Honorable Dan Huberty, Chair, House Committee on Public Education
FROM:
John McGeady, Assistant Director Sarah Keyton, Assistant Director Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB2824 by VanDeaver (Relating to the pilot program for assessing public school students in writing under an alternative method.), As Introduced
Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB2824, As Introduced: a negative impact of ($3,204,428) 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
($2,102,214)
2021
($1,102,214)
2022
($1,102,214)
2023
($1,102,214)
2024
($1,102,214)
Fiscal Year
Probable Savings/(Cost) from General Revenue Fund 1
Change in Number of State Employees from FY 2019
2020
($2,102,214)
1.0
2021
($1,102,214)
1.0
2022
($1,102,214)
1.0
2023
($1,102,214)
1.0
2024
($1,102,214)
1.0
Fiscal Analysis
The bill would reestablish a writing assessment study pilot program that was originally established in 2015. The pilot program required the Texas Education Agency to coordinate with its assessment contractor to establish a writing assessment method to be used as an alternative to the state-mandated writing assessment and implement the alternative writing assessment in designated districts during school years 2016-17 and 2017-18.
Under this bill, the pilot program would be reauthorized for the 2019-2020, 2020-2021, 2021-2022, and 2022-2023 school years. The bill would require the agency to develop methods to determine the validity of the scoring process for the alternative writing assessment. The bill would require the agency to deliver a report to the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, the Speaker of the House, and each standing legislative committee with jurisdiction over public education a report evaluating the program in 2021 and in 2023.
The pilot would expire on September 1, 2023. 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 agency estimates that 1.0 FTE would be required to manage the pilot program for the next four years. The costs associated with that position would total $204,428 in the biennium, including salary, benefits, and other operating costs.
According to the agency, there would be increased costs for the assessment contract to comply with the bill's requirements for the pilot program. This would include coordinating scoring with school districts, public junior colleges or other institutes of higher learning; to establishing systems to ensure minimum validity and reliability in scoring; conducting validity studies and creating required reports regarding the implementation, progress, and continuation or expansion of the pilot program; and providing programmatic support and technical assistance for participating districts. This analysis assumes that additional contract costs would total $2.0 million in the first fiscal year and $1.0 in each of the pilot's subsequent years.
Local Government Impact
Districts that chose to participate in the pilot could see increased costs associated with teacher training, scoring of assessments, and other activities.