An Act To hnprove Educational Assessments of Maine Students
Maine Legislature, Session 127, LD 1276
Committee Amendment CA_A_H280 (House)

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "/1,, to H.P. 872, L.D. 1276, Bill: "An Act To 
hnprove Educational Assessments of Maine Students" 
Amend the bill by striking out all of the emergency preamble (page 1, lines 1 to 17 in 
L.D.). 
Amend the bill by striking out all of sections 2 and 3 and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 2. Department of Education to adopt educational assessment that 
does not collect personal student data. On the effective date of this section, the 
Department of Education shall terminate the State's membership in the Smarter Balanced 
Assessment Consortium and the use of the Smarter Balanced Assessment used to assess 
student achievement in the 2014-2015 school year. The department shall adopt a method 
of educational assessment pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, section 
6202 for the 2015-2016 school year and each school year thereafter that complies with 
federal law but does not collect or disseminate personal data and attributes of students, 
such as attitudes, values, motivations, stereotypes and feelings. 
The method of 
assessment must be selected with direct input from education stakeholders and must 
specifically address the needs of students and citizens of the State.' 
Amend the bill by striking out all of the emergency clause. 
SU~Y 
This amendment retains the provisions in the bill that: 
1. Direct the Department of Education to terminate the State's membership in the 
Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium and adopt a method of educational assessment 
that complies with federal law but does not collect or disseminate personal data and 
attributes of students, such as attitudes, values, motivations, stereotypes and feelings; and 
2. 
Require that personally identifying data of a student derived from a state 
assessment of student achievement be disseminated only with the express written 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 'A "to H.P. 872, L.D. 1276 
pennission of each of the student's parents or guardians or of the student, if of majority 
age. 
The amendment makes the following changes to the bill: 
1. It removes the emergency preamble and the emergency clause; 
2. It removes the requirement that the State's participation in or entrance into an 
agreement with an organization, consortium or association in establishing or 
implementing standards and a state assessment of student performance be, done through 
major substantive rules; 
3. It requires that the state assessment of student achievement be selected with direct 
input from education stakeholders and must specifically address the needs of students and 
citizens of the State; and 
4. It removes the prohibition of a state assessment of student achievement from being 
aligned with the so-called common core state standards. 
FISCAL 1\"OTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Approved: 06/02/15 
frac... 
LD 1276 
LR 1318(02) 
An Act To Improve Educational Assessments of Maine Students 
Fiscal Note for Hill as Amended by Committee Amendment 'If C H -d ~O ) 
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Current biennium cost increase - Federal Expenditures Fund 
This legislation requires the Department of Education to terminate the use of the Smarter Balanced assessment and to 
adopt a method of education assessment for the 2015-2016 school year and each school year thereafter that complies 
with federal law but does not collect or disseminate personal data and attributes of students. The Department of 
Education has indicated that it will utilize existing federal funds to support the cost of this requirement and that the 
Federal Expenditures Fund allocations included as part of LD 1019, the Governor's proposed 2016-2017 biennial 
budget, if approved, will be sufficient to cover the expenditures. Therefore, no additional allocations are needed. 
This fiscal note may need to be adjusted depending on the final actions of the Legislature on the 2016-2017 biennial 
budget. 
LR1318(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1