S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
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5394
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
I N S E N A T E
April 29, 2019
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Introduced by Sen. JACKSON -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to enacting the "right to
opt out of high-stakes testing act"
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
the "right to opt out of high-stakes testing act".
§ 2. Section 305 of the education law is amended by adding a new
subdivision 51-b to read as follows:
51-B. A. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL ENSURE THAT SCHOOL DISTRICTS NOTIFY
PARENTS OF STUDENTS IN GRADES THREE THROUGH EIGHT, EITHER BY EMAIL
AND/OR A MAILED LETTER, THAT SUCH STUDENTS MAY REFUSE TO PARTICIPATE IN
ALL STATE TESTING OR ANY OTHER HIGH-STAKES TESTING. SUCH NOTIFICATION
SHALL BE GIVEN NO SOONER THAN THIRTY SCHOOL DAYS AND NO LATER THAN SEVEN
SCHOOL DAYS PRIOR TO THE SCHEDULED ADMINISTRATION OF SUCH TESTING. SUCH
NOTIFICATION SHALL READ AS FOLLOWS:
"IT IS THE RIGHT OF EVERY PARENT TO DIRECT THE UPBRINGING AND EDUCA-
TION OF THEIR CHILDREN. PARENTS MAY REFUSE TO PERMIT THEIR CHILDREN TO
TAKE STATE TESTING OR ANY OTHER HIGH-STAKES TESTING. PARENTS WHO REFUSE
TO PERMIT THEIR CHILDREN TO TAKE SUCH TESTS MAY SEND A LETTER CONTAINING
THE FULL NAME OF THE STUDENT, THE NAME OF THE TEST OR A DESCRIPTION OF
THE TEST SO IT MAY BE PROPERLY IDENTIFIED, AND THE SIGNATURE OF THE
STUDENT'S PARENT OR LEGAL GUARDIAN. NO PUNITIVE MEASURES MAY BE TAKEN
AGAINST STUDENTS WHO REFUSE TO PARTICIPATE IN SUCH TESTING, NOR SHALL
STUDENTS WHO DO PARTICIPATE IN SUCH TESTING RECEIVE ANY INCENTIVE OR
REWARD FOR DOING SO."
THE TEXT OF SUCH NOTIFICATION SHALL BE POSTED ON SCHOOL DISTRICT
WEBSITES IN THE MOST COMMON SPOKEN LANGUAGES IN THE STATE.
B. STUDENTS WHO DO NOT PARTICIPATE IN ANY STATE TESTING OR ANY OTHER
HIGH-STAKES TESTING SHALL BE SCORED AS A "REFUSAL", RATHER THAN AS
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10815-03-9
S. 5394 2
"ABSENT", IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE STUDENT INFORMATION REPOSITORY SYSTEM.
STUDENTS WHO DO NOT PARTICIPATE IN ANY STATE TESTING OR ANY OTHER HIGH-
STAKES TESTING SHALL CONTINUE TO RECEIVE A FREE AND APPROPRIATE PUBLIC
EDUCATION IN THEIR REGULAR CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT DURING THE ADMINIS-
TRATION OF ALL MAKEUP TEST PERIODS.
C. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER LAW, RULE OR REGULATION TO THE CONTRARY,
IT SHALL BE UNLAWFUL FOR ANY SCHOOL DISTRICT TO REQUIRE A STUDENT TO
PARTICIPATE IN ANY STATE TESTING OR ANY OTHER HIGH-STAKES TESTING. IT
SHALL FURTHER BE UNLAWFUL FOR ANY SCHOOL DISTRICT TO TAKE PUNITIVE MEAS-
URES AGAINST STUDENTS WHO REFUSE TO PARTICIPATE IN SUCH TESTING, OR
PROVIDE ANY FORM OF INCENTIVE OR REWARD FOR STUDENTS WHO DO SO PARTIC-
IPATE. PUNITIVE MEASURES INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO, THREATS OF
REPEATING A SCHOOL GRADE, MANDATING AFTER SCHOOL ATTENDANCE, MANDATING
SUMMER SCHOOL ATTENDANCE OR ANY NEGATIVE ACADEMIC IMPACT AS A RESULT OF
A STUDENT'S REFUSAL TO PARTICIPATE IN ANY STATE TESTING OR ANY OTHER
HIGH-STAKES TESTING. SCHOOL DISTRICTS SHALL PROVIDE STUDENTS WHOSE
PARENTS REFUSE TO PERMIT THEIR TESTING PARTICIPATION WITH AN ALTERNATE
EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY DURING SCHEDULED STATE TESTING TIMES. PARENTS SHALL
BE INFORMED OF SUCH ALTERNATIVE EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY UPON REQUEST. IT
SHALL BE UNLAWFUL FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO REQUIRE SUCH STUDENTS TO BE
PLACED IN A TESTING ROOM OR ENVIRONMENT DURING SCHEDULED STATE TESTING
TIMES, HIGH-STAKES TESTING TIMES OR MAKEUP TIMES. IT SHALL FURTHER BE
UNLAWFUL FOR A SCHOOL DISTRICT TO REQUIRE A MEETING WITH A STUDENT'S
PARENTS AS A PREREQUISITE FOR REFUSAL TO PARTICIPATE IN TESTING OR
PROVIDE AN ALTERNATE EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY DURING SCHEDULED STATE TESTING
OR HIGH-STAKES TESTING TIMES.
D. NOTWITHSTANDING THE PROVISIONS OF SUBDIVISION TWO OF SECTION THREE
HUNDRED SIX OF THIS ARTICLE, STATE AID FOR SCHOOLS SHALL NOT BE CONTIN-
GENT ON OR IN ANY WAY AFFECTED BY THE STUDENT PARTICIPATION RATE FOR ANY
STATE TESTING OR ANY OTHER HIGH-STAKES TESTING. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY
OTHER LAW, RULE OR REGULATION TO THE CONTRARY, SCORE RESULTS ON ANY
STATE TESTING OR ANY OTHER HIGH-STAKES TESTING SHALL NOT CONSTITUTE
GROUNDS OR BE CONSIDERED AS A FACTOR FOR DETERMINING WHETHER A SCHOOL IS
A CHRONICALLY LOW-PERFORMING, UNDERPERFORMING OR FAILING SCHOOL. NOR
SHALL A SCHOOL DISTRICT GIVE ANY CONSIDERATION TO CLASSROOM PARTIC-
IPATION RATES IN SUCH TESTING WHEN EVALUATING TEACHER PERFORMANCE OR
MAKING PERSONNEL DECISIONS. IT SHALL LIKEWISE BE UNLAWFUL FOR A SCHOOL
DISTRICT TO RE-ALLOCATE FUNDING AMONG OR BETWEEN SCHOOLS WITHIN SUCH
DISTRICT BASED ON STUDENT PARTICIPATION RATES FOR SUCH TESTING.
E. SCHOOL DISTRICTS SHALL NOT SOLICIT OR ENCOURAGE ANY WRITTEN
EXEMPTION REQUEST ON BEHALF OF ANY STUDENT OR GROUP OF STUDENTS.
F. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER LAW, RULE OR REGULATION TO THE CONTRARY,
A PARENT'S OR LEGAL GUARDIAN'S WRITTEN REQUEST TO SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFI-
CIALS TO EXCUSE THEIR CHILD FROM ANY OR ALL STATE TESTING OR ANY HIGH-
STAKES TESTING PURSUANT TO THIS SUBDIVISION SHALL BE GRANTED.
G. AS USED IN THIS SUBDIVISION, THE TERM "HIGH-STAKES TESTING" SHALL
MEAN TESTING WHERE THE RESULTS OF SUCH TESTS ARE USED BY THE COMMISSION-
ER, THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OR SCHOOL DISTRICT TO:
(1) DETERMINE A STUDENT'S ADMISSION TO A PUBLIC SCHOOL OR PROGRAM;
(2) EVALUATE THE PERFORMANCE OF A TEACHER OR SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR; OR
(3) CATEGORIZE A SCHOOL AS HIGH-PERFORMING, PERFORMING, LOW-PERFORM-
ING, UNDERPERFORMING, NEEDING IMPROVEMENT OR FAILING.
§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately.