Texas House Bill HB2934

Texas 2019 - 86th Regular

Caption

Relating to the assessment of public school students in writing under an alternative method.

Impact

The legislation mandates that for the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 school years, a pilot program will be established to implement this alternative assessment method in chosen school districts. This pilot program is designed to evaluate the effectiveness of the new approach, allowing the Texas education agency to gather valuable data regarding its implementation and the overall performance of students under this new system. Success in this pilot could potentially lead to broader changes in student assessment across the state.

Summary

House Bill 2934 seeks to amend the Texas Education Code by introducing an alternative method for assessing public school students' writing skills, specifically targeting grade four students. This initiative proposes to create a more flexible and potentially less standardized approach to writing assessments compared to existing methods. Through this bill, lawmakers aim to enhance the evaluation process by adapting it to better reflect the capabilities and understanding of students, which could lead to a more accurate measure of their writing skills.

Contention

While support exists for the bill, there may be concerns regarding the feasibility and standardization of assessments across different districts. Critics might argue that less standardized testing could lead to inconsistencies in how student writing skills are measured and reported. Furthermore, the collaboration required between schools, junior colleges, and education service centers could present logistical challenges and varying degrees of involvement and investment among districts. These factors could impact the overall effectiveness and perceived fairness of the new assessment method.