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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to review and modification of the essential knowledge and |
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skills of the required public school curriculum. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 28, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 28.0025 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 28.0025. REVIEW AND MODIFICATION OF ESSENTIAL |
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KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS. (a) The State Board of Education shall: |
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(1) conduct a review of the essential knowledge and |
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skills adopted under Section 28.002; and |
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(2) modify the essential knowledge and skills to |
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narrow the number and scope of standards and skills for each subject |
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and grade level in accordance with this section. |
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(b) In complying with this section, the State Board of |
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Education shall consider: |
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(1) for each subject and grade level, the time: |
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(A) a teacher would require to provide |
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comprehensive instruction on a particular standard or skill; and |
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(B) a typical student would require to master a |
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particular standard or skill; |
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(2) whether, in light of the consideration required by |
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Subdivision (1), each essential knowledge and skill of a subject |
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can be comprehensively taught within the number of school days |
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required under Section 25.081, not including the number of days |
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required for testing; |
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(3) the college and career readiness standards, and |
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whether inclusion of part of those standards in the essential |
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knowledge and skills of a subject is possible; and |
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(4) whether an assessment instrument administered |
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under Section 39.023 adequately assesses a particular standard or |
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skill. |
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(c) The State Board of Education shall identify process |
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skills for each subject in the essential knowledge and skills or use |
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process skills already identified for each subject in the essential |
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knowledge and skills to guide the board's modification of the |
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essential knowledge and skills. The essential knowledge and skills |
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of a subject must be based on process skills that enable students to |
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engage with the content of the subject and attain a greater depth of |
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understanding of content. |
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(d) In establishing or following an established timeline |
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for reviewing and modifying the essential knowledge and skills, the |
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State Board of Education shall ensure that the timeline reflects a |
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priority to first review and modify a subject for which an |
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end-of-course assessment instrument under Section 39.023(c) is |
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administered before a subject for which an assessment instrument |
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under Section 39.023(a) is administered. The board shall complete |
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the review and modification of the essential knowledge and skills |
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for each subject and grade level not later than September 1, 2018. |
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(e) Until the review and modification under this section is |
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complete, the State Board of Education shall ensure that each |
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assessment instrument administered under Section 39.023 beginning |
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with the 2015-2016 school year assesses only essential knowledge |
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and skills identified as readiness standards by the agency. |
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(f) Following the review and modification under this |
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section, the number and scope of the essential knowledge and skills |
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for each subject and grade level may not be greater than the number |
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and scope of the essential knowledge and skills identified as |
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readiness standards by the agency for each subject and grade level |
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as of January 1, 2015. |
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(g) This section expires September 1, 2018. |
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SECTION 2. 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. |