Bill Text: TX SB2049 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Introduced


Bill Title: Relating to the adoption and administration of certain assessment instruments in primary and secondary education.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-05-02 - Left pending in committee [SB2049 Detail]

Download: Texas-2017-SB2049-Introduced.html
 
 
  By: Taylor of Galveston S.B. No. 2049
 
 
 
   
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the adoption and administration of certain assessment
  instruments in primary and secondary education.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Sections 39.023(c) and (c-3), Education Code,
  are amended to read as follows:
         (c)  Each school year a school district shall administer to
  students in the 11th grade one or more Texas Success Initiative
  (TSI)assessment instruments in reading, writing, and mathematics
  approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board under
  Section 51.3062(c), except that the commissioner may permit a
  district to instead administer the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT)
  or the American College Test (ACT) if the commissioner determines
  that administration of the alternate assessment instrument is
  necessary. 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 instrument [instruments] must [each] assess essential
  knowledge and skills in both reading and writing in the same
  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 under
  this subsection that complies with the requirements of Subsection
  (c-3).
         (c-3)  In adopting a schedule for the administration of
  assessment instruments under this section, the State Board of
  Education shall require:
               (1)  assessment instruments administered under
  Subsection (a) to be administered on a schedule so that the first
  assessment instrument is administered at least two weeks later than
  the date on which the first assessment instrument was administered
  under Subsection (a) during the 2006-2007 school year; and
               (2)  the spring administration of end-of-course
  assessment instruments under Subsection (c) to occur in each school
  district not earlier than the first full week in May, except that
  the spring administration of the end-of-course assessment
  instruments in English I [and English II] must be permitted to occur
  at an earlier date.
         SECTION 2.  Section 39.0238, Education Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (a)  In addition to other assessment instruments adopted and
  developed under this subchapter, the agency shall adopt or develop
  appropriate postsecondary readiness assessment instruments for
  Algebra II, English II, and English III that a school district may
  administer at the district's option.
         SECTION 3.  Section 39.0241(a), Education Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (a)  The commissioner shall determine the level of
  performance considered to be satisfactory on the assessment
  instruments. The commissioner shall consult with the commissioner
  of the Higher Education Coordinating Board and the chairperson of
  the Texas Workforce Commission in determining the level of student
  performance that is considered satisfactory for the Texas Success
  Initiative (TSI) assessment instruments or alternate assessment
  instruments administered under Section 39.023(c).
         SECTION 4.  Sections 39.025(a), (a-1), (b), and (b-1),
  Education Code, are amended to read as follows:
         (a)  The commissioner shall adopt rules requiring a student
  in the foundation high school program under Section 28.025 to be
  administered each[an end-of-course] assessment instrument listed
  in Section 39.023(c), except that a student is not required to
  complete an assessment instrument for a course in which the student
  is not enrolled[only for a course in which the student is enrolled
  and for which an end-of-course assessment instrument is
  administered]. A student is required to achieve a scale score that
  indicates satisfactory performance, as determined by the
  commissioner under Section 39.0241(a), on each [end-of-course]
  assessment instrument administered to the student. For each scale
  score required under this subsection that is not based on a
  100-point scale scoring system, the commissioner shall provide for
  conversion, in accordance with commissioner rule, of the scale
  score to an equivalent score based on a 100-point scale scoring
  system. A student may not receive a high school diploma until the
  student has performed satisfactorily on [end-of-course] assessment
  instruments in the manner provided under this subsection. This
  subsection does not require a student to demonstrate readiness to
  enroll in an institution of higher education.
         (a-1)  A student enrolled in a college preparatory
  mathematics or English language arts course under Section 28.014
  who satisfies the Texas Success Initiative (TSI) college readiness
  benchmarks prescribed by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating
  Board under Section 51.3062(f) on an assessment instrument
  designated by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board under
  Section 51.3062(c) administered at the end of the college
  preparatory mathematics or English language arts course satisfies
  the requirements concerning and is exempt from the administration
  of the Algebra I or the English I [and English II] end-of-course
  assessment instruments, as applicable, as prescribed by Section
  39.023(c), even if the student did not perform satisfactorily on a
  previous administration of the applicable end-of-course assessment
  instrument. A student who fails to perform satisfactorily on the
  assessment instrument designated by the Texas Higher Education
  Coordinating Board under Section 51.3062(c) administered as
  provided by this subsection may retake that assessment instrument
  for purposes of this subsection or may take the appropriate
  end-of-course assessment instrument.
         (b)  Each time an [end-of-course] assessment instrument
  adopted under Section 39.023(c) is administered, a student who
  failed to achieve a score requirement under Subsection (a) may
  retake the assessment instrument. A student is not required to
  retake a course as a condition of retaking an [end-of-course]
  assessment instrument.
         (b-1)  A school district shall provide each student who fails
  to perform satisfactorily as determined by the commissioner under
  Section 39.0241(a) on an [end-of-course]assessment instrument with
  accelerated instruction in the subject assessed by the assessment
  instrument.
         SECTION 5.  Subchapter B, Chapter 39, Education Code, is
  amended by adding Section 39.02341 to read as follows:
         Sec. 39.02341.  COMPUTER ADAPTIVE TESTING; PILOT PROGRAM.
  (a) In this section, "computer adaptive testing" means a type of
  assessment using algorithms or similar methods designed to adapt
  the length and complexity of the assessment to the abilities and
  performance of the person taking the assessment, with the goal of
  increasing the efficiency, accuracy, and security of the
  assessment.
         (b)  During the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 school years, the
  agency, in coordination with the Texas Higher Education
  Coordinating Board and any entity that has been contracted to
  develop or implement assessment instruments under Section 39.023,
  shall establish a pilot program as provided by this section to
  implement in designated school districts a system of computer
  adaptive testing for the assessment of students in grades three
  through eight.
         (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.
         (d)  Not later than September 1, 2020, 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.
         (e)  The agency shall adopt rules as necessary to administer
  this section.
         (f)  This section expires January 1, 2021.
         SECTION 6.  Section 18.006(b), Education Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (b)  In addition to other factors determined to be
  appropriate by the commissioner, the accountability system must
  include consideration of:
               (1)  student performance on the [end-of-course]
  assessment instruments required by Section 39.023(c); and
               (2)  dropout rates, including dropout rates and diploma
  program completion rates for the grade levels served by the diploma
  program.
         SECTION 7.Section 28.014(a), Education Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (a)  Each school district shall partner with at least one
  institution of higher education to develop and provide courses in
  college preparatory mathematics and English language arts. The
  courses must be designed:
               (1)  for students at the 12th grade level whose
  performance on:
                     (A)  an [end-of-course] assessment instrument
  required under Section 39.023(c)is not considered at least
  satisfactory academic performance[does not meet college readiness
  standards]; or
                     (B)  coursework, a college entrance examination,
  or an assessment instrument designated under Section 51.3062(c)
  indicates that the student is not ready to perform entry-level
  college coursework; and
               (2)  to prepare students for success in entry-level
  college courses.
         SECTION 8.  Sections 29.081(b) and (b-1), Education Code,
  are amended to read as follows:
         (b)  Each district shall provide accelerated instruction to
  a student enrolled in the district who has taken an [end-of-course]
  assessment instrument administered under Section 39.023(c) and has
  not performed satisfactorily on the assessment instrument or who is
  at risk of dropping out of school.
         (b-1)  Each school district shall offer before the next
  scheduled administration of the assessment instrument, without
  cost to the student, additional accelerated instruction to each
  student in any subject in which the student failed to perform
  satisfactorily on an [end-of-course] assessment instrument
  required for graduation.
         SECTION 9.  Section 39.034(d), Education Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (d)  The agency shall determine the necessary annual
  improvement required each year for a student to be prepared to
  perform satisfactorily on, as applicable:
               (1)  the grade five assessment instruments;
               (2)  the grade eight assessment instruments; and
               (3)  the [end-of-course] assessment instruments
  required under this subchapter for graduation.
         SECTION 10.  Section 39.203(d), Education Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (d)  In addition to the distinction designations otherwise
  described by this section, the commissioner may award a distinction
  designation for outstanding performance in advanced middle or
  junior high school student achievement to a campus with a
  significant number of students below grade nine who perform
  satisfactorily on an [end-of-course] assessment instrument
  administered under Section 39.023(c).
         SECTION 11.This Act applies beginning with the 2018-2019
  school year.
         SECTION 12.  This Act takes effect immediately if it
  receives a vote of two-thirds of all 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, 2017.
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