Section 7. Standardized testing for monitoring education programs

Each English learner shall participate, consistent with section 1I of chapter 69, in the statewide assessment system. A nationally-normed test of English proficiency shall similarly be administered at least once each year to all Massachusetts schoolchildren in grades Kindergarten and higher who are English learners and enrolled in a public school, including a charter school. Only English learners classified as severely learning disabled may be exempted from these tests. The particular tests to be used shall be selected by the Board of Education, and it is intended that the tests shall usually remain the same from year to year. The national percentile scores of students shall be confidentially provided to individual parents, and the aggregated percentile scores and distributional data for individual schools and school districts shall be made publicly available online in machine readable format, to the extent feasible; the scores for students classified as English learners shall be separately sub- aggregated and made publicly available there as well, with further sub- aggregation based on the English learner program type in which they are enrolled. School enrollment by race, ethnicity, and English learner program type shall also be made publicly available. Results of assessments shall be used as a factor in determining the efficacy of an English learner program offered by a school district but shall not be the sole basis for evaluation of a district, school, English learner program or individual educator.

English learners in any program shall be taught to the same academic standards and curriculum frameworks as all students, and shall be provided the same opportunities to master such standards and frameworks as other students. Districts shall regularly assess mastery of academic standards and curriculum frameworks.

The district shall send report cards and progress reports including, but not limited to, progress in becoming proficient in using the English language and other school communications to the parents or legal guardians of students in the English learners programs in the same manner and frequency as report cards and progress reports to other students enrolled in the district. The report cards and progress reports shall, to the maximum extent possible, be written in a language understandable to the parents and legal guardians of such students.