By Dutton                                        H.B. No. 988

      75R4683 ESH-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to exemptions from state assessment instruments

 1-3     administered to public school students.

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

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 39.027, Education Code, is repealed.

 1-6           SECTION 2.  Section 39.023(a), Education Code, is amended to

 1-7     read as follows:

 1-8           (a)  The agency shall adopt appropriate criterion-referenced

 1-9     assessment instruments designed to assess competencies in reading,

1-10     writing, mathematics, social studies, and science.  All [nonexempt]

1-11     students shall be assessed in:

1-12                 (1)  reading and mathematics, annually in grades three

1-13     through eight;

1-14                 (2)  writing, in grades four and eight; and

1-15                 (3)  social studies and science, at an appropriate

1-16     grade level determined by the State Board of Education.

1-17           SECTION 3.  Section 39.051(b), Education Code, is amended to

1-18     read as follows:

1-19           (b)  Performance on the indicators adopted under this section

1-20     shall be compared to state-established standards.  The degree of

1-21     change from one school year to the next in performance on each

1-22     indicator adopted under this section shall also be considered.  The

1-23     indicators must be based on information that is disaggregated with

1-24     respect to race, ethnicity, sex, and socioeconomic status and must

 2-1     include:

 2-2                 (1)  the results of assessment instruments required

 2-3     under Subchapter B aggregated by grade level and subject area;

 2-4                 (2)  dropout rates;

 2-5                 (3)  student attendance rates;

 2-6                 (4)  the percentage of graduating students who attain

 2-7     scores on the secondary exit-level assessment instruments required

 2-8     under Subchapter B that are equivalent to a passing score on the

 2-9     test instrument required under Section 51.306;

2-10                 (5)  the percentage of graduating students who meet the

2-11     course requirements established for the recommended high school

2-12     program by State Board of Education rule;

2-13                 (6)  the results of the Scholastic Assessment Test

2-14     (SAT) and the American College Test;

2-15                 (7)  the percentage of students taking end-of-course

2-16     assessment instruments adopted under Section 39.023(c); and

2-17                 (8)  [the percentage of students exempted, by exemption

2-18     category, from the assessment program generally applicable under

2-19     this subchapter; and]

2-20                 [(9)]  any other indicator the State Board of Education

2-21     adopts.

2-22           SECTION 4.  Section 39.052(b), Education Code, is amended to

2-23     read as follows:

2-24           (b)  The report card shall include the following information

2-25     where applicable:

2-26                 (1)  the academic excellence indicators adopted under

2-27     Sections 39.051(b)(1) through (7) [(8)];

 3-1                 (2)  student/teacher ratios; and

 3-2                 (3)  administrative and instructional costs per

 3-3     student.

 3-4           SECTION 5.  This Act applies beginning with the 1997-1998

 3-5     school year.

 3-6           SECTION 6.  The importance of this legislation and the

 3-7     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 3-8     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 3-9     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

3-10     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

3-11     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

3-12     passage, and it is so enacted.