By: King of Hemphill H.B. No. 424

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to a continuing review and revision of the essential knowledge and skills of the public school foundation curriculum and proclamations for the production of instructional materials.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 28, Education Code, is amended by adding Section 28.0026 to read as follows:

Sec. 28.0026. REVIEW AND REVISION OF ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS. (a) The State Board of Education shall:

(1) conduct a review of the essential knowledge and skills for the foundation curriculum adopted under Section 28.002(a)(1); and

(2) as necessary, revise the essential knowledge and skills for that curriculum to narrow the number and scope of student expectations for each subject and grade level in accordance with this section.

(b) The scope of the essential knowledge and skills for each subject and grade level of the foundation curriculum must:

(1) be more narrow than the scope of the essential knowledge and skills adopted as of January 1, 2021; and

(2) require less time for a demonstration of mastery than required for the essential knowledge and skills adopted as of January 1, 2021.

(c) In complying with this section, the State Board of Education shall:

(1) consider, for each subject and grade level, the time:

(A) a teacher would require to provide comprehensive instruction on a particular student expectation; and

(B) a typical student would require to master a particular student expectation;

(2) determine whether, in light of the consideration required by Subdivision (1), each essential knowledge and skill of a subject can be comprehensively taught within the instruction time provided by Section 25.081, not including the amount of time required for testing;

(3) determine whether the college and career readiness standards have been appropriately integrated in the essential knowledge and skills for each subject and grade level; and

(4) consider whether an assessment instrument administered under Section 39.023 adequately assesses a particular student expectation.

(c-1) The State Board of Education must ensure that any revision of the essential knowledge and skills for the foundation curriculum performed before September 1, 2024, does not result in a need for the adoption of new instructional materials. This subsection expires September 1, 2025.

(d) The State Board of Education shall adopt a schedule for continuing the review and revision required by this section of the essential knowledge and skills for each subject and grade level of the foundation curriculum.

SECTION 2. Section 31.002, Education Code, is amended by adding Subdivision (1-b) to read as follows:

(1-b) "Proclamation" means a request for production of instructional materials issued by the State Board of Education.

SECTION 3. Section 31.022, Education Code, is amended by adding Subsections (b-1), (b-2), and (b-3) and amending Subsection (f) to read as follows:

(b-1) For any state fiscal biennium, the board may only issue proclamations for instructional materials in which the total projected cost of instructional materials under the proclamations does not exceed 75 percent of the total amount used to fund the instructional materials and technology allotment under Section 31.0211 for that biennium.

(b-2) Following the adoption of revised essential knowledge and skills for any subject, the board shall determine whether issuance of a proclamation is necessary based on the significance of the changes to the essential knowledge and skills. If the board determines a proclamation is necessary, the board shall issue:

(1) a full call for instructional materials aligned to all of the essential knowledge and skills for the subject and grade level;

(2) a supplemental call for instructional materials aligned to new or expanded essential knowledge and skills for the subject and grade level;

(3) a call for new information demonstrating alignment of current instructional materials to the revised essential knowledge and skills; or

(4) any combination of the calls described by Subdivisions (1), (2), and (3).

(b-3) In determining the disbursement of money to the available school fund and the amount of that disbursement that will be used, in accordance with Section 43.001(d), to fund the instructional materials and technology allotment under Section 31.0211, the board must consider the cost of all instructional materials and technology requirements for that state fiscal biennium.

(f) The board shall amend any proclamation [request for production] issued for the purchase of instructional materials to conform to the instructional materials funding levels provided by the General Appropriations Act for the year of implementation and to comply with Subsection (b-1).

SECTION 4. Sections 31.101(d) and (e), Education Code, are repealed.

SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.