By Walker                                        H.B. No. 481

      75R1431 CAS-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to administration of state-adopted assessment instruments

 1-3     to certain public school students.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 39.023(a), Education Code, is amended to

 1-6     read as follows:

 1-7           (a)  The agency shall adopt appropriate criterion-referenced

 1-8     assessment instruments designed to assess competencies in reading,

 1-9     writing, mathematics, social studies, and science.  All nonexempt

1-10     students shall be assessed in:

1-11                 (1)  reading and mathematics, [annually] in grades

1-12     three, five, and seven [through eight];

1-13                 (2)  writing, in grades four and eight; and

1-14                 (3)  social studies and science, at an appropriate

1-15     grade level determined by the State Board of Education.

1-16           SECTION 2.  This Act applies beginning with the 1997-1998

1-17     school year.

1-18           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-19     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-20     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-21     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-22     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

1-23     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

1-24     passage, and it is so enacted.