Assembly Bill A8024

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

                                  8024

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                              June 4, 2015
                               ___________

Introduced  by M. of A. RA -- read once and referred to the Committee on
  Education

AN ACT to amend the education  law,  in  relation  to  establishing  the
  standardized  testing  transparency  act;  and making an appropriation
  therefor

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

  Section  1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "standard-
ized testing transparency act".
  S 2. Section 305 of the education law is amended  by  adding  two  new
subdivisions 53 and 54 to read as follows:
  53.  THE  COMMISSIONER  SHALL  RELEASE  ALL  STATE  STANDARDIZED  TEST
CONTENT, QUESTIONS, AND ANSWERS FOR PUBLIC REVIEW WITHIN THIRTY DAYS  OF
THE COMPLETION OF THE TESTING AND ANY MAKE-UP TESTING.
  54.  THE  COMMISSIONER SHALL RELEASE DATA FOLLOWING THE ADMINISTRATION
OF EACH  STATE  STANDARDIZED  TEST  REGARDING  THE  NUMBER  OF  ELIGIBLE
STUDENTS  WHO COMPLETED THE EXAMS BY DISTRICT AND THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS
WHO OPTED OUT OF THE EXAM.
  S 3. The education law is amended by adding a new section 115 to  read
as follows:
  S  115.  STANDARDIZED TESTING TASK FORCE. 1. A. THERE IS ESTABLISHED A
STANDARDIZED TESTING TASK FORCE. THE PURPOSE OF THE TASK FORCE SHALL  BE
TO STUDY THE CURRENT STANDARDIZED TESTING PROGRAM.
  B.  THE TASK FORCE SHALL CONSIST OF NINE MEMBERS APPOINTED BY THE P-12
COMMITTEE ON THE BOARD OF REGENTS AND SHALL INCLUDE AT LEAST:
  (1) ONE CERTIFIED NEW YORK STATE SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER;
  (2) ONE CERTIFIED TEACHER WITH AN ENGLISH  LANGUAGE  TEACHING  CERTIF-
ICATE; AND
  (3) ONE PARENT OF A NEW YORK STATE ELEMENTARY PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENT.
  2. THE TASK FORCE SHALL EVALUATE:

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD11172-02-5

              

A. 8024                             2

  A.  THE AGE AND DEVELOPMENTAL APPROPRIATENESS OF COMMON CORE STANDARD-
IZED TESTS IN THIRD THROUGH EIGHTH GRADES IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE  ARTS  AND
MATHEMATICS  AS  ADMINISTERED  IN  THE TWO THOUSAND TWELVE--TWO THOUSAND
THIRTEEN, TWO THOUSAND THIRTEEN--TWO THOUSAND FOURTEEN, AND TWO THOUSAND
FOURTEEN--TWO THOUSAND FIFTEEN SCHOOL YEARS; AND
  B.  THE  BENEFIT  OF HAVING TESTS CREATED INTERNALLY BY NEW YORK STATE
EDUCATORS AS OPPOSED TO CONTRACTED VENDORS OR INCREASING INPUT WITH  ANY
OUTSIDE  VENDOR  BY ALLOWING NEW YORK EDUCATORS AN ADVISORY ROLE IN TEST
CREATION.
  S  4.  The  sum  of  eight  million  four  hundred  thousand   dollars
($8,400,000),  or  so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appro-
priated to the department of education out of any moneys  in  the  state
treasury  in  the  general  fund  to  the  credit  of the state purposes
account, not otherwise appropriated, and made immediately available, for
the purpose of carrying out the provisions  of  this  act  and  for  the
reduction  of  field  testing. Such moneys shall be payable on the audit
and warrant of the comptroller on vouchers certified or approved by  the
commissioner of education in the manner prescribed by law.
  S 5. This act shall take effect immediately.