Accountability & Assessments - Allentown School District (2024)

The Office of Accountability and Assessment is responsible for the review and approval of all research projects for the Allentown School District. Whether an individual is an employee of the District, a student, or someone not associated with the District in any way; he/she need to go through this process to acquire research approval.

Procedure for Applying

Any agency or individual wishing to obtain District approval must follow the District'sResearch Request Procedures:

Incomplete Applications will NOT be reviewed.

For questions, call 484-765-4223.

NOTE: The first step in the review process involves an evaluation of all instrumentation, tests, surveys, etc., being proposed. If any part of the instrumentation is rejected, the entire submission will be rejected automatically. Researchers will be required to revise their instrumentation in line with the feedback from the review, and resubmit their materials.

Once the proposal has been approved, no changes in procedure, scope (e.g., timeframe of study approval, number of schools included, number of participants examined) or instrumentation may be made without authorization. Requests for amendments to an approved proposal must be made directly to the Research Review Committee the end date of the original submission. No requests for amendments will be approved if there are any outstanding documents that you have not submitted when requested.

• Research applicants can download, complete and return the following documents. (If desired, contact Valiann Bigatel to receive print versions of the research packet):
  • Research Application.
  • Research Request Procedures.
  • Proposal Checklist and Evaluation Rubric.
  • Educational Research Request Form.
  • Instrumentation Review Form.
  • Research Checklist for Applicants (use at applicants discretion; do not include in application packet).
• All research request must be mailed or e-mailed to Valiann Bigatel,Office of Accountability and Assessment. Submitted to:
  • Office of Accountability and Assessment c/oValiann Bigatel
    31 South Penn Street
    PO Box 328
    Allentown, PA 18105
• Once the applicant returns their IRB paperwork, the research request is reviewed with the Research Request Committee.
• Administration completes approval or denial form.
• Instrumentation Review Form will either be denied or approved by an Administrator.
• Administrator notifies applicant via approval or denial letter.
• A Research Study Checklist will be created for the applicant.
• A folder with the applicant’s name and year for their research request will be developed and be appropriately filed.

Any agency or individual wishing to conduct research studies within the District must adhere to the following general conditions:

• The Research Review Committee will only approve studies which clearly align with at least one of the strategic goals of the District.
• All state and federal laws and District regulations must be observed.
• No action may be taken in any school without the approval of the principal.
• Explicit parental approval will be required in all studies which require researcher contact with students. This document should include a statement that informs potential participants that their engagement in the study is completelyvoluntary,and that they may choose to withdraw their participation at any time.
• Strict confidentiality must be maintained to protect all participants involved. No identifying characteristics will be provided in any data request, nor can they be included in any report or paper produced as a result ofcompletionofanyapproved research study.
• An electronic copy of all data analyzed and final report must be furnished to the Office of Accountability and Assessment at the conclusion ofstudy.
• The principal researcher must notify the District,in writing, about the intent to submit reports or articles for publication or conference presentations. Any reports or articles written based on this research must receive explicit permission to identify Allentown School District as the subject of research.
• One hard copy and one electronic copy of the final report must be furnished for the files of the Office of Accountability and Assessment, to the attention of the current Research Review Committee.
• Any person involved in any research project which involves admission to any school, and/or contact with any student, must provide the Research Review Committee with a copy of the requisite criminal background check and child abuse history clearance.

After reviewing the request, the Research Review Committee, the Director of Assessment or his/her designee will notify the applicant in writing of the Committee's decision to approve or reject the proposal. If a project is approved, the Director or designee will furnish the applicant with an approval letter that will doubly serve as an introduction to the schools or offices of the District. This approval letter will constitute full authorization for the candidate to conduct thestudy,butdoes not obligate a school, division or office to participate. Applicants are then required to obtain authorization directly from these entities. No action can be taken in any school without the approval of the principal.

Please be advised that the Research Review Committee and the Director of Assessment or his/her designee reserve the right to rescind approval if it is determined that the research no longer complies with the District's mission. Should this occur, you will be notified in writing of the Committee's decision to rescind approval.

In all studies requiring contact with students, the Research Review Committee requires that researchers obtain parental consent, informed participant consent, the requisite criminal background check, and a child abuse history clearance.

Strict adherence to procedures guaranteeing the confidentially of all subjects participating in any study is required.

Rating Period

The annual Pennsylvania System School Assessment is a standards-based, criterion-referenced assessment which provides students, parents, educators and citizens with an understanding of student and school performance related to the attainment of proficiency of the academic standards. These standards in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science and Technology identify what a student should know and be able to do at varying grade levels. School districts possess the freedom to design curriculum and instruction to ensure that students meet or exceed the standards' expectations.

Every Pennsylvania student in grades 3 through 8 is assessed in English Language Arts and Math. Every Pennsylvania student in grades 4 and 8 is assessed in science.

Individual student scores, provided only to their respective schools, can be used to assist teachers in identifying students who may be in need of additional educational opportunities, and school scores provide information to schools and districts for curriculum and instruction improvement discussions and planning.

In compliance with §4.51(a)(4) of the PA School Code the State Board of Education approved, "specific criteria for advanced, proficient, basic and below basic levels of performance."

The Keystone exams were created to replace the Grade 11 PSSA and serve as one component of Pennsylvania's statewide high school graduation requirement. Keystone Exams will help school districts guide students toward meeting state standards. The exams are end-of-course assessments designed to assess proficiency in the subject areas of Algebra I, Literature, and Biology.

The Keystone exams meet the federal accountability criteria of ESSA for the high school level. Students must take the Keystone Exams for purposes of federal accountability. Failure to do so will affect a Local Education Agencyand school's participation rate.