AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

S.B. 1365 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 of grade level that is insufficiently challenging to the student.

 

As proposed, S.B. 1365 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 prohibiting a student from being given credit for a class unless the student is in attendance for at least 90 percent of the days the class is offered) 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 SBOE review examinations for acceleration for each primary school grade level and for credit for secondary school academic subjects.  Requires that guidelines provide for the examinations to thoroughly test comprehension of the information presented in the applicable grade level or subject, and requires that guidelines require a school district to develop multiple versions of an examination for a particular grade level or subject for each subsequent administration of the examination in the same school year. 

 

(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 SBOE-approved examination for acceleration if the student scores in the 90th percentile or above on each section of the examination, and the student's parent or guardian gives written approval of the advancement.  Deletes existing text including a district representative recommendation that a student in a primary grade be advanced in the list of requirements necessary for a school district to give the student credit for a grade level and advance the student one grade level on the basis of an SBOE-approved examination for acceleration.

 

(c)  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.

 

(d)  Requires each district to administer each examination not later than the 30th day after the date the district receives a written request from the student's parent, if the test is offered electronically, and on at least four scheduled occasions per year, if the examination is not offered electronically.  Deletes existing text requiring each district to administer each examination not less than once a year, at times to be determined by SBOE.

 

SECTION 3.  Provides that Section 25.092(a-2), Education Code, as added by this Act, and Section 28.023, Education Code, as amended by this Act, apply beginning with the 2013-2014 school year.

 

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