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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to procedures for credit by examination in public schools. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. 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 |
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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 90th percentile or above |
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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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90th percentile or above on the board-approved examination or if |
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the student achieves a score as provided by Subsection (c-1). If a |
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student is given credit in a subject on the basis of an examination, |
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the district shall enter the examination score on the student's |
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transcript. |
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(c-1) A school district shall give a student in a grade |
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level 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; or |
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(2) a 60 or higher on a board-approved examination |
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administered through the College-Level Examination 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 less than four times each [once a] year, at |
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times to be determined by the State Board of Education, if the |
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examination is not capable of being administered electronically. |
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(e) An examination administered under Subsection (d)(1) may |
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not be administered to a student more than twice each year. |
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SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2013-2014 |
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school year. |
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SECTION 3. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect |
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immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members |
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elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas |
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Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for |
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immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |