Bill > HB1752

This bill proposes a study to explore the feasibility of using the ACT and SAT, along with Smarter Balanced Assessments, as alternatives to the current Keystone Exams for high school students in literature, algebra I, and biology, ensuring compliance with federal education requirements. The study, to be completed and reported within one year, will evaluate how well these alternative tests align with Pennsylvania's academic standards, their validity and reliability in measuring student achievement across different student groups, and whether they offer comparable benefits and accommodations for students with disabilities and English learners. It will also assess the fairness of these tests in differentiating school performance, their technical quality for federal peer review, the potential increase in student participation, and the estimated annual costs to the Commonwealth for administering them, including a comparison of costs in other states and a proposed transition plan with cost estimates. Furthermore, the study will compare testing procedures, research on performance correlations, available languages, how student performance is measured (comparative percentile versus proficiency), their effectiveness for aggregate student comparison, and how results would be used for educator evaluations and school accountability measures, concluding with recommended changes to state laws and regulations. The bill defines "ACT" as a college readiness test by ACT, "Department" as the Department of Education, "Future-Ready Index" as the Department's school progress report, "Keystone Exam" as a state-developed assessment, "SAT" as a college readiness test by the College Board, "Secretary" as the Secretary of Education, and "Smarter Balanced Assessments" as a computer-based testing system for English language arts and mathematics.