HB 538-FN-LOCAL - AS INTRODUCED
2015 SESSION
\t15-0102
\t04/01
HOUSE BILL\t\t538-FN-LOCAL
AN ACT\trelative to the implementation of new statewide education assessments.
COMMITTEE:\tEducation
\tThis bill makes changes relating to curriculum standards and the statewide assessment program.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Explanation:\tMatter added to current law appears in bold italics.
\t\tMatter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
\t\tMatter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
\t15-0102
\t04/01
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Fifteen
AN ACT\trelative to the implementation of new statewide education assessments.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
\t1 New Paragraphs; Statewide Education Improvement and Assessment Program; Legislative Oversight Committee. Amend RSA 193-C:8 by inserting after paragraph X the following new paragraphs:
\t\tXI. Consider issues including, but not limited to: allowing delays in implementation of new standards for curriculum, instruction, assessment, and evaluation; lack of adequate technology, including lack of broadband Internet access and lack of technology in the classrooms; and effectiveness of revised curriculum standards and statewide assessment programs.
\t\tXII. Review privacy concerns relative to proposed assessments to ensure student and family privacy is preserved pursuant to RSA 193-C:11.
\t\tXIII. Study the costs and sources of funding available for developing and supporting proposed revisions to the minimum standards for public education and statewide assessment program.
\t2 Statewide Education Improvement and Assessment Program; Assessment Required. Amend RSA 193-C:6 to read as follows:
\t193-C:6 Assessment Required.
\t\tI. 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. 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.
\t\tII. If the state board of education recommends or implements the use of a new annual statewide assessment, a school district may continue to administer the existing statewide assessment for up to the next 2 school years in some or all of the schools in the school district.
\t3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLBAO
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t15-0102
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t01/22/15
HB 538-FN-LOCAL - FISCAL NOTE
AN ACT\trelative to the implementation of new statewide education assessments.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The Department of Education states this bill, as introduced, may have an indeterminable impact on state and local revenue, and state expenditures in FY 2016 and each fiscal year thereafter. There will be no impact on county and local expenditures, or county revenue.
METHODOLOGY:
The Department of Education states this bill allows school districts to continue to administer an existing statewide assessment for up to two years following the state board of education’s recommendation or implementation of a new annual statewide assessment. The Department notes the proposed legislation is unclear regarding who would be responsible for costs associated with the continuance of the existing assessment, or if the existing assessment would be conducted in parallel with the newly implemented or recommended assessment. Accordingly, the Department states the proposed legislation could result in three possible scenarios each of which would have a different fiscal impact.
The first possibility is at least one school district chooses to administer both the existing assessment and the new assessment in parallel. In this possibility the Department assumes school districts that chose to administer the existing assessment for up to two years after the implementation of a new assessment would be willing to take both assessments if the state were to fund both assessments. Although this would result in an increase to state expenditures, it would allow the Department to maintain compliance with federal program requirements necessary to safeguard federal funding. The Department is unable to determine how many school districts would choose to take both assessments and is therefore unable to determine to what extent this scenario would increase state expenditures.
The second possibility is that the proposed legislation would result in two separate assessments being utilized for up to two years. This possibility assumes the Department would not incur the costs associated with a school district’s desire to continue the existing assessment for up to two years. This scenario would result in the state being noncompliant with federal program requirements and therefore could jeopardize federal funding. The Department states they currently receive approximately $125,000,000 in related federal funds annually of which 95% is sub-granted to school districts. To the extent the Department’s non-compliance impacted federal funds, state and local revenue would be reduced.
A third possibility is that no school districts would choose to continue with the existing assessment once any new assessment was recommended or implemented. This scenario would have no fiscal impact.