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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the administration of certain assessment instruments to |
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public school students under the statewide assessment program. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 39.023, Education Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsections (a), (c), and (i) and adding Subsection (o) to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) The agency shall adopt or develop appropriate |
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criterion-referenced assessment instruments designed to assess |
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essential knowledge and skills in reading, writing, mathematics, |
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social studies, and science. All students, except students |
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assessed under Subsection (b) or (l) or exempted under Section |
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39.027, shall, through an assessment instrument administered to |
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students in September, be assessed in: |
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(1) mathematics, annually in grades three through |
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seven without the aid of technology and in grades eight through 11 |
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with the aid of technology on any assessment instruments that |
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include algebra; |
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(2) reading, annually in grades three through nine; |
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(3) writing, including spelling and grammar, in grades |
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four and seven; |
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(4) English language arts, in grade 10; |
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(5) social studies, in grades eight and 10; |
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(6) science, in grades five, eight, and 10; and |
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(7) any other subject and grade required by federal |
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law. |
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(c) The agency shall also adopt secondary exit-level |
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assessment instruments designed to be administered to students in |
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grade 11 to assess essential knowledge and skills in mathematics, |
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English language arts, social studies, and science. The |
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mathematics section must include at least Algebra I and geometry |
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with the aid of technology. The English language arts section must |
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include at least English III and must include the assessment of |
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essential knowledge and skills in writing. The social studies |
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section must include early American and United States history. The |
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science section must include at least biology and integrated |
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chemistry and physics. The assessment instruments must be designed |
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to assess a student's mastery of minimum skills necessary for high |
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school graduation and readiness to enroll in an institution of |
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higher education. If a student is in a special education program |
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under Subchapter A, Chapter 29, the student's admission, review, |
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and dismissal committee shall determine whether any allowable |
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modification is necessary in administering to the student an |
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assessment instrument required under this subsection or whether the |
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student should be exempted under Section 39.027(a)(2). The State |
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Board of Education shall administer the assessment instruments in |
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September. [The State Board of Education shall adopt a schedule for
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the administration of secondary exit-level assessment
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instruments.] Each student who did not perform satisfactorily on |
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any secondary exit-level assessment instrument when initially |
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tested shall be given multiple opportunities to retake that |
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assessment instrument. A student who performs at or above a level |
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established by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board on the |
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secondary exit-level assessment instruments is exempt from the |
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requirements of Section 51.3062 [51.306]. |
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(i) The provisions of this section, except Subsection (d) |
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and any provision requiring the administration of an assessment |
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instrument in September, are subject to modification by rules |
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adopted under Section 39.022. Each assessment instrument adopted |
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under those rules and each assessment instrument required under |
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Subsection (d) must be reliable and valid and must meet any |
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applicable federal requirements for measurement of student |
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progress. |
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(o) The requirement that assessment instruments |
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administered under Subsections (a) and (c) be administered in |
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September does not preclude the additional administration of the |
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assessment instruments on one or more subsequent dates in the |
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school year. |
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SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2007-2008 |
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school year. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |