Rep. Norm Thurston — Voting Record

Bill

Number

H.B. 200 (2016GS)

Sponsor

Rep. Poulson, M.

Final action

Governor Signed 3/23/2016

Outcome

Became law — signed by Gov. Gary R. Herbert

Summary

What it does

• This bill:
• provides that a school district or charter school may waive certain assessment requirements for students in grade 11; and
• makes technical and conforming changes.

Every vote on this bill

Bill text

STUDENT ASSESSMENT MODIFICATIONS
GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Marie H. Poulson
Senate Sponsor: 
Lincoln Fillmore
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill amends provisions related to student assessments.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
▸ provides that a school district or charter school may waive certain assessment
requirements for students in grade 11; and
▸ makes technical and conforming changes.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None
Other Special Clauses:
None
Utah Code Sections Affected:
AMENDS:
53A-1-603
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2015, Chapters 258, 415, and 444
53A-1-611
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2013, Chapter 161
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1. Section 
53A-1-603
 is amended to read:
53A-1-603.
Duties of State Board of Education.
(1) The State Board of Education shall:
(a) require [
each
] 
a
 school district [
and
] 
or
 charter school to implement the Utah
Performance Assessment System for Students[
, hereafter referred to as U-PASS
];
(b) require the state superintendent of public instruction to submit and recommend
criterion-referenced achievement tests or online computer adaptive tests, college readiness
assessments, an online writing assessment for grades 5 and 8, and a test for students in grade 3
to measure reading grade level to the board for approval and adoption and distribution to [
each
]
a
 school district [
and
] 
or
 charter school by the state superintendent;
(c) develop an assessment method to uniformly measure statewide performance, school
district performance, and school performance of students in grades 3 through 12 in mastering
basic academic subjects; and
(d) provide for the state to participate in the National Assessment of Educational
Progress state-by-state comparison testing program.
(2) Except as provided in Subsection [
(3)
] 
(9)
 and Subsection 
53A-1-611
[
(3)
]
(4)
, under
U-PASS, the State Board of Education shall annually require [
each
] 
a
 school district [
and
] 
or
charter school[
, as applicable,
] to administer:
(a) as determined by the State Board of Education, statewide criterion-referenced tests
or online computer adaptive tests in grades 3 through 12 and courses in basic academic subjects
of the core standards for Utah public schools;
(b) an online writing assessment to all students in grades 5 and 8;
(c) college readiness assessments as detailed in Section 
53A-1-611
; and
(d) a test to all students in grade 3 to measure reading grade level.
(3) [
Beginning with the 2014-15 school year, the
] 
The
 State Board of Education shall
annually require [
each
] 
a
 school district [
and
] 
or
 charter school[
, as applicable,
] to administer a
computer adaptive assessment system that is:
(a) adopted by the State Board of Education; and
(b) aligned to the core standards for Utah public schools.
(4) The board shall adopt rules for the conduct and administration of U-PASS to
include the following:
(a) the computation of student performance based on information that is disaggregated
with respect to race, ethnicity, gender, limited English proficiency, and those students who
qualify for free or reduced price school lunch;
(b) security features to maintain the integrity of the system, which [
could
] 
may
 include
statewide uniform testing dates, multiple test forms, and test administration protocols;
(c) the exemption of student test scores, by exemption category, such as limited
English proficiency, mobility, and students with disabilities, with the percent or number of
student test scores exempted being [
publically
] 
publicly
 reported at a district level;
(d) compiling of criterion-referenced, online computer adaptive, and online writing test
scores and test score averages at the classroom level to allow for:
(i) an annual review of those scores by parents of students and professional and other
appropriate staff at the classroom level at the earliest point in time;
(ii) the assessment of year-to-year student progress in specific classes, courses, and
subjects; and
(iii) a teacher to review, prior to the beginning of a new school year, test scores from
the previous school year of students who have been assigned to the teacher's class for the new
school year;
(e) allowing a school district or charter school to have its tests administered and scored
electronically to accelerate the review of test scores and their usefulness to parents and
educators under Subsection (4)(d), without violating the integrity of U-PASS; and
(f) providing that scores on the tests and assessments required under Subsection (2)(a)
and Subsection (3) may not be considered in determining:
(i) a student's academic grade for the appropriate course; or
(ii) whether a student may advance to the next grade level.
(5) (a) A school district or charter school[
, as applicable, is encouraged to
] 
may
administer an online writing assessment to students in grade 11.
(b) The State Board of Education may award a grant to a school district or charter
school to pay for an online writing assessment and instruction program that may be used to
assess the writing of students in grade 11.
(6) The State Board of Education shall make rules:
(a) establishing procedures for applying for and awarding money for computer adaptive
tests;
(b) specifying how money for computer adaptive tests shall be allocated among school
districts and charter schools that qualify to receive the money; and
(c) requiring reporting of the expenditure of money awarded for computer adaptive
testing and evidence that the money was used to implement computer adaptive testing.
(7) The State Board of Education shall assure that computer adaptive tests are
administered in compliance with the requirements of Chapter 13, Part 3, Utah Family
Educational Rights and Privacy Act.
(8) (a) The State Board of Education shall establish a committee consisting of 15
parents of Utah public education students to review all computer adaptive test questions.
(b) The committee established in Subsection (8)(a) shall include the following parent
members:
(i) five members appointed by the chair of the State Board of Education;
(ii) five members appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives; and
(iii) five members appointed by the president of the Senate.
(c) The State Board of Education shall provide staff support to the parent committee.
(d) The term of office of each member appointed in Subsection (8)(b) is four years.
(e) The chair of the State Board of Education, the speaker of the House of
Representatives, and the president of the Senate shall adjust the length of terms to stagger the
terms of committee members so that approximately 1/2 of the committee members are
appointed every two years.
(f) No member may receive compensation or benefits for the member's service on the
committee.
(9) Beginning with the 2016-17 school year, for all students in grade 11, a school
district or charter school may waive the obligation to administer a test required under
Subsection (2)(a).
[
(9)
] 
(10)
 (a) School districts and charter schools shall require each licensed employee
to complete two hours of professional development on youth suicide prevention within their
license cycle in accordance with Section 
53A-6-104
.
(b) The State Board of Education shall develop or adopt sample materials to be used by
a school district or charter school for professional development training on youth suicide
prevention.
(c) The training required by this Subsection [
(9)
] 
(10)
 shall be incorporated into
professional development training required by rule in accordance with Section 
53A-6-104
.
Section 2. Section 
53A-1-611
 is amended to read:
53A-1-611.
College readiness assessments.
(1) The Legislature recognizes the need for the State Board of Education to develop
and implement standards and assessment processes to ensure that student progress is measured
and that school boards and school personnel are accountable.
(2) In addition to its responsibilities under Sections 
53A-1-603
 through 
53A-1-605
, the
State Board of Education shall:
(a) adopt college readiness assessments for secondary students; and
(b) require 
a
 school [
districts and charter schools
] 
district or charter school
 to
administer the college readiness assessments adopted by the State Board of Education
[
beginning with the 2013-14 school year
].
(3) [
The
] 
A
 college readiness [
assessments
] 
assessment
 adopted by the State Board of
Education:
(a) shall include the college admissions test that includes an assessment of language
arts, mathematics, and science that is most commonly submitted to local universities; and
(b) may include:
(i) the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery; and
(ii) a battery of assessments that are predictive of success in higher education.
(4) (a) Except as provided in Subsection (4)(b), the State Board of Education shall
require 
a
 school [
districts and charter schools
] 
district or charter school
 to administer a test
adopted under Subsection (3)(a) to all students in grade 11.
(b) A student with an IEP may take an appropriate college readiness assessment other
than a test adopted by the State Board of Education under Subsection (3)(a), as determined by
the student's IEP.
[
(5) The requirements of this section are to be complementary to the other achievement
testing provisions of this part.
]