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S.F. No. 143 - High School Assessment for College and Career Readiness Determination Establishment
 
Author: Senator Charles W. Wiger
 
Prepared By:
 
Date: April 8, 2011



 

Section 1.  Statewide testing.  Delays the revision and implementation of the new high school mathematics assessments for two years. 

Section 2. High school assessments. 

Paragraph (a) requires the commissioner to establish a system of high school assessments that provides information on college and career readiness of Minnesota students.  Defines college and career readiness to mean the knowledge and skills that a high school graduate needs to undertake either credit-bearing coursework at a two-year or four-year college or university or career-track employment that pays a living wage, provides employment benefits and offers clear pathways for advancement through further education and training.

Paragraph (b) requires the commissioner to establish and administer a reading a writing exam at the end of grade 10.  Requires the exam to:

(1)  align with standards;

(2)  produce independent scores for each content area;

(3)  include both multiple choice and open-ended items on the reading portion;

(4)  be designed for computer administration and scoring and return results within three days;

(5)  allow for frequent remediation;

(6)  use achievement level descriptors;

(7)  require all general education students to achieve passing scores to graduate;

(8)  require general education students to participate in remediation if they do not receive a passing score after two retest opportunities;

(9)  provide a state-level student appeals process not to exceed two percent of students in each graduating class;

(10)  allow an eligible student to meet this exam requirement through alternative methods including:

(i)  for students who transfer to a Minnesota school, passing another state’s federally accountable exam;

(ii)  for students who have an IEP, achieve passing status at an individual level

(iii)  a waiver for students who are English language learners and who have been enrolled for four or fewer school years; and

(iv)  other alternative methods recommended by the Assessment Advisory Committee if authorized by law.

Requires all general education students to receive a passing score in reading and writing.  Defines “passing”. Requires the commissioner to establish the passing score in consultation with the Assessment Advisory Committee.

Paragraph (c) Requires the commissioner to establish statewide end-of-course exams in high school algebra and biology.  Requires the exam to:

(1)  align with standards;

(2)  include both multiple choice and open-ended items on the reading portion;

(3)  be designed for computer administration and scoring and return results within three days;

(4)  be administered at regular intervals that align with the most common high school schedules;

(5)  generate achievement levels established through a professionally recognized methodology;

(6)  use achievement level descriptors;

(7)  comprise a 25 percent of the student’s course grade and 50 percent of the student’s course grade if the school is highly misagligned

(8)  require a student who does not pass  to:

(i)  retake the course or complete a credit recovery class;

(ii)  at the student’s election, retake the end-of-course assessment; and

(iii)  have the student select the exam score on the test to count for a percentage of the course grade;

(9)  allow an eligible student to meet this requirement through alternative methods including:

(i)  for students who transfer to a Minnesota school, passing another state’s federally accountable exam;

(ii)  for students who have an IEP, achieve passing status at an individual level;

(iii)  a waiver for students who are English language learners and who have been enrolled for four or fewer school years; and

(iv)  other alternative methods recommended by the Assessment Advisory Committee if authorized by law.

(10)  calculate and report an alignment index that compares students’ final course grades with  their end-of-course exam scores;

(11)  notify parents of misalignment; and

(12)  use school funds under 122A.60 to correct the misalignment.

Allows a school that corrects the misalignment, after two years, to again count a student’s exam score as 25 percent of the student’s course grade.

Paragraph (d) makes the requirements of this subdivision applicable to students in public schools who enter grade 8 in the 2011-2012 school year or later. Requires the commissioner to establish a transition period.

Paragraph (e) requires the commissioner to provide districts with benchmark assessments that are aligned with the high school assessments developed in this act and an item bank for creating formative assessments to help students prepare for the assessments developed in this act.  Requires that the benchmark assessments be available to districts for at least two full school years before students are required to achieve a passing score on the reading and writing exam to graduate.

Paragraph (f) requires the commissioner to expand the membership and purpose of the Assessment Advisory Committee and requires the committee to report annually to the commissioner and legislature.

Paragraph (g) requires the commissioner to contract for at least two independent studies to evaluate the implementation and the availability and efficacy of resources to support and improve student outcomes based on student achievement data under this subdivision.

Paragraph (h) prohibits the commissioner from beginning to develop additional statewide end-of-course exams in geometry, chemistry, or physics until specifically authorized in law to do so.

Paragraph (i) requires a district or charter school to indicate on a student’s transcript the student’s level of college and career readiness after the levels have been established through a professionally recognized methodology.

Section 3.  Assessment Advisory Committee; Recommendations. 

Paragraph (a) requires the Committee to develop recommendations for alternative methods by which students meet the reading and writing exam.  The Committee must consider allowing students to:

(1)  achieve a college-credit score on a college-level examination (CLEP); and

(2)  achieve a college readiness score in the relevant subject area on the ACT or SAT.

Paragraph (b) requires the Committee to develop recommendations for alternative methods by  which students satisfy the algebra and biology requirements.  The Committee must consider allowing students to:

(1)  achieve a college-credit score on a college-level examination (CLEP);

(2)  achieve a college readiness score in the relevant subject area on the ACT or SAT; and

(3)  pass a credit-bearing course in college algebra or biology or a more advance course in either subject with a grade of C or better.

Paragraph (c) allows the Committee to develop recommendations on integrating universal design principles, more accurately understand what students know and can do, provide Minnesota with more cost-effective assessments, and provide educators with more valid inferences about students’ achievement levels.

Paragraph (d) requires the Committee to develop recommendations for the administrative structure, criteria, and processes for implementing the state-level student appeals process.  Requires the Committee to develop recommendations to calculate the alignement index, define misaligned and highly misaligned.

Paragraph (e) requires the Committee to submit its recommendations to the commissioner and the legislature by February 15, 2012.

Paragraph (f) prohibits the commissioner from implementing any element of any recommendation without first receiving specific legislative authority to do so.

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