Bill Text: NY S01257 | 2009-2010 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Limits the use of standardized tests for purposes of promotion of a pupil to a higher academic grade and establishes criteria for a high school diploma.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-01-06 - REFERRED TO EDUCATION [S01257 Detail]

Download: New_York-2009-S01257-Introduced.html

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                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         1257
                              2009-2010 Regular Sessions
                                   I N  S E N A T E
                                   January 28, 2009
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  Sen.  SALAND -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
         printed to be committed to the Committee on Education
       AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to limiting  the  use  of
         standardized  tests for purposes of promotion and establishes criteria
         for a high school diploma
         THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 3204-a
    2  to read as follows:
    3     S 3204-A. LIMITATION ON THE USE OF STANDARDIZED TESTS FOR PURPOSES OF
    4  PROMOTION;  CRITERIA  FOR HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA.  1. IN ALL PUBLIC SCHOOLS
    5  FROM KINDERGARTEN THROUGH THE EIGHTH GRADE, NO DECISION OR DETERMINATION
    6  AS TO THE PROMOTION OF A PUPIL TO A HIGHER GRADE SHALL BE  BASED  SOLELY
    7  ON THE OUTCOME OF A PUPIL'S PERFORMANCE ON A SINGLE STANDARDIZED TEST.
    8    2.  ANY  DECISION OR DETERMINATION AS TO THE PROMOTION OF A PUPIL TO A
    9  HIGHER GRADE SHALL TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE QUALITY AND  QUANTITY  OF
   10  THE  PUPIL'S  CUMULATIVE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED
   11  TO THE FOLLOWING COMPONENTS THEREOF:
   12    A. ATTENDANCE;
   13    B. CLASSROOM TESTS;
   14    C. CLASS PROJECTS OR PORTFOLIOS;
   15    D. CLASS PARTICIPATION; AND
   16    E. EXTRA-CURRICULAR WORK.
   17    3. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL PROMULGATE REGULATIONS FOR THE  CRITERIA  TO
   18  BE  USED  PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION TWO OF THIS SECTION AND SHALL TRANSMIT
   19  SUCH REGULATIONS TO EACH SCHOOL DISTRICT WITHIN THE STATE.
   20    4. A REGENTS COMPOSITE SCORE AS CALCULATED PURSUANT TO  THIS  SUBDIVI-
   21  SION  SHALL BE CONSIDERED THE REGENTS SCORE ON SUCH REGENTS EXAMS AS THE
   22  COMMISSIONER MAY REQUIRE FOR PURPOSES OF  A  HIGH  SCHOOL  DIPLOMA.  THE
   23  COMPONENTS OF A REGENTS COMPOSITE SCORE SHALL BE AS FOLLOWS:
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD07264-01-9
       S. 1257                             2
    1    A.  SEVENTY-FIVE PERCENT OF SUCH SCORE SHALL BE COMPRISED OF THE GRADE
    2  ON THE REQUIRED REGENTS EXAM; AND
    3    B.  TWENTY-FIVE PERCENT OF SUCH SCORE SHALL BE COMPRISED OF COURSEWORK
    4  WHICH MAY INCLUDE,  BUT  NOT  BE  LIMITED  TO,  CLASSROOM  TESTS,  CLASS
    5  PROJECTS, PORTFOLIOS, AND/OR CLASS PARTICIPATION IN SUCH MANNER AS SHALL
    6  BE  DETERMINED  BY  EACH  LOCAL  SCHOOL  DISTRICT, BUT SHALL NOT INCLUDE
    7  ATTENDANCE OR EXTRA-CURRICULAR WORK.
    8    S 2. This act shall take effect on the first of July  next  succeeding
    9  the date on which it shall have become a law; provided that the board of
   10  regents  of the University of the State of New York shall promulgate any
   11  and all rules and regulations and take any other measures  necessary  to
   12  implement this act on its effective date on or before such date.