HCS HB 49 Brown, Paula Committee
HCS HB 49 -- STATEWIDE ASSESSMENT SYSTEM
SPONSOR: Brown (87)
COMMITTEE ACTION: Voted "Do Pass with HCS" by the Standing Committee on Elementary and Secondary Education by a vote of 15 to 1.
The following is a summary of the House Committee Substitute for HB 49.
This bill modifies language relating to the statewide assessment system by requiring that the State Board of Education (SBE) make the system student-centered and use assessments across the school year that support teaching, learning, and program improvement, so that a summative profile is developed of the student's learning.
The bill requires the SBE in the 2025-26 school year to select the assessment that meets the federal requirements under the Every Student Succeeds Act and the assessment may only be used to ensure compliance. The requirements for the assessment are described in the bill and include that it show student skill evolution, measure growth during and across years, and provide multiple opportunities for students to show proficiency.
The bill also requires the SBE to adopt a statewide accountability system for public schools that will annually measure academic achievement, progress in elementary schools, graduation rate for high schools and school quality or student success.
The accountability system shall provide four levels, "excellent", "good", "satisfactory", and "needs improvement", as a meaningful differentiation.
The bill establishes the "Office of School Support and Technical Assistance" in the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education that will offer support for school improvement plans with proven measures to help struggling students.
The bill modifies the current school report card required under Section 160.522, RSMo to provide additional transparency and reporting requirements beginning in the 2023-24 school year in the form of an online dashboard. Specific criteria for grade-level equivalence data and performance-level descriptors are outlined along with specific performance ratings as outlined in the bill.
This bill defines "Grade-level equivalence", a metric developed and used by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to show a student's proximity to doing grade-level work, and requires DESE to establish panels to review and revise the performance-level descriptors for each academic subject and grade level. The bill identifies and describes the performance level descriptors as: advanced; proficient; grade level; basic; and below basic with specified characteristics for each level.
Beginning in the 2024-25 school year and in each subsequent year the school accountability report card must provide each student's grade-level equivalence as measured on the statewide assessment. Data relating to the grade-level equivalence must be searchable on a building-by-building, school-by-school, district-by-district, and statewide level. Such data must display a percentage of students are at grade level or above for each level, provided that no data will disclose personal identification of any student except to a student's parent.
The bill requires the SBE to identify and recognize by July 1, 2024, a minimum of two national school accreditation agencies and beginning in the 2026-27 school year allow for districts that have an accreditation from either of the national agencies to be considered fully accredited for state purposes.
The bill modifies provisions of the School Turnaround Program to reflect updates to the state accountability system and to provide comprehensive support and improvement schools or targeted support and improvement schools with assistance.
This bill is similar to HB 1467 (2022).
The following is a summary of the public testimony from the committee hearing. The testimony was based on the introduced version of the bill.
PROPONENTS: Supporters say that the current assessment system takes students away from learning and does not provide sufficient feedback to instructors for quality educational improvement. The current federal requirements do not require assessment for accreditation purposes. Assessment should be appropriate and ongoing with feedback that is relevant and meaningful. This language will help provide for a better picture of grade level.
Testifying in person for the bill were Representative Brown; Missouri State Teachers Association; and the Missouri NEA.
OPPONENTS: There was no opposition voiced to the committee.
OTHERS: Others testifying on the bill say that the current accreditation process has been updated recently to reflect many of the changes outlined in the bill. With any type of redesign of an assessment or accreditation process, time for districts to evaluate and implement such a system is important and should be considered. Testifying in person on the bill were Margie Vandeven, Department of Elementary and Secondary Education; Barry Nelson; and Matt Goodman.
Written testimony has been submitted for this bill. The full written testimony and witnesses testifying online can be found under Testimony on the bill page on the House website.