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

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
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-Introduced.html
                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         6594
                              2013-2014 Regular Sessions
                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y
                                    April 10, 2013
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by M. of A. NOLAN -- read once and referred to the Committee
         on Education
       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 43 to read as follows:
    3    43. 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 TWELVE -- TWO THOUSAND THIRTEEN 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 THIRTEEN 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:
   19    (1) THE TOTAL NUMBER  OF  STUDENT  ASSESSMENTS  ADMINISTERED  IN  EACH
   20  SCHOOL  DISTRICT  IN  THE  STATE.  THIS  SHALL  INCLUDE A COUNT OF STATE
   21  REQUIRED ASSESSMENTS AND ASSESSMENTS WHICH ARE LOCALLY  OR  COMMERCIALLY
   22  DEVELOPED  ASSESSMENTS WHICH ARE ADMINISTERED BY PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS
   23  AND THE TOTAL NUMBER OF ASSESSMENTS EACH STUDENT COHORT WAS ADMINISTERED
   24  ON AVERAGE FROM KINDERGARTEN THROUGH GRADE TWELVE DURING THE  TWO  THOU-
   25  SAND TWELVE -- TWO THOUSAND THIRTEEN SCHOOL YEAR;
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD10237-02-3
       A. 6594                             2
    1    (2)  THE TOTAL COST OF STUDENT ASSESSMENTS ADMINISTERED IN EACH SCHOOL
    2  DISTRICT IN THE STATE. THE TOTAL COST SHALL BE DISAGGREGATED  TO  DETER-
    3  MINE  THE  AMOUNT  OF  PUBLIC  FUNDS  WHICH  WERE EXPENDED ON NON-SCHOOL
    4  DISTRICT EMPLOYEES, VENDORS, AND OTHER ENTITIES WITH WHICH THE STATE AND
    5  SCHOOL  DISTRICTS  CONTRACT  FOR  STUDENT  ASSESSMENT PURPOSES INCLUDING
    6  PURCHASE AND LICENSING COSTS, TEST DEVELOPMENT, TEST  BOOKLETS,  SCORING
    7  SHEETS AND SCORING COSTS;
    8    (3)  LOGISTICAL,  PREPARATION  AND ADMINISTRATION COSTS INCLUDING, BUT
    9  NOT  LIMITED  TO,  DISTRIBUTING  AND  COLLECTING  ASSESSMENT  MATERIALS,
   10  ASSESSMENT DIRECTIONS, AND STORING MATERIALS;
   11    (4) COST OF TEST PREPARATION MATERIALS;
   12    (5) COST OF DATA COACHES;
   13    (6) COST OF DATA ANALYSIS OR DASHBOARD SYSTEMS, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
   14  MAINTENANCE, PURCHASE, OR UPGRADE;
   15    (7)  COST  OF  PROFESSIONAL  DEVELOPMENT  FOCUSED PRIMARILY ON STUDENT
   16  ASSESSMENT DATA;
   17    (8) COST OF TRAINING FOR TEST ADMINISTRATORS AND PROCTORS;
   18    (9) PER-PUPIL COSTS OF  ANY  ADDITIONAL  ASSESSMENTS  ADMINISTERED  TO
   19  STUDENT  SUBGROUPS INCLUDING ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS, STUDENTS RECEIV-
   20  ING INTERVENTION OR REMEDIATION SERVICES,  STUDENTS  WITH  DISABILITIES,
   21  AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS; AND
   22    (10) ANY OTHER COSTS RELATED TO STUDENT ASSESSMENTS.
   23    D.  IN  ADDITION,  THE  STUDY SHALL DETERMINE THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF TIME
   24  SPENT BY  SCHOOL  ADMINISTRATORS,  TEACHERS,  AND  STUDENTS  ON  STUDENT
   25  ASSESSMENTS   AND   ASSOCIATED   ACTIVITIES   DURING  THE  TWO  THOUSAND
   26  TWELVE--TWO THOUSAND THIRTEEN SCHOOL YEAR. THIS SHALL INCLUDE TIME SPENT
   27  BY STUDENTS TAKING ALL STATE AND DISTRICT  ASSESSMENTS;  TIME  SPENT  BY
   28  SCHOOL  ADMINISTRATORS  AND  TEACHERS  FOR  ADMINISTRATIVE TASKS SUCH AS
   29  DISTRIBUTING AND COLLECTING ANSWERING SHEETS AND GIVING DIRECTIONS,  AND
   30  THE  TOTAL  AMOUNT  OF TIME SPENT PREPARING STUDENTS TO TAKE THE ASSESS-
   31  MENTS. TIME RELATED DATA COLLECTED PURSUANT TO THIS PARAGRAPH  SHALL  BE
   32  DISAGGREGATED  BY  THE  FOLLOWING STUDENT GROUPS: ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEAR-
   33  NERS, STUDENTS RECEIVING INTERVENTION OR REMEDIATION SERVICES,  STUDENTS
   34  WITH  DISABILITIES,  GENERAL EDUCATION STUDENTS, AND ECONOMICALLY DISAD-
   35  VANTAGED STUDENTS.
   36    E. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL SUBMIT THE METHODOLOGY USED TO CALCULATE THE
   37  COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH STUDENT ASSESSMENTS TO THE COMPTROLLER BEFORE  THE
   38  COMMISSIONER  CONDUCTS THE STUDY PURSUANT TO THIS SUBDIVISION. THE COMP-
   39  TROLLER SHALL MAKE A WRITTEN ANALYSIS OF THE  METHODOLOGY  USED  BY  THE
   40  COMMISSIONER TO DETERMINE THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH STUDENT ASSESSMENTS.
   41  THE COMPTROLLER'S ANALYSIS SHALL INCLUDE A DETERMINATION ABOUT THE QUAL-
   42  ITY  OF THE METHODOLOGY USED BY THE COMMISSIONER AND THE EXTENT TO WHICH
   43  THE METHODOLOGY WILL RESULT IN AN ANALYSIS THAT  PROPERLY  ACCOUNTS  FOR
   44  THE ACTUAL COSTS INCURRED BY SCHOOL DISTRICTS ON STUDENT ASSESSMENTS AND
   45  RELATED ACTIVITIES.
   46    S  2.  Section  305  of  the  education law is amended by adding a new
   47  subdivision 44 to read as follows:
   48    44. A. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL UNDERTAKE A STATE-WIDE SURVEY OF  SCHOOL
   49  ADMINISTRATORS  AND  TEACHERS ABOUT THE TIME THEY SPEND ON TEST PREPARA-
   50  TION FOR EACH STUDENT ASSESSMENT AND THE IMPACT OF TEST  PREPARATION  ON
   51  THE  QUALITY OF INSTRUCTION. THE SURVEY SHALL PROVIDE SCHOOL ADMINISTRA-
   52  TORS AND TEACHER RESPONDENTS ANONYMITY.  THE SURVEY SHALL  INCLUDE:  THE
   53  IMPACT THAT STUDENT ASSESSMENTS HAVE ON CURRICULUM; THE AMOUNT OF TIME A
   54  TEACHER  SPENDS  ON TEST-TAKING STRATEGIES, SIMULATING THE TESTING ENVI-
   55  RONMENT, AND ALIGNING CURRICULUM CONTENT TO ASSESSMENTS; THE  EXTENT  TO
   56  WHICH   ASSESSMENTS   AFFECT  INSTRUCTION  TIME  FOR  DIFFERENT  STUDENT
       A. 6594                             3
    1  SUBGROUPS; AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT QUESTIONS ABOUT THE IMPACT OF  STUDENT
    2  ASSESSMENTS  ON  THE SCHOOL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT. IN ADDITION THE SURVEY
    3  SHALL SOLICIT RECOMMENDATIONS FROM SCHOOL  ADMINISTRATORS  AND  TEACHERS
    4  REGARDING  MAKING  STUDENT  ASSESSMENTS  COST EFFECTIVE, TIME EFFICIENT,
    5  SUPPORTIVE OF TEACHING AND LEARNING, ALIGNED  WITH  THE  CURRICULUM  AND
    6  FOCUSED ON STUDENT AND TEACHER GROWTH.
    7    B.  THIS SURVEY SHALL RESULT IN A REPORT WHICH DETAILS THE RESULTS AND
    8  CONCLUSIONS FROM THE SURVEY AND SHALL BE FILED WITH  THE  GOVERNOR,  THE
    9  DIRECTOR OF THE DIVISION OF THE BUDGET, THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY, THE
   10  TEMPORARY  PRESIDENT  OF  THE SENATE, THE CHAIR OF THE ASSEMBLY WAYS AND
   11  MEANS COMMITTEE, THE CHAIR OF  THE  SENATE  FINANCE  COMMITTEE  AND  THE
   12  CHAIRS OF THE ASSEMBLY AND SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEES BY DECEMBER THIR-
   13  TY-FIRST, TWO THOUSAND THIRTEEN. SUCH REPORT SHALL ALSO BE POSTED ON THE
   14  WEBSITE  OF  THE  DEPARTMENT  AND SHALL BE DEEMED A PUBLIC DOCUMENT. THE
   15  REPORT SHALL NOT INCLUDE ANY INFORMATION WHICH  SPECIFICALLY  IDENTIFIES
   16  ANY INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR, TEACHER OR PUPIL.
   17    S 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
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