BILL ANALYSIS �
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 915|
|Office of Senate Floor Analyses | |
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CONSENT
Bill No: SB 915
Author: Hill (D), et al.
Amended: 4/21/14
Vote: 21
SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE : 8-0, 4/24/14
AYES: Liu, Wyland, Block, Galgiani, Hancock, Hueso, Huff,
Monning
NO VOTE RECORDED: Correa
SUBJECT : Standardized testing: inadequate or improper test
conditions
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill requires a test agency to initiate an
investigation upon learning of a compliant or a notice of
inadequate or improper test conditions relating to the
administration of the Advanced Placement (AP) test. In
addition, this bill requires the creation and preserving of
seating charts, as specified.
ANALYSIS : Existing law imposes a number of requirements on
test sponsors or test agencies (defined as any individual,
partnership, corporation, association, company, firm,
institution, society, trust, or joint stock company) that
develop, sponsor or administer standardized tests (defined as
any test administered in California at the expense of the test
subject and used for purposes of admission to, or class
placement in, postsecondary institutions or their programs, or
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preliminary preparation for those tests).
Existing law also specifies that whenever the test agency
determines that substantial evidence exists to support
cancellation or invalidation of a test score, the test agency
shall provide the test subject with a choice of the following
options:
1. A cancellation of the test scores in question, with full
refund of all test fees.
2. Opportunity to take the test again privately and without
charge.
3. Opportunity to seek judicial review of the matter.
However, these options are not applicable in instances of
inadequate or improper test conditions.
Finally, existing law also provides that a test sponsor who
violates any of these provisions is liable for a civil penalty
not to exceed $750 per violation.
This bill requires a test agency to initiate an investigation
upon learning of a compliant or a notice of inadequate or
improper test conditions relating to the administration of the
AP test. In addition, this bill requires the creation and
preserving of seating charts, as specified. Specifically, this
bill:
1. Requires a test agency to immediately initiate an
investigation upon learning of a compliant or a notice of
inadequate or improper test conditions relating to an
administration of the AP test.
2. Requires the school in charge of the test site to cooperate
with the test agency's investigation by providing requested
information within seven calendar days.
3. Requires a school in charge of the test site to notify test
subjects (pupils) at least five business days prior to notice
of retest, if the test agency determines that the inadequate
or improper test conditions will prevent it from reporting
valid test scores.
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4. Requires a retest be administered within 30 calendar days of
the completion of the investigation.
5. Requires test proctors of an AP test to create a seating
chart, including the seat location of each test subject, for
each AP test administered at the test site.
6. Requires the testing agency provide a seating chart template
for use by each test site.
7. Requires the school in charge of the test site to retain and
preserve each seating chart for at least two years after the
administration of the AP test to which the seating chart
applies. In addition, the bill requires the school in charge
of the test site to submit these seating charts to the test
agency upon its request to assist with its investigation of a
compliant or notice of inadequate or improper test
conditions.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: No Local:
No
SUPPORT : (Verified 4/25/14)
California School Boards Association
PQ:d 4/28/14 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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