HB 732 - SB 1162
FISCAL NOTE
Fiscal Review Committee
Tennessee General Assembly
March 1, 2025
Fiscal Analyst: Alan Hampton | Email: alan.hampton@capitol.tn.gov | Phone: 615-741-2564
HB 732 - SB 1162
SUMMARY OF BILL: Requires the Department of Education to develop or approve a
policy developed by a local education agency (LEA) or public charter school allowing for the retake
of a Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) test, including an end-of-course
assessment, if the administration of one or more of the state-mandated TCAP tests is interrupted
due to an act of God or another circumstance beyond the control of the school.
FISCAL IMPACT:
STATE GOVERNMENT
EXPENDITURES General Fund
FY25-26 & Subsequent Years $9,292,400
Assumptions:
• The DOE contracts with NCS Pearson, Inc. for the administration of TCAP testing.
However, the contracts are expiring in 2025, and the DOE is currently soliciting a request
for proposals for a new contract covering both development and administration of state
assessments.
• TCAP testing for students in grades six through eight (6-8) and end-of-course assessments
for students in grades nine through twelve (9-12) are currently administered online.
• TCAP testing is administered in paper format for students in grades two through five (2-5);
the second grade assessment is an optional test that districts can choose to administer.
• The proposed legislation authorizes a retake for the TCAP test due to an act of God or
another circumstance beyond the control of the school for grades 2-8 and end-of-course
assessments for grades 9-12, which is a total of 43 new second core forms. A retake option
for the TCAP in grade 3 is currently offered.
• It is assumed that all test forms will need to be prepared for administration even if all forms
may not be administered. It is further assumed that all retake tests will be administered per
the original administration mode.
• Based on the testing interruptions from 2024, it is estimated that 150 students will retake
the TCAP in 2025-26 and that five different test forms will be administered. However, this
will vary each year depending on the number and duration of any disruptions.
• Based on the state’s current assessment development and administration contracts, the
costs to provide the option to retake the TCAP test will include the following:
HB 732 - SB 1162 2
TCAP Item Cost Description Cost
Development of Second Core Form $21,000 x 42 Forms $882,000
Leasing Items/Gaps in Item Bank for Second Core Form $2,000 x 1,356 Items $2,712,000
Administration of Second Core Form $879,000 x 5 Forms $4,395,000
Scoring & Reporting of Second Core Form $25,198 x 5 Forms $125,990
Total $8,114,990
• The proposed legislation will also allow a retake for all TCAP Alternate (TCAP-Alt)
assessments; it is assumed the administration mode for retakes will match the original
administration mode.
• For the purpose of this analysis, 150 students are assumed to require a retake and are
distributed as follows:
o 50 in TCAP-Alt Grade 2;
o 50 in TCAP-Alt Science or Social Studies; and
o 50 in TCAP-Alt English Language Arts (ELA) or Math.
• TCAP-Alt Grade 2, TCAP-Alt Science and TCAP-Alt Social Studies, fall under the DOE’s
current state assessment development and administration contracts that are expiring this
year. The alternate assessments for ELA and Math fall under a consortium contract.
• Based on projections provided by DOE’s vendors, it is estimated that development of
additional items for the TCAP-Alt retake will include the following costs:
TCAP-Alt Item Cost Description Cost
Grade 2 Science & Social Studies Second Core
Form $21,000 x 12 Forms $252,000
Leasing Items/Grade 2 Science & Social Studies $2,000 x 450 Items $900,000
Grade 2 Administration of Second Core
Form/Science & Social Studies $11.08 x 100 Students $1,108
Grade 2 Science & Social Studies Second Core
Form/Scoring & Reporting
{[($0.10 x 12) + $0.10] x 100
Students} $130
ELA & Math/Retake Administration $60 x 50 Students $3,000
Total $1,156,238
• Finally, it is assumed the proposed legislation will allow for a retake for all English Learner
screeners (Screener) and summative assessments.
• For purposes of this fiscal analysis, it is assumed that 150 students will require a retake on a
general education form, 40 students on an alternate education form, and 20 students on a
Braille form.
• Development of additional items for the Screener and summative assessments retake
include the following costs:
HB 732 - SB 1162 3
Screener & Summative Assessment Item Cost Description Cost
Development of the Second Core Form 39 Forms/Vendor Estimate Unavailable
N/A
Administration of a Screener Retake
Online Paper Alternate Braille
$9,016 $326 $750 $3,960 $3,980
Administration of a Summative
Assessment Retake
Online Paper Alternate Braille
$12,128 $2,138 $2,250 $3,160 $4,580
Screener & Retake/Scoring & Reporting Test Labels $0.25 x 270 Students $68
Total $21,212
• The total increase in state expenditures to provide a retake of the TCAP test is estimated to
be $9,292,440 ($8,114,990 + $1,156,238 + $21,212) in FY25-26 and subsequent years.
• If an interruption to TCAP testing occurs, LEAs and public charter schools will be able to
administer a retake opportunity to students during the normal course of business and within
existing resources such that any fiscal impact is estimated to be not significant.
CERTIFICATION:
The information contained herein is true and correct to the best of my knowledge.
Bojan Savic, Executive Director