Revision: Feb. 6, 2013, midnight
HB 321-FN-LOCAL – AS INTRODUCED
2013 SESSION
04/03
HOUSE BILL 321-FN-LOCAL
AN ACT requiring proficiency on the statewide assessment for high school graduation.
This bill provides that performance at the proficient level or above on the statewide assessment in high school shall be a prerequisite for high school graduation. The bill also requires the state board of education to adopt rules to establish a procedure for a high school student to demonstrate the required level of competency using the student’s work samples, projects, or portfolios.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
13-0234
04/03
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Thirteen
AN ACT requiring proficiency on the statewide assessment for high school graduation.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Statewide Improvement and Assessment; Assessment Required. Amend RSA 193-C:6 to read as follows:
193-C:6 Assessment Required. Each year, a statewide assessment shall be administered in all school districts in the state in grades 3 through 8 and one grade in high school. All public school students in the designated grades shall participate in the assessment, unless such student is exempted, or provided that the commissioner of the department of education may, through an agreement with another state when such state and New Hampshire are parties to an interstate agreement, allow pupils to participate in that state’s assessment program as an alternative to the assessment required under this chapter. Each high school student shall be required to perform at the proficient level or above in the statewide assessment as a prerequisite for graduation. High school students shall be permitted to retake the assessment as often as necessary to demonstrate the required level of competency. The state board of education shall adopt rules, pursuant to RSA 541-A, to establish a procedure to enable a high school student to demonstrate the required level of competency using means other than the statewide assessment such as the student’s work samples, projects, portfolios, or other similar means, as may be determined by the state board. Home educated students may contact their local school districts if they wish to participate in the statewide assessment. Private schools may contact the department of education to participate in the statewide assessment.
2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.
LBAO
13-0234
Revised 02/06/13
HB 321 FISCAL NOTE
AN ACT requiring proficiency on the statewide assessment for high school graduation.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The Department of Education states this bill, as introduced, may increase state expenditures by an indeterminable amount in FY 2013 and each fiscal year thereafter, and increase local expenditures by an indeterminable amount in FY 2014 and each year thereafter. There will be no fiscal impact on state, county, and local revenues, or county expenditures.
METHODOLOGY:
The Department of Education states this bill requires proficiency on the statewide assessment for high school graduation and requires the Department to adopt rules to establish a procedure to enable high school students to demonstrate the required level of competency using means other than the statewide assessment. The Department states there will be significant costs associated with the development and implementation of procedures to enable students to utilize alternative methods to demonstrate the required level of competency currently measured through the use of statewide proficiency tests. Although the Department is unable to quantify these costs without further research and analysis, the Department states these costs could be in excess of $1,000,000.
The Department states there were 10,880 high school students who were not proficient in at least one subject area of the statewide assessment during the 2011/2012 school year. The Department also notes the assessment tests are typically taken in October when the students are in the 11th grade. For the purposes of estimating the fiscal impact of the proposed legislation the Department estimates 50% of the students who failed at least one subject on the statewide assessment would pass on the second attempt. The Department therefore estimates the following number of students will be retained for at least one additional year of high school under the proposed legislation:
|
# of Students Not Achieving Proficiency by the end of 12th Grade (Second Test Attempt) |
# of Students Not Achieving Proficiency by the end of their 13th year (Third Test Attempt) |
# of Students Not Achieving Proficiency by the end of their 14th year (Fourth Test Attempt) |
Total Number of Students Retained |
FY 2014 |
5,440 |
0 |
0 |
5,440 |
FY 2015 |
5,440 |
2,720 |
0 |
8,160 |
FY 2016 |
5,440 |
2,720 |
1,360 |
9,520 |
FY 2017 |
5,440 |
2,720 |
1,360 |
9,520 |
The Department notes each student retained will increase state and local expenditures by an aggregate of $12,775 (the average cost per student as of 2011) of which the average cost of adequacy per student would be borne by the state (estimated to be $4,266 for FY 2014). Based on the average cost per student from 2011 and an estimate of the average cost of adequacy per student for FY 2014; the Department estimates the proposed legislation may increase state and local expenditures as follows:
A |
B |
C = A x B |
D |
E = A x D | |
Fiscal Year |
Total No. of Students Retained |
Average Cost per Student (State Share) |
Increase in State Expenditures |
Average Cost per Student (Local Share) |
Increase in Local Expenditures |
2014 |
5440 |
$ 4,266 |
$ 23,207,040 |
$ 8,509 |
$ 46,288,960 |
2015 |
8160 |
$ 4,266 |
$ 34,810,560 |
$ 8,509 |
$ 69,433,440 |
2016 |
9520 |
$ 4,266 |
$ 40,612,320 |
$ 8,509 |
$ 81,005,680 |
2017 |
9520 |
$ 4,266 |
$ 40,612,320 |
$ 8,509 |
$ 81,005,680 |