Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr. (I, D, WF-Sag Harbor) announced he sponsored legislation that would assist teachers by lifting the prohibition on discussing the contents of standardized assessments with other faculty members (A.7402).

“Educators are currently barred from discussing standardized tests, making it extremely difficult for them to do their jobs effectively,” said Assemblyman Thiele. “This legislation recognizes that teachers deserve the right to discuss the contents of English and math tests with their colleagues so they can work together to improve student outcomes.”

Under current practice, teachers and other faculty members must sign a confidentiality agreement which states that they cannot discuss questions on standardized tests, even with other teachers, making it harder for them to prepare and improve teaching materials. This bill would prohibit educators from signing these agreements, allowing teachers to collaborate with other faculty members so they can formulate better lesson plans for grades 3 through 8.

“It’s time to put the focus back on learning,” said Thiele. “I’ll continue working to make sure that teachers have every opportunity to improve their curriculum and help our children succeed in the classroom.”