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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to eliminating certain state-required assessment |
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instruments and certain end-of-course assessment instruments |
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administered to public school students in certain grades. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 39.023(a), Education Code, as effective |
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until on or before September 1, 2015, is amended to read as follows: |
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(a) The agency shall adopt or develop appropriate |
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criterion-referenced assessment instruments designed to assess |
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essential knowledge and skills in reading, [writing,] mathematics, |
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[social studies,] and science. Except as provided by Subsection |
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(a-2), all students, other than students assessed under Subsection |
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(b) or (l) or exempted under Section 39.027, shall be assessed in: |
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(1) mathematics, annually in grades three through |
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seven without the aid of technology and in grade eight with the aid |
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of technology on any assessment instrument that includes algebra; |
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(2) reading, annually in grades three through eight; |
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(3) [writing, including spelling and grammar, in
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grades four and seven;
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[(4) social studies, in grade eight;
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[(5)] science, in grades five and eight; and |
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(4) [(6)] any other subject and grade required by |
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federal law. |
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SECTION 2. Section 39.023(a), Education Code, as effective |
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on or before September 1, 2015, is amended to read as follows: |
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(a) The agency shall adopt or develop appropriate |
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criterion-referenced assessment instruments designed to assess |
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essential knowledge and skills in reading, [writing,] mathematics, |
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[social studies,] and science. Except as provided by Subsection |
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(a-2), all students, other than students assessed under Subsection |
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(b) or (l) or exempted under Section 39.027, shall be assessed in: |
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(1) mathematics, in grades three and five without the |
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aid of technology and in grade eight with the aid of technology on |
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any assessment instrument that includes algebra; |
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(2) reading, in grades three, five, and eight; and |
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(3) [writing, including spelling and grammar, in
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grades four and seven;
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[(4) social studies, in grade eight; and
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[(5)] science, in grades five and eight. |
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SECTION 3. Section 39.023(a), Education Code, as effective |
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September 1, 2017, is amended to read as follows: |
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(a) The agency shall adopt or develop appropriate |
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criterion-referenced assessment instruments designed to assess |
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essential knowledge and skills in reading, [writing,] mathematics, |
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[social studies,] and science. Except as provided by Subsection |
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(a-2), all students, other than students assessed under Subsection |
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(b) or (l) or exempted under Section 39.027, shall be assessed in: |
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(1) mathematics, annually in grades three through |
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seven without the aid of technology and in grade eight with the aid |
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of technology on any assessment instrument that includes algebra; |
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(2) reading, annually in grades three through eight; |
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(3) [writing, including spelling and grammar, in
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grades four and seven;
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[(4) social studies, in grade eight;
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[(5)] science, in grades five and eight; and |
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(4) [(6)] any other subject and grade required by |
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federal law. |
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SECTION 4. 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, biology, |
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English I, and English II[, and United States history]. The Algebra |
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I end-of-course assessment instrument must be administered with the |
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aid of technology. The English I and English II end-of-course |
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assessment instruments must each assess essential knowledge and |
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skills in both reading and writing in the same assessment |
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instrument and must provide a single score. A school district shall |
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comply with State Board of Education rules regarding administration |
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of the assessment instruments listed in this subsection. If a |
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student is in a special education program under Subchapter A, |
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Chapter 29, the student's admission, review, and dismissal |
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committee shall determine whether any allowable modification is |
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necessary in administering to the student an assessment instrument |
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required 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 5. Section 39.203(c), Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(c) In addition to the distinction designations described |
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by Subsections (a) and (b), a campus that satisfies the criteria |
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developed under Section 39.204 shall be awarded a distinction |
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designation by the commissioner for outstanding performance in |
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academic achievement in English language arts, mathematics, or |
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science[, or social studies]. |
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SECTION 6. This Act applies beginning with the 2015-2016 |
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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, 2015. |