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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the provision of credit by examination for public |
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school students. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 25.092, Education Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (a-2) to read as follows: |
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(a-2) Subsection (a) does not apply to a student who |
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receives credit by examination for a class as provided by Section |
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28.023. |
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SECTION 2. Section 28.023, Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 28.023. CREDIT BY EXAMINATION. (a) Using guidelines |
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established by the State Board of Education, a school district |
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shall develop or select for board review examinations for |
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acceleration for each primary school grade level and for credit for |
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secondary school academic subjects. The guidelines must provide |
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for the examinations to thoroughly test comprehension of the |
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information presented in the applicable grade level or subject. |
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The board shall approve examinations that satisfy board guidelines. |
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Each district shall select, if available, at least four |
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board-approved examinations for each subject. If approved by the |
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board, the examinations selected by a district must include: |
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(1) advanced placement examinations administered by |
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the College Board and Educational Testing Service; and |
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(2) examinations administered through the |
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College-Level Examination Program. |
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(b) A school district shall give a student in a primary |
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grade level credit for a grade level and advance the student one |
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grade level on the basis of a board-approved examination for |
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acceleration if: |
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(1) the student scores in the 80th [90th] percentile |
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or above on each section of the examination; |
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(2) a district representative recommends that the |
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student be advanced; and |
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(3) the student's parent or guardian gives written |
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approval of the advancement. |
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(c) A school district shall give a student in grade level |
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six or above credit for a subject on the basis of a board-approved |
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examination for credit in the subject if the student scores in the |
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80th [90th] percentile or above on the board-approved examination |
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or if the student achieves a score as provided by Subsection (c-1). |
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If a student is given credit in a subject on the basis of an |
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examination, the district shall enter the examination score on the |
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student's transcript and the student is not required to take an |
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end-of-course assessment instrument adopted under Section |
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39.023(c) for that subject. |
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(c-1) A school district shall give a student in grade level |
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six or above credit for a subject if the student scores: |
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(1) a three or higher on a board-approved advanced |
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placement examination administered by the College Board and |
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Educational Testing Service; or |
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(2) a scaled score of 60 or higher on a board-approved |
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examination administered through the College-Level Examination |
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Program. |
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(d) Each district shall administer each board-approved |
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examination selected by the district: |
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(1) not later than the 30th day after the date the |
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district receives a written request from a student or the student's |
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parent or guardian, if the examination is capable of being |
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administered electronically; or |
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(2) not fewer [less] than three times each [once a] |
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year, at times to be determined by the State Board of Education, if |
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the examination is not capable of being administered |
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electronically. |
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(e) Examinations administered under Subsection (d)(1) may |
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not be administered to a student more than two times each year. |
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(f) A student may not attempt more than two times to receive |
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credit for a particular subject on the basis of a board-approved |
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examination for credit in that subject. |
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(g) If a student fails to achieve the designated score |
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described by Subsection (c) or (c-1) on an applicable examination |
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described by Subsection (c) or (c-1) for a subject before the |
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beginning of the school year in which the student would ordinarily |
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be required to enroll in a course in that subject in accordance with |
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the school district's prescribed course sequence, the student must |
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satisfactorily complete the course to receive credit for the |
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course. |
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SECTION 3. This Act applies beginning with the 2013-2014 |
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school year. |
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SECTION 4. 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. |