Honorable Larry Taylor, Chair, Senate Committee on Education
FROM:
John McGeady, Assistant Director Sarah Keyton, Assistant Director Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB3906 by Huberty (Relating to the administration of assessment instruments used to assess the performance of public school students.), As Engrossed
Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB3906, As Engrossed: a negative impact of ($9,000,000) 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
($4,000,000)
2021
($5,000,000)
2022
($5,000,000)
2023
($5,000,000)
2024
($5,000,000)
Fiscal Year
Probable Savings/(Cost) from General Revenue Fund 1
2020
($4,000,000)
2021
($5,000,000)
2022
($5,000,000)
2023
($5,000,000)
2024
($5,000,000)
Fiscal Analysis
The bill would require that, for assessment instruments administered to students in grade three through five, 85 percent of students would have to 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. For assessment instruments administered to students in grade six through eight, 85 percent of students would have to 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. The bill would also allow administration of assessment instruments to occur in multiple parts over more than one day, with certain exceptions.
The bill would apply beginning with the 2019-2020 school year. 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 bill would require TEA to develop shorter assessments that could be administered over multiple days. In order to facilitate this implementation, TEA would need to develop additional items in order to provide districts with multiple opportunities to administer shorter assessments. According to the agency, this would require require $4.0 million in fiscal year 2020 and $2.0 million in subsequent fiscal years for item development. The agency reports that starting in fiscal year 2021 it would require $1 million for test construction related to the new test design of multiple shorter assessments and $2 million annually for operational administration of the larger number of shorter assessments. These costs would in part be attributable to the need to develop more questions tied to each standard to enable more administrations of shorter tests. More versions of each assessment would have to be developed, in order to ensure security of questions and answers on tests administered on different days.
Local Government Impact
No significant fiscal implication to school districts or charter schools is anticipated.