Senate Bill S6446

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S6446

SPONSOR: JACKSON
 
TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend the education law, in relation to
establishing a common articulation policy at the state of New York and
city of New York university systems for granting college credit bearing
coursework based upon successful performance on standardized exams
completed by high school students

 
PURPOSE:

To require the boards of trustees of the State University of New York
and City University of New York to develop a common, clear and fair
credit articulation policy. A uniform, consistent, and evidenced-based
credit-by-exam policy for SUNY and CUNY allows high achieving students
earning passing scores on nationally standardized exams equitable access
to introductory college course credit, affordable tuition options, a
reduction in the accumulation of excess credit hours, support for seam-
less transfer and improved college completion rates.  Research findings
consistently report the benefits of evidenced based credit-by-exam poli-
cies and the impact on students' college success.  Using the best data
available the SUNY and CUNY Boards should compare the performance of
              

students who successfully complete college crediting earning coursework
in high school to those students who do not, and based on that study, to
adopt a common articulation policy that establishes that any and all
students who achieve a certain evidence based score on an Advanced
Placement exams will receive college credit for their achievement at all
State University or City University campuses.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 amends section 355 of the Education Law by adding a new subdi-
vision 2-b to require the SUNY Board of Trustees to establish a new
common and clear credit articulation policy for granting college credit
for enrolling students in the 2017-18 academic year and thereafter who
demonstrate college level performance by earning passing scores on
standardized exams, such as Advanced Placement (AP), College Level Exam-
ination Program (CLEP), and International Baccalaureate (1B) prior to
enrollment. The policy must be established based on the best research
available and findings of a study that compares the performance of
students who take and complete these college-level programs and achieve
passing scores, with students who do not take such coursework prior to
enrolling in SUNY.

Section 2 amends the section 6206 of the Education Law by adding a new
subdivision 20 to require that the CUNY board of trustees establish a
new common and clear credit articulation policy for granting college
credit for enrolling students in the 2017-18 academic year and thereaft-
er who demonstrate college level performance by earning passing scores
on standardized exams, such as Advanced Placement (AP), College Level
Examination Program (CLEP), and International Baccalaureate (113) prior
to enrollment. The policy must be established based on the best research
available and findings of a study that compares the performance of
students who take and complete these college-level programs and achieve
passing scores, with students who do not take such coursework prior to
enrolling in CUNY.

Section 3 establishes the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Students who take and successfully complete AP exams in high school are
more likely to enroll, persist, and graduate from college than their
counterparts who do not take this rigorous coursework in high school.
Public institutions creating a common, clear, and fair credit artic-
ulation policy is a critical tool to both challenging students to step
into the rigor of AP course work and ensuring they receive cost saving
credit for successful completion of those college level exams.

Currently, the AP exam scores required to grant college credit in the
CUNY system are significantly more restrictive than the SUNY insti-
tutions require. In 2015, graduating seniors sent 7138 AP exam score
transcripts to CUNY. Of those, 2776 of those AP exams represented scores
of 3. These students did not receive college credit from CUNY. Despite
their academic achievement, they were required to pay to "retake" an
introductory college course.

Requiring SUNY and CUNY to create and enforce a common, clear, and fair
credit articulation policy and granting credit for successful completion
of exams can help students graduate on time and save families money.
There simply is no justification for our two world-class State universi-
ty systems to deny students the college credit they have earned and the
time has come to end these unfair policies.
In May 2015, New York students took a total of 170,658 AP exams that
resulted in scores of 3, 4, or 5. At an average rate of $254.80 per
credit hour for tuition at New York four-year public institutions, the
total potential college cost savings estimate for New York students and
families is $130,450,975.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2017-2018: S.5875 - Referred to Higher Education/A.6177-A - Referred to
Higher Education
2015-2016: A.10412 - Referred to Higher Education

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.