BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	H.B. 1225
	By: Metcalf et al. (Zaffirini)
	Education
	5/9/2023
	Engrossed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Concerns have been raised regarding the possibility of technical difficulties when students are completing their standardized tests online. Under current law, there is no way for a student's parent, guardian, or teacher to request that the student be tested on paper rather than online. This can be problematic for students, as they may run into difficulties that have the potential to impact their testing experience. H.B. 1225 seeks to provide for the administration of certain statewide standardized tests or end-of-course assessments in a paper format upon request of a student's parent, guardian, or teacher.

H.B. 1225 amends current law relating to the administration of certain required assessment instruments in paper format.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter B, Chapter 39, Education Code, by adding Section 39.02342, as follows:

Sec. 39.02342.  PAPER ADMINISTRATION OF ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENTS ON REQUEST.� (a) Authorizes a school district, subject to Subsection (c), to administer an assessment instrument required under Section 39.023(a) (relating to requiring the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to adopt or develop certain assessment instruments designed to assess the essential knowledge and skills of students in certain academic subjects), (c) (relating to requiring TEA to adopt end-of-course assessment instruments for certain secondary level courses and administrates those instruments with certain guidelines), or (l) (relating to requiring the State Board of Education to adopt rules for the administration of certain assessment instruments in Spanish to certain qualifying emergent bilingual students) in paper format to any student whose parent, guardian, or teacher in the applicable subject area requests the assessment instrument be administered to the student in paper format.

(b)  Requires that a request for the administration of an assessment instrument in paper format to a student under this section be submitted to the school district:

(1)  for a fall administration of an assessment instrument, not later than September 15 of the school year in which the assessment instrument will be administered; and

(2)  for a spring administration of an assessment instrument, not later than December 1 of the school year in which the assessment instrument will be administered.

(c)  Prohibits the number of students enrolled at a school district who are administered an assessment instrument in paper format for any single administration under this section from exceeding three percent of the number of students enrolled in the district.� Requires the district, on receipt of more requests for administration of an assessment instrument than the maximum number permitted under this subsection, to accept the requests in the order received until the maximum number is reached. Provides that the limitation described by this subsection does not apply to a student whose admission, review, and dismissal committee determines that the administration of an assessment instrument in paper format is a necessary modification for the student.

SECTION 2. Provides that this Act applies beginning with the 2023�2024 school year.

SECTION 3. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2023.