enrolled in a South Carolina public school, an adult education program or must be in a home school program approved by the local school board.

The following students must take the HSAP tests:

Fall - Students beyond the second year after their initial enrollment in the ninth grade take the test(s) needed to meet the requirement for a South Carolina high school diploma.

Spring - Students in the second year after their initial enrollment in the ninth grade take both tests. Students beyond the second year after their initial enrollment in the ninth grade take the test(s) needed to meet the requirement for a South Carolina high school diploma.

Summer - Following a remediation program in summer school, a summer administration of the HSAP may be offered to students who have not passed the exit examination and who are planning to graduate before the beginning of the next school year.

Note. Students who have previously taken the HSAP and have not passed all parts of the test must be given the opportunity to receive academic assistance by their districts related to the subjects not passed before re-taking the test(s) not passed.

Exceptions to these guidelines:

For students with disabilities who have an Individual Education Program (IEP) and who have taken both parts of the HSAP at least once and who meet all of the conditions listed below, the IEP team will determine on an annual basis the student's participation in the HSAP.

• The student failed to pass any part of HSAP during the initial administration.

• The student has not earned any Carnegie units in the core curriculum (English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies).

• The student is not enrolled in a course in the core curriculum required for high school graduation.

• Students who miss the initial administration of any part of the HSAP must be scheduled to take that part in the next administration.

The following questions and answers will assist you in determining whether a specific student will take the HSAP.

Does the student meet the state participation guidelines for alternate assessment?

Does the student meet the HSAP participation guidelines?

Does the student have an individualized educational program (IEP) or 504 plan that specifies that the student will receive accommodations during testing?

Does the student have a limited English proficiency (LEP) plan that specifies that the student will receive accommodations during testing?

What types of items are on the HSAP?
The English language arts examination consists of multiple-choice and constructed-response items and an extended-response writing item. Students may use dictionaries only during the extended-response writing portion of the examination.

The mathematics test consists of multiple-choice items and three constructed-response items that require students to show their work to support their answers. Students may choose to use calculators while taking any part of the mathematics examination.

How will students' test scores be reported?
HSAP individual student scores will be provided for all students tested.

The student's individual test scores on the HSAP will be used as a criterion for meeting high school graduation requirements. Students will be given multiple opportunities, if needed, to pass the HSAP test(s). For more information please refer to the student brochure.

Spring group test results will be used to report adequate yearly progress (AYP) for each school and each district.

Distribution of Individual Student Score Reports
The Department of Education provides paper copies of Individual Student Reports to districts. These reports are shipped from the testing contractors directly to the District Test Coordinators (DTCs). DTCs are responsible for ensuring that these reports are distributed to parents and schools as soon as possible following receipt.