BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	S.B. 2049
	By: Taylor, Larry
	Education
	4/18/2017
	As Filed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Only 40 percent of Texas 25-34 year olds possess a postsecondary certificate or degree, yet 62 percent of new jobs in Texas will require postsecondary education. Many community college students must complete remedial coursework, delaying their entrance into credit-bearing courses and often hindering their ability to successfully complete their program. Knowing in high school if students are prepared to be successful in a variety of post-secondary environments is essential.

Interested parties question whether high school end-of-course examinations accurately measure college readiness and provide adequate diagnostic information about a student's level of preparedness.

S.B. 2049 requires all students to take the Texas Success Initiative Assessment at the end of the 11th grade and contemplates removing currently required end-of-course assessments.

S.B. 2049 establishes a program to pilot computer adaptive testing in grades 3-8 in order to make recommendations regarding the continuation or expansion of the pilot program.

As proposed, S.B. 2049 amends current law relating to the adoption and administration of certain assessment instruments in primary and secondary education.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

Rulemaking authority previously granted to the commissioner of education is modified in SECTION 4 (Section 39.025, Education Code) of this bill.

Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Education Agency in SECTION 5 (Section 39.02341, Education Code) of this bill.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Sections 39.023(c) and (c-3), Education Code, as follows:

(c) Requires a school district, each school year, to administer to students in the 11th grade one or more Texas Success Initiative (TSI) assessment instruments in reading, writing, and mathematics approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) under Section 51.3062(c) (relating to requiring THECB to designate one or more instruments for use in assessing students under this section), except that if the commissioner of education (commissioner) determines it is necessary, the commissioner may permit a district to instead administer the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) or the American College Test (ACT). Deletes existing text requiring the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to adopt end-of-course (EOC) assessment instruments for secondary-level courses in English II. Makes conforming and nonsubstantive changes.

(c-3) Deletes existing text including English II in the list of spring administration of end-of-course assessment instruments subject to State Board of Education requirements.

SECTION 2. Amends Sections 39.0238(a), Education Code, to include English II in the list of appropriate postsecondary readiness assessment instruments TEA is required to adopt for a school district to administer at the district's option.

SECTION 3. Amends Section 39.0241(a), Education Code, to require the commissioner to consult with the commissioner of THECB and the chairperson of the Texas Workforce Commission in determining the level of student performance that is considered satisfactory for the TSI assessment instruments or alternate assessment instruments administered under Section 39.023(c).

SECTION 4. Amends Sections 39.025(a), (b), (b-1), Education Code,� as follows:

(a) Requires the commissioner to adopt rules requiring a student in a certain high school program to be administered each assessment instrument listed in Section 39.023(c), except that a student is not required to complete an assessment instrument for a course in which the student is not enrolled, rather than only for a course in which the student is enrolled for which an EOC assessment instrument is administered.� Changes references to EOC assessment instrument to assessment instrument.

(a-1), (b), and (b-1) Makes conforming changes to these subsections.

SECTION 5. Amends Subchapter B, Chapter 39, Education Code, by adding Section 39.02341, as follows:

Sec. 39.02341. COMPUTER ADAPTIVE TESTING; PILOT PROGRAM. (a) Defines "computer adaptive testing."

(b) Requires TEA, in coordination with THECB and any entity that has been contracted to develop or implement certain assessment instruments, during the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 school years,� to establish a pilot program as provided by this section to implement� in designated school districts a system of computer adaptive testing for the assessment of students in grades three through eight.�

(c) Requires TEA to designate school districts to participate in the pilot program as provided by this subsection. Requires the pilot program to include at least one large urban district, one medium-sized district, and one rural district. Requires each district included to have a student enrollment that is representative of diverse demographics and socioeconomic backgrounds.

(d) Requires TEA, not later than September 1, 2020, to prepare and deliver to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the presiding officer of each legislative standing committee with primary jurisdiction over primary and secondary education a report that evaluates the implementation and progress of the pilot program under this section and makes recommendations regarding the continuation or expansion of the pilot program.

(e) Requires TEA to adopt rules as necessary to administer this section.

(f) Provides that this section expires on January 1, 2021.

SECTION 6. Amends Section 18.006(b), Education Code, to make a conforming change.

SECTION 7. Amends Section 28.014(a), Education Code, to require certain courses in college preparatory mathematics and English language arts to be designed for students at the 12th grade level whose performance on an assessment instrument, rather than EOC assessment instrument, required under Section 39.023(c) is not considered at least satisfactory academic performance, rather than does not meet college readiness standards.

SECTION 8. Amends Sections 29.081(b) and (b-1), Education Code, to make conforming changes.

SECTION 9.� Amends Section 39.034(d), Education Code, to make a conforming change.

SECTION 10. Amends Section 39.203(d), Education Code, to make a conforming change.

SECTION 11.� Provides that this Act applies beginning with the 2018-2019 school year.

SECTION 12. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2017.