BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	H.B. 3906
86R27798 SOS-F	By: Huberty; Guillen (Taylor)
	Education
	5/13/2019
	Engrossed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

H.B. 3906 amends current law relating to the administration of assessment instruments used to assess the performance of public school students.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the commissioner of education in SECTION 2 of this bill.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 39.023, Education Code, by amending Subsections (a-12), (a-13), (b-1), (c), and (c-3) and adding Subsections (a-14) and (c-7), as follows:

(a-12) Requires an assessment instrument adopted or developed under Subsection (a) (relating to TEA adopting or developing appropriate criterion-referenced assessment instruments designed to assess essential knowledge and skills in reading, writing, mathematics, social studies, and science) to be designed so that:

(1) if administered to students in grades three through five, 85 percent of students will be able to complete all assessment instruments for that grade within an aggregate period equal to the number of assessment instruments for that grade multiplied by 120 minutes, rather than if administered to students in grades three through five, 85 percent of students will be able to complete the assessment instrument within 120 minutes; and

(2) if administered to students in grades six through eight, 85 percent of students will be able to complete all assessment instruments for that grade within an aggregate period equal to the number of assessment instruments for that grade multiplied by 180 minutes, rather than if administered to students in grades six through eight, 85 percent of students will be able to complete the assessment instrument within 180 minutes.

(a-13) Prohibits the amount of time allowed for administration of an assessment instrument adopted or developed under Subsection (a) from exceeding eight hours, and authorizes the administration to occur in multiple parts over more than one day, rather than occur on only one day.

(a-14) Provides that Subsections (a-12) and (a-13) do not apply to a classroom portfolio method used to assess writing performance.

(b-1) Provides that a classroom portfolio method used to assess writing performance may require a teacher to prepare tasks and materials. Deletes existing text requiring assessment instruments adopted or developed under this subsection to be administered not later than the 2014�2015 school year.

(c) Requires the English I and English II end-of-course assessment instruments to each assess essential knowledge and skills in both reading and writing, rather than both reading and writing in the same assessment instrument, and to provide a single score. Authorizes an end-of-course assessment instrument to be administered in multiple parts over more than one day. Deletes existing text requiring the State Board of Education (SBOE) to adopt a schedule for the administration of end-of-course assessment instruments that complies with the requirements of Subsection (c-3).

(c-3) Requires SBOE, except as provided by Subsection (c-7), in adopting a schedule for the administration of assessment instruments under this section, to require certain protocols relating to assessment instruments administration.

(c-7) Provides that Subsection (c-3) does not apply to a classroom portfolio method used to assess writing performance if student performance under that method is less than 50 percent of a student's overall assessed performance in writing.

SECTION 2. Requires the commissioner of education, as soon as practicable after the effective date of this Act, to adopt rules necessary to implement the changes in law made by this Act.

SECTION 3. Provides that this Act applies beginning with the 2019�2020 school year.

SECTION 4. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2019.