By Wilson H.B. No. 698
76R3259 CAS-F
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to assessment instruments administered to public school
1-3 students.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Section 28.025, Education Code, is amended to
1-6 read as follows:
1-7 Sec. 28.025. HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA [AND CERTIFICATE]; ACADEMIC
1-8 ACHIEVEMENT RECORD. (a) The State Board of Education by rule
1-9 shall determine curriculum requirements for the minimum,
1-10 recommended, and advanced high school programs that are consistent
1-11 with the required curriculum under Section 28.002. A student may
1-12 graduate and receive a diploma only if the student successfully
1-13 completes:
1-14 (1) the curriculum requirements identified by the
1-15 board [and the exit-level assessment instrument administered under
1-16 Section 39.023(c) or each end-of-course assessment instrument
1-17 required to be adopted under Section 39.023(d)]; or
1-18 (2) an individualized education program developed
1-19 under Section 29.005.
1-20 (b) [A school district may issue a certificate of coursework
1-21 completion to a student who successfully completes the curriculum
1-22 requirements identified by the State Board of Education under
1-23 Subsection (a) but who fails to perform satisfactorily on the
1-24 assessment instruments specified by Subsection (a). A school
2-1 district may allow a student who receives a certificate to
2-2 participate in a graduation ceremony with students receiving high
2-3 school diplomas.]
2-4 [(c)] Each school district shall report the academic
2-5 achievement record of students who have completed a minimum,
2-6 recommended, or advanced high school program on transcript forms
2-7 adopted by the State Board of Education. The transcript forms
2-8 adopted by the board must be designed to clearly differentiate
2-9 between each of the high school programs [and identify whether a
2-10 student received a diploma or a certificate of coursework
2-11 completion].
2-12 SECTION 2. Section 39.025, Education Code, is amended to
2-13 read as follows:
2-14 Sec. 39.025. USE OF ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENTS [EXIT-LEVEL
2-15 PERFORMANCE REQUIRED]. An assessment instrument adopted under
2-16 Section 39.023(a), (b), or (c) may not be used as a condition to
2-17 high school graduation but may be used only to:
2-18 (1) measure a student's progress or current level of
2-19 achievement;
2-20 (2) evaluate the performance or progress of a teacher;
2-21 or
2-22 (3) evaluate a school or school district under this
2-23 chapter. [(a) A student may not receive a high school diploma
2-24 until the student has performed satisfactorily on the secondary
2-25 exit-level assessment instruments for English language arts and
2-26 mathematics administered under Section 39.023(c) or on:]
2-27 [(1) the end-of-course assessment instruments adopted
3-1 under Section 39.023(d) in Algebra I and English II; and]
3-2 [(2) the end-of-course assessment instrument adopted
3-3 under Section 39.023(d) in either Biology I or United States
3-4 history.]
3-5 [(b) Each time a secondary exit-level assessment instrument
3-6 is administered, a student who has not been given a high school
3-7 diploma because of a failure to perform satisfactorily on the
3-8 assessment instrument for that subject area may retake the
3-9 assessment instrument.]
3-10 [(c) A student who has been denied a high school diploma
3-11 under Subsections (a) and (b) and who subsequently performs
3-12 satisfactorily on each secondary exit-level assessment instrument
3-13 shall be issued a high school diploma.]
3-14 SECTION 3. Subchapter B, Chapter 39, Education Code, is
3-15 amended by adding Section 39.0261 to read as follows:
3-16 Sec. 39.0261. VALIDATION OF ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENTS. The
3-17 agency shall ensure that before an assessment instrument is
3-18 administered under this subchapter the assessment instrument is
3-19 validated in the manner required or recommended by the American
3-20 Psychological Association as those requirements or recommendations
3-21 existed on January 1, 1999.
3-22 SECTION 4. This Act applies beginning with the 1999-2000
3-23 school year.
3-24 SECTION 5. The importance of this legislation and the
3-25 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
3-26 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
3-27 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
4-1 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
4-2 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
4-3 passage, and it is so enacted.