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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to eliminating certain state-required end-of-course |
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assessment instruments not required by federal law and eliminating |
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graduation requirements based on satisfactory performance on |
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certain end-of-course assessment instruments. |
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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 Subsection (c) and adding Subsection (q) to read as |
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follows: |
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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, and |
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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, but may include one or more parts that prohibit |
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the use of technology. The English I [and English II] end-of-course |
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assessment instrument [instruments] must [each] assess essential |
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knowledge and skills in both reading and writing and must provide a |
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single score. A school district shall comply with State Board of |
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Education rules regarding administration of the assessment |
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instruments listed in this subsection. If a student is in a special |
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education program under Subchapter A, Chapter 29, the student's |
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admission, review, and dismissal committee shall determine whether |
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any allowable modification is necessary in administering to the |
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student an assessment instrument required under this subsection. |
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The State Board of Education shall administer the assessment |
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instruments. An end-of-course assessment instrument may be |
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administered in multiple parts over more than one day. The State |
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Board of Education shall adopt a schedule for the administration of |
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end-of-course assessment instruments that complies with the |
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requirements of Subsection (c-3). |
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(q) This subsection applies to end-of-course assessment |
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instruments adopted under Subsection (c) for secondary-level |
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courses in English II and United States history, as that subsection |
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existed before amendment by __.B. No.___, Acts of the 88th |
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Legislature, Regular Session, 2023. The agency may retain |
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assessment instruments described by this subsection, but may not |
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require a school district to administer those assessment |
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instruments. A school district may choose to administer an |
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assessment instrument described by this subsection. An assessment |
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instrument described by this subsection administered by a school |
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district may not be used for accountability purposes to measure the |
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performance of the district or a district campus. |
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SECTION 2. Section 39.025, Education Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsections (a-1) and (a-3) and adding Subsections (h), |
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(i), and (j) to read as follows: |
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(a-1) A student enrolled in a college preparatory |
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mathematics or English language arts course under Section 28.014 |
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who satisfies the Texas Success Initiative (TSI) college readiness |
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benchmarks prescribed by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating |
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Board under Section 51.334 on an assessment instrument designated |
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by the coordinating board under that section administered at the |
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end of the college preparatory mathematics or English language arts |
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course satisfies the requirements concerning and is exempt from the |
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administration of the Algebra I or the English I [and English II] |
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end-of-course assessment instrument [instruments], as applicable, |
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as prescribed by Section 39.023(c), even if the student did not |
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perform satisfactorily on a previous administration of the |
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applicable end-of-course assessment instrument. A student who |
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fails to perform satisfactorily on the assessment instrument |
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designated by the coordinating board under Section 51.334 |
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administered as provided by this subsection may retake that |
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assessment instrument for purposes of this subsection or may take |
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the appropriate end-of-course assessment instrument. |
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(a-3) A student who, after retaking an end-of-course |
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assessment instrument for Algebra I [or English II], has failed to |
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perform satisfactorily as required by Subsection (a)[,] but who |
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receives a score of proficient on the Texas Success Initiative |
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(TSI) diagnostic assessment for mathematics [the corresponding |
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subject for which the student failed to perform satisfactorily on |
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the end-of-course assessment instrument] satisfies the requirement |
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concerning the Algebra I [or English II] end-of-course assessment[, |
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as applicable]. |
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(h) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), in order to receive a |
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high school diploma, a student is not required to achieve a scale |
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score that indicates satisfactory performance on an end-of-course |
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assessment for secondary-level courses in English II or United |
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States history after the effective date of __.B. No.___, Acts of the |
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88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023, regardless of the date the |
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student enters high school. |
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(i) Subject to Subsection (j), a school district or |
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open-enrollment charter school policy that requires a student to |
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demonstrate satisfactory performance on an end-of-course |
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assessment for secondary-level courses in English II or United |
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States history does not apply to a student of the district or school |
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as of the effective date of __.B. No.___, Acts of the 88th |
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Legislature, Regular Session, 2023, regardless of the date that |
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student enters high school or whether the student is currently |
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enrolled in high school. |
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(j) The board of trustees of a school district or the |
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governing body of an open-enrollment charter school with a policy |
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described by Subsection (i) may readopt the policy after the |
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effective date of __.B. No.___, Acts of the 88th Legislature, |
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Regular Session, 2023, to apply to district or charter school |
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students enrolled in high school on or after the date the policy is |
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readopted. |
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SECTION 3. This Act applies beginning with the 2023-2024 |
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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 on the 91st day after the last day of the |
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legislative session. |