Bill Summaries: H486 (2021)

Tracking:
  • Summary date: Apr 28 2021 - View summary

    House amendment makes the following changes to the 2nd edition. Makes a clarifying change to GS 115C-83.16(a)(2). 


  • Summary date: Apr 27 2021 - View summary

    House committee substitute amends the 1st edition as follows.

    Part I.

    More specifically requires the State Board of Education (State Board) to eliminate the use of end-of-course (EOC) tests for grades 9-12 beginning with the 2023-23 school year. Now deems the national recognized assessment of high school achievement and readiness (no longer includes an alternate assessment) administered to students in eleventh grade pursuant to GS 115C-174.11(c)(1a), as enacted (rather than amended subdivision (4)), to constitute the testing in grades 9-12 required by federal law (rather than state mandate and state law). Provides for continued application of NCEXTEND1 policies, and use of NCEXTEND1 for students with significant cognitive disabilities (was, disabilities) as appropriate.

    Directs the State Board to identify which reading, math, and science content standards adopted pursuant to GS 115C-12(9c) are aligned with the ACT, SAT, SAT Subject Test in Biology Ecological, SAT Subject Test in Biology Molecular, SAT Subject in Chemistry, and SAT Subject Test in Physics, by October 1, 2021. Directs the State Board to contract with a vendor by November 1, 2021, to evaluate the alignment between the NC content standards identified and the nationally recognized assessments of high school achievement and college readiness, with specified evaluation requirements for each nationally recognized assessment. Requires the State Board to report to the specified NCGA committee by April 15, 2022.

    Eliminates the proposed changes to GS 115C-174.11(c)(4) to instead repeal subdivision (4). Amends GS 115C-174.11(c)(1) to require the State Board to adopt tests for grades 3-8 (was 3-12) that are required by federal law or as a condition of a federal grant. Enacts new subdivision (1a) to require the State Board to use a competitive bid process to adopt one nationally recognized assessment of high school achievement and college readiness to make available to public school units to administer to all students in the eleventh grade. Requires this assessment to be used to measure progress toward reading, math, and science competencies in compliance with federal law, and required the results of students with disabilities on the assessment to be included in the school accountability reporting for all public school units provided by the State Board. 

    Eliminates the proposed effective date of July 1, 2022, for this Part.

    Part II.

    No longer provides that career readiness indicators described in specified State law are not to be considered in the calculation of school performance grades issued based on data from the 2021-22 school year. 

    Adds the following content. 

    Amends GS 115C-83.15(b)(2)e. regarding the calculation of school achievement scores, to include one point for each student who is enrolled in Career and Technical Education courses, earns a credential of value aligned to the pathway, and completes a work-based learning experience for academic credit (was, enrolled in a Career and Technical Education course and scores at specified levels on a nationally normed test of workplace readiness).

    Directs the State Board to develop a plan to implement the new career readiness indicator, as established above, considering way to incentivize schools to engage in partnerships with local businesses to provide a variety of course offerings to meet the job skills relevant to the community in which the schools are located. Directs the State Board to report to the specified NCGA committee by April 15, 2022.

    No longer provides for this Part to apply beginning with the 2021-22 school year. 

    Part III.

    Makes additional conforming changes, amending the following statutes to reflect the elimination of EOC tests: GS 115C-81.36; GS 115C-105.41; GS 115C-174.12 (with additional technical changes); GS 115C-276; and GS 116-11 (replacing the previously proposed changes to GS 116-11). 

    Replaces the proposed changes to the assignment of points for school achievement scores for schools serving 9-12 grade students pursuant to GS 115C-83.15, now requiring assignment of points based on the percentage of students meeting the standard for proficiency in high school math, reading, and science (was, based on scores of proficient and above on specified subtests of a nationally recognized assessment of high school achievement and college readiness). Deletes the elimination of points for students enrolled in career and technical education courses who earn specified scores on a nationally normed test of workplace readiness. 

    Replaces the proposed changes regarding school performance indicators for schools serving 9-12 grade students pursuant to GS 115C-83.16, revising the measures used to define indicators to refer to proficiency in high school math, reading and science (rather than proficiency on specified subtests of a nationally recognized assessment of high school achievement and college readiness) and the percentage of students meeting the career readiness criteria identified in GS 115C-83.15(b)(2) (previously, eliminated the measure of student quality and success indicator the percentage of students enrolled in career and technical education courses who earn specified scores on a nationally normed test of workplace readiness). 

    Eliminates the proposed effective date of January 1, 2023, for the Part. Makes the conforming changes to GS 116-11 effective beginning July 1, 2023, and applicable to transcripts for students in eleventh grade in the 2023-24 school year and thereafter. 

    Establishes an effective date for the entire act, unless otherwise provided, as follows. Effective on the date the act becomes law and applies to high school test administrations beginning with the 2023-24 school year and school performance grades beginning with those based on data from the 2023-24 school year. 

    Changes the act's long title. 


  • Summary date: Apr 1 2021 - View summary

    Part I.

    Directs the State Board of Education (State Board) to eliminate the use of end-of-course (EOC) tests for grades 9-12. Deems the national recognized assessment of high school achievement and readiness or an alternate assessment administered to students in eleventh grade pursuant to GS 115C-174.11(c)(4), as amended, to constitute the State-mandated testing in grades 9-12 required by state law. Provides for continued application of NCEXTEND1 policies, and use of NCEXTEND1 for students with disabilities as appropriate.

    Revises GS 115C-174.11(c)(4) to direct the State Board to use a competitive bid process to adopt one nationally recognized assessment of high school achievement and college readiness to make available to administrative units, regional school, and charter schools to administer to all eleventh grade students pursuant to federal law (previously provided for the adoption of a nationally norm referenced college admissions test and an alternate for certain students). Makes conforming changes. 

    Effective July 1, 2022. Applies beginning with tests administered to students entering their junior year during the 2022-23 school year. 

    Part II.

    Directs the State Board to eliminate required administration of ACT WorkKeys for career and technical education students. Provides that career readiness indicators described in specified state law are not to be considered in the calculation of school performance grades issued based on data from the 2021-22 school year. 

    Repeals GS 115C-174.25 regarding the provision of WorkKeys tests.

    Applies beginning with the 2021-22 school year. 

    Part III.

    Revises the assignment of points for school achievement scores for schools serving 9-12 grade students pursuant to GS 115C-83.15 to assign points based on scores of proficient and above on specified subtests of a nationally recognized assessment of high school achievement and college readiness, rather than specified EOC tests, and no longer assign points for students enrolled in career and technical education courses who earn specified scores on a nationally normed test of workplace readiness. 

    Makes similar changes regarding school performance indicators for schools serving 9-12 grade students pursuant to GS 115C-83.16, revising the measures used to define indicators to refer to proficiency on specified subtests of a nationally recognized assessment of high school achievement and college readiness, rather than specified EOC tests, and no longer include in the measure of student quality and success indicator the percentage of students enrolled in career and technical education courses who earn specified scores on a nationally normed test of workplace readiness. 

    Makes the above provisions effective January 1, 2023, and apply beginning with school performance grades issued based on data from the 2022-23 school year.

    Makes conforming changes to GS 116-11, which provides for coordinated information exchange between public schools and institutions of higher education, to require standardized transcripts to include scores from the nationally recognized assessment of high school achievement and college readiness administered pursuant to GS 115C-174.11, as amended. Effective July 1, 2022, and applies beginning with students entering the eleventh grade during the 2022-23 school year.