GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 2011

H                                                                                                                                                    1

HOUSE BILL 48

 

 

Short Title:        No Standardized Testing Unless Req'd by Feds.

(Public)

Sponsors:

Representatives Holloway, Blackwell, Hilton, and Cotham (Primary Sponsors).

For a complete list of Sponsors, see Bill Information on the NCGA Web Site.

Referred to:

Education.

February 8, 2011

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT to reduce spending by eliminating statewide standardized testing in the public schools, except as required by federal law or as a condition of a federal grant.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  G.S. 115C-174.11 reads as rewritten:

"§ 115C-174.11.  Components of the testing program.

(a)        Assessment Instruments for First and Second Grades. - The State Board of Education shall adopt and provide to the local school administrative units developmentally appropriate individualized assessment instruments consistent with the Basic Education Program for the first and second grades, rather than standardized tests. Local school administrative units may use these assessment instruments provided to them by the State Board for first and second grade students, and shall not use standardized tests except as required as a condition of receiving federal grants.

(b)        Repealed by Session Laws 2009-451, s. 7.20(c), effective July 1, 2009.

(c)        Annual Testing Program.

(1)        The State Board of Education shall adopt a system of annual testingthe tests for grades three through 12.12 that are required by federal law or as a condition of a federal grant. These tests shall be designed to measure progress toward reading, communication skills, and mathematics for grades three through eight, and toward competencies designated by the State Board for grades nine through 12. The State Board may develop and implement a plan for high school end-of-course tests that must be aligned with the content standards developed under G.S. 115C-12(9c). Students who do not pass the tests adopted for eighth grade shall be provided remedial instruction in the ninth grade.

(2)        If the State Board of Education finds that additional testing in grades three through 12 is desirable to allow comparisons with national indicators of student achievement, that testing shall be conducted with the smallest size sample of students necessary to assure valid comparisons with other states.

(d)        Except as provided in subdivision (2) of subsection (c) of this section, the State Board of Education shall not require the public schools to administer any standardized tests except for those required by federal law or as a condition of a federal grant.

The State Board of Education shall adopt and provide to local school administrative units all tests required by federal law or as a condition of a federal grant."

SECTION 2.  The following end-of-course tests are hereby eliminated:

(1)        United States History.

(2)        Civics and Economics.

(3)        Algebra II.

(4)        Physical Science.

SECTION 3.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2011.