Sec. 7. (a) Except as otherwise provided in this section and in the manner provided in section 6 of this chapter, the state board is responsible for determining the appropriate subjects, grades, and format of a statewide assessment.

(b) For each school year beginning after June 30, 2018, and except as provided in section 11 of this chapter, the statewide assessment must be administered to all full-time students attending a school corporation, charter school, state accredited nonpublic school, or eligible school (as defined in IC 20-51-1-4.7) in grades subject to the statewide assessment required by federal law and in a manner prescribed by the state board.

(c) Subject matter tested on the statewide assessment as determined by the state board under subsection (a) must, at a minimum, do the following:

(1) Comply with requirements established under federal law with:

(A) math and English/language arts assessed yearly in grades 3 through 8, and at least once in grades 9 through 12; and

(B) science assessed at least once in grades 3 through 5, grades 6 through 9, and grades 10 through 12.

(2) Require that United States history or United States government be assessed at least once in grades 5 or 8.

(d) This subsection expires July 1, 2020. Each student in a grade 10 cohort must take a graduation examination.

(e) Except as provided under subsection (f), for each school year beginning after June 30, 2021, a nationally recognized college entrance exam must be administered for the high school subjects required under subsection (c). The proficiency benchmark must be approved by the commission for higher education, in consultation with the state educational institutions, and may not be lower than the national college ready benchmark established for that particular exam.

(f) If the state board determines that no nationally recognized college entrance exam assesses a given high school subject that is required under subsection (c), the state board may select another type of assessment, including an end of course assessment, for that subject.

(g) The statewide assessment:

(1) may not use technology that may negatively influence the ability to measure a student's mastery of material or a particular academic standard being tested; and

(2) may use a technology enhanced test question only when the technology enhanced test question is the best way to measure the academic standard being tested.

(h) A statewide assessment, other than an assessment administered under subsection (e), must use a scale score that will ensure the statewide assessment scores are comparable to scale scores used as part of the ISTEP program under IC 20-32-5, before its expiration.

As added by P.L.242-2017, SEC.41. Amended by P.L.192-2018, SEC.37.