Bill Text: TX HB743 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relating to the essential knowledge and skills of the required public school curriculum and to certain assessment instruments for public school students.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Passed) 2015-06-19 - Effective immediately [HB743 Detail]
Download: Texas-2015-HB743-Enrolled.html
H.B. No. 743 |
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relating to the essential knowledge and skills of the required | ||
public school curriculum and to certain assessment instruments for | ||
public school students. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Section 39.023, Education Code, is amended by | ||
adding Subsections (a-11), (a-12), and (a-13) to read as follows: | ||
(a-11) Before an assessment instrument adopted or developed | ||
under Subsection (a) may be administered under that subsection, the | ||
assessment instrument must, on the basis of empirical evidence, be | ||
determined to be valid and reliable by an entity that is independent | ||
of the agency and of any other entity that developed the assessment | ||
instrument. | ||
(a-12) An assessment instrument adopted or developed under | ||
Subsection (a) must be designed so that: | ||
(1) if administered to students in grades three | ||
through five, 85 percent of students will be able to complete the | ||
assessment instrument within 120 minutes; and | ||
(2) if administered to students in grades six through | ||
eight, 85 percent of students will be able to complete the | ||
assessment instrument within 180 minutes. | ||
(a-13) The amount of time allowed for administration of an | ||
assessment instrument adopted or developed under Subsection (a) may | ||
not exceed eight hours, and the administration may occur on only one | ||
day. | ||
SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 39, Education Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 39.0236 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 39.0236. STUDY OF ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS AND | ||
ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENTS. (a) The agency shall conduct a study | ||
regarding the essential knowledge and skills of the required | ||
curriculum identified by the State Board of Education under Section | ||
28.002 and assessment instruments administered under Section | ||
39.023. | ||
(b) The study must evaluate: | ||
(1) the number and scope of the essential knowledge | ||
and skills of each subject of the required curriculum under Section | ||
28.002, with each essential knowledge or skill identified as a | ||
readiness or supporting standard, and whether the number or scope | ||
should be limited; | ||
(2) the number and subjects of assessment instruments | ||
under Section 39.023 that are required to be administered to | ||
students in grades three through eight; and | ||
(3) how assessment instruments described by | ||
Subdivision (2) assess standards essential for student success and | ||
whether the assessment instruments should also assess supporting | ||
standards, including analysis of: | ||
(A) the portion of the essential knowledge and | ||
skills capable of being accurately assessed; | ||
(B) the appropriate skills that can be assessed | ||
within the testing parameters under current law; and | ||
(C) how current standards compare to those | ||
parameters. | ||
(c) Not later than March 1, 2016, the agency shall prepare | ||
and submit to the State Board of Education a report concerning the | ||
results of the study under Subsection (b). Not later than May 1, | ||
2016, the State Board of Education shall review the study and shall | ||
submit to the governor and each member of the legislature the | ||
agency's report and board recommendations regarding each issue | ||
evaluated under Subsection (b). | ||
(d) This section expires June 1, 2017. | ||
SECTION 3. Sections 39.0261(b) and (c), Education Code, are | ||
amended to read as follows: | ||
(b) The agency shall: | ||
(1) select and approve vendors of the specific | ||
assessment instruments administered under this section; and | ||
(2) provide reimbursement to a school district | ||
for [ |
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assessment instrument from funds appropriated for that purpose | ||
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(c) The agency shall ensure that a school district is not | ||
reimbursed [ |
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administration of an assessment instrument to a student to whom the | ||
assessment instrument is not actually administered. The agency may | ||
comply with this subsection by any reasonable means, including by | ||
creating a refund system under which a school district [ |
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returns any payment made for a student who registered for the | ||
administration of an assessment instrument but did not appear for | ||
the administration. | ||
SECTION 4. Subchapter B, Chapter 39, Education Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 39.0381 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 39.0381. AUDITING AND MONITORING PERFORMANCE UNDER | ||
CONTRACTS FOR ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENTS. (a) The agency by rule shall | ||
develop a comprehensive methodology for auditing and monitoring | ||
performance under contracts for services to develop or administer | ||
assessment instruments required by Section 39.023 to verify | ||
compliance with contractual obligations. | ||
(b) The agency shall ensure that all new and renewed | ||
contracts described by Subsection (a) include a provision that the | ||
agency or a designee of the agency may conduct periodic contract | ||
compliance reviews, without advance notice, to monitor vendor | ||
performance. | ||
(c) The agency shall adopt rules to administer this section. | ||
SECTION 5. This Act applies beginning with the 2015-2016 | ||
school year. | ||
SECTION 6. 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. 743 was passed by the House on May 4, | ||
2015, by the following vote: Yeas 137, Nays 2, 1 present, not | ||
voting; that the House refused to concur in Senate amendments to | ||
H.B. No. 743 on May 27, 2015, and requested the appointment of a | ||
conference committee to consider the differences between the two | ||
houses; and that the House adopted the conference committee report | ||
on H.B. No. 743 on May 31, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 143, | ||
Nays 1, 1 present, not voting. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Chief Clerk of the House | ||
I certify that H.B. No. 743 was passed by the Senate, with | ||
amendments, on May 25, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 27, Nays | ||
4; at the request of the House, the Senate appointed a conference | ||
committee to consider the differences between the two houses; and | ||
that the Senate adopted the conference committee report on H.B. No. | ||
743 on May 30, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 27, Nays 4. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Secretary of the Senate | ||
APPROVED: __________________ | ||
Date | ||
__________________ | ||
Governor |