Bill Summary for H 486 (2021-2022)

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Summary date: 

Apr 1 2021

Bill Information:

View NCGA Bill Details2021
House Bill 486 (Public) Filed Thursday, April 1, 2021
AN ACT TO USE A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED ASSESSMENT OF HIGH SCHOOL ACHIEVEMENT AND COLLEGE READINESS TO REPLACE THE END-OF-COURSE TESTS FOR GRADES NINE THROUGH TWELVE AND TO ESTABLISH A NEW CAREER READINESS INDICATOR.
Intro. by Elmore, Bell, K. Hall, Torbett.

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Bill summary

Part I.

Directs the State Board of Education (State Board) to eliminate the use of end-of-course (EOC) tests for grades 9-12. Deems the national recognized assessment of high school achievement and readiness or an alternate assessment administered to students in eleventh grade pursuant to GS 115C-174.11(c)(4), as amended, to constitute the State-mandated testing in grades 9-12 required by state law. Provides for continued application of NCEXTEND1 policies, and use of NCEXTEND1 for students with disabilities as appropriate.

Revises GS 115C-174.11(c)(4) to direct the State Board to use a competitive bid process to adopt one nationally recognized assessment of high school achievement and college readiness to make available to administrative units, regional school, and charter schools to administer to all eleventh grade students pursuant to federal law (previously provided for the adoption of a nationally norm referenced college admissions test and an alternate for certain students). Makes conforming changes. 

Effective July 1, 2022. Applies beginning with tests administered to students entering their junior year during the 2022-23 school year. 

Part II.

Directs the State Board to eliminate required administration of ACT WorkKeys for career and technical education students. Provides that career readiness indicators described in specified state law are not to be considered in the calculation of school performance grades issued based on data from the 2021-22 school year. 

Repeals GS 115C-174.25 regarding the provision of WorkKeys tests.

Applies beginning with the 2021-22 school year. 

Part III.

Revises the assignment of points for school achievement scores for schools serving 9-12 grade students pursuant to GS 115C-83.15 to assign points based on scores of proficient and above on specified subtests of a nationally recognized assessment of high school achievement and college readiness, rather than specified EOC tests, and no longer assign points for students enrolled in career and technical education courses who earn specified scores on a nationally normed test of workplace readiness. 

Makes similar changes regarding school performance indicators for schools serving 9-12 grade students pursuant to GS 115C-83.16, revising the measures used to define indicators to refer to proficiency on specified subtests of a nationally recognized assessment of high school achievement and college readiness, rather than specified EOC tests, and no longer include in the measure of student quality and success indicator the percentage of students enrolled in career and technical education courses who earn specified scores on a nationally normed test of workplace readiness. 

Makes the above provisions effective January 1, 2023, and apply beginning with school performance grades issued based on data from the 2022-23 school year.

Makes conforming changes to GS 116-11, which provides for coordinated information exchange between public schools and institutions of higher education, to require standardized transcripts to include scores from the nationally recognized assessment of high school achievement and college readiness administered pursuant to GS 115C-174.11, as amended. Effective July 1, 2022, and applies beginning with students entering the eleventh grade during the 2022-23 school year.