NYSED Testing Transparency Report

FROM: WWW.ENGAGENY.ORG

Guidance on the Approved Regulatory Amendments to APPR to Help Reduce Local Testing

On February 11, 2014, the Board of Regents adopted emergency regulations to address concerns that have been raised by the field and by stakeholders to adjust and improve the implementation of the Common Core Standards and teacher/principal evaluation. At its March 2014 meeting, the Board of Regents made a series of technical amendments to the regulations to clarify the requirements for districts and BOCES that opt to use an assessment that is not a traditional standardized assessment for grades K-2 for purposes of APPR.

The approved regulatory amendments to the APPR are intended to help districts and BOCES reduce local testing and ensure that the amount of testing should be the minimum necessary to inform effective decision-making.

Below are links to multiple resources to help guide you through the regulatory amendments:

1. The Teach More, Test Less: Testing Transparency Reports FAQ document provides further information as to the Testing Transparency Report that each school district and BOCES is required to receive from the Department by July 1, 2014 pursuant to Section 1 of Subpart F of Chapter 56 of the Laws of 2014. As an additional resource, the Department is providing a List of State and Federal Exams Required of Most Students.
2. A memo (February 2014) from Assistant Commissioner Julia Rafal-Baer  that outlines the Board of Regents emergency adoption of the amendments to Subpart 30-2 of the Rules of the Board of Regents.  This memo includes a summary of the changes, an explanation of the impact the changes have on APPR, and a projected timeline of resource updates. Please also find an additional memo (March 2014) from Assistant Commissioner Julia Rafal-Baer regarding updates to APPR resources, including the Department's new K-2 APPR Assessment Guidance document.
3. A memo (May 2014) from Assistant Commissioner Julia Rafal-Baer that outlines the Board of Regents emergency adoption of the amendments to Subpart 30-2 of the Rules of the Board of Regents during April 2014. This memo includes a summary of the changes, an explanation of the impact the changes have on APPR, and a projected timeline of resource updates."
4. Information and materials associated with the Expedited Material Change Process to Eliminate Unnecessary Assessments for APPR Purposes
5. The Certifying Instruction Time FAQ provides further guidance around the required signed certification by the superintendent, district superintendent, or chancellor attesting that (1) the amount of time devoted to traditional standardized assessments that are not specifically required by state or federal law for each classroom or program within a grade level does not exceed, in the aggregate, one percent of the minimum in required annual instructional hours for the grade; and(2) the amount of time devoted to test preparation using traditional standardized assessments under standardized testing conditions for each classroom or program within a grade level does not exceed, in the aggregate, two percent of the minimum required annual instructional hours for the grade. Time devoted to teacher administered classroom quizzes or exams, portfolio reviews, performance assessments, formative assessments, and diagnostic assessments is not included in this calculation. Additionally, these calculations do not supersede the requirements of a section of the 504 plan of a qualified student with a disability or federal law relating to English language learners or the individualized education program (IEP) of a student with a disability."
6. The Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR) Assessment Guidance document is intended to provide information to districts and BOCES on how to evaluate and identify existing third party assessments that may be used to assess students in grades kindergarten through grade two (K-2) for the purposes of educators’ annual professional performance reviews in New York State. This document replaces the Request for Qualification (RFQ) process previously used to determine state-approved K-2 assessments.  For further clarification please consult the Removal of Traditional Standardized Third Party Assessments in K-2 FAQ. 
7. The Removal of Traditional Standardized Third Party Assessments in K-2 FAQ provides further information as to the removal of K-2 traditional standardized third party assessments from the State-approved list.
8. The following documents provide further information and background on the approved regulatory amendments as made by the Board of Regents:
   • “Adjustment Options to Common Core Implementation - Full Report of the Work Group”;
   • “Proposed Amendments to Subpart 30-2 of the Rules of the Board of Regents Relating to a Prohibition Against Traditional Standardized Testing for Students in Grades K-2, Removal of K-2 Tests From the List of Approved Student Assessments, Change in the Definition of Core Subjects for the State Growth or Other Comparable Measures Subcomponent and a Limitation on Instructional Time Spent on Taking Local Assessments for Purposes of Annual Professional Performance Reviews (APPR)”
   • "Proposed Technical Amendments to Subpart 30-2 of the Rules of the Board of Regents to Clarify the Requirements for Districts and BOCES that Opt to Use an Assessment That is Not a Traditional Standardized Assessment for Grades K-2 for Purposes of APPR"
   • Proposed Amendments to Subpart 30-2 and Section 8.4 of the Rules of the Board of Regents to Implement Chapter 56 of the Laws of 2014 Relating to the Definition of Traditional Standardized Assessments, the Department's Expedited Review Process for Material Changes to Eliminate Unnecessary Tests and Establishing Caps on Testing Time for State Tests (1%), Other Standardized Tests (1%) and For Test Preparation Time under Standardized Testing Conditions (2%) Based on the Minimum Required Annual Instructional Hours for Such Grade”

 

For additional information, please go to the following website: https://www.engageny.org/resource/guidance-on-the-approved-regulatory-amendments-to-appr-to-help-reduce-local-testing