ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Fifty-fifth Legislature

First Regular Session

 

HB 2819: innovative assessment pilot program; appropriations

Sponsor:  Representative Lieberman, LD 28

Committee on Education

Overview

Establishes an Innovative Assessment Pilot Program (Program) during the 2021-2024 school years. Appropriates monies in FYs 2022-2024 for the Program.

History

Statute requires the State Board of Education (SBE) to implement a statewide assessment to measure student achievement in reading, writing and mathematics in at least four grades. SBE must annually review district and school scores, offer assistance to schools in analyzing data, establish intervention strategies for schools with scores below the acceptable standard and assist schools in implementing intervention strategies (A.R.S. § 15-741).

Statute also directs SBE to adopt Menu of Achievement Assessments (Menu), such as the SAT, ACT, and other similar tests, for the 9th-12th grades to measure student achievement of the state academic standards. Beginning the 2021-2022 school year, local education agencies may choose to administer an assessment from the Menu in addition to the statewide assessment (A.R.S. § 15-741.02).

For the 2020-2021 school year, students will be administered the AzM2 and AzSCI. AzM2 tests students in the 3rd-8th and 10th grades in English language arts (ELA) and mathematics. AzSCI tests students in the 5th, 8th and 11th grades in science. The Menu allows high schools to administer the ACT, the Cambridge International Exam or the SAT.

Provisions

1.   ☐ Prop 105 (45 votes) ☐ Prop 108 (40 votes) ☐ Emergency (40 votes) ☐ Fiscal NoteRequires SBE to conduct the Program during the 2021-2022, 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 school years. (Sec. 1)

2.   Directs SBE to issue a request for proposals to contract with a provider of an innovative assessment that has the necessary expertise and research capabilities to determine whether interim innovative assessments could be used to replace the statewide summative assessment. (Sec. 1) 

3.   Requires the innovative assessment to:

a)   Allow alignment to local scope and sequence;

b)   Allow assessment of multiple skill levels;

c)   Provide results within a reasonable time period; and

d)   Assess ELA, reading and mathematics for students in the 3rd-9th grades. (Sec. 1) 

4.   Allows any school operated by a school district or charter school to apply to SBE to participate in the Program. (Sec. 1) 

5.   Specifies that Program participation is voluntary. (Sec. 1)

6.   Directs SBE to select a representative sample of schools from among the applicants to participate in the Program, including:

a)   Rural schools;

b)   Urban schools; and

c)   Schools in which a high percentage of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunches. (Sec. 1)

7.   Directs SBE to expand the Program each school year by selecting a greater number of participating schools than the year before. (Sec. 1)

8.   Requires, by the 2023-2024 school year, participating schools to be representative of the Arizona student population and include urban, suburban and rural schools. (Sec. 1)

9.   Instructs SBE, by December 31, 2024, to submit a report summarizing Program results to the Governor, the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. (Sec. 1) 

10.  Repeals the Program on April 1, 2025. (Sec. 1) 

11.  Appropriates the following amounts from the state General Fund to SBE for the Program:

a)   $750,000 in FY 2022;

b)   $1,500,000 in FY 2023; and

c)   $1,750,000 in FY 2024. (Sec. 2)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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                        HB 2819

Initials CH/NM Page 0 Education

 

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