Bill > H433

This bill requires school districts, with support from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), to inform parents or guardians about standardized assessments given to students from kindergarten through twelfth grade. At the start of each school year, districts must provide detailed information on each state or federally mandated assessment, including what subjects and skills are covered, when tests will be administered, if they've been checked for bias, how long they take, whether they are online or paper-based, their role in graduation requirements, how results impact a student's academic plan and progression, when results will be available and if parents can discuss them with teachers, how to access individual test results, how assessments contribute to learning, the instructional time used for testing, the financial cost to the district and the state, whether the assessment is mandated by the state, federal government, or both, and information on accommodations for students with disabilities and English language learners, including translated materials for non-English speaking parents. The DESE will provide school districts with updated information, templates, and assistance to ensure timely notification, and will establish a grant program to cover costs associated with preparing and distributing this information, funded by money allocated for the state assessment system.