By: Seliger  S.B. No. 313
         (In the Senate - Filed January 15, 2015; February 2, 2015,
  read first time and referred to Committee on Education;
  April 29, 2015, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
  Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 10, Nays 0; April 29, 2015,
  sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
 
  COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 313 By:  Bettencourt
 
 
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)  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 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)  The commissioner may contract with a 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.  This Act applies beginning with the 2015-2016
  school year.
         SECTION 7.  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.
 
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