The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PETITION OF:
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PETITION OF:
Barbara A. L'Italien
David Paul Linsky
Douglas W. Petersen
Susan C. Fargo
Ruth B. Balser
William Smitty Pignatelli
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In the Year Two Thousand and Seven.
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An Act relative to the rights of students, teachers and legal guardians to diagnostic use of MCAS test scores and to the MCAS appeals process. |
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
SECTION 1. Chapter 69 of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following new section:—
SECTION 1N. Any standardized test of achievement of aptitude to be administered
under the laws of the Commonwealth or any office, board, department, agency or
authority thereof to students in any public school of the Commonwealth,
including, but not limited to, the so-called MCAS test, shall be subject to
certain requirements enumerated in this section. For the purposes of this
section, the term “test” shall mean such a standardized test.
(a) All standard accepted answers to test questions that are used in test
scoring, together with copies of the actual test booklets and scores of test
takers for each question shall be transmitted to parents, and or legal
guardians, and teacher of test takers prior to public disclosure of scores
thereon and within three months after test administration.
(b) Written notification of procedures for Score Appeals (set forth in 603 CMR
30.04) and Performance Appeals (as set forth in 603 CMR 40.05) must be provided
to parents and/or legal guardians of test takers as part of the so-called Guide
to the MCAS Parent/Guardian Report.
(c) A score or performance appeal on behalf of a student may be filed by the
student, parent, legal guardian or superintendent of the school district in
which the student is enrolled, or by the superintendent’s designee