SRC-AMY S.B. 1815 78(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 1815
By: Barrientos
Education
4/2/2003
As Filed


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

As many as 200,000 students are expected to fail at least one of the four
new exit-level assessments that make up the Texas Assessment of Knowledge
and Skills (TAKS).  Some educators see a need for a safety net for the
first class of graduating seniors that are subject to the TAKS, the
graduating class of 2005.  As proposed, S.B. 1815 provides that if fewer
than 67 percent of all Texas 11th grade students taking the initial
exit-level assessment administration meet satisfactory performance
expectations on all exit-level assessments, students will have satisfied
requirements under Sections 39.023 (Adoption and Administration of
Instruments) and 39.025(a) (Exit-Level Performance Required), Education
Code, in certain circumstances.  

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to
a state officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 28.025, Education Code, as follows:

(a) Includes compliance with Subsection (f) as a possible prerequisite for
graduating and receiving a high school diploma. 

(b) No change in this subsection.

(c) Makes a conforming change.

(d) No change in this subsection.

(e) Requires the transcript forms adopted by the State Board of Education
(SBOE) to be designed to clearly differentiate between each of the high
school programs and identify whether a student passed all sections of the
exit-level assessment, as well as whether the student received a diploma
or a certificate of coursework completion. 

(f) Provides that if fewer than 67 percent of all Texas 11th grade
students enrolled on the date of initial exit-level assessment
administration initially meet satisfactory performance expectations on all
exit-level assessments, students will have satisfied requirements under
Sections 39.023 (Adoption and Administration of Instruments) and 39.025(a)
(Exit-Level Performance Required), Education Code, in certain
circumstances. 

(g) Defines the Transitional Statewide Composite Exit Score.

(h) Provides that Subsections (f), (g), and (h) are sunset [sic] when more
than 67 percent of all Texas 11th grade students enrolled on the date of
initial exit-level assessment administration meet satisfactory performance
expectations on all exit-level assessments.  

SECTION 2.  Amends Section 39.025, Education Code, to establish Section
28.025(f) as an exception to the prohibition against a student receiving a
high school diploma until performing satisfactorily on certain secondary
exit-level assessment instruments. 
 
SECTION 3.  Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2003.