AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
In the 2011-2012 school year, the Texas Education Agency instituted the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) examinations in place of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) standardized assessments. The legislature reduced the frequency of the release of the state assessment questions and answers from annually under TAKS to every three years under STAAR. The result of this change is that students, parents, and teachers will undergo yet a third year of the administration of a test that they have not seen.
S.B. 1505 returns state standardized assessment release to an annual schedule. This will allow students and parents to diagnose specific academic areas in need of improvement. This will also allow teachers to accurately determine where instruction, student understanding, and concepts as articulated on the test are misaligned.
As proposed, S.B. 1505 amends current law relating to the frequency of the release of questions and answer keys to state assessment instruments administered in public schools.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
Rulemaking authority previously granted to the State Board of Education is modified in SECTION 1 (Section 39.023, Education Code) of this bill.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 39.023(e), Education Code, to require the Texas Education Agency, under rules adopted by the State Board of Education, to each year release the questions and answer keys to each assessment instrument administered under certain subsections, rather than every third year release the questions and answer keys to each assessment instrument administered under certain subsections, excluding any instrument administered to a student for the purpose of retaking the assessment instrument, after the last time the instrument is administered for that school year.
SECTION 2. Provides that this Act applies beginning with the 2013-2014 school year.
SECTION 3. Effective date: upon passage, or September 1, 2013.