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A3213Assembly2019-2020 Session

Allow Alternative School Assessments

Official title

“Relates to the commissioner of education granting schools variances for alternative assessments”

Sponsor Edward RaAD-19+6 co-sponsorsAffects Education
Status
In Assembly Committee
Education
Impact
5/10
Moderate
Passage
0%

Bill progress

Step 2 of 7

In committee · Education

What's happening

This bill requires the Education Commissioner to allow schools to use approved alternative assessments, such as portfolios, instead of certain state tests.

Why it matters

  1. Expands assessment options for schools. , letting them use alternative methods (such as portfolios) if these methods are as rigorous and unbiased as state tests—potentially supporting more individualized or creative ways to measure student learning.

  2. Requires that any alternative assessment directly aligns with state learning standards. , ensuring that students are still held to the same educational expectations regardless of the assessment method used.

  3. Mandates that alternative assessments meet technical standards for validity and reliability. , meaning schools can't adopt less-proven or subjective measures; this helps maintain fair comparisons across schools and students.

  4. Could reduce standardized testing pressure. and allow teachers to use assessments that better fit their instructional style or the needs of specific student populations, which may improve student engagement or more accurately reflect diverse student abilities.

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Who cares

Headline styles

Allow Alternative School Assessments

Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.

Sponsors

Primary sponsor
Edward Ra

Assembly Member · Assembly District 19

History

  1. Held for consideration in education
  2. Referred to education
  3. Referred to education

Full text

1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗

STATE OF NEW YORK

3213

2019-2020 Regular Sessions

IN ASSEMBLY

January 28, 2019

Introduced by M. of A. RA, McDONOUGH, RAIA, GIGLIO, GARBARINO, FRIEND, PALMESANO -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. BARCLAY, BLANKENBUSH, CROUCH, RICHARDSON -- read once and referred to the Committee on Education

AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to the commissioner of education granting schools variances for alternative assessments

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 commissioner shall grant schools variances for alternative assessments that may be substituted for certain assessments specified in regulations promulgated by the department.

b. An "alternative assessment" must meet the following criteria:

(i) shall measure the state learning standards for the respective content area;

(ii) shall be at least as rigorous as the corresponding required state assessment;

(iii) shall be consistent with technical criteria for validity, reliability, and freedom from bias; and

(iv) this is to include, but not be limited to: portfolio-based assessments.

§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

[ ] is old law to be omitted.

LBD02321-01-9

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.