Bill Text: TX HB1249 | 2025-2026 | 89th Legislature | Engrossed
Bill Title: Relating to authorizing the use of a writing portfolio assessment to assess writing performance for public school students.
Sponsorship: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2025-05-19 - Referred to Education K-16 [HB1249 Detail]
Download: Texas-2025-HB1249-Engrossed.html
| 89R3513 RDR-F | ||
| By: Zwiener, VanDeaver, Buckley, Metcalf, | H.B. No. 1249 | |
| González of El Paso | ||
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| 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 2025-2026 | ||
| 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, 2025. | ||
