NY State Senate Bill S8502

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Rules Committee

Introduced
In Committee
On Floor Calendar
- Passed Senate
- Passed Assembly
Delivered to Governor
Signed/Vetoed by Governor

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jun 06, 2020	referred to rules

S8502 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Rules
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Add §340-a, Ed L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2021-2022: S1904
2023-2024: S3432

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.

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.

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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The New York State Senate

senate Bill S8502

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Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Rules Committee

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S8502 (ACTIVE) - Details

S8502 (ACTIVE) - Summary

S8502 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

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

Your Voice

Actions

S8502 (ACTIVE) - Details

S8502 (ACTIVE) - Summary

S8502 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

S8502 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments