H0564B0589A06073 SFL:JSL 03/14/18 #90 A06073
AMENDMENTS TO HOUSE BILL NO. 564
Sponsor: REPRESENTATIVE ENGLISH
Printer's No. 589
Amend Bill, page 1, lines 5 and 6, by striking out "civics
test graduation requirement" and inserting
assessment of civic knowledge
Amend Bill, page 1, lines 12 through 16; page 2, lines 1
through 30; page 3, lines 1 through 22; by striking out all of
said lines on said pages and inserting
Section 1605.1. Assessment of Civic Knowledge.--(a)
Beginning with the 2020-2021 school year, each school entity:
(1) Shall administer at least once to students during grades
seven through twelve a locally developed assessment of United
States history, government and civics that includes the nature,
purpose, principles and structure of United States
constitutional democracy, the principles, operations and
documents of United States government and the rights and
responsibilities of citizenship. Each school entity shall
determine the form of the assessment and the manner in which the
assessment shall be administered and may administer the
assessment at the conclusion of the course of study required
under section 1605(a) or at the conclusion of another related
course or instructional unit. A school entity may use the United
States Citizenship and Immigration Services Test to satisfy the
requirements of this paragraph.
(2) Shall issue a certificate of recognition to students who
attain a passing grade on the assessment administered under
paragraph (1).
(b) The department shall:
(1) Within twelve (12) months of the effective date of this
section, post on its publicly accessible Internet website links
to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services Test
and any related resources offered by the United States
Citizenship and Immigration Services. The department shall also
post on its publicly accessible Internet website any additional
materials that the department deems useful to school entities in
complying with the requirements in this section.
(2) Conduct an electronic survey of each school entity at
2018/90SFL/HB0564A06073 - 1 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
the conclusion of the 2020-2021 school year and at the
conclusion of every second school year thereafter requesting
information concerning compliance with the requirements of this
section. 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 for the immediately preceding school year:
(i) The format of the assessment administered as required
under subsection (a)(1).
(ii) The total number of students who took the assessment.
(iii) The total number of students who attained a passing
grade on the assessment.
(iv) The grade level or levels in which the assessment was
administered.
(v) The course or courses in which the assessment was
administered.
(3) By January 1 of the year following the school year for
which the survey is conducted, make the data collected from the
surveys conducted under paragraph (2) available on its publicly
accessible Internet website.
(c) A student with an individualized education program shall
not be required to take the assessment administered under
subsection (a)(1) if the provisions of the student's
individualized education program indicate otherwise.
(d) As used in this section, the following words and phrases
shall have the meanings given to them in this subsection unless
the context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Department" shall mean the Department of Education of the
Commonwealth.
"Individualized education program" shall mean a written
statement for each child with a disability that is developed,
reviewed or revised in a meeting in accordance with the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (Public Law 91-230,
20 U.S.C. ยง 1400 et seq.) and 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 or regional charter school.
"United States Citizenship and Immigration Services Test"
shall mean the one hundred (100) question civics test used by
the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.
2018/90SFL/HB0564A06073 - 2 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
See A06073 in
the context
of HB564