N.Y. Education Law § 211-a: Enhanced state accountability system

§ 211-a. Enhanced state accountability system. To more fully implement

the requirements of section one thousand one hundred eleven of the

elementary and secondary education act of nineteen hundred sixty-five,

as amended, and the federal regulations implementing such statute, the

regents shall develop and implement an enhanced state accountability

system that uses growth measures to the extent required by this section.

1. By the start of the two thousand eight--two thousand nine school

year, the regents shall establish, using existing state assessments, an

interim, modified accountability system for schools and districts that

is based on a growth model, subject to approval of the United States

department of education where required under federal law.

2. The regents shall proceed with the development of an enhanced

accountability system, with revised or new state assessments, based on

an enhanced growth model that, to the extent feasible and consistent

with federal law, includes a value-added assessment model that employs a

scale-score approach to measure growth of students at all levels. (a) If

the regents establish that the assessment scaling and accountability

methodology employed have been determined by external experts in

educational testing and measurement to be valid and reliable and in

accordance with established standards for educational and psychological

testing, and (b) the approval of the United States department of

education has been obtained where required by federal law, the enhanced

growth model shall be implemented no later than the start of the two

thousand ten--two thousand eleven school year.

3. In implementing the provisions of subdivisions one and two of this

section, the regents shall by July first, two thousand eight, establish

targets for improvement of schools and school districts based upon

performance on state assessments, graduation rates, and other indicators

of progress, such as student retention rates and college attendance and

completion rates.

4. As used in this chapter, the following words shall have the

following meanings:

a. "Growth model" shall mean the assessment of a cohort of students,

or individual students, over time that measures the academic progress

made by those students.

b. "Value added assessment model" shall mean a form of growth model

that includes an evaluation of the specific effects of programs, and

other relevant factors, on the academic progress of individual students

over time.