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History
- Referred to higher education
Full text
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Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the education law, in relation to establishing a common articulation policy at the state and city university systems for granting college credit bearing coursework based upon successful performance on standardized exams completed by high school students
Purpose
To require the boards of trustees of the State University of New York and City University of New York to develop a common, clear and fair credit articulation policy. A uniform, consistent, and evidenced-based credit-by-exam policy for SUNY and CUNY allows high achieving students earning passing scores on nationally standardized exams equitable access to introductory college course credit, affordable tuition options, a reduction in the accumulation of excess credit hours, support for seamless transfer and improved college completion rates. Research findings consistently report the benefits of evidenced based credit-by-exam policies and the impact on students' college success. Using the best data available the SUNY and CUNY Boards should compare the performance of students who successfully complete college crediting earning coursework in high school to those students who do not, and based on that study, to adopt a common articulation policy that establishes that any and all students who achieve a certain evidence based score on an Advanced Placement exams will receive college credit for their achievement at all State University or City University campuses.
Summary of provisions
Section 1. Amends section 355 of the education law by adding a new subdivision h-1 to require the SUNY Board of Trustees to establish a new common and clear credit articulation policy for granting college credit for enrolling students in the 2017-18 academic year and thereafter who have successfully completed college level coursework in high school. The policy must be established based on the best research available and findings of a study that compares the performance of students who take and complete Advanced Placement, with a score of three or higher on their AP exam, with students who do not take such coursework prior to enrolling in SUNY.
Read the full memo (742 words)
Section 2. Amends the section 6206 of the education law to require that the CUNY board of trustees establish a new common and clear credit articulation policy for granting college credit for enrolling students in the 2017-18 academic year and thereafter who have successfully completed college level coursework in high school. The policy must be established based on the best research available and findings of a study that compares the performance of students who take and complete Advanced Placement, with a score of three or higher on their AP exam, with students who do not take such coursework prior to enrolling in CUNY.
Section 3. Establishes the effective date as immediately.
Justification
Students who take and successfully complete AP exams in high school are more likely to enroll, persist and graduate from college than their counterparts who do not take this rigorous coursework in high school. Public institutions creating a common, clear and fair credit articulation policy is a critical tool to both challenging students to step into the rigor of AP course work and ensuring they receive cost saving credit for successful completion of those college level exams.
Currently the AP Exam scores required to grant college credit in the CUNY system are significantly more restrictive than the SUNY institutions require. In 2015, graduating seniors sent 7138 AP Exam score transcripts to CUNY. Of those, 2776 of those AP exams represented scores of 3. These students did not receive college credit from CUNY. Despite their academic achievement, they were required to pay to "re-take" an introductory college course.
Requiring SUNY and CUNY to create and enforce a common, clear and fair credit articulation policy and granting credit for successful completion of exams can help students graduate on time and save families money. There simply is no justification for our two world class State university systems to deny students the college credit they have earned and the time has come to end these unfair policies.
Potential Cost Savings for New York Students and Families In May 2015, New York students took a total of 170,658 AP Exams that resulted in scores of 3, 4, or 5. At an average rate of $254.80 per credit hour for tuition at New York four-year public institutions, the total potential college cost savings estimate for New York students and families is $130,450,975.
Legislative history
New bill.
Fiscal implications
None
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.