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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to state and school district assessment of public school |
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students. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Sections 28.014(c) and (f), Education Code, are |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(c) The agency, in consultation with the Texas Higher |
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Education Coordinating Board, shall adopt an end-of-course |
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assessment instrument for each course developed under this section |
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to ensure the rigor of the course. A school district shall, in |
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accordance with State Board of Education rules, administer the |
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end-of-course assessment instrument to a student enrolled in a |
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course developed under this section. [Each school district shall
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adopt a policy that requires a student's performance on the
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end-of-course assessment instrument to account for 15 percent of
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the student's final grade for the course.] A student's performance |
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on an end-of-course assessment instrument administered under this |
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subsection may be used, on a scale of 0-40, in calculating whether |
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the student satisfies the graduation requirements established |
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under Section 39.025. |
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(f) To the extent applicable, the commissioner shall draw |
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from curricula and instructional materials developed under Section |
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[Sections] 28.008 [and 61.0763] in developing a course and related |
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instructional materials under this section. Not later than |
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September 1, 2010, the State Board of Education shall adopt |
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essential knowledge and skills for each course developed under this |
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section. The State Board of Education shall make each course |
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developed under this section and the related instructional |
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materials available to school districts not later than the |
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2014-2015 school year. [As required by Subsection (c), a school
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district shall adopt a policy requiring a student's performance on
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an end-of-course assessment instrument administered under that
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subsection to account for 15 percent of the student's grade for a
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course developed under this section not later than the 2014-2015
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school year.] This subsection expires September 1, 2015. |
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SECTION 2. Section 39.023(c), Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(c) The agency shall also adopt end-of-course assessment |
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instruments for secondary-level courses in Algebra I, Algebra II, |
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geometry, biology, chemistry, physics, English I, English II, |
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English III, world geography, world history, and United States |
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history. The Algebra I, Algebra II, and geometry end-of-course |
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assessment instruments must be administered with the aid of |
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technology. A school district shall comply with State Board of |
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Education rules regarding administration of the assessment |
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instruments listed in this subsection [and shall adopt a policy
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that requires a student's performance on an end-of-course
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assessment instrument for a course listed in this subsection in
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which the student is enrolled to account for 15 percent of the
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student's final grade for the course.
If a student retakes an
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end-of-course assessment instrument for a course listed in this
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subsection, as provided by Section 39.025, a school district is not
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required to use the student's performance on the subsequent
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administration or administrations of the assessment instrument to
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determine the student's final grade for the course]. If a student |
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is in a special education program under Subchapter A, Chapter 29, |
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the student's admission, review, and dismissal committee shall |
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determine whether any allowable modification is necessary in |
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administering to the student an assessment instrument required |
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under this subsection. The State Board of Education shall |
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administer the assessment instruments. The State Board of |
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Education shall adopt a schedule for the administration of |
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end-of-course assessment instruments that complies with the |
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requirements of Subsection (c-3). |
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SECTION 3. Section 39.025, Education Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (a-1) and adding Subsection (a-4) to read as |
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follows: |
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(a-1) The commissioner [by rule] shall determine a method by |
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which a student's satisfactory performance on an advanced placement |
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test, an international baccalaureate examination, an SAT Subject |
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Test, or any nationally recognized norm-referenced [another] |
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assessment instrument used by institutions of higher education to |
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award course credit based on satisfactory performance on the |
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[determined by the commissioner to be at least as rigorous as an
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end-of-course] assessment instrument [adopted under Section
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39.023(c)] may be used to satisfy [as a factor in determining
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whether the student satisfies] the requirements concerning an |
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end-of-course assessment instrument in an equivalent subject as |
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prescribed by [of] Subsection (a), including the cumulative score |
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requirement of that subsection. The commissioner shall [by rule
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may] determine a method by which a student's satisfactory |
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performance on a Preliminary Scholastic Assessment Test (PSAT) |
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[assessment] or a preliminary American College Test (ACT) |
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[assessment] may be used to satisfy [as a factor in determining
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whether the student satisfies] the requirements concerning an |
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end-of-course assessment instrument in an equivalent subject as |
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prescribed by [of] Subsection (a), including the cumulative score |
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requirement of that subsection. A student who fails to perform |
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satisfactorily on a test or other assessment instrument authorized |
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under this subsection, other than a Preliminary Scholastic |
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Assessment Test (PSAT) or a preliminary American College Test |
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(ACT), may retake that assessment instrument for purposes of this |
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subsection or may take the appropriate end-of-course assessment |
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instrument. A student who fails to perform satisfactorily on a |
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Preliminary Scholastic Assessment Test (PSAT) or a preliminary |
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American College Test (ACT) must take the appropriate end-of-course |
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assessment instrument. The commissioner shall adopt rules as |
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necessary for the administration of this subsection. |
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(a-4) The commissioner shall determine a method by which a |
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student's successful completion of a dual credit course, as |
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determined in accordance with commissioner rule, provided through |
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an institution of higher education, may be used to satisfy the |
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requirements concerning an end-of-course assessment instrument in |
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an equivalent subject as prescribed by Subsection (a), including |
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the cumulative score requirement of that subsection. A student who |
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fails to successfully complete a dual credit course may retake the |
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course in an effort to successfully complete the course for |
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purposes of this subsection or may take the appropriate |
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end-of-course assessment instrument. The commissioner shall adopt |
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rules as necessary for the administration of this subsection. |
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SECTION 4. Section 39.026, Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 39.026. LOCAL OPTION. Notwithstanding any other |
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provision of this title, in place of [In addition to] the assessment |
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instruments adopted by the agency and administered by the State |
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Board of Education, a school district board of trustees may adopt |
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and provide for administration by district employees of |
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[administer] criterion-referenced or norm-referenced assessment |
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instruments[, or both,] at any grade level for which administration |
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of assessment instruments is required under Section 39.023. A |
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norm-referenced assessment instrument adopted and administered |
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under this section must be economical, nationally recognized, and |
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state-approved. A district shall document and report to the agency |
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the results of assessment instruments adopted and administered |
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under this section. The commissioner shall adopt rules as |
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necessary for the administration of this section, including rules |
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for documenting and reporting results of assessment instruments |
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adopted and administered under this section and for using the |
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assessment instruments for purposes of this code in place of the |
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assessment instruments otherwise required under this subchapter. |
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SECTION 5. Section 39.023(o), Education Code, is repealed. |
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SECTION 6. This Act applies beginning with the 2013-2014 |
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school year. |
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SECTION 7. 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, 2013. |