1Directing the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to
2conduct a comprehensive cost analysis on the cost efficiency
3of the Pennsylvania State Assessment System.

4WHEREAS, Fair and accurate student and school assessments are
5essential to determine the linked questions whether public
6school students are performing academically to best prepare them
7for a career or further academics in higher education and
8whether the public schools in this Commonwealth are educating
9their students to meet or exceed the Commonwealth's academic
10standards; and

11WHEREAS, The Commonwealth and the Department of Education
12need to be fiscally responsible to the State and local
13taxpayers, especially during difficult economic times, to ensure
14that the design of the current student and school assessment
15system, the Pennsylvania State Assessment System (PSAS), is
16effective and efficient; and

17WHEREAS, In addition to concerns regarding the fairness and
18accuracy of the current PSAS, a comprehensive cost analysis of

1the current PSAS and its component parts, including the
2Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA), the Keystone
3Exams, the Pennsylvania Alternate System of Assessment (PASA),
4and the Pennsylvania Value-Added Assessment System (PVAAS), are
5needed to determine if the current system for student assessment
6is efficient for all costs incurred; and

7WHEREAS, The comprehensive cost analysis on the efficiency of
8the current PSAS needs to include the identification and
9examination of all current and future monetary costs incurred in
10the development and implementation of the PSAS by the
11Commonwealth and this Commonwealth's public school entities; and

12WHEREAS, While nonmonetary costs incurred under the
13implementation of the PSAS are not easily quantified, those
14costs need to be identified and examined under the analysis;
15therefore be it

16RESOLVED, That the Senate direct the Legislative Budget and
17Finance Committee to conduct a comprehensive cost analysis of
18the efficiency of the Pennsylvania State Assessment System and
19its student and school assessments, which, at a minimum, shall
20include an analysis of the following:

21(1)  All current and future monetary costs relating to
22the development and grading of the Pennsylvania component
23assessments, such as the Keystone Exams, that are or will be
24incurred by the Commonwealth or this Commonwealth's public
25school entities under the current assessment system.

26(2)  All current and future monetary costs relating to
27the implementation of the Pennsylvania State Assessment
28System, including its component assessments, such as the
29Keystone Exams, that are or will be incurred by the
30Commonwealth or this Commonwealth's public school entities

1under the current assessment system;

2and be it further

3RESOLVED, That the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee
4prepare a report of its findings and conclusions with all
5supporting documentation; and be it further

6RESOLVED, That the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee
7transmit a copy of the report of its findings and conclusions
8with all supporting documentation to the Senate within one year
9of the adoption of this resolution.