This website will be unavailable from Thursday, May 30, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. through Monday, June 3, 2024 at 7:00 a.m. due to data center maintenance.

                                                                                

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.