Honorable Rob Eissler, Chair, House Committee on Public 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. ), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted
Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB2503, Committee Report 1st House, Substituted: a negative impact of ($5,000,000) through the biennium ending August 31, 2009.
The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill.
Fiscal Year
Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds
2008
($5,000,000)
2009
$0
2010
$0
2011
$0
2012
$0
Fiscal Year
Probable Savings/(Cost) from GENERAL REVENUE FUND 1
2008
($5,000,000)
2009
$0
2010
$0
2011
$0
2012
$0
Fiscal Analysis
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 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 bill would also require that the assessment instrument be designed in a manner that would provide districts with an automatic report of student performance that is compatible with school district and state data reporting information systems. Districts would be required to report student performance to the agency.
The provisions of the bill would apply beginning with the 2007-2008 school year. The bill would become effective on September 1, 2007, or immediately if voted upon favorably by two-thirds of all members of each house.
Methodology
To implement this bill immediately would require the use of a currently available assessment instrument. However, according to the Texas Education Agency no currently available assessment instruments meet the provisions of this bill. The agency estimates that it would cost $5 million in fiscal year 2008 to develop technology assessment instruments for grades 5-9.
The bill authorizes each participating school district to administer the assessment to students in one of grade within the grade levels 5-9. Participating school districts would determine which grade level to assess and the timing of the assessment. Because the pilot would involve only a single grade level within the grades 5-9 levels in each participating district, the Agency assumes that costs to administer the pilot program could be addressed within existing resources.
Technology
The bill is not estimated to have a significant impact on the agency's technology costs.
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.