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PRIOR PRINTER'S NOS. 857, 1039
PRINTER'S NO. 1324
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No.
723
Session of
2017
INTRODUCED BY RAFFERTY, DINNIMAN, LANGERHOLC, MARTIN, FOLMER,
AUMENT, SCARNATI, FONTANA, ARGALL, HUTCHINSON, WAGNER,
McGARRIGLE, REGAN, ALLOWAY, McILHINNEY, SABATINA, SCAVELLO,
WHITE, BLAKE, VULAKOVICH, BARTOLOTTA, EICHELBERGER,
RESCHENTHALER, BOSCOLA, BROWNE AND COSTA, MAY 19, 2017
AS AMENDED ON SECOND CONSIDERATION, NOVEMBER 14, 2017
AN ACT
Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An
act relating to the public school system, including certain
provisions applicable as well to private and parochial
schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the
laws relating thereto," in high schools, further providing
for courses of study.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 1605 of the act of March 10, 1949
(P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, is
amended by adding a subsection to read:
Section 1605. Courses of Study.--* * *
(d) Beginning with the 2019-2020 school year, the curriculum
for social studies under subsection (a) and courses enumerated
in that subsection shall contain a unit of study that includes
civics-related subject matter of which naturalized citizens are
required to demonstrate a knowledge. The following shall apply:
(1) As a means to inform civics-related curricula and
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instruction, under any of the enumerated courses of study under
subsection (b), a test shall be administered which is identical
to the civics portion of the naturalization test used by the
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services to survey a
student's knowledge of the fundamentals of the history,
principles and form of the Government of the United States.
(2) The Department of Education shall promulgate rules and
regulations to implement the provisions of this subsection,
which shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
(i) requiring that the aggregated results of the test for a
public, private or parochial school be reported to the
Department of Education on an annual basis to help inform the
overall State approach to the social studies curriculum;
(ii) providing a written report to the Education Committee
of the Senate and the Education Committee of the House of
Representatives within five years after the implementation of
this subsection to measure the impact of the test on the social
studies curriculum; and
(iii) developing a certificate of recognition for those
students scoring one hundred percent (100%) on the test.
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
SECTION 1605. COURSES OF STUDY.--* * *
(D) (1) BEGINNING IN THE 2020-2021 SCHOOL YEAR, EACH SCHOOL
ENTITY SHALL:
(I) PROVIDE INSTRUCTION TO STUDENTS RELATING TO THE CONTENT
OF THE ONE HUNDRED (100) QUESTION CIVICS TEST USED BY THE UNITED
STATES CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES AT LEAST ONCE DURING
GRADES SEVEN THROUGH TWELVE. THE INSTRUCTION MAY BE PROVIDED AS
A SEPARATE COURSE OR AS AN INSTRUCTIONAL UNIT WITHIN A COURSE
WHICH PROVIDES INSTRUCTION IN SOCIAL STUDIES UNDER SUBSECTION
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(A).
(II) ADMINISTER A TEST TO STUDENTS THAT IS IDENTICAL TO THE
ONE HUNDRED (100) QUESTION CIVICS TEST USED BY THE UNITED STATES
CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE
COURSE OR INSTRUCTIONAL UNIT PROVIDED FOR UNDER SUBPARAGRAPH
(I). EACH SCHOOL ENTITY SHALL DETERMINE THE MANNER IN WHICH THE
TEST SHALL BE ADMINISTERED.
(2) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL:
(I) NO LATER THAN THE 2019-2020 SCHOOL YEAR, POST ON ITS
PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE INTERNET WEBSITE LINKS TO THE ONE HUNDRED
(100) QUESTION CIVICS TEST USED BY THE UNITED STATES CITIZENSHIP
AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES AND ANY RELATED RESOURCES OFFERED BY
THE UNITED STATES CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES. THE
DEPARTMENT SHALL POST ANY ADDITIONAL MATERIALS AND RESOURCES
THAT THE DEPARTMENT DEEMS USEFUL TO A SCHOOL ENTITY IN COMPLYING
WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS SUBSECTION.
(II) CONDUCT AN ELECTRONIC SURVEY OF EACH SCHOOL ENTITY AT
THE CONCLUSION OF THE 2020-2021 SCHOOL YEAR AND AT THE
CONCLUSION OF EVERY OTHER SCHOOL YEAR THEREAFTER REQUESTING
INFORMATION REGARDING THE CIVICS TEST REQUIRED UNDER PARAGRAPH
(1)(II). EACH SCHOOL ENTITY SHALL RESPOND TO THE SURVEY NO LATER
THAN NOVEMBER 30 FOLLOWING THE SCHOOL YEAR FOR WHICH THE SURVEY
IS CONDUCTED. THE SURVEY SHALL ONLY REQUEST THE FOLLOWING
INFORMATION REGARDING THE IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING SCHOOL YEAR:
(A) THE TOTAL NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO TOOK THE CIVICS TEST.
(B) THE TOTAL NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO ATTAINED A PASSING
GRADE ON THE CIVICS TEST BY ANSWERING AT LEAST SIXTY PERCENT
(60%) OF THE TEST QUESTIONS CORRECTLY.
(C) THE GRADE LEVEL OR LEVELS IN WHICH THE CIVICS TEST WAS
ADMINISTERED.
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(D) THE COURSE OR COURSES IN WHICH THE CIVICS TEST WAS
ADMINISTERED.
(III) MAKE THE DATA COLLECTED FROM THE SURVEYS CONDUCTED
UNDER SUBPARAGRAPH (II) AVAILABLE ON ITS PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE
INTERNET WEBSITE.
(IV) DEVELOP A CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION FOR STUDENTS WHO
PASSED THE CIVICS TEST BY ANSWERING ONE HUNDRED PERCENT (100%)
OF THE TEST QUESTIONS CORRECTLY AND MAKE THE CERTIFICATE
AVAILABLE ON ITS PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE INTERNET WEBSITE FOR USE BY
SCHOOL ENTITIES.
(3) A STUDENT WITH AN INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PROGRAM SHALL
NOT BE REQUIRED TO TAKE THE CIVICS TEST REQUIRED UNDER PARAGRAPH
(1)(II) IF THE PROVISIONS OF THE STUDENT ' S INDIVIDUALIZED
EDUCATION PROGRAM INDICATE OTHERWISE.
(4) AS USED IN THIS SUBSECTION, THE FOLLOWING WORDS AND
PHRASES SHALL HAVE THE MEANINGS GIVEN TO THEM IN THIS PARAGRAPH,
UNLESS THE CONTEXT CLEARLY INDICATES OTHERWISE:
"DEPARTMENT" SHALL MEAN THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION OF THE
COMMONWEALTH.
"INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PROGRAM" SHALL MEAN AN
INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PROGRAM UNDER 22 PA. CODE CH. 14
(RELATING TO SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES AND PROGRAMS).
"SCHOOL ENTITY" SHALL MEAN A SCHOOL DISTRICT, AREA
VOCATIONAL-TECHNICAL SCHOOL, INTERMEDIATE UNIT, CHARTER SCHOOL,
CYBER CHARTER SCHOOL, REGIONAL CHARTER SCHOOL OR NONPUBLIC
SCHOOL.
SECTION 2. THIS ACT SHALL TAKE EFFECT IN 60 DAYS.
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