Bill Text: NY A06594 | 2013-2014 | General Assembly | Amended


Bill Title: Requires a study and report on the total cost of student assessments; survey of teachers and administrators on test-prep time for student assessments; prohibits the use of certain assessments to be used for anything other than diagnostic purposes.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 20-1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-02-07 - print number 6594a [A06594 Detail]

Download: New_York-2013-A06594-Amended.html
                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                        6594--A
                              2013-2014 Regular Sessions
                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y
                                    April 10, 2013
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  M. of A. NOLAN, ROSENTHAL, THIELE, SCHIMEL, GUNTHER, RA,
         OTIS,  PEOPLES-STOKES,  SKOUFIS,  JAFFEE,  FAHY,  COLTON,   HENNESSEY,
         ZEBROWSKI,  PAULIN, BRINDISI, LAVINE -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A.
         GLICK, LIFTON, MARKEY, SOLAGES  --  read  once  and  referred  to  the
         Committee on Education -- recommitted to the Committee on Education in
         accordance  with Assembly Rule 3, sec. 2 -- committee discharged, bill
         amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said  commit-
         tee
       AN  ACT to amend the education law, in relation to requiring a study and
         report on the total cost of developing all student assessments
         THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section 1. Section 305 of the education law is amended by adding a new
    2  subdivision 44 to read as follows:
    3    44. A. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL UNDERTAKE A STUDY TO DETERMINE THE TOTAL
    4  COST  OF DEVELOPING ALL STUDENT ASSESSMENTS, INCLUDING THE TOTAL COST OF
    5  PREPARING STUDENTS FOR ALL ASSESSMENTS, THE TOTAL COST OF  ADMINISTERING
    6  ALL ASSESSMENTS, AND THE TOTAL COST OF GRADING AND REVIEWING ALL ASSESS-
    7  MENTS IN THE TWO THOUSAND THIRTEEN -- TWO THOUSAND FOURTEEN SCHOOL YEAR.
    8    B.  THIS  STUDY  REQUIRED  PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH A OF THIS SUBDIVISION
    9  SHALL RESULT IN A REPORT, WHICH DETAILS ALL  SAID  COSTS  AND  SHALL  BE
   10  FILED WITH THE GOVERNOR, THE DIRECTOR OF THE DIVISION OF THE BUDGET, THE
   11  SPEAKER  OF  THE  ASSEMBLY,  THE  TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, THE
   12  CHAIR OF THE ASSEMBLY WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE, THE CHAIR OF THE  SENATE
   13  FINANCE  COMMITTEE  AND  THE CHAIRS OF THE ASSEMBLY AND SENATE EDUCATION
   14  COMMITTEES.  SUCH REPORT SHALL ALSO BE POSTED  ON  THE  WEBSITE  OF  THE
   15  DEPARTMENT  BY DECEMBER THIRTY-FIRST, TWO THOUSAND FOURTEEN AND SHALL BE
   16  DEEMED A PUBLIC DOCUMENT.
   17    C. THE COMMISSIONER'S STUDY SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO,  THE
   18  FOLLOWING INFORMATION:
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD10237-04-4
       A. 6594--A                          2
    1    (1)  THE  TOTAL  NUMBER  OF  STUDENT  ASSESSMENTS ADMINISTERED IN EACH
    2  SCHOOL DISTRICT IN THE STATE.  THIS  SHALL  INCLUDE  A  COUNT  OF  STATE
    3  REQUIRED  ASSESSMENTS  AND ASSESSMENTS WHICH ARE LOCALLY OR COMMERCIALLY
    4  DEVELOPED ASSESSMENTS WHICH ARE ADMINISTERED BY PUBLIC SCHOOL  DISTRICTS
    5  AND THE TOTAL NUMBER OF ASSESSMENTS EACH STUDENT COHORT WAS ADMINISTERED
    6  ON  AVERAGE  FROM KINDERGARTEN THROUGH GRADE TWELVE DURING THE TWO THOU-
    7  SAND THIRTEEN -- TWO THOUSAND FOURTEEN SCHOOL YEAR;
    8    (2) THE TOTAL COST OF STUDENT ASSESSMENTS ADMINISTERED IN EACH  SCHOOL
    9  DISTRICT  IN  THE STATE. THE TOTAL COST SHALL BE DISAGGREGATED TO DETER-
   10  MINE THE AMOUNT OF  PUBLIC  FUNDS  WHICH  WERE  EXPENDED  ON  NON-SCHOOL
   11  DISTRICT EMPLOYEES, VENDORS, AND OTHER ENTITIES WITH WHICH THE STATE AND
   12  SCHOOL  DISTRICTS  CONTRACT  FOR  STUDENT  ASSESSMENT PURPOSES INCLUDING
   13  PURCHASE AND LICENSING COSTS, TEST DEVELOPMENT, TEST  BOOKLETS,  SCORING
   14  SHEETS AND SCORING COSTS;
   15    (3)  LOGISTICAL,  PREPARATION  AND ADMINISTRATION COSTS INCLUDING, BUT
   16  NOT  LIMITED  TO,  DISTRIBUTING  AND  COLLECTING  ASSESSMENT  MATERIALS,
   17  ASSESSMENT DIRECTIONS, AND STORING MATERIALS;
   18    (4) COST OF TEST PREPARATION MATERIALS;
   19    (5) COST OF DATA COACHES;
   20    (6) COST OF DATA ANALYSIS OR DASHBOARD SYSTEMS, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
   21  MAINTENANCE, PURCHASE, OR UPGRADE;
   22    (7)  COST  OF  PROFESSIONAL  DEVELOPMENT  FOCUSED PRIMARILY ON STUDENT
   23  ASSESSMENT DATA;
   24    (8) COST OF TRAINING FOR TEST ADMINISTRATORS AND PROCTORS;
   25    (9) PER-PUPIL COSTS OF  ANY  ADDITIONAL  ASSESSMENTS  ADMINISTERED  TO
   26  STUDENT  SUBGROUPS INCLUDING ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS, STUDENTS RECEIV-
   27  ING INTERVENTION OR REMEDIATION SERVICES,  STUDENTS  WITH  DISABILITIES,
   28  AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS; AND
   29    (10) ANY OTHER COSTS RELATED TO STUDENT ASSESSMENTS.
   30    D.  IN  ADDITION,  THE  STUDY SHALL DETERMINE THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF TIME
   31  SPENT BY  SCHOOL  ADMINISTRATORS,  TEACHERS,  AND  STUDENTS  ON  STUDENT
   32  ASSESSMENTS  AND ASSOCIATED ACTIVITIES DURING THE TWO THOUSAND THIRTEEN-
   33  -TWO THOUSAND FOURTEEN SCHOOL YEAR. THIS SHALL  INCLUDE  TIME  SPENT  BY
   34  STUDENTS TAKING ALL STATE AND DISTRICT ASSESSMENTS; TIME SPENT BY SCHOOL
   35  ADMINISTRATORS  AND TEACHERS FOR ADMINISTRATIVE TASKS SUCH AS DISTRIBUT-
   36  ING AND COLLECTING ANSWERING SHEETS AND GIVING DIRECTIONS, AND THE TOTAL
   37  AMOUNT OF TIME SPENT PREPARING STUDENTS TO TAKE  THE  ASSESSMENTS.  TIME
   38  RELATED DATA COLLECTED PURSUANT TO THIS PARAGRAPH SHALL BE DISAGGREGATED
   39  BY  THE  FOLLOWING  STUDENT  GROUPS: ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS, STUDENTS
   40  RECEIVING INTERVENTION OR REMEDIATION SERVICES, STUDENTS WITH  DISABILI-
   41  TIES,   GENERAL   EDUCATION  STUDENTS,  AND  ECONOMICALLY  DISADVANTAGED
   42  STUDENTS.
   43    E. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL SUBMIT THE METHODOLOGY USED TO CALCULATE THE
   44  COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH STUDENT ASSESSMENTS TO THE COMPTROLLER BEFORE  THE
   45  COMMISSIONER  CONDUCTS THE STUDY PURSUANT TO THIS SUBDIVISION. THE COMP-
   46  TROLLER SHALL MAKE A WRITTEN ANALYSIS OF THE  METHODOLOGY  USED  BY  THE
   47  COMMISSIONER TO DETERMINE THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH STUDENT ASSESSMENTS.
   48  THE COMPTROLLER'S ANALYSIS SHALL INCLUDE A DETERMINATION ABOUT THE QUAL-
   49  ITY  OF THE METHODOLOGY USED BY THE COMMISSIONER AND THE EXTENT TO WHICH
   50  THE METHODOLOGY WILL RESULT IN AN ANALYSIS THAT  PROPERLY  ACCOUNTS  FOR
   51  THE ACTUAL COSTS INCURRED BY SCHOOL DISTRICTS ON STUDENT ASSESSMENTS AND
   52  RELATED ACTIVITIES.
   53    S  2.  Section  305  of  the  education law is amended by adding a new
   54  subdivision 45 to read as follows:
   55    45. A. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL UNDERTAKE A STATE-WIDE SURVEY OF  SCHOOL
   56  ADMINISTRATORS  AND  TEACHERS ABOUT THE TIME THEY SPEND ON TEST PREPARA-
       A. 6594--A                          3
    1  TION FOR EACH STUDENT ASSESSMENT AND THE IMPACT OF TEST  PREPARATION  ON
    2  THE  QUALITY OF INSTRUCTION. THE SURVEY SHALL PROVIDE SCHOOL ADMINISTRA-
    3  TORS AND TEACHER RESPONDENTS ANONYMITY.  THE SURVEY SHALL  INCLUDE:  THE
    4  IMPACT THAT STUDENT ASSESSMENTS HAVE ON CURRICULUM; THE AMOUNT OF TIME A
    5  TEACHER  SPENDS  ON TEST-TAKING STRATEGIES, SIMULATING THE TESTING ENVI-
    6  RONMENT, AND ALIGNING CURRICULUM CONTENT TO ASSESSMENTS; THE  EXTENT  TO
    7  WHICH   ASSESSMENTS   AFFECT  INSTRUCTION  TIME  FOR  DIFFERENT  STUDENT
    8  SUBGROUPS; AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT QUESTIONS ABOUT THE IMPACT OF  STUDENT
    9  ASSESSMENTS  ON  THE SCHOOL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT. IN ADDITION THE SURVEY
   10  SHALL SOLICIT RECOMMENDATIONS FROM SCHOOL  ADMINISTRATORS  AND  TEACHERS
   11  REGARDING  MAKING  STUDENT  ASSESSMENTS  COST EFFECTIVE, TIME EFFICIENT,
   12  SUPPORTIVE OF TEACHING AND LEARNING, ALIGNED  WITH  THE  CURRICULUM  AND
   13  FOCUSED ON STUDENT AND TEACHER GROWTH.
   14    B.  THIS SURVEY SHALL RESULT IN A REPORT WHICH DETAILS THE RESULTS AND
   15  CONCLUSIONS FROM THE SURVEY AND SHALL BE FILED WITH  THE  GOVERNOR,  THE
   16  DIRECTOR OF THE DIVISION OF THE BUDGET, THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY, THE
   17  TEMPORARY  PRESIDENT  OF  THE SENATE, THE CHAIR OF THE ASSEMBLY WAYS AND
   18  MEANS COMMITTEE, THE CHAIR OF  THE  SENATE  FINANCE  COMMITTEE  AND  THE
   19  CHAIRS OF THE ASSEMBLY AND SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEES BY DECEMBER THIR-
   20  TY-FIRST, TWO THOUSAND FOURTEEN. SUCH REPORT SHALL ALSO BE POSTED ON THE
   21  WEBSITE  OF  THE  DEPARTMENT  AND SHALL BE DEEMED A PUBLIC DOCUMENT. THE
   22  REPORT SHALL NOT INCLUDE ANY INFORMATION WHICH  SPECIFICALLY  IDENTIFIES
   23  ANY INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR, TEACHER OR PUPIL.
   24    S 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
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