What's happening
This bill creates a committee to study reducing standardized test length and increasing transparency, with new requirements for test release and parental notification.
Why it matters
Puts educators in charge of test reform. The committee to study and propose changes will be made up entirely of certified New York educators, ensuring that those with direct classroom experience guide decisions affecting students and schools.
Mandates faster, public release of both tests and scores. By requiring tests to be published online within 10 days of score release and scores to be released within 10 days of grading, the bill aims to improve transparency and allow parents, teachers, and the public to see and evaluate the tests themselves.
Requires detailed parental notification. Districts must inform parents at least 30 days in advance of any standardized or field test, including make-up dates, increasing families’ ability to prepare and respond.
Addresses student data privacy. The committee’s review must consider what student data is collected, how and by whom, where it’s stored, and its intended uses, potentially leading to stronger safeguards or new privacy policies for student information.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Cut Test Length, Boost Transparency
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
10 Co-sponsors
4 Multi-sponsors
History
- Print number 3101a
- 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.
Study Shorter, Clearer Tests
In Senate Committee · Education · Sponsor Joseph A. Griffo
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
3101--A
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 26, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. BRINDISI, LUPARDO, CAHILL, JAFFEE, SKOUFIS, SANTABARBARA, SEPULVEDA, ZEBROWSKI, BUTLER, LAWRENCE, RAIA -- Multi- Sponsored by -- M. of A. BICHOTTE, CROUCH, MAGEE, RA -- 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 creating a committee to study ways to reduce the length of standardized tests and ways to increase the test's transparency
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 305 of the education law is amended by adding a new subdivision 57 to read as follows:
57. a. The board of regents is authorized and directed to establish a committee to research and develop ways to reduce the length of standardized tests administered to students between kindergarten and the eighth grade and ways to increase the test's transparency. The committee shall review how the test's transparency would impact students' privacy, including, but not limited to: (i) what data is being collected; (ii) how the data is being collected; (iii) who is collecting the data; (iv) where is the data being stored; and (v) why the data is being used.
b. Along with any recommendations made by the committee, the subsequent criteria shall be followed by the state education department and/or school districts:
(1) any standardized test administered to students between kindergarten and eighth grade shall be released publicly on the New York state education department's website within ten days of the scores being released;
(2) the release of test scores shall occur within ten days of the tests being graded; and
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01873-03-8
A. 3101--A 2
(3) parents shall be notified within thirty days of any district-wide standardized test planned to be administered, along with the test's make-up dates. This includes any operational test as well as field tests.
b. The committee shall be made up entirely of New York state certified educators who reside in this state.
c. The committee shall create a proposal and present it to the board of regents within a year of the committee's creation.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the twentieth day after it shall have become a law.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.