This bill proposes changes to the civics test graduation requirement for students in New Hampshire. It amends RSA 189:11, II to require that, in addition to a locally developed competency assessment, students must score 70 percent or better on a 128-question digital assessment of the (history and government) naturalization examination developed by the 2020 United States Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS). This digital assessment is to be provided by the Department of Education through the statewide assessment under RSA 193:C. The bill removes the previous requirement for a grade of 70 percent and replaces it with the need to score 70 percent or better. It also specifies that the assessment is digital and provided by the Department of Education, which suggests that schools will no longer need to develop their own versions of the test.

The fiscal note attached to the bill indicates that there will be no additional costs to the state, as the Department of Education has already contracted with a vendor to provide the technology platform for administering, scoring, and reporting assessment results. Local school districts may see reduced expenditures because the state is providing the assessment platform. The bill is set to take effect 60 days after its passage. There is no mention of any impact on county finances, and local revenue is expected to remain unchanged.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 189:11