Substitute House Bill No. 7011 seeks to amend the laws governing student state-wide assessments in Connecticut by modifying the administration and frequency of mastery examinations for students in grades three to eleven. The bill introduces new provisions that require students in grades three to eight to take mastery exams in reading, writing, and mathematics starting July 1, 2025, while assessments for grades four, six, and eight will begin on July 1, 2026. Additionally, students in grades five, eight, and eleven will continue to take science assessments, with eleventh graders also required to complete a nationally recognized college readiness assessment. The bill mandates that school districts notify parents of their child's scores by October 1 each year, following the State Department of Education's provision of these scores by August 15.

The bill also repeals the existing requirement for annual mastery examinations for grades three to eight and eleven, replacing it with a more streamlined approach that reduces the frequency of assessments in reading, writing, and math to grades four, six, and eight. It includes technical changes, such as the insertion of the phrase "required subjects" to clarify the subjects for which mastery exams are approved by the State Board of Education. The effective date for these changes is set for July 1, 2025, and the bill is designed to refine the assessment process while ensuring that students and their families remain informed about academic progress, without imposing any fiscal impact on the state or municipalities.

Statutes affected:
Raised Bill: 10-14n
ED Joint Favorable Substitute: 10-14n
File No. 721: 10-14n