§ 211-A — Enhanced state accountability system

§ 211-a. Enhanced state accountability system. To more fully implement\nthe requirements of section one thousand one hundred eleven of the\nelementary and secondary education act of nineteen hundred sixty-five,\nas amended, and the federal regulations implementing such statute, the\nregents shall develop and implement an enhanced state accountability\nsystem that uses growth measures to the extent required by this section.\n 1. By the start of the two thousand eight--two thousand nine school\nyear, the regents shall establish, using existing state assessments, an\ninterim, modified accountability system for schools and districts that\nis based on a growth model, subject to approval of the United States\ndepartment of education where required under federal law.\n 2. The regents shall proceed with the development of an enhanced\naccountability system, with revised or new state assessments, based on\nan enhanced growth model that, to the extent feasible and consistent\nwith federal law, includes a value-added assessment model that employs a\nscale-score approach to measure growth of students at all levels. (a) If\nthe regents establish that the assessment scaling and accountability\nmethodology employed have been determined by external experts in\neducational testing and measurement to be valid and reliable and in\naccordance with established standards for educational and psychological\ntesting, and (b) the approval of the United States department of\neducation has been obtained where required by federal law, the enhanced\ngrowth model shall be implemented no later than the start of the two\nthousand ten--two thousand eleven school year.\n 3. In implementing the provisions of subdivisions one and two of this\nsection, the regents shall by July first, two thousand eight, establish\ntargets for improvement of schools and school districts based upon\nperformance on state assessments, graduation rates, and other indicators\nof progress, such as student retention rates and college attendance and\ncompletion rates.\n 4. As used in this chapter, the following words shall have the\nfollowing meanings:\n a. "Growth model" shall mean the assessment of a cohort of students,\nor individual students, over time that measures the academic progress\nmade by those students.\n b. "Value added assessment model" shall mean a form of growth model\nthat includes an evaluation of the specific effects of programs, and\nother relevant factors, on the academic progress of individual students\nover time.\n