Senate Bill S6791

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S6791

 TITLE OF BILL :

An act to amend the education law, in relation to requiring persons
applying for a certificate or license to be a teacher to receive a
passing score on the academic literacy skills test and the teacher
performance assessment

 PURPOSE :

This legislation requires applicants seeking teacher certification to
pass the academic literacy skills test and the teacher performance
assessment.

 SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS :

Section 1: Adds a new subdivision 1-b to section 3004 of the Education
Law by requiring applicants who seek a teacher certification to
achieve a passing score on the academic literacy skills test and the
teacher performance assessment. It prohibits the Education
Commissioner from accepting alternatives to a passing score on these
teacher certification assessments.

Section 2: nullifies any regulation providing a multiple measures
review process, any equivalency measures, or any safety net measures
              

for applicants who fail to achieve passing scores on these
assessments.

Section 3: the effective date.

 JUSTIFICATION :

In March 2017, the Regents adopted temporary regulations that removed
the academic literacy skills test as a pre-requisite for teacher
certification. The Regents found this test to be duplicative and
inhibiting the certification of sufficient numbers of teachers to
staff New York state classrooms. The state has a compelling interest
in ensuring applicants seeking teacher certifications have the skills
necessary to provide a world-class education to New York's students.

The State Education Department has enacted regulations providing
safety net provisions that allow students who fail to secure passing
grades on teacher certification assessments to nonetheless become
certified by meeting alternative requirements to satisfy the testing
requirement. While the goal of encouraging people to become teachers
providing sufficient staff in school, New York state must ensure these
teachers are qualified, and are not certified as teachers when they
cannot satisfy testing requirements for certification.

 LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

New Legislation.

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

There are no costs to the state or localities.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
This act shall take effect immediately, provided that section one of
this act shall be deemed to be in full force and effect on and after
March 13, 2017.