What's happening
This bill allows parents to exempt their children from standardized tests and requires schools to provide alternative activities without penalty.
Why it matters
Empowers parents to make decisions about their children's participation in standardized testing, increasing parental control over educational choices and potentially reducing student stress related to testing.
Requires schools to provide meaningful alternative educational or enrichment activities for students who are opted out, ensuring these students are not left idle or excluded during test periods.
Explicitly prohibits any form of retaliation or negative consequences against students, families, teachers, or schools for exercising the opt-out right, which may help protect school communities from punitive measures or stigma.
Could influence statewide test participation rates and, by extension, affect how student and school performance data are gathered and used for accountability and policy decisions.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Let Parents Opt Out Tests
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
4 Co-sponsors
History
- 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.
Let Parents Refuse Tests
In Assembly Committee · Education · Sponsor Catherine Nolan
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
222
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE (Prefiled)
January 4, 2017
Introduced by Sens. GRIFFO, AVELLA, CROCI -- 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 providing parents with the right and authority to exempt their children from taking standardized assessments
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 319 to read as follows:
§ 319. Student exemption from standardized assessments. 1. A parent of a student or person in parental relationship to a student shall have the right and authority to exempt such student from taking standardized assessments, including but not limited to the state third grade through eighth grade math and English language arts assessments, a state field test assessment or a state assessment administered for purposes of, or pursuant to, section three thousand twelve-c of this chapter. The parent of a student or person in parental relationship to the student shall notify the school principal in writing or other verifiable means, as determined by the school district, at any time prior to the administration of such assessment or assessments.
2. The school shall offer to students exempted by their parents or persons in parental relation from a standardized assessment pursuant to this section alternative educational or enrichment programs during the time that such standardized assessment is administered.
3. There shall be no retaliation or other negative action against a student, parent, teacher, principal or building administrator, school building or school district in response to a parent's exemption of a student from standardized assessments pursuant to this section.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05696-01-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the education law, in relation to providing parents with the right and authority to exempt their children from taking standardized assessments
Purpose
This bill reaffirms parents' authority to exempt their children from standardized assessments.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 amends the education law by adding a new section that reaffirms a parent's authority to exempt their child from standardized assessments, require schools to offer exempted students alternative educational or enrichment programs and prohibits retaliation.
Justification
Parents are partners in their children's education. Recent changes to New York State's assessment system have caused many parents to question the use and benefit of standardized testing for children. As partners in their children's education, parents must have the opportunity to participate in decisions about their children's academic program including assessment. This bill assures parents that opportunity.
This legislation reaffirms parents' discretion and authority to exempt their children from standardized assessments but it neither supports nor opposes such exemption. In addition, the exemption from standardized assessments authorized by this bill should not extend to Regents examinations, as they are a requirement of graduation.
Legislative history
2015-16 - S. 5337 - Education Committee.
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
Immediate.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.