LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE, 76th Regular Session
February 24, 1999
TO: Honorable Teel Bivins, Chair, Senate Committee on
Education
FROM: John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE: SB103 by Bivins (Relating to state assessments of public
school students), As Introduced
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* Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for *
* SB103, As Introduced: positive impact of $5,900,000 through the *
* biennium ending August 31, 2001. *
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General Revenue-Related Funds, Five-Year Impact:
****************************************************
* Fiscal Year Probable Net Positive/(Negative) *
* Impact to General Revenue Related *
* Funds *
* 2000 $2,800,000 *
* 2001 3,100,000 *
* 2002 5,100,000 *
* 2003 6,100,000 *
* 2004 6,100,000 *
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All Funds, Five-Year Impact:
*****************************************************
* Fiscal Year Probable Savings/(Cost) from *
* Foundation School Fund *
* 0193 *
* 2000 $2,800,000 *
* 2001 3,100,000 *
* 2002 5,100,000 *
* 2003 6,100,000 *
* 2004 6,100,000 *
*****************************************************
Fiscal Analysis
Senate Bill 103 would expand the state assessment system to include new
reading and math tests for grades 9 and 10, and new writing assessments
for grades 6 and 10. Under the guidelines of the bill, science
assessments would be administered in grades 5, 7, and 10, and social
studies assessments would be administered in grades 4, 8, and 10.
The bill would replace end-of-course assessments with 11th grade exit
tests. Students who could not pass social studies and science, in
addition to English language arts and math, exit level tests (in the
11th grade) would not be awarded high school diplomas. The bill would
also allow TASP exemption for students whose exit level assessment
performance met guidelines to be established by the Higher Education
Coordinating Board.
Methodology
According to the Texas Education Agency, the implementation of new
assessments called for in Senate Bill 103 would cost $14.6 million for
the 2000-2001 biennium. The costs would be for test development and
administration, and would be funded from a set aside out of the
compensatory education allotment. The amount set aside from the
allotment in fiscal year 2000 would be $6.9 million, rising to $7.7
million in fiscal year 2001.
Due to reduction in the compensatory education allotment, the bill would
create a net savings for the state through lowered Tier II state aid.
The net savings to the state would be $2.8 million in fiscal year 2000
and $3.1 million in fiscal year 2001.
Assessment costs, and thus state savings, would rise as new tests leave
development and enter administration during the next five years. Due to
the increased cost associated with administration, the state would save
$5.1 million in Tier II state aid during fiscal year 2002, ultimately
rising to $6.1 million in fiscal years 2003 and 2004.
Local Government Impact
Local school districts that receive compensatory education funds would
see a slight reduction in their allotment because of the funds set aside
for assessment design and administration.
Source Agencies:
LBB Staff: JK, CT, RN, CW