MODEL BILLS

School Spending Disclosure Act

Summary: The School Spending Disclosure Act requires school districts to itemize spending on standardized tests.

A slightly different approach to obtaining the same information can be found in New York Assembly Bill 6594 and Illinois House Bill 5330 where third parties would evaluate the costs of standardized testing.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE

This Act shall be called the “School Spending Disclosure Act.”

SECTION 2. PURPOSE

This law is enacted to provide a measure of transparency so that taxpayers can understand how much of their money is spent by K-12 public education agencies standardized tests.

SECTION 3. TRANSPARENCY IN PUBLIC EDUCATION EXPENDITURES

After section XXX, the following new section XXX shall be inserted:

(A) DEFINITIONS – In this section:

1. “Charter school agency” means any board, agency or administration that supervises or regulates charter schools.

2. “Practice standardized test” means an assessment that is similar to a standardized test and administered to students to acquaint them with the format, assess their progress, or gauge how well students might perform on a standardized test.

3. “Standardized test” means any student performance assessment that is administered with standard procedures across the school district such as the tests that implement the Common Core State Standards.

(B) ANNUAL REPORT

1. Each school district and charter school agency shall submit an itemized report no later than October 31 of each year to the [Education Department] which shall disclose the following for the prior school year:

(a) The amount paid for each standardized test, including the test itself, examiner guides, preparation materials, test security guides, answer sheets or booklets, and any consulting fees paid for the preparation, administration, or scoring of the test.

(b) The amount paid for each practice standardized test, including the test itself, examiner guides, preparation materials, test security guides, answer sheets or booklets, and any consulting fees paid for the preparation, administration, or scoring of the practice test.

(c) The amount paid for computer hardware or information technology other than software for the purpose of taking standardized tests or practice standardized tests.

(d) The amount paid for each test preparation program, including software programs and pre-packaged lessons that are designed to prepare students to take standardized tests or practice standardized tests and which would be unnecessary if students were taught their curricula without standardized tests.

(e) The amount paid for consultants who advise school systems, schools, or school staff members how to prepare for, administer, score, or create test score presentations for the public.

(f) The amount paid for testing personnel, including employees and contractors who act as test coordinators, coaches and proctors, to administer standardized tests and practice standardized tests.

(g) The amount paid for professional development of teachers directly related to the administration of standardized tests and practice standardized tests.

2. The [Education Department] shall publish all of this itemized information on a public Internet website no later than November 15 of each year.

SECTION 4. EFFECTIVE DATE

This law shall become effective on July 1, 20XX.