Assemblymembers Patricia A.

Fahy
Representing Albany, Bethlehem, Guilderland, and New Scotland
For Immediate Release
May 3, 2015

ASSEMBLYMEMBER FAHY INTRODUCES LEGISLATION TO

AMEND READABILITY STANDARDS FOR GRADES 3-8 TESTS
ALBANY, N.Y. (May 3, 2015) Assemblymember Patricia A. Fahy (D-Albany) has introduced
legislation to amend the education law to ensure all future New York State standardized tests
from Grades 3 to 8 are provided at a readability level appropriate to the grade level being tested.
The bill is co-sponsored by almost two dozen Assemblymembers, including: McDonald,
Bichotte, Gunther, Kaminsky, Barrett, Stirpe, Kim, Lifton, Simon, Mosley, Buchwald, Skoufis,
Jaffee, Gottfried, Colton, Raia, Stec, Brindisi, Lupinacci, Duprey, Cusick, Cook, and Zebrowski.
Students are unfairly disadvantaged when given standardized tests with questions written above
their designated grade level. This bill requires the questions on future standardized assessments
be readable at the appropriate grade level of the student. In other words, a third grade math test
should not have questions at a fifth grade readability level, said Fahy.
Repeated concerns have been raised by parents, teachers, and education stakeholders about the
grade appropriate reading level of questions on Grades 3 to 8 standardized state tests. This
legislation would ensure that testing is done at a grade-appropriate level. There should be little to
no cost to comply with this requirement because "readability" levels of text (or questions) are
readily access in Microsoft Word and other major market word processors.
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