BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center S.B. 972
AUTHOR'S/SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Under current law, the assessment of school performance is based on grade-level Texas Assessment on Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) results. The current TAKS reporting system reflects student achievement and addresses whether or not a student is performing on grade level, but does not contain any measurement of the academic progress that a student has made from one school year to the next.
As proposed, S.B. 972 requires the state to measure individual student growth rates as an additional criterion for rating school performance along with TAKS results.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
Rulemaking authority previously granted to the State Board of Education is modified in SECTION 2 (Section 39.002, Education Code) of this bill.
Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the commissioner of education in SECTION 4 (Section 39.034, Education Code) of this bill.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 28.006(j), Education Code, to require the commissioner of education (commissioner) to evaluate the programs that fail to meet the standard of performance under Section 39.051(b)(10), rather than Section 39.051(b)(7).
SECTION 2. Amends Section 39.022, Education Code, to require the State Board of Education to create and implement a statewide assessment program that is knowledge-based and skills-based to, by rule, ensure school accountability for student achievement and academic growth.
SECTION 3. Amends Section 39.023, Education Code, by amending Subsections (1) and (n) and adding Subsection (o), as follows:
(1) and (n) Include Subsection (o) as the reference for the administration of the assessment instruments adopted.
(o) Requires the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to adopt or develop appropriate criterion-referenced assessment instruments, separate from the instruments adopted or developed under Subsection (a), designed to assess reading progress by tracking changes in a student's performance during the school year. Authorizes a school district or open-enrollment charter school to administer an assessment instrument under this subsection. Requires a campus administering a reading assessment under this subsection to report the results to the TEA.
SECTION 4. Amends Subchapter B, Chapter 39, Education Code, by adding Section 39.034, as follows:
Sec. 39.034. MEASURE OF STUDENT ACADEMIC GROWTH ON ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENTS. (a) Requires the commissioner, by rule, to adopt a method by which TEA is authorized to measure student academic growth by tracking changes in a student's performance from one school year to the next on an assessment instrument required under Section 39.023(a) (Adoption and Administration of Instruments).
(b) Requires TEA to use the method adopted under Subsection (a), each year, to compare the student's results on the assessment instrument to the student's results on any assessment instrument for that subject the student has taken during the preceding school year, for each student who takes an assessment instrument required under Section 39.023(a).
(c) Requires the commissioner to implement this section no later than September 1, 2006. Provides that this subsection expires January 1, 2008.
SECTION 5. Amends Section 39.051(b), Education Code, as amended by Chapters 433 and 805, Acts of the 78th Legislature, Regular Session, 2003, as follows:
(b) Requires the academic excellence indicators to be based on information that is disaggregated by race, ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status and includes the average student academic growth, as measured under Section 39.034, aggregated by grade level and subject, and if applicable, the results of assessment instruments administered under Section 39.023(o), aggregated by grade level. Makes conforming changes.
SECTION 6. Amends Sections 39.051(c) and (d), Education Code, as follows:
(c) Requires performance on the indicators under Subsections (b)(1) and (2) to be compared to state standards, required improvement, and comparable improvement.
(d) Makes conforming changes.
SECTION 7. Amends Section 39.052(b), Education Code, to make a conforming change.
SECTION 8. Amends Sections 39.072(b) and (c), Education Code, to make conforming changes.
SECTION 9. Amends Section 39.0721(c), Education Code, to provide that the improvement in student performance, including academic growth of student performance on assessment instruments administered under Section 39.023(a), as measured under Section 39.034, be included in the performance standards on which a gold performance rating should be based.
SECTION 10. Amends Section 39.073(a), (b), and (f), Education Code, to make conforming changes.
SECTION 11. Amends Section 39.074(e), Education Code, to make a conforming change.
SECTION 12. (a) Requires TEA, no later than the 2006-2007 school year, to collect information concerning student academic growth for purposes of Section 39.051(b)(2), Education Code, as amended by this Act.
(b) Requires TEA, no later than the 2007-2008 school year, to include, in evaluating the performance of school districts, campuses, and open-enrollment charter schools under Subchapter D, Chapter 39, Education Code, student academic growth under Section 39.051(b)(2), Education Code, as amended by this Act.
SECTION 13. Makes application of this Act prospective to the 2006-2007 school year.
SECTION 14. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2005.