Sponsored by:
Assemblyman DANIEL R. BENSON
District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)
SYNOPSIS
Provides list of various assessments to satisfy State high school graduation proficiency test requirement.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning public high school graduation requirements, amending and supplementing P.L.1979, c.241, and repealing section 5 of P.L.1988, c.168.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. (New section) a. As used in this section:
"PARCC assessment" means the set of assessments designed by the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers used to determine student achievement of knowledge and skills specified by the core curriculum content standards.
"Portfolio appeals process" means an alternative assessment of proficiency for graduation established by the commissioner utilizing techniques and instruments other than PARCC assessments or substitute competency tests.
"Substitute competency test" means the following alternative third-party assessments: the SAT, PSAT, ACT, ACT Aspire, Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, Armed Forces Qualification Test, and Accuplacer.
b. Notwithstanding any provision of law or regulation to the contrary, in the 2016-2017 school year and each school year thereafter, the State standards for graduation from high school shall require a student to demonstrate proficiency in English language arts and mathematics in one of the following ways:
(1) Achieving a passing score, as determined by the commissioner, on the high school end-of-course PARCC assessment in English language arts for grade 9, 10 or 11 and Algebra I, Algebra II, or Geometry; or
(2) Achieving a passing score, as determined by the commissioner, on a corresponding substitute competency test in English language arts or mathematics, or both, as applicable; or
(3) Meeting the criteria for the portfolio appeals process.
c. A student shall not be compelled to take any end-of-course PARCC assessment in order to graduate from high school.
2. Section 6 of P.L.1979, c.241 (C.18A:7C-6) is amended to read as follows:
6. In the school year which begins in [September 1993] July 2016, and annually thereafter, the State graduation proficiency test shall [be administered to all 11th grade pupils and to any 11th or 12th grade pupil who has previously failed to demonstrate mastery of State graduation proficiency standards on said test] include the tests as set forth in section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
The mastery of proficiencies required to fulfill local graduation standards shall be determined as appropriate under local board of education assessment plans.
(cf: P.L.1988, c.168, s.3)
3. Section 5 of P.L.1988, c.168 (C.18A:7C-6.1) is repealed.
4. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
Currrent statutory law requires public high school students to pass the State graduation proficiency test to demonstrate mastery of the State graduation proficiency standards. This bill would provide options for students to meet this requirement by demonstrating proficiency in English language arts and mathematics in one of the following ways:
(1) achieving a passing score, as determined by the Commissioner of Education, on the high school end-of-course PARCC assessment in English language arts for grade 9, 10 or 11 and Algebra I, Algebra II, or Geometry; or
(2) achieving a passing score, as determined by the Commissioner of Education, on a corresponding substitute competency test in English language arts or mathematics, or both, as applicable; or
(3) meeting the criteria for the portfolio appeals process.
The bill defines a "substitute competency test" to mean the following alternative third-party assessments: the SAT, PSAT, ACT, ACT Aspire, Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, Armed Forces Qualification Test, and Accuplacer.
The bill specifically provides that as a condition of high school graduation a student cannot be compelled to take any end-of-course PARCC assessment.
This bill codifies a process similar to one put into effect by the Department of Education as a temporary means to transition away from the comprehensive High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA), to PARCC end-of-course assessments in English language arts 10 and Algebra I as the assessment graduation requirement. The bill would ensure that the flexible process for demonstrating proficiency in English language arts and mathematics continues to remain an option for New Jersey high school students. Students will be permitted to choose from a variety of tests to meet the assessment graduation requirement, and will not be penalized for opting to take the assessments that are offered as alternatives to the end-of-course PARCC assessments.