Bill Text: TX HB1164 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relating to requiring the Texas Education Agency to conduct a study to develop a writing assessment method for public school students and establish a pilot program to administer the assessment method developed.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 5-3)
Status: (Passed) 2015-06-17 - Effective on 9/1/15 [HB1164 Detail]
Download: Texas-2015-HB1164-Enrolled.html
H.B. No. 1164 |
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relating to requiring the Texas Education Agency to conduct a study | ||
to develop a writing assessment method for public school students | ||
and establish a pilot program to administer the assessment method | ||
developed. | ||
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. WRITING ASSESSMENT STUDY; PILOT PROGRAM. | ||
(a) During the 2015-2016 school year, the agency, in coordination | ||
with the entity that has been contracted to develop or implement | ||
assessment instruments under Section 39.023, shall conduct a study | ||
to develop a writing assessment method as an alternative to the | ||
writing assessment instruments required under Sections 39.023(a) | ||
and (c). The writing assessment method must be designed to assess: | ||
(1) a student's mastery of the essential knowledge and | ||
skills in writing through timed writing samples; | ||
(2) improvement of a student's writing skills from the | ||
beginning of the school year to the end of the school year; | ||
(3) a student's ability to follow the writing process | ||
from rough draft to final product; and | ||
(4) a student's ability to produce more than one type | ||
of writing style. | ||
(b) During the 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 school years, the | ||
agency shall establish a pilot program as provided by this section | ||
to implement in designated school districts the writing assessment | ||
method developed under Subsection (a). | ||
(c) The agency shall designate school districts to | ||
participate in the pilot program as provided by this subsection. | ||
The pilot program must include at least one large urban district, | ||
one medium-sized district, and one rural district. Each district | ||
included must have a student enrollment that is representative of | ||
diverse demographics and socioeconomic backgrounds. To the extent | ||
practicable, the agency shall designate the number of districts the | ||
agency determines appropriate to achieve the cost savings described | ||
by Subsection (d). | ||
(d) A school district designated to participate in the pilot | ||
program under this section is not required to comply with the | ||
writing assessment requirements under Sections 39.023(a) and (c) | ||
during the period the district is participating in the pilot | ||
program. 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 agency shall establish the process for | ||
consolidating student writing assessments under the method | ||
developed under Subsection (a) to be submitted for scoring. This | ||
process may include the submission of a student portfolio for | ||
scoring. | ||
(f) The individuals responsible for scoring student writing | ||
assessments under the pilot program shall be coordinated jointly | ||
by: | ||
(1) the school district in which the student is | ||
enrolled and that is participating in the pilot program; | ||
(2) a public junior college or institution of higher | ||
education that enters into an agreement with the participating | ||
school district; and | ||
(3) the regional education service center that serves | ||
the participating district. | ||
(g) A random sampling of scored student writing | ||
assessments, the size of which the agency shall determine, shall be | ||
delivered to the agency. | ||
(h) Not later than September 1, 2016, the agency shall | ||
prepare and deliver to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the | ||
speaker of the house of representatives, and the presiding officer | ||
of each legislative standing committee with primary jurisdiction | ||
over primary and secondary education a report covering the study of | ||
the development of the writing assessment method under Subsection | ||
(a). Not later than September 1 of each year in 2017 and 2018, the | ||
agency shall prepare and deliver to the governor, the lieutenant | ||
governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the | ||
presiding officer of each legislative standing committee with | ||
primary jurisdiction over primary and secondary education a report | ||
that: | ||
(1) evaluates the implementation and progress of the | ||
pilot program under this section; and | ||
(2) makes recommendations regarding the continuation | ||
or expansion of the pilot program. | ||
(i) The agency shall adopt rules as necessary to administer | ||
this section. | ||
(j) This section expires September 1, 2019. | ||
SECTION 2. 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, 2015. | ||
______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
I certify that H.B. No. 1164 was passed by the House on April | ||
30, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 142, Nays 0, 1 present, not | ||
voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B. | ||
No. 1164 on May 27, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 92, Nays 45, | ||
4 present, not voting. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Chief Clerk of the House | ||
I certify that H.B. No. 1164 was passed by the Senate, with | ||
amendments, on May 25, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 25, Nays | ||
6. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Secretary of the Senate | ||
APPROVED: __________________ | ||
Date | ||
__________________ | ||
Governor |