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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to eliminating the state-required assessment instrument |
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in social studies and the United States history end-of-course |
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assessment instrument. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Sections 39.023(a) and (c), Education Code, are |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(a) The agency shall adopt or develop appropriate |
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criterion-referenced assessment instruments designed to assess |
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essential knowledge and skills in reading, writing, mathematics, |
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[social studies,] and science. Except as provided by Subsection |
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(a-2), all students, other than students assessed under Subsection |
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(b) or (l) or exempted under Section 39.027, shall be assessed in: |
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(1) mathematics, annually in grades three through |
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seven without the aid of technology and in grade eight with the aid |
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of technology on any assessment instrument that includes algebra; |
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(2) reading, annually in grades three through eight; |
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(3) writing, including spelling and grammar, in grades |
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four and seven; |
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(4) [social studies, in grade eight;
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[(5)] science, in grades five and eight; and |
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(5) [(6)] any other subject and grade required by |
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federal law. |
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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, and English II [, and United States history]. The |
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Algebra I end-of-course assessment instrument must be administered |
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with the aid of technology. The English I and English II |
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end-of-course assessment instruments must each assess essential |
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knowledge and skills in both reading and writing in the same |
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assessment instrument and must provide a single score. A school |
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district 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. |
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The State Board of Education shall adopt a schedule for the |
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administration of end-of-course assessment instruments that |
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complies with the requirements of Subsection (c-3). |
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SECTION 2. Section 39.203(c), Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(c) In addition to the distinction designations described |
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by Subsections (a) and (b), a campus that satisfies the criteria |
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developed under Section 39.204 shall be awarded a distinction |
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designation by the commissioner for outstanding performance in |
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academic achievement in English language arts, mathematics, or |
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science[, or social studies]. |
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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. |