Bill Text: TX SB1893 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the assessment of public school students in writing and English language arts.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-03-25 - Referred to Education [SB1893 Detail]
Download: Texas-2015-SB1893-Introduced.html
84R7893 PAM-F | ||
By: Garcia | S.B. No. 1893 |
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relating to the assessment of public school students in writing and | ||
English language arts. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Section 39.023(a), Education Code, as effective | ||
until on or before September 1, 2015, is amended to read as follows: | ||
(a) The agency shall adopt or develop appropriate | ||
criterion-referenced assessment instruments designed to assess | ||
essential knowledge and skills in reading, English language arts | ||
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provided by Subsection (a-2), all students, other than students | ||
assessed under Subsection (b) or (l) or exempted under Section | ||
39.027, shall be assessed in: | ||
(1) mathematics, annually in grades three through | ||
seven without the aid of technology and in grade eight with the aid | ||
of technology on any assessment instrument that includes algebra; | ||
(2) reading, annually in grades three through eight; | ||
(3) English language arts [ |
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spelling and grammar, in grades four and seven; | ||
(4) social studies, in grade eight; | ||
(5) science, in grades five and eight; and | ||
(6) any other subject and grade required by federal | ||
law. | ||
SECTION 2. Section 39.023(a), Education Code, as effective | ||
on or before September 1, 2015, is amended to read as follows: | ||
(a) The agency shall adopt or develop appropriate | ||
criterion-referenced assessment instruments designed to assess | ||
essential knowledge and skills in reading, English language arts | ||
[ |
||
provided by Subsection (a-2), all students, other than students | ||
assessed under Subsection (b) or (l) or exempted under Section | ||
39.027, shall be assessed in: | ||
(1) mathematics, in grades three and five without the | ||
aid of technology and in grade eight with the aid of technology on | ||
any assessment instrument that includes algebra; | ||
(2) reading, in grades three, five, and eight; | ||
(3) English language arts [ |
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spelling and grammar, in grades four and seven; | ||
(4) social studies, in grade eight; and | ||
(5) science, in grades five and eight. | ||
SECTION 3. Section 39.023(a), Education Code, as effective | ||
September 1, 2017, is amended to read as follows: | ||
(a) The agency shall adopt or develop appropriate | ||
criterion-referenced assessment instruments designed to assess | ||
essential knowledge and skills in reading, English language arts | ||
[ |
||
provided by Subsection (a-2), all students, other than students | ||
assessed under Subsection (b) or (l) or exempted under Section | ||
39.027, shall be assessed in: | ||
(1) mathematics, annually in grades three through | ||
seven without the aid of technology and in grade eight with the aid | ||
of technology on any assessment instrument that includes algebra; | ||
(2) reading, annually in grades three through eight; | ||
(3) English language arts [ |
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spelling and grammar, in grades four and seven; | ||
(4) social studies, in grade eight; | ||
(5) science, in grades five and eight; and | ||
(6) any other subject and grade required by federal | ||
law. | ||
SECTION 4. Section 39.023, Education Code, is amended by | ||
amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsection (q) to read as | ||
follows: | ||
(c) The agency shall also adopt end-of-course assessment | ||
instruments for secondary-level courses in Algebra I, biology, | ||
English I, English II, and United States history. The Algebra I | ||
end-of-course assessment instrument must be administered with the | ||
aid of technology. The English I and English II end-of-course | ||
assessment instruments must each assess essential knowledge and | ||
skills in both reading and language arts [ |
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assessment instrument and must provide a single score. A school | ||
district shall comply with State Board of Education rules regarding | ||
administration of the assessment instruments listed in this | ||
subsection. If a student is in a special education program under | ||
Subchapter A, Chapter 29, the student's admission, review, and | ||
dismissal committee shall determine whether any allowable | ||
modification is necessary in administering to the student an | ||
assessment instrument required under this subsection. The State | ||
Board of Education shall administer the assessment | ||
instruments. The State Board of Education shall adopt a schedule | ||
for the administration of end-of-course assessment instruments | ||
that complies with the requirements of Subsection (c-3). | ||
(q) A writing sample submitted by a student in connection | ||
with an assessment instrument administered under this section may | ||
not be used to assess the student's writing for purposes of | ||
accountability under this chapter or for purposes of grade | ||
promotion or graduation criteria. The assessment of a student's | ||
writing is governed by Section 39.0264. | ||
SECTION 5. Subchapter B, Chapter 39, Education Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 39.0264 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 39.0264. LOCAL ASSESSMENT REQUIRED: WRITING. To | ||
evaluate student achievement in writing, each school district shall | ||
assess students in grades four and seven and at the end of English I | ||
and English II secondary-level courses in accordance with the | ||
essential knowledge and skills for writing. A district may use any | ||
method the district determines appropriate for assessing students | ||
under this section, including portfolio assessment. | ||
SECTION 6. Not later than September 1, 2016, the Texas | ||
Education Agency shall adopt or develop appropriate | ||
criterion-referenced assessment instruments designed to assess | ||
essential knowledge and skills in English language arts as required | ||
by Section 39.023, Education Code, as amended by this Act. | ||
SECTION 7. This Act applies beginning with the 2016-2017 | ||
school year. | ||
SECTION 8. 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. |