Tennessee House Bill HB2591

Tennessee 2023-2024 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/30/24
• Refer: 2/5/24

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, relative to assessments administered to students who receive instruction through virtual means.

Impact

The proposed legislation requires that assessments be administered under certain technical and procedural guidelines. Among these guidelines, the bill stipulates that assessments must be monitored by assessment proctors, maintaining a minimum ratio of one proctor for every ten students. This modification addresses concerns regarding exam security and validity, particularly in a remote learning environment, as more students opt for online education. Additionally, the bill highlights the necessity for effective monitoring, necessitating that students cannot exit the assessment until prompted by a proctor, which aims to mitigate potential cheating.

Summary

House Bill 2591 seeks to amend the Tennessee Code Annotated, specifically Title 49, to establish guidelines for administering the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) tests to students enrolled in virtual education programs. This act intends to ensure that assessments administered remotely through virtual schools are conducted under specific conditions to maintain the integrity and security of the testing process. The bill aims for a structured administration of assessments within a designated testing window, emphasizing synchronous testing sessions aimed at ensuring that students are monitored effectively during assessments.

Enactment

If passed, the provisions of HB2591 are set to take effect on July 1, 2024, applying to TCAP tests administered during the 2024-2025 school year and subsequent years. This timeline provides educational institutions with an opportunity to prepare for compliance with the new guidelines, though the effectiveness and adaptiveness of these protocols in enhancing educational outcomes will need to be closely monitored as implementation progresses.

Contention

A potential point of contention surrounding HB2591 may arise regarding the logistical implications for virtual schools, as the added requirements for proctoring and monitoring could place significant demands on resources and staffing. Critics may argue that these provisions could complicate the testing process or result in increased costs for virtual educational programs. Furthermore, there may be concerns regarding the practicality of requiring dual devices for assessments if the primary platform does not support camera monitoring, which could pose accessibility issues for some students.