AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

C.S.H.B. 2694 seeks to provide an enhanced opportunity for Texas students to obtain credit by examination for courses or for grade levels. The purpose of these enhanced opportunities to advance is to allow students who have demonstrated knowledge of a subject matter, or demonstrated that they are achieving at a level that is above their existing grade level, to advance academically rather than having to remain in a course or grade level that is insufficiently challenging to the student.

 

C.S.H.B. 2694 amends current law relating to the provision of credit by examination for public school students.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 25.092, Education Code, by adding Subsection (a-2), to provide that Subsection (a) (relating to requiring that a student meet a minimum level of attendance to receive credit for a class) does not apply to a student who receives credit by examination for a class as provided by Section 28.023.

 

SECTION 2.  Amends Section 28.023, Education Code, as follows:

 

Sec. 28.023.  CREDIT BY EXAMINATION.  (a)  Requires a school district, using guidelines established by the State Board of Education (SBOE), to develop or select for review by the district board of trustees (board of trustees), rather than SBOE, examinations for acceleration for each primary school grade level and for credit for secondary school academic subjects. Requires the board of trustees to approve for each subject, to the extent available, at least four examinations that satisfy SBOE guidelines.  Requires that the examinations approved by the board of trustees include:

 

(1)  advanced placement examinations developed by the College Board and Educational Testing Service (College Board); and

 

(2)  examinations administered through the College-Level Examination Program.

 

(b)  Requires a school district to give a student in a primary grade level credit for a grade level and advance the student one grade level on the basis of an examination for acceleration approved by the board of trustees under Subsection (a) if certain criteria are met, including if the student scores in the 80th, rather than 90th, percentile or above on each section of the examination;

 

(c)  Requires a school district to give a student in grade level six or above credit for a subject on the basis of an examination for credit in the subject approved by the board of trustees under Subsection (a) if the student scores in the 80th, rather than 90th, percentile or above on the examination or if the student achieves a score as provided by Subsection (c-1).  Requires the district, if a student is given credit in a subject on the basis of an examination, to enter the examination score on the student's transcript, and provides that the student is not required to take an end-of-course assessment instrument adopted under Section 39.023(c) (relating to requiring the Texas Education Agency to adopt end-of-course assessment instruments for certain secondary-level courses) for that subject.

 

(c-1)  Requires a school district to give a student in grade level six or above credit for a subject if the student scores:

 

(1)  a three or higher on an advanced placement examination approved by the board of trustees under Subsection (a) and developed by the College Board; or

 

(2)  a scaled score of 60 or higher on an examination approved by the board of trustees under Subsection (a) administered through the College-Level Examination Program.

 

(d)  Requires each district to administer each examination approved by the board of trustees under Subsection (a) not fewer than four times each year, rather than once a year, at times to be determined by SBOE.

 

(e)  Provides that Subsection (d) does not apply to an examination that has an administration date that is established by an entity other than the school district.

 

(f)  Prohibits a student from attempting more than two times to receive credit for a particular subject on the basis of an examination for credit in that subject.

 

(g)  Requires a student, if the student fails to achieve the designated score described by Subsection (c) or (c-1) on an applicable examination described by Subsection (c) or (c-1) for a subject before the beginning of the school year in which the student would ordinarily be required to enroll in a course in that subject in accordance with the school district's prescribed course sequence, to satisfactorily complete the course to receive credit for the course.

 

SECTION 3.  Provides that this Act applies beginning with the 2013-2014 school year.

 

SECTION 4.  Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2013.