The proposed bill would amend current statutes regarding the administration of statewide assessments in Arizona. Under the new provisions, the authorization for school districts or charter schools to request a written test format for statewide assessments would be removed. Instead, the bill would allow the administration of written tests under specific circumstances, including accommodations for special circumstances, religious purposes, requests from a student's parent or guardian, or if required by an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or Section 504 plan.

Additionally, the bill introduces a mechanism for high school students who participate in nationally recognized assessments to submit their official score reports to their school district or charter school. Upon receipt of these reports, schools would be required to record the scores, report them to the State Board of Education and the Arizona Department of Education, and allow students to opt out of the school-administered assessments if the score report is submitted prior to the assessment date. The bill also clarifies that while students can opt out of the school-administered assessments, they cannot opt out of the collection of nontest indicator data related to those assessments.

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