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History
- Print number 4161a
- Amend and recommit to education
- Referred to education
- Referred to education
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Enacts the common core parental refusal act
In Assembly Committee · Education · Sponsor James Tedisco
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the education law, in relation to enacting the "common core parental refusal act"
Purpose
The purpose of this bill is to ensure school districts notify parents of students via written communication in grades three through eight that such students may refuse to participate in all state testing provided by Pearson Incorporated or any other State testing based on Common Core standards.
Summary of provisions
Amends Section 305 of the Education Law by adding a new subdivision 51-b which calls upon the Commissioner to ensure that school districts notify parents of students in grades three through eight, either by mail and/or mailed letter, that such students may refuse to participate in all state testing provided by Pearson or any other state testing based on common core standards. Such notification shall be given no sooner than fourteen days and no later than seven days before the scheduled administration of such testing.
Ensures and outlines a universal notification method be posted on school district websites as well as a universal method for parental response.
Prohibits punitive measures for test refusal against:
*A particular district in the form of withheld state aid. *A particular school within a district for low participation rates. *A teacher or consideration when evaluating a teacher's performance. *A student, nor a reward for those students who do participate in such exams.
Moreover, those students not participating in such exams will be provided alternate educational activity at such times these tests are being administered by virtue of this subdivision.
Justification
Both parents and teachers have expressed concern over the direction testing of our children has taken in New York State and in particular in regards to how such testing of the new Common Core standards is being applied along with the high stakes associated with the results of such tests. These high-stakes, standardized, Common Core tests have been widely considered a fatally flawed proxy for genuine evaluation. In the year 2014 alone, parents of 60,000 students refused New York State Common Core tests.
This bill codifies that parents receive proper notification of their rights as it relates to refusing to have their children participate in these field tests.
More importantly, it protects school districts, individual schools, teachers, and students alike from facing any withholding of funds, state takeovers, sanctions, negative impact on a teacher's evaluation or any other punitive measures associated with the outcomes related to test refusal.
Legislative history
New Bill
Fiscal implications
None to State, minimal to school districts
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.