LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 80TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

May 1, 2007

TO:	Honorable Florence Shapiro, Chair, Senate Committee on Education
FROM:	John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	HB2503 by Eissler (Relating to a technology literacy assessment instrument to be administered to certain public school students.), As Engrossed

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

This bill would create a technology literacy assessment pilot program for students in grades five through nine in both urban and rural areas of the state.  The Texas Education Agency (TEA) would be required to adopt an assessment instrument designed to assess an individual student's mastery of the essential knowledge and skills in technology.  The assessment instrument adopted under this program must be an existing product that is currently available.

According to TEA, existing assessments cost $5 - $20 per student.  For the purposes of this fiscal note, the assessment is assumed to cost $12.50 per student.  Under an assumption of 10,000 students served by the pilot program annually, assessments would cost $125,000 each year.  This cost does not represent a significant fiscal impact to the agency's existing resources.  Since the commissioner may select participants for this pilot, it is assumed that TEA would limit participation in the pilot program such that costs do not exceed a significant threshold. 

Local Government Impact

The bill is not estimated to have a significant cost to districts.  It is assumed that only districts that already have the capacity to administer online technology literacy assessments would apply to participate in the pilot program.

Source Agencies:

701 Central Education Agency

LBB Staff:

JOB, JSp, UP, JGM