PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 3388 PRINTER'S NO. 3413
No. 293 Session of 1992
INTRODUCED BY GAMBLE, D. W. SNYDER, REBER, KOSINSKI, TANGRETTI,
FARMER, BOYES, LEH, MRKONIC, LAUGHLIN, ANDERSON, TRELLO,
FARGO, LAWLESS, S. H. SMITH, E. Z. TAYLOR, PITTS, GIGLIOTTI,
DeLUCA, FEE, PETRONE, CARLSON, BUNT, JOHNSON, DEMPSEY, HASAY,
STEIGHNER, STAIRS, FREIND, WOZNIAK, SCHEETZ, KING, LANGTRY,
CLYMER, KAISER, MERRY, BROWN, ARMSTRONG, TRICH, GEIST,
MARKOSEK, NOYE, OLASZ, DALEY, BIRMELIN, NYCE, CLARK, BLACK,
TELEK, FLICK, KRUSZEWSKI, HERSHEY, M. N. WRIGHT, GALLEN,
GRUPPO, BARLEY, JADLOWIEC AND VROON, MARCH 31, 1992
AMENDED, APRIL 6, 1992
A RESOLUTION
1 Urging the Governor, the Secretary of Education and the State
2 Board of Education to delay consideration and implementation
3 of proposed amendments to Title 22 of the Pennsylvania Code.
4 WHEREAS, There is major concern and controversy expressed by <--
5 CONCERN AND INTEREST EXPRESSED BY SOME OF the citizens of this <--
6 Commonwealth regarding the State Board of Education's proposal
7 to amend 22 Pa. Code, Chs. 3 (relating to student testing), 5
8 (relating to curriculum requirements) and 6 (relating to
9 vocational education), as set forth at 22 Pa.B. 5207 (November
10 2, 1991); and
11 WHEREAS, The Department of Education is disregarding current <--
12 law by implementing PROPOSING TO IMPLEMENT portions of the <--
13 proposed regulations pertaining to student assessment in <--
14 violation of State law related to the regulatory review process;
15 and; AND <--
1 WHEREAS, The Department of Education is disregarding its own <--
2 policy as defined in OBLIGATED TO CONSIDER Basic Education <--
3 Circular 8-90 pertaining to student rights in testing; and
4 WHEREAS, The Department of Education has misrepresented to <--
5 parents A RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT the confidentiality of <--
6 student assessments by indicating ASSURING that identification <--
7 information would not be IS NOT included on test materials; and <--
8 WHEREAS, The rights of parents, who are the primary educators <--
9 of their own children, are violated by not being able to easily
10 PARENTS SHOULD BE ABLE TO obtain access to sample tests, <--
11 information about testing, test results and utilization of test
12 data; and
13 WHEREAS, The State Board of Education has not provided a <--
14 meaningful SHOULD PROVIDE A fiscal assessment of the cost of <--
15 these proposed regulations and standards to taxpayers of <--
16 Pennsylvania and the school boards of this Commonwealth; and; <--
17 AND
18 WHEREAS, This Commonwealth currently suffers from major <--
19 budgetary problems SIGNIFICANT FISCAL PROBLEMS, and the Governor <--
20 has expressed a sincere desire to minimize mandates on the
21 schools of this Commonwealth; and
22 WHEREAS, There are real questions about the validity of <--
23 DIFFERENCES OF OPINION ABOUT outcome measures as a fundamental <--
24 principle for the reorganization of our schools; and
25 WHEREAS, The State Board of Education has made a
26 determination to delay action on the learning outcomes portion
27 of Chapter 5 of the proposed regulations, thereby separating the
28 outcomes from the framework for assessment and curriculum; and
29 WHEREAS, This action ties this Commonwealth, including <--
30 students, parents, teachers and administrators, to unknown
19920H0293R3413 - 2 -
1 educational requirements; and
2 WHEREAS, Outcome education mandates that students must <--
3 PROVIDES THAT STUDENTS demonstrate mastery of the goals of <--
4 quality education, and most of these goals cannot be measured <--
5 objectively; and WHICH REQUIRES OBJECTIVE MEASUREMENT; AND <--
6 WHEREAS, There is no explanation provided by the State Board <--
7 of Education on ARE QUESTIONS REGARDING how goals and outcomes <--
8 relate to student assessment, promotion and graduation; and
9 WHEREAS, Parental interests were not meaningfully represented <--
10 DESERVE SERIOUS CONSIDERATION in the review process for <--
11 establishment of the goals of quality education, learning
12 outcomes and school reorganization; and <--
13 WHEREAS, The Department of Education has usurped the
14 Constitutional rights of parents by denying them the opportunity
15 to withdraw their children from instruction that conflicts with
16 their religious beliefs; therefore be it
17 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives urge the
18 Governor, the Secretary of Education and, the State Board of <--
19 Education AND THE INDEPENDENT REGULATORY REVIEW COMMISSION to <--
20 delay consideration and implementation of proposed amendments to
21 Title 22 of the Pennsylvania Code prior to a thorough and
22 complete investigation of the substance and process of these
23 proposed regulations by a special legislative committee composed
24 of the majority and minority chairmen of the Appropriations, <--
25 Judiciary, Finance, Education, Health and Welfare and Local
26 Government Committees. SEVEN MEMBERS, FOUR OF WHOM SHALL BE <--
27 SELECTED BY THE MAJORITY LEADER AND THREE OF WHOM SHALL BE
28 SELECTED BY THE MINORITY LEADER.
C20L82PJP/19920H0293R3413 - 3 -