H.B. 521 78(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


H.B. 521
By: Grusendorf
Public Education
Committee Report (Unamended)



BACKGROUND

Under current law, the Texas Education Agency has instruments that assess
social studies knowledge of public school students in eight and tenth
grade and science knowledge and skills of students in the fifth and tenth
grade. Many have expressed concern that public school students do not have
the essential knowledge and skills in the area of social studies due to a
lack of testing on the subject at an earlier grade level. In addition, the
No Child Left Behind Act requires that public school students be assessed
in the area of science during middle school. 

PURPOSE 

The purpose of House Bill 521 is to address the deficiency in social
studies knowledge in students and to achieve compliance with the No Child
Left Behind Act. The bill also creates a more coherent and consistent
testing sequence over several grade levels. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is expressly
granted  to the commissioner of education in SECTION 2 of this bill.  
 
ANALYSIS

House Bill 521 requires the Texas Education Agency to adopt or develop
criterion-referenced assessment instruments designed to assess essential
knowledge and skills in social studies in grades five, eight, and ten, and
in science in grades five, eight, and ten. 

The commissioner of education (commissioner) shall adopt rules for the
implementation of this Act. The bill requires the commissioner's rules to
provide that not later than the 2006-2007 school year, the State Board of
Education shall administer a social studies assessment instrument to
students in the fifth grade and a science assessment instrument to
students in the eighth grade.  

The bill requires the commissioner's rules to provide that not later than
the 2008-2009 school year, the Texas Education Agency, in evaluating the
performance of school districts, campuses, and open-enrollment charter
schools shall include the results of student performance on the fifth
grade social studies assessment instrument and the eighth grade science
assessment instrument.  

The bill requires the commissioner's rules to provide that, not later than
the 2008-2009 school year, the State Board of Education shall administer
assessment instruments that correspond to the fifth grade social studies
assessment instrument and the eighth grade science assessment instrument.  

The bill requires the commissioner's rules to provide that, not later than
the 2010-2011 school year, the Texas Education Agency shall include the
results of student performance on the assessment instruments in evaluating
the performance of school districts, campuses, and open-enrollment charter
schools. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2003.