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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the administration of assessment instruments used to |
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assess the performance of public school students. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 39.023, Education Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsections (a-12), (a-13), (b-1), (c), and (c-3) and |
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adding Subsections (a-14) and (c-7) to read as follows: |
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(a-12) An assessment instrument adopted or developed under |
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Subsection (a) must be designed so that: |
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(1) if administered to students in grades three |
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through five, 85 percent of students will be able to complete all |
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[the] assessment instruments for that grade [instrument] within an |
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aggregate period equal to the number of assessment instruments for |
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that grade multiplied by 120 minutes; and |
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(2) if administered to students in grades six through |
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eight, 85 percent of students will be able to complete all [the] |
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assessment instruments for that grade [instrument] within an |
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aggregate period equal to the number of assessment instruments for |
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that grade multiplied by 180 minutes. |
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(a-13) The amount of time allowed for administration of an |
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assessment instrument adopted or developed under Subsection (a) may |
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not exceed eight hours, and the administration may occur in |
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multiple parts over more than [on only] one day. |
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(a-14) Subsections (a-12) and (a-13) do not apply to a |
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classroom portfolio method used to assess writing performance. |
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(b-1) The agency, in conjunction with appropriate |
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interested persons, shall redevelop assessment instruments adopted |
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or developed under Subsection (b) for administration to |
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significantly cognitively disabled students in a manner consistent |
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with federal law. An assessment instrument under this subsection |
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may not require a teacher to prepare tasks or materials for a |
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student who will be administered such an assessment instrument. A |
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classroom portfolio method used to assess writing performance may |
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require a teacher to prepare tasks and materials [Assessment
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instruments adopted or developed under this subsection shall be
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administered not later than the 2014-2015 school year]. |
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(c) The agency shall also adopt end-of-course assessment |
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instruments for secondary-level courses in Algebra I, biology, |
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English I, English II, and United States history. The Algebra I |
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end-of-course assessment instrument must be administered with the |
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aid of technology. The English I and English II end-of-course |
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assessment instruments must each assess essential knowledge and |
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skills in both reading and writing [in the same assessment
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instrument] and must provide a single score. A school district |
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shall comply with State Board of Education rules regarding |
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administration of the assessment instruments listed in this |
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subsection. If a student is in a special education program under |
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Subchapter A, Chapter 29, the student's admission, review, and |
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dismissal committee shall determine whether any allowable |
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modification is necessary in administering to the student an |
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assessment instrument required under this subsection. The State |
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Board of Education shall administer the assessment instruments. An |
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end-of-course assessment instrument may be administered in |
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multiple parts over more than one day [The State Board of Education
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shall adopt a schedule for the administration of end-of-course
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assessment instruments that complies with the requirements of
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Subsection (c-3)]. |
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(c-3) Except as provided by Subsection (c-7), in [In] |
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adopting a schedule for the administration of assessment |
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instruments under this section, the State Board of Education shall |
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require: |
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(1) assessment instruments administered under |
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Subsection (a) to be administered on a schedule so that the first |
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assessment instrument is administered at least two weeks later than |
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the date on which the first assessment instrument was administered |
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under Subsection (a) during the 2006-2007 school year; and |
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(2) the spring administration of end-of-course |
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assessment instruments under Subsection (c) to occur in each school |
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district not earlier than the first full week in May, except that |
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the spring administration of the end-of-course assessment |
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instruments in English I and English II must be permitted to occur |
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at an earlier date. |
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(c-7) Subsection (c-3) does not apply to a classroom |
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portfolio method used to assess writing performance if student |
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performance under that method is less than 50 percent of a student's |
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overall assessed performance in writing. |
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SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date |
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of this Act, the commissioner of education shall adopt rules |
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necessary to implement the changes in law made by this Act. |
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SECTION 3. This Act applies beginning with the 2019-2020 |
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school year. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |