Honorable Dan Huberty, Chair, House Committee on Public Education
FROM:
John McGeady, Assistant Director Sarah Keyton, Assistant Director Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB2572 by Patterson (Relating to eliminating the state-required assessment instrument in social studies and the United States history end-of-course assessment instrument and to establishing a pilot program to develop a portfolio method to assess student performance in those courses.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted
Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB2572, Committee Report 1st House, Substituted: a negative impact of ($299,900) through the biennium ending August 31, 2021.
The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill.
Fiscal Year
Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds
2020
($510,508)
2021
$210,608
2022
$210,608
2023
$210,608
2024
$210,608
Fiscal Year
Probable Savings/(Cost) from General Revenue Fund 1
Change in Number of State Employees from FY 2019
2020
($510,508)
2.0
2021
$210,608
2.0
2022
$210,608
2.0
2023
$210,608
2.0
2024
$210,608
2.0
Fiscal Analysis
The bill would eliminate the grade eight social studies assessment and the high school United States History end-of-course exam. The bill would establish a pilot program in which participating school districts would use a portfolio method to assess eighth grade social studies and high school United States history.
Districts of Innovation would be authorized to request participation in the pilot. The Commissioner of Education would be required to review requests to participate and make selections by March 1, 2020. The number of participating students would be limited to 100,000. A school district selected to participate in the pilot program would be required to establish a committee of teachers and administrators who would develop a plan for implementing the portfolio assessment method at participating campuses, the required elements of which are specified in the bill. This plan could allow for other uses of the portfolio assessments, such as evaluating teacher performance and other purposes specified in the bill.
The Commissioner would be required to establish a committee consisting of teachers at participating districts to work with TEA to develop a rubric for grading portfolios. Individuals responsible for scoring portfolios would be coordinated by the school district, a public junior college or higher education institution, and the school district's regional education service center (ESC). TEA would use a sample of scored portfolios to evaluate the validity of scoring results. ESCs would be required to provide technical assistance to participating districts related to the pilot project.
TEA would be required to administer a survey to districts regarding the pilot. The agency would also be required to submit a report to the Governor and the Legislature evaluating and making recommendations on the pilot by December 1, 2024.
The bill would require the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to use any related cost savings to offsets costs accrued by the pilot program.
The pilot program would expire on September 1, 2025. The bill would take immediate effect if it receives a two-thirds vote in each house of the Legislature. Otherwise, the bill would take effect September 1, 2019.
Methodology
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) assumed that in order to establish and implement the pilot project, the agency would contract with an outside organization. Costs associated with that contract would total $1.7 million in fiscal year 2020 and $1.0 million in subsequent fiscal years. In addition, to adopt rules and oversee the project at the agency, including managing the work of the rubric development committee, this analysis assumes that 2.0 FTEs would be required. Costs for these FTEs, including salary and benefits, would total $429,216 in the 2020-2021 biennium. There would also be costs associated with the committee related to travel reimbursement and other costs of $61,900 in fiscal year 2020, $39,500 in fiscal year 2021.
Costs reflected above would be offset by savings associated with the elimination of the eighth grade social studies and the U.S. History end of course assessments. According to TEA, statewide elimination of both of these assessments would result in savings of $1.5 million annually.
Local Government Impact
School districts choosing to participate in the pilot would be likely to see increased costs related to the development of digital portfolio assessment implementation plans, as well as staff time to train educators and to digitally submit student portfolios. Elimination of the eighth grade social studies and the U.S. History end of course assessments would likely result in cost savings for school districts and charter schools. Education Service Centers that are required to provide technical assistance and collaboration on scoring portfolios would also be likely to see increased costs from the legislation.