Honorable Jimmie Don Aycock, Chair, House Committee on Public Education
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB2349 by Aycock (Relating to public school assessment, performance standards, and course requirements.), As Introduced
Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB2349, As Introduced: a negative impact of ($2,100,000) through the biennium ending August 31, 2017.
Fiscal Year
Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds
2016
($2,100,000)
2017
$0
2018
$0
2019
$0
2020
$0
Fiscal Year
Probable Savings/(Cost) from General Revenue Fund 1
2016
($2,100,000)
2017
$0
2018
$0
2019
$0
2020
$0
Fiscal Analysis
The bill would make certain changes to performance acknowledgements on student diplomas and transcripts, and would limit end-of-course (EOC) requirements and scale score requirements to certain courses.
The bill would eliminate the ability of the Texas Education Agency to defer the release of assessment instrument question and answer keys as needed to develop assessment instruments.
The bill would limit public school students to three courses in a junior college outside of the service area of their high school, with certain exemptions.
The bill would take effect on September 1, 2015, or immediately if passed within the necessary voting margins, and would apply beginning with school year 2015-16.
Methodology
The bill would eliminate the ability of the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to defer release of assessment instrument question and answer keys, including those for two newly developed State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) tests. According to TEA, the agency does not have sufficient test bank items for the STAAR Mathematics assessment in grade 3 through 8 and STAAR Alternate 2 assessment since both assessments are currently undergoing required modification and development.
This analysis assumes TEA would be required to accelerate item development to replace the released items for the STAAR Mathematics and STAAR Alternate 2 assessments, generating the anticipated state cost of $2.1 million in fiscal year 2016. According to information provided by TEA, accelerated item development would be $1.05 million per test. The agency indicates this would be a one-time cost due to existing statute, which requires annual release of assessment instruments except for tests under development or modification.
This analysis assumes costs based on the current state assessment contract. To the extent that assessment costs change with a new contract, costs may vary.
This analysis assumes that costs associated with other provisions of the bill could be absorbed within the agency's existing resources.
Local Government Impact
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
Source Agencies:
701 Central Education Agency, 781 Higher Education Coordinating Board