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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to alternative assessment of certain public school |
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students under the public school accountability system. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 39, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 39.0221 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 39.0221. ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT PILOT PROGRAM. (a) |
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The agency shall develop and implement an alternative assessment |
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pilot program in accordance with this section. |
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(b) A school campus at which students are enrolled at the |
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sixth, seventh, or eighth grade level is eligible to apply to |
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participate in the program unless the campus has received an |
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unacceptable performance rating during any of the three school |
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years preceding the date of application. |
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(c) The commissioner shall select from the applicants not |
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more than 20 school campuses to participate in the program. In |
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making selections, the commissioner shall seek to select applicants |
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that reflect the geographic and ethnic diversity of the public |
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schools in this state. |
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(d) The agency shall establish and facilitate a process |
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through which appropriate teachers from each participating school |
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campus work collectively to develop common alternative assessment |
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instruments to be administered to students enrolled at the sixth, |
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seventh, or eighth grade level at each participating campus. The |
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alternative assessment instruments: |
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(1) must include components designed to assess whether |
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students can apply the content they learn to new problems and |
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situations, with a focus on inquiry and explanations of ideas; |
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(2) must address the use of: |
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(A) planning skills, such as generating ideas, |
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gathering information, focusing research, and organizing |
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information; |
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(B) processing skills, such as drawing |
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inferences, interpreting, analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating; |
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and |
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(C) critical and creative thinking processes, |
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such as oral discourse, research, critical analysis, critical |
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literacy, and metacognition; |
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(3) must be designed so that not more than 50 percent |
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of the grade given to a student for performance on an assessment |
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instrument is based on multiple choice questions; and |
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(4) may include any combination of examinations, |
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quizzes, group or individual projects, laboratory work, |
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portfolios, oral presentations, exhibitions, or other components. |
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(e) The agency shall provide appropriate training in |
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developing, administering, and scoring the alternative assessment |
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instruments to affected teachers at participating school campuses. |
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(f) Beginning with the 2013-2014 school year, the |
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participating school campuses shall administer the alternative |
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assessment instruments to students enrolled at the sixth, seventh, |
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or eighth grade level who would otherwise be required to be assessed |
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under Section 39.023 using assessment instruments adopted or |
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developed under that section. The campuses shall also score the |
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alternative assessment instruments. The alternative assessment |
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instruments must be administered according to a schedule adopted by |
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the commissioner, provided that the schedule permits components of |
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the alternative assessment instruments to be administered |
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throughout the school year. |
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(g) The agency shall audit the student's scores on the |
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alternative assessment instruments. |
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(h) To the extent feasible, student performance on the |
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alternative assessment instruments administered under this section |
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shall be considered for purposes of district and campus |
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accountability under this chapter in the same manner as student |
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performance on assessment instruments adopted or developed under |
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Section 39.023. |
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(i) The commissioner may adopt rules necessary to implement |
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this section. |
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(j) Not later than December 1, 2015, the agency shall submit |
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a report regarding the program to the governor, lieutenant |
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governor, speaker of the house of representatives, and presiding |
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officer of the standing committee of each house of the legislature |
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with primary jurisdiction over public education. The report must: |
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(1) compare the performance, including performance on |
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assessment instruments and other measures of academic performance, |
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of students before participation in the program with the |
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performance of students after participation in the program; |
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(2) address the impact of the program on: |
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(A) academic performance; |
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(B) performance on assessment instruments; |
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(C) school attendance; |
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(D) student retention; |
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(E) curriculum enhancement; and |
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(F) teacher professional satisfaction; and |
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(3) include recommendations regarding retaining, |
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modifying, or expanding the program. |
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SECTION 2. 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, 2011. |