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A07460 Summary:

A07460 Actions:

A07460 Memo:

NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY
MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION
 submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)



 
BILL NUMBER: A7460
 
SPONSOR: Fahy (MS)

 
TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend the education law, in relation to
readability standards for standardized assessments
 
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
 
This bill would ensure that all future standardized NYS Grades 3- 8
tests will be held to a readability level appropriate to the grade that
it is being tested.
 
 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
 
Section 1: amends the education law by adding a new section 319
 
Section 2: implementation provisions
 
Section 3: effective date
 
 
JUSTIFICATION:
 

There have been concerns from parents, teachers and other educational
stakeholders about the grade appropriate reading level of questions on
the Grades 3- 8 Standardized NYS Tests. This bill would ensure that all
future standardized NYS Grades 3- 8 tests will be held to a readability
level appropriate to the grade that it is being tested. For example, the
questions on a 3rd grade math test should not be at a readability level
of 5th grade.
 
This this does not interfere or impact the current work of the Regents
with regard to the education budget (teacher evaluations and role of
testing). Also, there should little or no cost to complying with this
requirement because "readability" levels of the text (or questions) are
readily accessed through software available in Microsoft Word.
 
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
 
New bill
 
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
 
None to the state
 
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:

This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however that section
one of this act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
it shall have become a law.

A07460 Text:

 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                          7460
 
                               2015-2016 Regular Sessions
 
                   IN ASSEMBLY
 
                                      May 12, 2015
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  FAHY, McDONALD, BICHOTTE, GUNTHER, KAMINSKY,
          BARRETT,  STIRPE,  KIM,  LIFTON,  SIMON,  MOSLEY,  BUCHWALD,  SKOUFIS,
          JAFFEE,  GOTTFRIED,  COLTON,  RAIA, STEC, BRINDISI, LUPINACCI, DUPREY,
          CUSICK, COOK, ZEBROWSKI -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M.  of  A.  MAGEE  --
          read once and referred to the Committee on Education
 
        AN  ACT to amend the education law, in relation to readability standards
          for standardized assessments
 
          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
 
     1    Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 319 to
     2  read as follows:
     3    §  319.  Readability  standards  for standardized assessments.   State
     4  administered standardized English language arts or  mathematics  assess-
     5  ments for grades three through eight shall be presented at a readability
     6  level that is grade-level appropriate.
     7    §  2. In order to implement the provisions of section one of this act,
     8  the commissioner of education shall:
     9    (1) no later than September 1, 2016  complete  an  initial  review  of
    10  state  administered  standardized  English  language arts or mathematics
    11  assessments for grades three through eight to review the readability  of
    12  such  assessments prior to the administration of such assessments. If it
    13  is determined from the initial  review  that  the  assessments  are  not
    14  grade-level  appropriate, the education department shall make the neces-
    15  sary changes to such assessments to ensure that they are presented at  a
    16  readability  level that is grade-level appropriate prior to the adminis-
    17  tration of such assessments.
    18    (2) consult with relevant stakeholders, as determined by  the  commis-
    19  sioner of education, and consider the use of comprehension and readabil-
    20  ity  indices  or  tests  such as those established by the Flesch-Kincaid
    21  Grade Level, Gunning Fog Index, Coleman-Liau Index,  SMOG  Index,  Auto-
 
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD10523-03-5
        A. 7460                             2
 
     1  mated  Readability  Index,  or  other  readily  available and nationally
     2  accepted readability indices and tests.
     3    §  3.  This  act shall take effect immediately; provided, however that
     4  section one of this act shall take effect on the one  hundred  eightieth
     5  day  after  it  shall  have  become  a law.   Effective immediately, the
     6  commissioner of education is authorized to promulgate any and all  rules
     7  and  regulations and take any other measures necessary to implement this
     8  act on its effective date, on or before such date.