BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 789

By: Meyer

Public Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties contend that recently lowered state standards for public school students to obtain credit by examination for acceleration or credit has led to increased demand for testing and instances of some students who met the lowered standards struggling in the course for which credit was earned. H.B. 789 seeks to remedy this situation by allowing certain school districts to set the minimum scores required for district students to pass an examination for acceleration or for credit.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 789 amends the Education Code to authorize the board of trustees of a public school district surrounded by a school district whose central administrative office is located in a county with a population of more than two million and whose student enrollment is more than 125,000 and less than 200,000 to establish a minimum required score for each section of an examination for primary school grade level acceleration or an examination for secondary school academic subject credit approved by the board that is higher than certain existing minimum required scores for such examinations. The bill prohibits a minimum required score so established by a district board from being greater than a score in the 90th percentile and requires such a minimum score to be established before the beginning of a school year for examinations to be administered in the school year and to apply for at least the entire school year. The bill's provisions apply beginning with the 2017-2018 school year.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2017.