NY A00116

Commissioner of Education must submit annual reports by September 15th to the State Board of Regents and Legislature demonstrating validity, reliability, alignment to learning standards, and appropriateness of use for all assessments used for high school diplomas, grade promotion, or adequate yearly progress (AYP) determination.

Commissioner must provide technical manuals for each assessment complying with professional standards set by the American Educational Research Association (AERA), American Psychological Association (APA), and National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME).

Creates an independent Regents Review Board consisting of five experts in psychometrics and curriculum evaluation with at least ten years of experience to audit assessments and submit findings by October 15th each year.

Assessment results cannot be used for graduation, promotion, or AYP decisions if the commissioner fails to produce required reports or technical manuals; students must instead be evaluated using final grades and faculty recommendations.

Commissioner must submit all pilot and field test results to the review board at least 60 days before administering any assessment; the board must deliver its evaluation at least 30 days before administration, and can recommend against using assessments that fail to meet professional standards.