By: Eissler, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Williams) H.B. No. 2503

(In the Senate - Received from the House April 23, 2007; April 26, 2007, read first time and referred to Committee on Education; May 10, 2007, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 6, Nays 0; May 10, 2007, sent to printer.)

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to a technology literacy assessment instrument to be administered to certain public school students.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 39, Education Code, is amended by adding Section 39.0235 to read as follows:

Sec. 39.0235. TECHNOLOGY LITERACY ASSESSMENT PILOT PROGRAM. (a) In this section, "pilot program" means the technology literacy assessment pilot program.

(b) The commissioner by rule shall establish a pilot program in which a participating school district assesses student technology proficiency.

(c) A school district may apply to the commissioner to participate in the pilot program. The commissioner shall select for participation school districts from both rural and urban areas of the state.

(d) The agency shall adopt an assessment instrument designed to assess an individual student's mastery of the essential knowledge and skills in technology to be administered by a school district participating in the pilot program. The assessment instrument adopted under this subsection must be an existing product that is currently available.

(e) Each school year, the assessment instrument adopted under Subsection (d) shall be administered in a participating school district to each student in either fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, or ninth grade, with the grade level and time to be determined by the district.

(f) The assessment instrument adopted under Subsection (d) must:

(1) be administered online;

(2) be aligned with the essential knowledge and skills requirements for technology applications; and

(3) incorporate performance-based measures, including a requirement that students perform certain technological tasks and respond to questions based on the completion of those tasks.

(g) An assessment instrument administered by a participating school district must be designed in a manner to provide the district with an automatic report of the technology literacy proficiency of a district student in a format that is compatible with the school district and state data information systems.

(h) A participating school district shall report student performance on the assessment instrument to the agency.

SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2007-2008 school year.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2007.

* * * * *