Bill Text: NC H48 | 2011-2012 | Regular Session | Enrolled

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: No Standardized Testing Unless Req'd by Feds

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 24-9)

Status: (Passed) 2011-03-21 - Ch. SL 2011-8 [H48 Detail]

Download: North_Carolina-2011-H48-Enrolled.html

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 2011

 

 

HOUSE BILL 48

RATIFIED BILL

 

 

AN ACT to reduce spending by eliminating statewide standardized testing in the public schools, except as required by federal law or as a condition of a federal grant.

 

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

 

SECTION 1.  G.S. 115C‑174.11 reads as rewritten:

"§ 115C‑174.11.  Components of the testing program.

(a)        Assessment Instruments for First and Second Grades. – The State Board of Education shall adopt and provide to the local school administrative units developmentally appropriate individualized assessment instruments consistent with the Basic Education Program for the first and second grades, rather than standardized tests. Local school administrative units may use these assessment instruments provided to them by the State Board for first and second grade students, and shall not use standardized tests except as required as a condition of receiving federal grants.

(b)        Repealed by Session Laws 2009‑451, s. 7.20(c), effective July 1, 2009.

(c)        Annual Testing Program.

(1)        The State Board of Education shall adopt a system of annual testingthe tests for grades three through 12.12 that are required by federal law or as a condition of a federal grant. These tests shall be designed to measure progress toward reading, communication skills, and mathematics for grades three through eight, and toward competencies designated by the State Board for grades nine through 12. The State Board may develop and implement a plan for high school end‑of‑course tests that must be aligned with the content standards developed under G.S. 115C‑12(9c). Students who do not pass the tests adopted for eighth grade shall be provided remedial instruction in the ninth grade.

(2)        If the State Board of Education finds that additional testing in grades three through 12 is desirable to allow comparisons with national indicators of student achievement, that testing shall be conducted with the smallest size sample of students necessary to assure valid comparisons with other states.

(d)        Except as provided in subdivision (2) of subsection (c) of this section, the State Board of Education shall not require the public schools to administer any standardized tests except for those required by federal law or as a condition of a federal grant.

The State Board of Education shall adopt and provide to local school administrative units all tests required by federal law or as a condition of a federal grant."

SECTION 2.  The following end‑of‑course tests are hereby eliminated:

(1)        United States History.

(2)        Civics and Economics.

(3)        Algebra II.

(4)        Physical Science.

SECTION 3.  The State Board of Education in conjunction with the Department of Public Instruction shall consider alternative assessment strategies for measuring the academic performance of students and for evaluating teachers.  The Department shall report its proposals on any such strategies to Education Committee of the House of Representatives and the Education/Higher Education Committee of the Senate by June 1, 2011.

SECTION 4.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2011 and applies beginning with the 2011-2012 school year.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 7th day of March, 2011.

 

 

 

 

                                                        ___________________________________________

                                                         Walter H. Dalton

                                                         President of the Senate

 

 

 

 

                                                        ___________________________________________

                                                         Dale R. Folwell

                                                         Speaker Pro Tempore of the House of Representatives

 

 

 

 

                                                        ___________________________________________

                                                         Beverly E. Perdue

                                                         Governor

 

 

Approved __________.m. this ______________ day of ___________________, 2011

feedback