Assembly Bill A3800

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  3800

                       2009-2010 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                            January 28, 2009
                               ___________

Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  WALKER,  THIELE, BACALLES, O'MARA, SALADINO,
  TEDISCO, McDONOUGH -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. ALFANO,  BARCLAY,
  BARRA,  BURLING, CONTE, ERRIGO, GIGLIO, KOLB, McKEVITT, MILLMAN, OAKS,
  QUINN, RAIA, SAYWARD, TOBACCO, TOWNSEND -- read once and  referred  to
  the Committee on Education

AN  ACT to direct the department of education to develop a pilot program
  that maximizes the use of technology to allow parents to keep track of
  their children's academic progress toward meeting the  state's  educa-
  tional standards

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. Legislative intent. In recent years, the state  legislature
has  taken  several  steps to ensure that students, teachers and parents
are provided with the tools necessary to assist  students  in  achieving
the  state's learning standards. The legislature finds that teachers and
parents deserve more flexibility in the recording and accessing of grade
information to track individual and class  grades  and  attendance.  The
legislature  finds  that the enactment of this act will provide teachers
with a more flexible grading system that allows the tracking of individ-
ual and class grades, the development of academic reports, and the pres-
entation of individual  student  academic  performance  records  on  the
internet.  The  legislature  finds  that  the enactment of this act will
provide parents of middle and high  school  grade  level  students  with
secure  internet  access, hosted by the department of education to indi-
vidual academic performance and attendance records at no cost.
  S 2. Short title. This act shall be known and  may  be  cited  as  the
"internet grade book act".
  S 3. (a) The department of education is hereby authorized and directed
to  create  a statewide internet pilot program to be known as the "grade
book program" to be made available on a voluntary basis  to  all  school
districts  for a two-year period. This program shall, at a minimum allow

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD01539-01-9
              

A. 3800                             2

parents of middle and high school students to access, via the  internet,
their  child's  academic progress toward meeting the state's educational
standards.
  (b)  School districts that choose to participate in such program shall
be required to provide parents of all middle and  high  school  students
with,  at  a minimum, their children's weekly updated grades, attendance
records and upcoming homework assignments.
  (c) The  criteria  for  awarding  contracts  for  this  program  shall
include,  but  not necessarily be limited to: the experience the company
has in providing internet related academic support  services  to  school
districts;  the extent to which the program will be easily accessible to
parents and teachers; and the cost of the provider's services.
  S 4. The department of education is authorized and directed to conduct
a study of the program during its second year period. Such  study  shall
include, but not be limited to:
  (a)  an  assessment of the extent to which the program assists parents
in tracking the academic progress of their children; and
  (b) an assessment of whether  and  how  further  investment  into  the
program  is  appropriate  for  the state. Such study and recommendations
shall be submitted to the legislature no later than one  year  following
the completion of the program's first year.
  S 5. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
it  shall  have become a law and shall apply to the academic school year
next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law;  provided,
however,  that  effective  immediately,  the department of education may
promulgate any rules or regulations necessary for the timely implementa-
tion of this act on such effective date.