S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
1290
2009-2010 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
(PREFILED)
January 7, 2009
___________
Introduced by M. of A. WRIGHT -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Higher Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to prohibiting the use of
a minimum score on a standardized test or combination of standardized
tests as a cut-off for admission to or rejection by the state univer-
sity of New York and the city university of New York
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Paragraph h of subdivision 2 of section 355 of the educa-
tion law is amended by adding a new subparagraph 10 to read as follows:
(10) IN REGULATING THE ADMISSION OF STUDENTS, A MINIMUM SCORE ON ONE
OR MORE STANDARDIZED APTITUDE OR ACHIEVEMENT TESTS, SUCH AS BUT NOT
LIMITED TO THE COLLEGE BOARD'S SCHOLASTIC APTITUDE TESTS OR ITS ACHIEVE-
MENT OR ACT TESTS, OR A MINIMUM INDEX SCORE DERIVED BY UTILIZING ANY
COMBINATION OF SCORES FROM MORE THAN ONE OF ANY SUCH STANDARDIZED TESTS,
SHALL NOT BE REQUIRED AS A MINIMUM STANDARD FOR STUDENT ADMISSION TO ANY
COLLEGE OF THE UNIVERSITY. NO PROVISION OF THIS SUBPARAGRAPH SHALL BE
CONSTRUED TO PRECLUDE CONSIDERATION OF SUCH SCORES TOGETHER WITH ACADEM-
IC COURSE GRADES, CLASSROOM PERFORMANCE, COMMUNITY SERVICE, AND EXTRA-
CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES, IN DETERMINING QUALIFICATIONS FOR STUDENT ADMIS-
SION, NOR TO PRECLUDE THE USE OF AN INDEX BASED UPON SUCH OVERALL
ASSESSMENT OF A STUDENT'S PERFORMANCE; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT IN MAKING
SUCH ASSESSMENT OR CONSTRUCTING SUCH INDEX, NO MINIMUM SCORE ON ANY SUCH
STANDARDIZED TEST OR COMBINATION OF STANDARDIZED TESTS SHALL BE REQUIRED
AS A STANDARD FOR ADMISSION; AND FURTHER PROVIDED THAT THE COMPONENTS OF
ANY SUCH INDEX SHALL NOT BE WEIGHTED IN SUCH A MANNER AS TO REQUIRE, IN
EFFECT, THAT A MINIMUM SCORE BE ATTAINED ON ANY SUCH STANDARDIZED TEST
OR COMBINATION OF STANDARDIZED TESTS TO REACH AN INDEX SCORE WHICH
CONSTITUTES THE CUT-OFF POINT FOR STUDENT ADMISSION OR REJECTION.
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00184-01-9
A. 1290 2
S 2. Subdivision 7 of section 6206 of the education law is amended by
adding a new paragraph (a-1) to read as follows:
(A-1) IN REGULATING THE ADMISSION OF STUDENTS, A MINIMUM SCORE ON ONE
OR MORE STANDARDIZED APTITUDE OR ACHIEVEMENT TESTS, SUCH AS BUT NOT
LIMITED TO THE COLLEGE BOARD'S SCHOLASTIC APTITUDE TESTS OR ITS ACHIEVE-
MENT OR ACT TESTS, OR A MINIMUM INDEX SCORE DERIVED BY UTILIZING ANY
COMBINATION OF SCORES FROM MORE THAN ONE OF ANY SUCH STANDARDIZED TESTS,
SHALL NOT BE REQUIRED AS A MINIMUM STANDARD FOR STUDENT ADMISSION TO ANY
COLLEGE OF THE UNIVERSITY. NO PROVISION OF THIS PARAGRAPH SHALL BE
CONSTRUED TO PRECLUDE CONSIDERATION OF SUCH SCORES TOGETHER WITH ACADEM-
IC COURSE GRADES, CLASSROOM PERFORMANCE, COMMUNITY SERVICE, AND EXTRA-
CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES, IN DETERMINING QUALIFICATIONS FOR STUDENT ADMIS-
SION, NOR TO PRECLUDE THE USE OF AN INDEX BASED UPON SUCH OVERALL
ASSESSMENT OF A STUDENT'S PERFORMANCE; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT IN MAKING
SUCH ASSESSMENT OR CONSTRUCTING SUCH INDEX, NO MINIMUM SCORE ON ANY SUCH
STANDARDIZED TEST OR COMBINATION OF STANDARDIZED TESTS SHALL BE REQUIRED
AS A STANDARD FOR ADMISSION; AND FURTHER PROVIDED THAT THE COMPONENTS OF
ANY SUCH INDEX SHALL NOT BE WEIGHTED IN SUCH A MANNER AS TO REQUIRE, IN
EFFECT, THAT A MINIMUM SCORE BE ATTAINED ON ANY SUCH STANDARDIZED TEST
OR COMBINATION OF STANDARDIZED TESTS TO REACH AN INDEX SCORE WHICH
CONSTITUTES THE CUT-OFF POINT FOR STUDENT ADMISSION OR REJECTION.
S 3. This act shall take effect immediately.