Amend HB 500 (house committee printing) as follows:

(1)  On page 2, line 16, strike "(a-2), (b), (b-2)," and substitute "(a-1), (a-2), (a-3), (b), (b-2), (e),".

(2)  Strike page 2, line 18, through page 3, line 22, and substitute the following:

(a)  The commissioner shall adopt rules requiring a student participating in the recommended or advanced high school program to be administered each end-of-course assessment instrument listed in Section 39.023(c) and requiring a student participating in the minimum high school program to be administered an end-of-course assessment instrument listed in Section 39.023(c) only for a course in which the student is enrolled and for which an end-of-course assessment instrument is administered.  [A student is required to achieve, in each subject in the foundation curriculum under Section 28.002(a)(1), a cumulative score that is at least equal to the product of the number of end-of-course assessment instruments administered to the student in that subject and a scale score that indicates satisfactory performance, as determined by the commissioner under Section 39.0241(a).     A student must achieve a minimum score as determined by the commissioner to be within a reasonable range of the scale score under Section 39.0241(a) on an end-of-course assessment instrument for the score to count towards the student's cumulative score.     For purposes of this subsection, a student's cumulative score is determined using the student's highest score on each end-of-course assessment instrument administered to the student.     A student may not receive a high school diploma until the student has performed satisfactorily on the end-of-course assessment instruments in the manner provided under this subsection.     This subsection does not require a student to demonstrate readiness to enroll in an institution of higher education.]

(a-1)  The commissioner by rule shall determine a method by which a student's satisfactory performance on an advanced placement test, international baccalaureate examination, an SAT Subject Test, or another assessment instrument determined by the commissioner to be at least as rigorous as an end-of-course assessment instrument adopted under Section 39.023(c) may be used as a factor in determining whether the student satisfies the requirements of Subsection (a) and Subsection (a-2), (a-3), or (a-4), as applicable to the student[, including the cumulative score requirement of that subsection].  The commissioner by rule may determine a method by which a student's satisfactory performance on a Preliminary Scholastic Assessment Test (PSAT) assessment or a preliminary American College Test (ACT) assessment may be used as a factor in determining whether the student satisfies the requirements of Subsection (a) and Subsection (a-2), (a-3), or (a-4), as applicable to the student.

(3)  On page 3, lines 23-25, strike "In lieu of satisfying [addition to] the cumulative score requirements under Subsection (a), to graduate under the recommended high school program," and substitute "To graduate under the recommended high school program [In addition to the cumulative score requirements under Subsection (a)],".

(4)  On page 4, between lines 7 and 8, insert the following:

(a-3)  To graduate under the advanced high school program [In addition to the cumulative score requirements under Subsection (a)], a student must:

(1)  achieve a score that meets or exceeds the score determined by the commissioner under Section 39.0241(a-1) on end-of-course assessment instruments for the following:

(A)  English III; and

(B)  Algebra II; and

(2)  achieve a score that meets or exceeds the score determined by the commissioner under Section 39.0241(a) on end-of-course assessment instruments for the following:

(B)  world geography, world history, or United States history [in order to graduate under the advanced high school program].

(5)  On page 4, lines 8 and 9, strike "In lieu of satisfying the cumulative score requirements under Subsection (a), to graduate" and substitute "To graduate".

(6)  On page 4, lines 20 and 21, strike "a minimum score under Subsection (a) may [shall]" and substitute "the [a minimum] score requirement under this section may [Subsection (a) shall]".

(7)  On page 5, strike lines 2-20 and substitute the following:

(b-2)  If a school district determines that a student, on completion of grade 11, is unlikely to achieve the [cumulative] score requirement under this section [requirements] for one or more end-of-course assessment instruments as necessary [subjects prescribed by Subsection (a)] for receiving a high school diploma, the district shall require the student to enroll in a corresponding content-area college preparatory course for which an end-of-course assessment instrument has been adopted, if available.  A student who enrolls in a college preparatory course described by this subsection shall be administered an end-of-course assessment instrument for the course, with the end-of-course assessment instrument scored on a scale as determined by the commissioner [not to exceed 20 percent of the cumulative score requirements required to graduate as determined under Subsection (a)].  A student may use the student's score on the end-of-course assessment instrument for the college preparatory course towards satisfying the [cumulative] score requirement under this section [requirements prescribed by Subsection (a)].

(e)  The commissioner shall establish a required performance level for an assessment instrument adopted under Subsection (d) that is at least as rigorous as the performance level required to be met under Subsection (a-2), (a-3), or (a-4), as applicable to the student [(a)].

(8)  On page 6, line 6, strike "Subdivision (5)" and substitute "Subdivisions (5) and (6)".

(9)  On page 7, line 1, between "high school diploma" and "unless", insert "under the recommended high school program".

(10)  On page 7, line 14, strike "and".

(11)  On page 7, between lines 14 and 15, insert the following:

(12)  On page 7, line 15, strike "(6)" and substitute "(7)".

(13)  On page 7, line 18, strike "(a)," and substitute "(a) and Subsection".