PRINTER'S NO. 272
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE RESOLUTION
No.
16
Session of
2015
INTRODUCED BY BREWSTER, TEPLITZ, FONTANA, YUDICHAK, COSTA,
DINNIMAN AND VULAKOVICH, JANUARY 30, 2015
REFERRED TO EDUCATION, JANUARY 30, 2015
A RESOLUTION
Directing the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to
conduct a comprehensive cost analysis on the efficiency of
the Pennsylvania State Assessment System.
WHEREAS, Fair and accurate student and school assessments are
essential to determine the linked questions of whether public
school students are performing academically to best prepare them
for a career or further academics in higher education and
whether the public schools in this Commonwealth are educating
their students to meet or exceed the Commonwealth's academic
standards; and
WHEREAS, The Commonwealth and the Department of Education
need to be fiscally responsible to the State and local
taxpayers, especially during difficult economic times, to ensure
that the design of the current student and school assessment
system, the Pennsylvania State Assessment System (PSAS), is
effective and efficient; and
WHEREAS, In addition to concerns regarding the fairness and
accuracy of the current PSAS, a comprehensive cost analysis of
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the current PSAS and its component parts, including the
Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA), the Keystone
Exams, the Pennsylvania Alternate System of Assessment (PASA),
and the Pennsylvania Value-Added Assessment System (PVAAS), are
needed to determine if the current system for student assessment
is efficient for all costs incurred; and
WHEREAS, The comprehensive cost analysis on the efficiency of
the current PSAS needs to include the identification and
examination of all current and future monetary costs incurred in
the development and implementation of the PSAS by the
Commonwealth and this Commonwealth's public school entities; and
WHEREAS, While nonmonetary costs incurred under the
implementation of the PSAS are not easily quantified, those
costs need to be identified and examined under the analysis;
therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate direct the Legislative Budget and
Finance Committee to conduct a comprehensive cost analysis of
the efficiency of the Pennsylvania State Assessment System and
its student and school assessments, which, at a minimum, shall
include an analysis of the following:
(1) All current and future monetary costs relating to
the development and grading of the Pennsylvania component
assessments, such as the Keystone Exams, that are or will be
incurred by the Commonwealth or this Commonwealth's public
school entities under the current assessment system.
(2) All current and future monetary costs relating to
the implementation of the Pennsylvania State Assessment
System, including its component assessments, such as the
Keystone Exams, that are or will be incurred by the
Commonwealth or this Commonwealth's public school entities
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under the current assessment system;
and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee
prepare a report of its findings and conclusions with all
supporting documentation; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee
transmit a copy of the report of its findings and conclusions
with all supporting documentation to the Senate within one year
of the adoption of this resolution.
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