By: Seliger S.B. No. 313

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the essential knowledge and skills of the required public school curriculum and the administration and reports relating to assessment instruments administered to public school students.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 28, Education Code, is amended by adding Section 28.0025 to read as follows:

Sec. 28.0025. REVIEW AND MODIFICATION OF ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS. (a) The State Board of Education shall:

(1) conduct a review of the essential knowledge and skills of the foundation curriculum subjects under Section 28.002(a)(1); and

(2) modify the essential knowledge and skills of the foundation curriculum subjects to narrow the content and scope of standards and skills for each subject and grade level in accordance with this section.

(b) In complying with this section, the State Board of Education shall consider:

(1) for each subject and grade level, the time:

(A) a teacher would require to provide comprehensive instruction on a particular standard or skill; and

(B) a typical student would require to master a particular standard or skill;

(2) whether, in light of the consideration required by Subdivision (1), each essential knowledge and skill of a subject can be comprehensively taught within the number of school days required under Section 25.081, not including the number of days required for testing;

(3) the college and career readiness standards, and whether inclusion of part of those standards in the essential knowledge and skills of a subject is possible; and

(4) whether an assessment instrument administered under Section 39.023 adequately assesses a particular standard or skill.

(c) In establishing or following an established timeline for reviewing and modifying the essential knowledge and skills as required under this section, the State Board of Education shall ensure that the timeline reflects a priority to first review and modify a subject for which an end-of-course assessment instrument under Section 39.023(c) is administered before a subject for which an assessment instrument under Section 39.023(a) is administered. The board shall complete the review and modification of the essential knowledge and skills for each applicable subject and grade level as required under this section not later than September 1, 2018.

(d) Until the review and modification under this section is complete, the State Board of Education may not add to or modify the content and scope of standards and skills for any subject in the foundation curriculum under Section 28.002(a)(1) unless modifications are made in accordance with this section.

(e) The State Board of Education may not modify the essential knowledge and skills of the foundation curriculum subjects in a manner that requires:

(1) the revision of professional development training for teachers on essential knowledge and skills;

(2) the purchase of additional instructional materials; or

(3) the revision of assessment instruments adopted or developed under Section 39.023.

(f) This section expires September 1, 2018.

SECTION 2. Section 28.008(d), Education Code, is amended to read as follows:

(d) The State Board of Education shall incorporate college readiness standards and expectations approved by the commissioner of education and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board under Subsection (b) into the essential knowledge and skills identified by the board under Section 28.002(c). The State Board of Education shall develop and by rule adopt a chart that clearly indicates the alignment of the college readiness standards and expectations with the essential knowledge and skills identified by the board under Section 28.002(c).

SECTION 3. Subchapter A, Chapter 28, Education Code, is amended by adding Section 28.0081 to read as follows:

Sec. 28.0081. ADMINISTRATION OF ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENT FOR DIAGNOSTIC PURPOSES. (a) Not later than April 1 of each school year, a school district, using funds appropriated to the agency and distributed by the commissioner to the district for that purpose, shall administer an assessment instrument designated by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board under Section 51.3062(c) to each student in the district enrolled in the 10th grade. A student's performance on the assessment instrument may only be used for diagnostic purposes, including a determination as to whether a student should be enrolled in developmental education courses. If a student is in a special education program under Subchapter A, Chapter 29, the student's admission, review, and dismissal committee shall determine if it is appropriate for the student to be administered the assessment instrument required under this section.

(b) This section applies only until the State Board of Education has completed the review and modification of essential knowledge and skills of the foundation curriculum subjects required by Section 28.0025. This section expires September 1, 2018.

SECTION 4. Subchapter B, Chapter 39, Education Code, is amended by adding Section 39.0239 to read as follows:

Sec. 39.0239. REQUIRED REPORT FOR CERTAIN ASSESSMENTS. (a) Following the administration of an assessment instrument adopted or developed under Section 39.023(a), the agency shall provide a detailed report of a student's performance on the assessment instrument to:

(1) the student;

(2) the student's parent or other person standing in parental relationship; and

(3) the student's teachers.

(b) The report provided under Subsection (a) must include an analysis of a student's performance on each assessed standard or skill in the essential knowledge and skills of the subject for which the assessment instrument was administered. The analysis must indicate whether the student mastered each standard or skill assessed in the assessment instrument.

(c) The analysis under Subsection (b) must demonstrate both individual assessment results and assessment results aggregated across classes, campuses, and districts.

(d) If the commissioner contracts with a third party for the development or adoption of an assessment instrument under Section 39.023(a), the contract must require the third party to fulfill the requirements of this section.

SECTION 5. Not later than January 1, 2016, the State Board of Education shall adopt a chart as prescribed by Section 28.008(d), Education Code, as amended by this Act.

SECTION 6. The change in law made by Section 39.0239(d), Education Code, as added by this Act, applies only to a contract entered into, amended, or renewed on or after the effective date of this Act. A contract entered into, amended, or renewed before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law as it existed immediately before the effective date of this Act, and that law is continued in effect for that purpose.

SECTION 7. This Act applies beginning with the 2015-2016 school year.

SECTION 8. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2015.