Senate Bill S2593A

2017-2018 Legislative Session

Provides that teachers, principals, and superintendents are no longer required to sign confidentiality agreements

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Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Education Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Date of Action	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Feb 12, 2018	print number 2593a
Feb 12, 2018	amend and recommit to education
Jan 03, 2018	referred to education
Jan 13, 2017	referred to education

Bill Amendments

Original

A (Active)

co-Sponsors

2017-S2593 - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A10386
Current Committee:: Senate Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §305, Ed L
Versions Introduced in 2015-2016 Legislative Session:: S6557

2017-S2593 - Summary

Provides that teachers, principals, and superintendents are no longer required to sign confidentiality agreements.

2017-S2593 - Sponsor Memo

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S2593

 TITLE OF BILL :

An act to amend the education law, in relation to confidentiality
agreements with teachers

 PURPOSE :

To prohibit the department from requiring teachers, principals, or
superintendents to sign certain portions of confidentiality
agreements.

 SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS :

Section 1 would prohibit the Department from requiring teachers,
principals or superintendents from signing confidentiality agreements
that prohibit them from discussing the contents of ELA and math
assessments in grades three through eight. It would further require
the Department to amend any confidentiality agreements to be in
conformance with these provisions.

Section 2 sets forth an immediate effective date.

 JUSTIFICATION :

Currently, school employees that grade federally required standardized
assessments in grades three through eight ELA and math are required to
sign confidentiality agreements with the State Education Department
(SED). One provision of the agreement prohibits teachers and school
employees from merely discussing the contents of the exam the employee
was grading with other school employees. Not only do teachers get the
tests back too late in the year for them to be instructional for the
students that took the exam, but by not being allowed to even discuss
the tests it hinders teachers' ability to improve instruction. This
bill would allow SED to continue to require some semblance of safety
by allowing agreements to continue, but would prohibit the requirement
that teachers and school employees cannot merely discuss the contents
of the exams.

 LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

2016: S. 6557 Education
2015: S. 5139 Education / A. 7402 Passed Assembly

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

None.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
This act shall take effect immediately.

2017-S2593 - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   2593
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 13, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  MARCELLINO  -- read twice and ordered printed, and
   when printed to be committed to the Committee on Education
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to confidentiality agree-
   ments with teachers
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. Section 305 of the education law is amended by adding a new
 subdivision 56 to read as follows:
   56. A. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY LAW, RULE OR REGULATION TO THE CONTRARY, NO
 TEACHER, PRINCIPAL, OR SUPERINTENDENT SHALL BE REQUIRED TO SIGN A CONFI-
 DENTIALITY  AGREEMENT  WITH  THEIR  RESPECTIVE SCHOOL DISTRICT, BOARD OF
 COOPERATIVE EDUCATIONAL SERVICES, OR THE DEPARTMENT THAT  PREVENTS  SUCH
 TEACHER,  PRINCIPAL,  OR  SUPERINTENDENT FROM DISCUSSING THE CONTENTS OF
 ANY ELA AND MATH ASSESSMENTS IN GRADES 3 THROUGH 8.
   B. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL AMEND AND/OR MODIFY  ANY  CURRENT  CONFIDEN-
 TIALITY  AGREEMENT TO REMOVE ANY PROVISIONS THAT PREVENT TEACHERS, PRIN-
 CIPALS, OR SUPERINTENDENTS FROM DISCUSSING THE CONTENTS OF ANY  ELA  AND
 MATH ASSESSMENTS IN GRADES 3 THROUGH 8.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
 
 
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD06440-01-7

co-Sponsors

2017-S2593A (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A10386
Current Committee:: Senate Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §305, Ed L
Versions Introduced in 2015-2016 Legislative Session:: S6557

2017-S2593A (ACTIVE) - Summary

Provides that teachers, principals, and superintendents are no longer required to sign confidentiality agreements.

2017-S2593A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S2593A

SPONSOR: MARCELLINO
 
TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend the education law, in relation to
confidentiality agreements with teachers

 
PURPOSE:

To prohibit the department from requiring teachers, principals, or
superintendents to sign certain portions of confidentiality agreements.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 would prohibit the Department from requiring teachers, princi-
pals or superintendents from signing confidentiality agreements that
prohibit them from discussing the contents of ELA and math assessments
in grades three through eight. It would further require the Department
to amend any confidentiality agreements to be in conformance with these
provisions.

Section 2 sets forth an immediate effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Currently, school employees that grade federally required standardized
assessments in grades three through eight ELA and math are required to
sign confidentiality agreements with the State Education Department
(SED). One provision of the agreement prohibits teachers and school
employees from merely discussing the contents of the exam the employee
was grading with other school employees. Not only do teachers get the
tests back too late in the year for them to be instructional for the
students that took the exam, but by not being allowed to even discuss
the tests it hinders teachers' ability to improve instruction. This bill
would allow SED to continue to require some semblance of safety by
allowing agreements to continue, but would prohibit the requirement that
teachers and school employees cannot merely discuss the contents of the
exams.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2017: S. 2593 Education
2016: S. 6557 Education
2015: S. 5139 Education / A. 7402 Passed Assembly

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2017-S2593A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  2593--A
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 13, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens.  MARCELLINO, CARLUCCI, MARCHIONE -- read twice and
   ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee  on
   Education  --  recommitted to the Committee on Education in accordance
   with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8  --  committee  discharged,  bill  amended,
   ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee

 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to confidentiality agree-
   ments with teachers
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Section 305 of the education law is amended by adding a new
 subdivision 57 to read as follows:
   57. A. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY LAW, RULE OR REGULATION TO THE CONTRARY, NO
 TEACHER, PRINCIPAL, OR SUPERINTENDENT SHALL BE REQUIRED TO SIGN A CONFI-
 DENTIALITY AGREEMENT WITH THEIR RESPECTIVE  SCHOOL  DISTRICT,  BOARD  OF
 COOPERATIVE  EDUCATIONAL  SERVICES, OR THE DEPARTMENT THAT PREVENTS SUCH
 TEACHER, PRINCIPAL, OR SUPERINTENDENT FROM DISCUSSING  THE  CONTENTS  OF
 ANY ELA AND MATH ASSESSMENTS IN GRADES 3 THROUGH 8.
   B.  THE  COMMISSIONER  SHALL AMEND AND/OR MODIFY ANY CURRENT CONFIDEN-
 TIALITY AGREEMENT TO REMOVE ANY PROVISIONS THAT PREVENT TEACHERS,  PRIN-
 CIPALS,  OR  SUPERINTENDENTS FROM DISCUSSING THE CONTENTS OF ANY ELA AND
 MATH ASSESSMENTS IN GRADES 3 THROUGH 8.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
 
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD06440-02-8

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Senate Bill S2593A

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Education Committee

Actions

Bill Amendments

co-Sponsors

2017-S2593 - Details

2017-S2593 - Summary

2017-S2593 - Sponsor Memo

2017-S2593 - Bill Text download pdf

co-Sponsors

2017-S2593A (ACTIVE) - Details

2017-S2593A (ACTIVE) - Summary

2017-S2593A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2017-S2593A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

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Sponsored By

Carl L. Marcellino

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Education Committee

Actions

Bill Amendments

co-Sponsors

David Carlucci

Kathleen A. Marchione

2017-S2593 - Details

2017-S2593 - Summary

2017-S2593 - Sponsor Memo

2017-S2593 - Bill Text download pdf

co-Sponsors

David Carlucci

Kathleen A. Marchione

2017-S2593A (ACTIVE) - Details

2017-S2593A (ACTIVE) - Summary

2017-S2593A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2017-S2593A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments