LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 83RD LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

May 13, 2013

TO:	Honorable Dan Patrick, Chair, Senate Committee on Education
FROM:	Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	HB2836 by Ratliff (Relating to the administration of certain state-adopted or state-developed assessment instruments to public school students.), As Engrossed

Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB2836, As Engrossed: a positive impact of $15,960,000 through the biennium ending August 31, 2015.

The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill.

General Revenue-Related Funds, Five-Year Impact:

Fiscal Year	Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds
2014	$7,980,000
2015	$7,980,000
2016	$7,980,000
2017	$7,980,000
2018	$7,980,000

All Funds, Five-Year Impact:

Fiscal Year	Probable Savings/(Cost) from General Revenue Fund 1	Probable Savings/(Cost) from Foundation School Fund 193
2014	($20,000)	$8,000,000
2015	($20,000)	$8,000,000
2016	($20,000)	$8,000,000
2017	($20,000)	$8,000,000
2018	($20,000)	$8,000,000

Fiscal Analysis

The bill would require each assessment instrument to be determined to be valid and reliable on the basis of empirical evidence by an entity that is independent of the test developer and the Texas Education Agency (TEA).

The bill would eliminate the writing assessment in grades four and seven.

The bill would require assessment instruments to be designed to primarily assess the essential knowledge and skills identified by the State Board of Education of the subject and for the grade level for which the assessment instrument is administered.

The bill would require assessments in grades three through five to be designed such that 85 percent of students complete the assessment within 120 minutes; assessments in grades six through eight shall be designed such that 85 percent of students complete the assessment within 180 minutes; and the maximum time allowed for an assessment is eight hours, to be completed in one calendar day.

Methodology

Based on information provided by TEA, the savings estimated from the elimination of the assessments would be $8.0 million, including $4.4 million to eliminate the grade 4 writing assessment and $3.6 million to eliminate the grade 7 writing assessment.

Based on information provided by TEA, it would cost $20,000 per fiscal year to contract with an entity to review the assessment instruments to determine whether they are established empirically to be valid and reliable.

Local Government Impact

School districts and open-enrollment charter schools would no longer be required to proctor the writing assessments in grades four and seven.

Source Agencies:

701 Central Education Agency

LBB Staff:

UP, JBi, JSc, AH