AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

C.S.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.

 

C.S.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 each school district to select, if available, at least four State Board of Education (SBOE)-approved examinations for each subject.  Requires that the examinations selected by a district, if approved by SBOE, include advanced placement (AP) examinations administered by the College Board, and examinations administered through the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP). 

 

(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 80th percentile or above, rather than the 90th percentile or above, on each section of the examination; a district representative recommends that the student be advanced; and the student's parent or guardian gives written approval of the advancement. 

 

(c)  Requires a school district to give a student in grade level six or above credit for a subject on the basis of a SBOE-approved examination for credit in the subject if the student scores in the 80 percentile or above, rather than the 90th percentile or above, on the SBOE-approved 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 a SBOE-approved AP examination administered by the College Board; or

 

(2)  a scaled score of 60 or higher on a SBOE-approved examination administered through CLEP.

 

(d)  Requires each district to administer each SBOE-approved examination selected by the district:

 

(1)  not later than the 30th day after the date the district receives a written request from the student's parent or guardian, if the examination is capable of being administered electronically; or

 

(2)  not fewer than three times each year, rather than not less than once a year, at times to be determined by SBOE, if the examination is not capable of being administered electronically.

 

(e)  Prohibits examinations administered under Subsection (d)(1) from being administered to a student more than two times each year.

 

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

 

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

 

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