Assigned to ED FOR
COMMITTEE
Assigned to ED FOR
COMMITTEE
ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Third Legislature, Second Regular Session
schools; statewide assessment contracts; review
Purpose
Requires the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) and the State Board of Education (SBE) to provide information to and seek approval from the Joint Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC) on statewide assessment contracts.
Background
The SBE is required to administer and implement a statewide test to measure pupil achievement of adopted academic standards in reading, writing and mathematics and is also permitted to adopt assessment in social studies and science (A.R.S. § 15-741).
Laws 2016, Chapter 10 established a menu of locally procured assessments from which local education agencies may select an assessment to administer to pupils. For high school students, the menu is required to be available in the 2018-2019 school year and for grades three through eight, the menu is required to be available in the 2019-2020 school year (A.R.S. § 15‑741.02).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Prohibits ADE and the SBE from renewing, extending, modifying or reestablishing any current or new contract for any portion of the statewide assessment without JLBC's review and approval.
2. Requires ADE and the SBE to provide information to JLBC on each current contract for all portions of the statewide assessment, including information on when that contract is set to expire, by November 15, 2018.
3. Requires a school district or charter school that offers an assessment from the menu to receive the same amount of funding for assessments in the 2018-2019 school year as the school received in the 2017-2018 school year for assessments.
4. Allows a school district or charter school to administer the statewide assessment in the form of a written test.
5. Makes technical and conforming changes.
6. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Research
February 6, 2018
BL/lb