Bill Text: NY A08074 | 2013-2014 | General Assembly | Amended

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Bill Title: Relates to computer-based assessment technology apportionment; provides aid for technology purchases beginning in the 2015-2016 school year for school districts and boards of cooperative educational services.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-02-07 - print number 8074a [A08074 Detail]

Download: New_York-2013-A08074-Amended.html

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                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                        8074--A
                              2013-2014 Regular Sessions
                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y
                                     June 18, 2013
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  NOLAN,  MORELLE,  BUCHWALD  -- 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 committee
       AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to computer-based assess-
         ment technology apportionment
         THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section 1. Legislative intent. The  legislature  hereby  finds  it  an
    2  essential goal to ensure that all New York students receive a high-qual-
    3  ity  education.  The  legislature  supports  the  goals  of the board of
    4  regents in developing a rich educational system that  provides  multiple
    5  pathways  to  graduation,  so  that  all students are college and career
    6  ready. The legislature also recognizes that ensuring  our  students  are
    7  fully  prepared  to compete in the global marketplace requires a signif-
    8  icant investment of time and resources. As such, it is vitally important
    9  to invest wisely in the development and administration  of  high-quality
   10  assessments  that  not  only  measure the progress of students attaining
   11  such standards, but also enhance the overall goal of  student  learning.
   12  However,  the  financial investments associated with the development and
   13  administration of high-quality assessments are not yet  fully  measured,
   14  and  have  the  potential  to be significant. Therefore, the legislature
   15  determines that the costs associated with the  development,  implementa-
   16  tion,  and administration of high-quality assessments shall not be borne
   17  by local taxpayers, and shall instead be  fully  funded  with  financial
   18  support from the state.
   19    S  2. The education law is amended by adding a new section 755 to read
   20  as follows:
   21    S 755. COMPUTER-BASED ASSESSMENT TECHNOLOGY APPORTIONMENT. 1. IN ADDI-
   22  TION TO ANY OTHER APPORTIONMENTS UNDER THIS  CHAPTER,  FOR  AID  PAYABLE
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD10685-06-4
       A. 8074--A                          2
    1  BEGINNING IN THE TWO THOUSAND FIFTEEN--TWO THOUSAND SIXTEEN SCHOOL YEAR,
    2  A SCHOOL DISTRICT AND BOARD OF COOPERATIVE EDUCATIONAL SERVICES SHALL BE
    3  ELIGIBLE  FOR  AN APPORTIONMENT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION FOR
    4  ALL  TECHNOLOGY  PURCHASES  NECESSARY TO ADMINISTER COMPUTER-BASED STATE
    5  ASSESSMENTS.
    6    2. FOR PURPOSES OF THIS SUBDIVISION, "TECHNOLOGY PURCHASES" SHALL MEAN
    7  NEW PURCHASES OF, AND/OR UPGRADES OF EXISTING, COMPUTERS AND ANY  COMPU-
    8  TER-RELATED  EQUIPMENT,  INCLUDING  HARDWARE AND ANY NECESSARY SOFTWARE,
    9  NEEDED TO ADEQUATELY ADMINISTER REQUIRED  COMPUTER-BASED  STATE  ASSESS-
   10  MENTS.
   11    3. THE TECHNOLOGY PURCHASES SHALL BE OF A SUFFICIENT QUALITY TO:
   12    A.  PROPERLY  AND  SECURELY  ADMINISTER  EACH  REQUIRED COMPUTER-BASED
   13  ASSESSMENT PRESCRIBED BY THE DEPARTMENT; AND
   14    B. PROPERLY HANDLE THE NUMBER  OF  STUDENTS  IN  A  PARTICULAR  SCHOOL
   15  DISTRICT  OR  BOARD  OF COOPERATIVE EDUCATIONAL SERVICES TAKING A COMPU-
   16  TER-BASED STATE ASSESSMENT AT A GIVEN TIME, IN THE TIME ALLOTTED BY  THE
   17  DEPARTMENT.
   18    4.  NO  SCHOOL  DISTRICT  SHALL  BE  REQUIRED TO PURCHASE OR OTHERWISE
   19  ACQUIRE INSTRUCTIONAL COMPUTER HARDWARE  OR  TECHNOLOGY  EQUIPMENT,  THE
   20  COST  OF WHICH EXCEEDS THE AMOUNT OF STATE AID PROVIDED PURSUANT TO THIS
   21  SECTION.
   22    5. THE APPORTIONMENT PROVIDED FOR IN THIS SECTION  SHALL  BE  PAID  AT
   23  SUCH  TIMES AS MAY BE DETERMINED BY THE COMMISSIONER AND APPROVED BY THE
   24  DIRECTOR OF THE BUDGET, DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR IN WHICH THE EXPENDITURES
   25  ARE REPORTED TO THE DEPARTMENT PRIOR  TO  SUCH  APPORTIONMENT,  BUT  NOT
   26  EARLIER THAN THE SCHOOL YEAR AFTER THE SCHOOL YEAR IN WHICH EXPENSES ARE
   27  INCURRED.
   28    S  3.  The  commissioner of education shall develop a plan to minimize
   29  overall taxpayer investment in the development  of,  and  administration
   30  of, high-quality computer-based state assessments. Such plan shall iden-
   31  tify  the  costs  of  implementing  computer-based assessments and shall
   32  focus on ways to leverage state resources in assessment development  and
   33  administration  to  minimize  the  impact  on local school districts and
   34  taxpayers. Such plan shall be presented to the governor,  the  temporary
   35  president  of the senate, the speaker of the assembly, and the chairs of
   36  the senate and assembly education committees prior to making any commit-
   37  ment to implementing computer-based testing, but not later than December
   38  1, 2014.
   39    S 4. This act shall take effect immediately.