S0723B1039A04634 MSP:EJH 11/01/17 #90 A04634
AMENDMENTS TO SENATE BILL NO. 723
Sponsor: SENATOR RAFFERTY
Printer's No. 1039
Amend Bill, page 3, lines 24 through 30; page 4, lines 1
through 21; by striking out all of said lines on said pages and
inserting
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
(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.
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(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.
(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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See A04634 in
the context
of SB0723