This bill proposes several updates to the current statutes regarding statewide assessments in Arizona. Under the new provisions, the authorization for school districts or charter schools to request the administration of statewide assessments in written form is removed. Instead, it allows for written assessments to be administered under specific circumstances, including accommodations for special needs, religious purposes, or at the request of a student's parent or guardian. Additionally, the bill introduces a process for high school students who participate in nationally recognized assessments to submit their official score reports to their school, enabling them to opt out of the school-administered assessments if the report is submitted prior to the testing date.

Furthermore, the bill mandates that upon receiving a student's official score report, schools must record the score, report it to the State Board of Education and the Arizona Department of Education, and utilize the data from the score report for the student's assessment data. It clarifies that while students can opt out of the school-administered assessments, they are not exempt from the collection of nontest indicator data. The bill also defines "nationally recognized" assessments and makes technical and conforming changes to existing statutes.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 15-741
House Engrossed Version: 15-741
Senate Engrossed Version: 15-741
Chaptered Version: 15-741