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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, and |
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must require a school district to develop multiple versions of an |
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examination for a particular grade level or subject for each |
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subsequent administration of the examination in the same school |
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year. The board shall approve examinations that satisfy board |
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guidelines. |
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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; and |
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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 examination. If a student is given |
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credit in a subject on the basis of an examination, the district |
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shall enter the examination score on the student's transcript, and |
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the student is not required to take an end-of-course assessment |
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instrument adopted under Section 39.023(c) for that subject. |
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(d) Each district shall administer each examination: |
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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 the student's parent, if |
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the test is offered electronically; and |
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(2) on at least four scheduled occasions per year, if |
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the examination is not offered electronically [not less than once a
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year, at times to be determined by the State Board of Education]. |
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SECTION 3. Section 25.092(a-2), Education Code, as added by |
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this Act, and Section 28.023, Education Code, as amended by this |
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Act, apply beginning with the 2013-2014 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. |