C.S.H.B. 817 78(R) BILL ANALYSIS C.S.H.B. 817 By: Hochberg Public Education Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE When the state develops a new state assessment, the State Board of Education sets the passing standard. In subsequent years, the Texas Education Agency determines the percentage of questions that must be answered correctly in order to meet that standard. Overtime, the percent of correctly answered questions necessary to receive a passing score of 70 on the TAAS decreased significantly, in some cases to as low as 48%. Yet the score is still reported to parents as a 70. C.S.H.B. 817 keeps the percentage of questions that must be answered correctly to meet the state board's passing standard from dropping more than 10% below the level established by the board. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS C.S.H.B. 817 amends the Education Code to provide that the percentage of questions that a student must answer correctly on an assessment instrument to meet the level of performance considered satisfactory may be lower than the score set by the State Board of Education (board) as meeting the minimum level of performance considered satisfactory, except that the percentage of questions that a student must answer correctly may not be more than 10 percent lower than the score set by the board. EFFECTIVE DATE Upon passage, or, if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2003. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE C.S.H.B. 817 modifies the original version to conform to Texas Legislative Council style and format.