An Act To Require That the Taking of a Statewide Assessment Test for High School Seniors Be Voluntary

Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §6202, first ¶,  as amended by PL 2009, c. 313, §20, is further amended to read:

The commissioner shall establish a statewide assessment program to measure and evaluate on a continuing basis the academic achievements of students in grades 3 to 12 on the accountability standards set forth in section 6209 and in department rules implementing that section and other curricular requirements. The commissioner may elect to provide for the use of alternative measures of student achievement in grades 9 to 12. This assessment applies to students in the public elementary and secondary schools and in all private schools approved for tuition whose school enrollments include at least 60% publicly funded students, as determined by the previous school year's October and April average enrollment. The assessment program must be adapted to meet the needs of children with disabilities as defined in section 7001, subsection 1-A or other students as defined under rules by the commissioner. The assessment program and any alternative measure approved by the commissioner must be voluntary for students in grade 12.

summary

This bill allows students in grade 12 to choose to not take an assessment test administered by their school, including the preliminary scholastic assessment test, or PSAT, or the scholastic assessment test, or SAT.