BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1249

By: Zwiener

Public Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

After the passage of H.B. 1164 by the 84th Legislature, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) established a pilot program to assess the use of writing portfolios as an alternative to the written portion of certain standardized tests and end-of-course tests. The bill author has informed the committee that total participation from select school districts increased from 1,700 students in the first year of the program to 30,000 students in the second year of the program and that, while TEA did not approve the use of writing portfolios for high-stakes use, TEA expressed a positive impact on writing, and teachers reported favorable assessments of the tool. The bill author has also informed the committee that Dripping Springs ISD participated in the pilot program and received favorable responses. H.B. 1249 seeks to authorize public school districts to elect to use a writing portfolio assessment program as an alternative to written standardized tests and English I and II end-of-course tests.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the commissioner of education in SECTION 1 of this bill.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 1249 amends the Education Code to authorize a public school district to 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 statewide standardized reading test for grades three through eight or an English I or English II end-of-course test that is not presented in a multiple choice format. A district that elects to use a writing portfolio assessment is not required to administer the portion of those reading and English tests that is not presented in a multiple choice format during the period the district is administering the writing portfolio assessment. The bill requires the Texas Education Agency (TEA), to the greatest extent practicable, to apply cost savings that result from that exemption to offset the costs accrued under the bill's provisions.

H.B. 1249 requires a district that elects to use a writing portfolio assessment to design the assessment in consultation with a public or private institution of higher education and submit the assessment to TEA for approval. The bill requires TEA to approve the assessment if it is determined to be valid and reliable by the institution that consulted on the design and it is designed to assess the following:

· a student's mastery of the essential knowledge and skills in writing through timed writing samples;

· improvement of a student's writing skills from the beginning of the school year to the end of the school year;

· a student's ability to follow the writing process from rough draft to final product; and

· a student's ability to produce more than one type of writing style.

H.B. 1249 authorizes a district that elects to use a writing portfolio assessment to 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 bill authorizes the district to coordinate with the regional education service center for the district's region in grading the assessments.

H.B. 1249 requires the commissioner of education to adopt rules as necessary to implement the bill's provisions. The bill applies beginning with the 2025-2026 school year.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2025.