By: Zwiener, Allen, Talarico, VanDeaver H.B. No. 83
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to authorizing the use of a writing portfolio assessment
  to assess writing performance for public school students.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 39, Education Code, is
  amended by adding Section 39.02301 to read as follows:
         Sec. 39.02301.  OPTIONAL USE OF WRITING PORTFOLIO
  ASSESSMENT. (a) A school district may elect to use a writing
  portfolio assessment to assess writing performance for students
  enrolled in the district as an alternative to administering the
  portion of a reading assessment instrument under Section 39.023(a)
  or English I or English II end-of-course assessment instrument
  under Section 39.023(c) that is not presented in a multiple choice
  format.
         (b)  A school district that elects to use a writing portfolio
  assessment under this section shall design the assessment in
  consultation with a public or private institution of higher
  education and submit the assessment to the agency for approval. The
  agency shall approve the assessment if the assessment is:
               (1)  determined by the public or private institution of
  higher education that consulted on the design of the assessment to
  be valid and reliable; and
               (2)  designed to assess:
                     (A)  a student's mastery of the essential
  knowledge and skills in writing through timed writing samples;
                     (B)  improvement of a student's writing skills
  from the beginning of the school year to the end of the school year;
                     (C)  a student's ability to follow the writing
  process from rough draft to final product; and
                     (D)  a student's ability to produce more than one
  type of writing style.
         (c)  A school district that elects to use a writing portfolio
  assessment under this section may adopt a policy allowing the
  assessment to be scored by a classroom teacher assigned to the same
  campus as the student to whom the assessment is administered. The
  district may coordinate with the regional education service center
  for the district's region in grading the assessments.
         (d)  A school district that elects to use a writing portfolio
  assessment under this section is not required to administer the
  portion of a reading assessment instrument under Section 39.023(a)
  or English I or English II end-of-course assessment instrument
  under Section 39.023(c) that is not presented in a multiple choice
  format during the period the district is administering the writing
  portfolio assessment. The agency shall, to the greatest extent
  practicable, apply cost savings that result from the exemption
  under this subsection to offset the costs accrued under this
  section.
         (e)  The commissioner shall adopt rules as necessary to
  implement this section.
         SECTION 2.  This Act applies beginning with the 2023-2024
  school year.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2023.