Regular Session 2015-2016 House Bill 1899 P.N. 2963

PRINTER'S NO. 2963

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

No.

1899

Session of

2015

INTRODUCED BY PHILLIPS-HILL, GROVE, KLUNK, WARD, JAMES, IRVIN,

PICKETT, ORTITAY, WATSON, WARNER AND ZIMMERMAN,

MARCH 15, 2016

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, MARCH 15, 2016

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 professional employees, further

providing for rating system; and providing for Student-

Centered Assessment Pilot Program.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1. Section 1123(b)(1)(ii)(A)(I), (c)(2)(A)(I) and

(o)(1) of the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as

the Public School Code of 1949, amended June 30, 2012 (P.L.684,

No.82), are amended and subsection (o) is amended by adding a

paragraph to read:

Section 1123. Rating System.--* * *

(b) For professional employes and temporary professional

employes who serve as classroom teachers, the following shall

apply:

(1) Beginning in the 2013-2014 school year, the evaluation

of the effectiveness of professional employes and temporary

professional employes serving as classroom teachers shall give

due consideration to the following:

* * *

(ii) Student performance, which shall comprise fifty per

centum (50%) of the overall rating of the professional employe

or temporary professional employe serving as a classroom teacher

and shall be based upon multiple measures of student

achievement. The fifty per centum (50%) shall be comprised of

the following:

(A) Fifteen per centum (15%) building-level data, including,

but not limited to, all of the following:

(I) Student performance on assessments, including blended

adaptive assessments.

* * *

employes serving as principals, the following shall apply:

* * *

(2) Student performance shall be measured as provided in

subsection (b)(1)(ii) for professional employes and temporary

professional employes supervised by the principal and shall

comprise fifty per centum (50%) of the principal's overall

rating. The fifty per centum (50%) shall be comprised of the

following:

(A) Fifteen per centum (15%) building-level data, including,

but not limited to, all of the following:

(I) Student performance on assessments, including blended

adaptive assessments.

* * *

(o) For purposes of this section:

(1) The term "assessment" shall mean the Pennsylvania System

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of School Assessment test, the Keystone Exam, an equivalent

local assessment, a blended adaptive assessment or another test

established by the State Board of Education to meet the

requirements of section 2603-B(d)(10)(i) and required under the

No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (Public Law 107-110, 115 Stat.

1425) or its successor statute or required to achieve other

standards established by the department for the school or school

district under 22 Pa. Code § 403.3 (relating to single

accountability system).

* * *

(9) The term "blended assessment" shall mean a blended

adaptive test performed under Article XV-H.

* * *

Section 2. The act is amended by adding an article to read:

ARTICLE XV-H

STUDENT-CENTERED ASSESSMENT PILOT PROGRAM

Section 1501-H. Definitions.

The following words and phrases when used in this article

shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the

context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Adaptive testing." Periodic testing over the course of the

academic year taken by a student on a computer which tracks

student growth, provides instructional data regarding the

student's achievement level and assigned grade and complies with

the requirements under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001

(Public Law 107-110, 115 Stat. 1425) for proficiency for

students at the respective grade levels.

"Board." The State Board of Education of the Commonwealth.

"Department." The Department of Education of the

Commonwealth.

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"Elementary school student." A student who attends a public

school in grades one through five.

"High school student." A student who attends a public school

in grades 9 through 12.

"Middle school student." A student who attends a public

school in grades six through eight.

"Program." The Student-Centered Assessment Pilot Program

established under section 1502-H(a).

"Student growth." A calculation of a student's academic

improvement during the current academic year in comparison to

prior assessments during the academic year.

Section 1502-H. Student-Centered Assessment Pilot Program.

(a) Establishment.--The Student-Centered Assessment Pilot

Program is established within the Department of Education. The

department, in conjunction with the State Board of Education and

school districts that participate in the program, shall

administer the program.

(b) Exemption.--A public school of a school district

participating in the program shall be exempt from administering

the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment test authorized

under sections 2603-B and 2604-B to eligible elementary school,

middle school and high school students. This exemption shall

begin after sufficient data collection for a comparability study

with existing tests as stipulated by Federal peer review.

participate in the program if the school district administers

State-approved adaptive testing prior to January 1, 2017.

Section 1503-H. Duties of department and board.

The department, in conjunction with the board, shall

establish blended criteria for adaptive testing of eligible

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elementary school, middle school and high school students

enrolled in a public school of a school district that

participates in the program. The criteria shall conform to

academic standards established for elementary school, middle

school and high school students under this act.

(b) Regulations.--The department shall establish policies

and promulgate regulations necessary to implement this article.

Section 1504-H. Duties of school districts.

(a) Duties.--A school district that participates in the

program shall have the following duties:

(1) The school district shall administer approved

adaptive testing to eligible elementary school, middle school

and high school students.

(2) In preparing eligible elementary school, middle

school and high school students for adaptive testing, the

school district shall provide the necessary methods to

minimize the amount of test preparation in the classroom.

(3) No later than 48 hours after the eligible

elementary school, middle school and high school students

complete the adaptive testing, the school district shall make

available the results of the adaptive testing to each

elementary school, middle school and high school teacher and

school administrator who administered the adaptive testing.

(b) Third-party providers.--The department may contract with

a third-party provider to administer the program.

Section 3. This act shall take effect in 60 days.

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