SENATE BILL 570

52nd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2015

INTRODUCED BY

Cisco McSorley

AN ACT

RELATING TO PUBLIC EDUCATION; ENACTING STANDARDS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STATE CONTENT STANDARDS AND STANDARDS-BASED ASSESSMENT; PLACING A THREE-YEAR MORATORIUM ON THE USE OF THE STANDARDS-BASED ASSESSMENT FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE PROMOTION POLICIES IN THE ASSESSMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT, THE A-B-C-D-F SCHOOLS RATING ACT AND THE SCHOOL PERSONNEL ACT AND AS A GRADUATION REQUIREMENT.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

     SECTION 1. A new section of the Public School Code is enacted to read:

     "[NEW MATERIAL] IMPLEMENTATION OF STATE CONTENT STANDARDS AND STANDARDS-BASED ASSESSMENT.--

          A. The department shall:

                (1) provide sufficient professional development, pursuant to Section 22-10A-19.1 NMSA 1978, and resources for each teacher, school principal and educational support provider to successfully:

                     (a) ensure that all instruction is based on the state content standards;

                     (b) instruct students on understanding, analyzing and successfully performing the standards-based assessment tasks that require students to demonstrate their analytical processes using a computer-based testing format;

                     (c) instruct students on using educational technology to take the standards-based assessment; and

                     (d) align instruction on the state content standards with instruction on taking the standards-based assessment;

                (2) ensure the sufficiency and availability of educational technology and educational technology infrastructure for computer-based assessment administration with the least amount of disruption to other instructional programs;

                (3) establish a student performance baseline from scores received on the standards-based assessment administered during the 2014-2015, 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 school years;

                (4) provide support and the time necessary to achieve improvement of students' mean scores on the standards-based assessment; and

                (5) develop and provide an alternative track for college and workplace readiness for students in grade twelve who do not attain a competent score on the standards-based assessment.

          B. As used in this section:

                (1) "standards-based assessment" means the standards-based assessment:

                     (a) adopted by the department for implementation beginning with the 2014-2015 school year; and

                     (b) aligned with the state content standards; and

                (2) "state content standards" means any mathematics and English language arts content standards adopted by the department in 2010."

     SECTION 2. A new section of the Public School Code is enacted to read:

     "[NEW MATERIAL] USE OF STANDARDS-BASED ASSESSMENT RESTRICTED.--

          A. The department shall not use and shall not require the use of a standards-based assessment and the results of a standards-based assessment:

                (1) for making grade promotion decisions pursuant to Section 22-2C-6 NMSA 1978;

                (2) for any purpose under the A-B-C-D-F Schools Rating Act;

               (3) for employment or licensure decisions or any other purpose under the School Personnel Act; or

                (4) as a graduation requirement pursuant to Section 22-13-1.1 NMSA 1978.

          B. As used in this section:

                (1) "standards-based assessment" means the standards-based assessment:

                     (a) adopted by the department for implementation beginning with the 2014-2015 school year; and

                     (b) aligned with the state content standards; and

                (2) "state content standards" means any mathematics and English language arts content standards adopted by the department in 2010."

     SECTION 3. DELAYED REPEAL.--Effective July 1, 2018, Section 2 of this act is repealed.

     SECTION 4. EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the provisions of this act is July 1, 2015.

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