FIRST REGULAR SESSION
SENATE BILL NO. 447
91ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR CARTER.
Read 1st time February 8, 2001, and 1,000 copies ordered printed.
TERRY L. SPIELER, Secretary.
1699L.01I
AN ACT
To repeal section 160.518, RSMo 2000, relating to performance assessment for certain students, and to enact in lieu thereof one new section relating to the same subject.
Section A. Section 160.518, RSMo 2000, is repealed and one new section enacted in lieu thereof, to be known as section 160.518, to read as follows:
160.518. 1. Consistent with the provisions contained in section 160.526, the state board of education shall develop a statewide assessment system that provides maximum flexibility for local school districts to determine the degree to which students in the public schools of the state are proficient in the knowledge, skills and competencies adopted by such board pursuant to subsection 1 of section 160.514. The statewide assessment system shall assess problem solving, analytical ability, evaluation, creativity and application ability in the different content areas and shall be performance-based to identify what students know, as well as what they are able to do, and shall enable teachers to evaluate actual academic performance. The assessment system shall neither promote nor prohibit rote memorization and shall not include existing versions of tests approved for use pursuant to the provisions of section 160.257, nor enhanced versions of such tests. The statewide assessment shall measure, where appropriate by grade level, a student's knowledge of academic subjects including, but not limited to, reading skills, writing skills, mathematics skills, world and American history, forms of government, geography and science.
2. The assessment system shall only permit the academic performance of students in each school in the state to be tracked against prior academic performance in the same school.
3. The state board of education shall suggest criteria for a school to demonstrate that its students learn the knowledge, skills and competencies at exemplary levels worthy of imitation by students in other schools in the state and nation. "Exemplary levels" shall be measured by the assessment system developed pursuant to subsection 1 of this section, or until said assessment is available, by indicators approved for such use by the state board of education. The provisions of other law to the contrary notwithstanding, the commissioner of education may, upon request of the school district, present a plan for the waiver of rules and regulations to any such school, to be known as "Outstanding Schools Waivers", consistent with the provisions of subsection 4 of this section.
4. For any school that meets the criteria established by the state board of education for three successive school years pursuant to the provisions of subsection 3 of this section, by August first following the third such school year, the commissioner of education shall present a plan to the superintendent of the school district in which such school is located for the waiver of rules and regulations to promote flexibility in the operations of the school and to enhance and encourage efficiency in the delivery of instructional services. The provisions of other law to the contrary notwithstanding, the plan presented to the superintendent shall provide a summary waiver, with no conditions, for the pupil testing requirements pursuant to section 160.257, in the school. Further, the provisions of other law to the contrary notwithstanding, the plan shall detail a means for the waiver of requirements otherwise imposed on the school related to the authority of the state board of education to classify school districts pursuant to subdivision (9) of section 161.092, RSMo, and such other rules and regulations as determined by the commissioner of education, excepting such waivers shall be confined to the school and not other schools in the district unless such other schools meet the criteria established by the state board of education consistent with subsection 3 of this section and the waivers shall not include the requirements contained in this section and section 160.514. Any waiver provided to any school as outlined in this subsection shall be void on June thirtieth of any school year in which the school fails to meet the criteria established by the state board of education consistent with subsection 3 of this section.
5. Any student who receives special educational services, as that term is defined in section 162.675, RSMo, may be allowed to take any test developed pursuant to this section at a developmentally appropriate grade level that is different than his or her grade level. The state board of education shall develop criteria for determining developmentally appropriate grade levels for testing such students, and the school district shall be required to submit to the department of elementary and secondary education, at least thirty days prior to the date of testing, proof of meeting the criteria for the grade level at which the district is seeking to have such student tested. The department may refuse to allow any such student to be tested at the level requested by the district, and may require that such student be tested at his or her grade level. If the department takes no action on any such request by the district, then the student shall be tested at the level requested by the district.