Senators Hembree and Massey proposes the following amendment (LC-39.DG0206S):

Amend the bill, as and if amended, SECTION 1, by striking Section 59-8-150(C)(1) and inserting:

(1) Education service providers that provide full time academic instruction shall:

(a) ensure that each scholarship student in grades three through eight takes the SC Ready or SC Ready alternative summative assessment required of students in public schools in this State;

(b) ensure that each scholarship student in grades four and six takes the SC Pass or SC Pass alternative summative assessment required of students in public schools in this State;

(c) in lieu of the assessments required by subitems (a) and (b), ensure that each scholarship recipient in grades three through eight takes a nationally norm referenced formative assessment at the beginning of the school year, at the end of the first semester, and at the end of the school year. The assessment must be approved by the department, aligned with state standards, and include a linking study;

(d) ensure that each scholarship student in grades nine through twelve takes a nationally norm referenced or formative assessment approved by the department. Students with disabilities for whom standardized testing is not appropriate are exempt from this requirement;

(e) collect high school graduation information of scholarship students for reporting to the department as required in this section; and

(f) ensure that the parent or guardian of a scholarship student taking the assessments above receive a written report of the student's performance on each assessment. The report must include the student's score on the assessment and an indication of how the student's assessment performance compares to other South Carolina students.

The department may promulgate regulations to carry out the requirements of this subsection.