The state budget recently passed and in it were some changes to the APPR system. Below is a message I received from NYSUT President Andy Pallotta outlining these changes:
As you'll recall, this legislation eliminates the mandate that school districts use state test scores in teacher ratings. This new law returns the decision back to local school districts and makes sure that any teacher evaluation system is a subject of collective bargaining. It also keeps these test scores from being included on students' permanent records. With the enactment of this law students and teachers will be better protected from high stakes tests.
With this in mind, I think it is important to take a very clear look at what the law does and does not do. Here are the main points from the law:
1. The law eliminates the state growth model from section 3012-d of the education law. The growth scores will no longer be calculated by the state.
2. It eliminates the requirement to use state tests in APPR. This change includes Regents exams, 4th, and 8th-grade science tests, The NYSSESLAT and the Alternative Assessment for students with disabilities.
3. The law places the decision about student performance at the bargaining table. This means all of APPR will be subject to collective bargaining. Districts will not be making these decisions.
4. The law ensures every local can continue their current APPR being used in transition. It also allows all teachers to be covered by group measures removing the high stakes nature of individual SLOs. We believe most locals will use this approach, which will actually reduce testing by eliminating pre-tests. No one will have to increase testing to comply with this law. Given the approach that most locals used for transition, we expect testing will go down, not up.
What the law does not do:
1. The law does not give any new authority to the Commissioner, and it makes sure she cannot back track on any of the measures she has already approved. A full repeal of the law would give her full authority to put in place a new system. Given her interest in preserving the state growth model, and including a percentage of state tests in the evaluation system, we expect any system designed by the Commissioner will be much worse than the system included in the new law.
2. The Commissioner does not have the authority to mandate a new test.
3. Districts do not choose the performance measures under the law. Performance measures will be collectively bargained.
Attached please see the updated fact sheet on APPR.
Now that our APPR bill has been signed into law, we will continue to advocate for a meaningful assessment system for NYS students that will measure student progress more accurately and address the concerns raised by teachers and parents alike.
