Amends GS 115C-112.6, concerning scholarships for students with disabilities who are attending nonpublic schools. Adds that nonpublic schools that accept eligible students receiving scholarship funds must annually academically assess students at the same grade levels as required by the State Board of Education for students in the public schools. Requires students awarded scholarship funds who are enrolled in a nonpublic school to participate in the assessment to maintain eligibility for the scholarship. Sets out assessment measures that are to be used. Requires keeping assessment data for five years and providing assessment data to the student's parent or guardian. Amends GS 115C-112.8 by adding information on compliance with the academic assessment requirement to the items that must be included in the North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority's annual report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee on the Special Education Scholarships for Children with Disabilities.

Enacts new GS 115C-593.5 creating the same assessment requirements for scholarships for a personal education savings account to be used for qualifying education expenses to attend a nonpublic school. Amends GS 115C-598 to also include reporting on these assessment requirements in the Authority's reporting requirements.

Amends GS 115C-562.5 to require nonpublic schools that accept eligible students receiving scholarship grants to administer at least once in each school year the assessment and tests required by the State Board of Education for public schools administered to comply with federal law according to grade level. Requires test performance data to be retained for five years. Requires a nonpublic school enrolling more than 10 (was, 25) students whose tuition and fees are paid with a scholarship grant to report to the Authority on the aggregate standardized test performance of eligible students. Amends GS 115C-562.2 to require eligible students awarded a scholarship grant to participate in the exams to maintain scholarship grant eligibility. Amends the Authority's reporting requirements to include in the annual report information on the compliance with the testing and assessment requirements. 

Enacts new GS 115C-562.7A to require the Authority to select an independent research organization to conduct research for the report on the assessment of the evaluation of the scholarship grants. Requires the Authority to use the tests required in GS 115C-526.5 for purposes of the scholarship grant evaluations. Requires the independent research organization research and report on learning gains or losses of students receiving scholarship grants, and competitive effects on public school performance on standardized tests as a result of the scholarship program. Sets out provisions regarding the evaluation method, aggregating test information, and keeping personally identifiable student information confidential. Requires the Authority to select an independent research organization to conduct the research beginning with the 2019-20 school year, with the first learning gains report due December 1, 2020. Makes conforming changes to SL 2013-360, Section 8.29, and GS 115C-562.7.

Applies beginning with the 2019-20 school year.