Substitute Senate Bill No. 1095
AN ACT CONCERNING STUDENTS ASSESSMENTS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. (Effective from passage) (a) There is established a Mastery Examination Committee within the Department of Education. Membership of the committee shall consist of the following: (1) The Commissioner of Education and the president of the Board of Regents for Higher Education, or their designees, (2) one representative from the State Board of Education, (3) one representative and one practitioner from each of the following associations, designated by the association: The Connecticut Association of Boards of Education, the Connecticut Association of Schools, the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents, the Connecticut Education Association, the Connecticut Parent Teacher Association and the American Federation of Teachers-Connecticut, and (4) persons selected by the Commissioner of Education who shall include, but shall not be limited to, teachers, persons with expertise in performance evaluation processes and systems and any other person the commissioner deems appropriate.
(b) The committee shall examine (1) the impact of the state-wide mastery examination on teaching, students and student learning time, (2) the administration of the state-wide mastery examination on computers or other devices, (3) whether the state-wide mastery examination is an appropriate student assessment, (4) whether the state-wide mastery examination (A) responds to student needs, (B) offers accommodations for students with disabilities and students who are English language learners, (C) informs teachers of student progress, (D) aligns with curriculum standards adopted by the State Board of Education, and (E) complies with the requirements of federal law, (5) the feasibility of decreasing the amount of time required to complete the state-wide mastery examination by using alternative formats or alternative methods of delivery, and (6) ways to facilitate timely communication between the State Board of Education and local and regional boards of education with regard to the state-wide mastery examination.
(c) On or before February 15, 2016, the committee shall submit an interim report and, on or before January 15, 2017, a final report on its findings and recommendations to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes.
(d) The committee shall terminate on the date that it submits such report or January 15, 2017, whichever is later.
Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2015) To the extent permitted by federal law or the terms of a federal waiver of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, 20 USC 6301, et seq. , as amended from time to time, as it relates to the grade eleven mastery examination requirement pursuant to section 10-14n of the general statutes, as amended by this act, not later than January 1, 2016, the State Board of Education, in consultation with the Mastery Examination Committee, established pursuant to section 1 of this act, shall enter into an agreement with a provider of a nationally recognized college readiness assessment for the provision and administration of such college readiness assessment as part of such grade eleven mastery examination requirement, provided such college readiness assessment offers accommodations for students with disabilities and students who are English language learners.
Sec. 3. Section 10-14n of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage and applicable on and after the effective date of an agreement between the State Board of Education and a provider of a nationally recognized college readiness assessment for the provision and administration of a college readiness assessment as part of the grade eleven mastery examination requirement):
(a) As used in this section, "mastery examination" means (1) for students enrolled in grades three to eight, inclusive, an examination or examinations, approved by the State Board of Education, that [measure] measures essential and grade-appropriate skills in reading, writing [,] or mathematics, [or science] (2) for students enrolled in grades five, eight and ten, an examination, approved by the State Board of Education, that measures essential and grade-appropriate skills in science, and (3) for students enrolled in grade eleven, a nationally recognized college readiness assessment, approved by the State Board of Education, that measures essential and grade-appropriate skills in reading, writing and mathematics.
(b) (1) For the school year commencing July 1, [2013] 2015, and each school year thereafter, each student enrolled in grades three to eight, inclusive, and grade [ten or] eleven in any public school shall, annually, take a mastery examination in reading, writing and mathematics during the regular school day.
(2) For the school year commencing July 1, 2013, and each school year thereafter, each student enrolled in [grade] grades five, eight [,] and ten [or eleven] in any public school shall, annually, in March or April, take a state-wide mastery examination in science during the regular school day.
(c) (1) Mastery examinations, as defined in subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of this section, given to students enrolled in grades three to eight, inclusive, pursuant to subdivision (1) of subsection (b) of this section, shall be provided by and administered under the supervision of the State Board of Education.
(2) Mastery examinations, as defined in subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of this section, given to students enrolled in grades five, eight and ten, pursuant to subdivision (2) of subsection (b) of this section, shall be provided by and administered under the supervision of the State Board of Education.
(3) Mastery examinations, as defined in subdivision (3) of subsection (a) of this section, given to students enrolled in grade eleven, pursuant to subdivision (1) of subsection (b) of this section, shall be paid for by the State Board of Education and administered by the provider of such nationally recognized college readiness assessment in accordance with the provisions of the agreement between the state board and such provider, pursuant to section 2 of this act.
(d) The scores on each component of the mastery examination, as defined in subdivision (3) of subsection (a) of this section, for each [tenth or] eleventh grade student may be included on the permanent record and transcript of each such student who takes such examination. For each [tenth or] eleventh grade student who meets or exceeds the state-wide mastery goal level on any component of the mastery examination, a certification of having met or exceeded such goal level shall be made on the permanent record and the transcript of each such student and such student shall be issued a certificate of mastery for such component. [Each tenth or eleventh grade student who fails to meet the mastery goal level on each component of said mastery examination may annually take or retake each such component at its regular administration until such student scores at or above each such state-wide mastery goal level or such student graduates or reaches age twenty-one. ]
(e) No public school may require achievement of a satisfactory score on a mastery examination, or any subsequent retest on a component of such examination as the sole criterion of promotion or graduation.