78R8618 CAS-D
By: Pitts H.B. No. 3243
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the release of questions and answer keys for and to
paying the costs of assessment instruments administered by the
state to public school students.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 39.023(e), Education Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(e) Under rules adopted by the State Board of Education,
every other year, the agency shall release the questions and answer
keys to each assessment instrument administered under Subsection
(a), (b), (c), (d), or (l) after the last time the instrument is
administered for that [a] school year. To ensure a valid bank of
questions for use each year, the agency is not required to release a
question that is being field-tested and was not used to compute the
student's score on the instrument. The agency shall also release,
under board rule, each question that is no longer being
field-tested and that was not used to compute a student's score.
SECTION 2. Section 39.031(a), Education Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(a) The cost of preparing, administering, or grading the
assessment instruments shall be paid from foundation school fund
allotments other than [the] funds allotted under Section 42.152,
and each district shall bear the cost in the same manner described
for a reduction in allotments under Section 42.253. [If a district
does not receive an allotment under Section 42.152, the
commissioner shall subtract the cost from the district's other
foundation school fund allotments.]
SECTION 3. Except as provided by Section 39.023(k),
Education Code, in accordance with Section 39.023(e), Education
Code, as amended by this Act, the Texas Education Agency shall
release questions and answer keys for assessment instruments
administered under Section 39.023, Education Code, in the 2002-2003
school year and in every other school year after that.
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2003.