C.S.H.B. 818 78(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


C.S.H.B. 818
By: Hochberg
Public Education
Committee Report (Substituted)



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

The State Board of Education is responsible for setting the passing
standard on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS). Students
are required to meet that standard in order to pass the TAKS and at
certain grade levels, in order to be promoted to the next grade. School
districts are then rated on the number of students who meet that same
minimum passing standard. Rating districts based on the number of students
who meet a higher standard could provide an incentive for school districts
to improve student performance. C.S.H.B. 818 allows the State Board of
Education to establish two performance levels: a passing score for student
promotion and a higher score for school district ratings. 


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. 818 amends the Education Code to authorize the State Board of
Education to set a level of performance on the assessment instruments for
determining district or campus performance under the public school
accountability system that is higher than the level considered to be
satisfactory for a student to advance from one grade level to the next. 


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. 818 modifies the original by conforming to Texas Legislative
Council style and format.