S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
7460
2015-2016 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
May 12, 2015
___________
Introduced by M. of A. FAHY, McDONALD, BICHOTTE, GUNTHER, KAMINSKY,
BARRETT, STIRPE, KIM, LIFTON, SIMON, MOSLEY, BUCHWALD, SKOUFIS,
JAFFEE, GOTTFRIED, COLTON, RAIA, STEC, BRINDISI, LUPINACCI, DUPREY,
CUSICK, COOK, ZEBROWSKI -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. MAGEE --
read once and referred to the Committee on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to readability standards
for standardized assessments
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 319 to
read as follows:
S 319. READABILITY STANDARDS FOR STANDARDIZED ASSESSMENTS. STATE
ADMINISTERED STANDARDIZED ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS OR MATHEMATICS ASSESS-
MENTS FOR GRADES THREE THROUGH EIGHT SHALL BE PRESENTED AT A READABILITY
LEVEL THAT IS GRADE-LEVEL APPROPRIATE.
S 2. In order to implement the provisions of section one of this act,
the commissioner of education shall:
(1) no later than September 1, 2016 complete an initial review of
state administered standardized English language arts or mathematics
assessments for grades three through eight to review the readability of
such assessments prior to the administration of such assessments. If it
is determined from the initial review that the assessments are not
grade-level appropriate, the education department shall make the neces-
sary changes to such assessments to ensure that they are presented at a
readability level that is grade-level appropriate prior to the adminis-
tration of such assessments.
(2) consult with relevant stakeholders, as determined by the commis-
sioner of education, and consider the use of comprehension and readabil-
ity indices or tests such as those established by the Flesch-Kincaid
Grade Level, Gunning Fog Index, Coleman-Liau Index, SMOG Index, Auto-
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10523-03-5
A. 7460 2
mated Readability Index, or other readily available and nationally
accepted readability indices and tests.
S 3. This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however that
section one of this act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth
day after it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the
commissioner of education is authorized to promulgate any and all rules
and regulations and take any other measures necessary to implement this
act on its effective date, on or before such date.