NY State Senate Bill 2019-S8502

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Rules 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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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jun 06, 2020	referred to rules

2019-S8502 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Rules
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Add §340-a, Ed L
Versions Introduced in 2019-2020 Legislative Session:: S8502

2019-S8502 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Prevents certain public institutions of higher education from using the scholastic aptitude test and ACT assessment in the admissions process on and after the two thousand twenty-three--two thousand twenty-four academic year for New York resident applicants and requires SUNY and CUNY to create a new standardized test by the two thousand twenty-five--two thousand twenty-six academic year.

2019-S8502 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S8502

SPONSOR: SKOUFIS
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to public higher educa-
tion admissions and standardized testing

 
PURPOSE:

To phase out the traditional standard testing examinations used by the
state university of New York and the city university of New York systems
in undergraduate admission decisions for New York residents and create a
new undergraduate admissions examination that better aligns with the
content their respective institutions expect students should have
mastered to demonstrate college readiness.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1: Amends education law by adding a new section 340-a to suspend
the use of current standardized test requirements for undergraduate

admissions until the 2025-2026 academic year. Directs the boards of
trustees for the state university of New York and the city university of
New York to identify and create a new test that aligns with the content
the respective institutions expect students should have mastered to
demonstrate college readiness.

Section 2: Effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

The use of college standardized testing like the ACT and SAT - developed
by near-monopolies like the College Board - does not provide an accurate
depiction of a student's likelihood of success in their undergraduate
studies. Moreover, students with academic, social or economic dispari-
ties are disadvantaged by the role standardized tests play in admis-
sions. Private study classes and tutoring costs well into the hundreds,
even thousands of dollars. Access to free study resources is reserved
for those students that have reliable access to computers, internet and
a safe, quiet place to study.  The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting
test cancelations, financial hardship, and lack of access, has exasper-
ated the controversy of standardized testing.

This bill, modeled after the University of California's recent decision
to phase-out ACT and SAT scores, will give the SUNY and CUNY systems an
opportunity to design an admissions examination that not only levels the
playing field for students from all backgrounds, but will highlight the
academic and personal values each institution pursues in its students.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2019-S8502 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8502
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               June 6, 2020
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. SKOUFIS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to public  higher  educa-
   tion admissions and standardized testing
 
   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  340-a
 to read as follows:
   §  340-A. PUBLIC HIGHER EDUCATION ADMISSIONS AND STANDARDIZED TESTING.
 1. FOR ALL PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION, EXCEPT  SUCH  INSTI-
 TUTIONS THAT ARE CONSIDERED STATUTORY COLLEGES UNDER THIS CHAPTER:
   (A)  THE USE OF CURRENT STANDARDIZED TEST REQUIREMENTS FOR UNDERGRADU-
 ATE ADMISSIONS OF NEW YORK RESIDENT APPLICANTS SHALL BE SUSPENDED  UNTIL
 THE TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FIVE--TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SIX ACADEMIC YEAR.
   (B)  FOR  ENROLLMENT  DECISIONS FOR NEW YORK STATE RESIDENT APPLICANTS
 FOR THE TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-ONE--TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-TWO AND  TWO  THOU-
 SAND  TWENTY-TWO--TWO  THOUSAND  TWENTY-THREE ACADEMIC YEARS, SHALL HAVE
 THE OPTION TO USE THE SCHOLASTIC APTITUDE TEST AND ACT  ASSESSMENT  TEST
 SCORES IN SELECTION CONSIDERATION IF STUDENTS CHOOSE TO SUBMIT THEM.
   (C)  FOR  ENROLLMENT  DECISIONS FOR NEW YORK STATE RESIDENT APPLICANTS
 FOR THE TWO THOUSAND  TWENTY-THREE--TWO  THOUSAND  TWENTY-FOUR  AND  TWO
 THOUSAND TWENTY-FOUR--TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FIVE ACADEMIC YEARS, SHALL NOT
 CONSIDER  STANDARDIZED  TEST  SCORES  FOR ADMISSIONS SELECTION AND SHALL
 PRACTICE TEST-BLIND ADMISSIONS SELECTION FOR  NEW  YORK  STATE  RESIDENT
 APPLICANTS.
   2.  (A)  THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AND
 THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES FOR THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF  NEW  YORK  SHALL  EACH
 IDENTIFY  AND CREATE A NEW TEST THAT ALIGNS WITH THE CONTENT THE RESPEC-
 TIVE INSTITUTIONS EXPECT STUDENTS SHOULD HAVE  MASTERED  TO  DEMONSTRATE
 COLLEGE READINESS FOR STUDENTS ENTERING SUCH INSTITUTIONS.
   (B)  IF  THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AND
 THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES FOR THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK ARE UNABLE  TO
 EITHER  MODIFY  OR  CREATE  A  TEST THAT MEETS THESE CRITERIA AND CAN BE
 AVAILABLE FOR APPLICANTS FOR THE TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FIVE--TWO  THOUSAND
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD16544-03-0

 S. 8502                             2
 
 TWENTY-SIX  ACADEMIC  YEAR,  THE RESPECTIVE INSTITUTIONS SHALL ELIMINATE
 ALTOGETHER THE USE OF THE SCHOLASTIC APTITUDE TEST  AND  ACT  ASSESSMENT
 FOR ADMISSIONS SELECTION FOR NEW YORK STATE RESIDENT APPLICANTS.
   (C)  THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AND THE
 BOARD OF TRUSTEES FOR THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK SHALL CONSULT WITH
 KINDERGARTEN THROUGH TWELFTH GRADE EDUCATORS, TEST EXPERTS, INSTITUTIONS
 WITHIN THE RESPECTIVE SYSTEMS AND FACULTY OF THOSE INSTITUTIONS TO EVAL-
 UATE HOW BEST TO CONSTRUCT A TEST BETTER SUITED FOR  THE  NEEDS  OF  THE
 SYSTEMS.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

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Senate Bill S8502

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Rules Committee

2019-S8502 (ACTIVE) - Details

2019-S8502 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2019-S8502 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2019-S8502 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

Senate Bill S8502

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Sponsored By

James Skoufis

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Rules Committee

2019-S8502 (ACTIVE) - Details

2019-S8502 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2019-S8502 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2019-S8502 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments