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Committee backs optional career-readiness assessment to add employer-recognized certification
Summary
The committee approved a bill to add an optional nationally recognized career-readiness assessment for high-school seniors to complement existing testing; the Department of Education said the ACT remains required and the new assessment would be optional and integrated into implementation guidance.
The Senate Education Committee approved legislation to add an optional, nationally recognized career-readiness assessment for high-school students that can produce certificates employers recognize.
Sponsor lawmakers and Department of Education officials framed the bill as a complement to existing academic assessments, aimed at providing students and potential employers clearer signals about workplace skills and readiness. Ivy Pfeffer of the Department of Education said the assessment would not be required for every student by statute; instead, districts could implement it for seniors, for students enrolled in career-coach programs or more broadly at the district's discretion. The ACT remains the statewide 11th-grade college and career readiness assessment, officials said.
Supporters suggested the test could be phased in and help expand credentialing alongside anticipated growth in career-coach programming. Lawmakers asked that DESE provide implementation details in rules and guidance.
The bill passed the committee.
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