Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas House Bill HB1468 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	84R5133 PAM-D
2	2	By: Huberty H.B. No. 1468
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the assessment of fourth and seventh grade public
8	8	school students in writing and English language arts.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Section 39.023(a), Education Code, as effective
11	11	until on or before September 1, 2015, is amended to read as follows:
12	12	(a) The agency shall adopt or develop appropriate
13	13	criterion-referenced assessment instruments designed to assess
14	14	essential knowledge and skills in reading, English language arts
15	15	[writing], mathematics, social studies, and science. Except as
16	16	provided by Subsection (a-2), all students, other than students
17	17	assessed under Subsection (b) or (l) or exempted under Section
18	18	39.027, shall be assessed in:
19	19	(1) mathematics, annually in grades three through
20	20	seven without the aid of technology and in grade eight with the aid
21	21	of technology on any assessment instrument that includes algebra;
22	22	(2) reading, annually in grades three through eight;
23	23	(3) English language arts [writing], including
24	24	spelling and grammar, in grades four and seven;
25	25	(4) social studies, in grade eight;
26	26	(5) science, in grades five and eight; and
27	27	(6) any other subject and grade required by federal
28	28	law.
29	29	SECTION 2. Section 39.023(a), Education Code, as effective
30	30	on or before September 1, 2015, is amended to read as follows:
31	31	(a) The agency shall adopt or develop appropriate
32	32	criterion-referenced assessment instruments designed to assess
33	33	essential knowledge and skills in reading, English language arts
34	34	[writing], mathematics, social studies, and science. Except as
35	35	provided by Subsection (a-2), all students, other than students
36	36	assessed under Subsection (b) or (l) or exempted under Section
37	37	39.027, shall be assessed in:
38	38	(1) mathematics, in grades three and five without the
39	39	aid of technology and in grade eight with the aid of technology on
40	40	any assessment instrument that includes algebra;
41	41	(2) reading, in grades three, five, and eight;
42	42	(3) English language arts [writing], including
43	43	spelling and grammar, in grades four and seven;
44	44	(4) social studies, in grade eight; and
45	45	(5) science, in grades five and eight.
46	46	SECTION 3. Section 39.023(a), Education Code, as effective
47	47	September 1, 2017, is amended to read as follows:
48	48	(a) The agency shall adopt or develop appropriate
49	49	criterion-referenced assessment instruments designed to assess
50	50	essential knowledge and skills in reading, English language arts
51	51	[writing], mathematics, social studies, and science. Except as
52	52	provided by Subsection (a-2), all students, other than students
53	53	assessed under Subsection (b) or (l) or exempted under Section
54	54	39.027, shall be assessed in:
55	55	(1) mathematics, annually in grades three through
56	56	seven without the aid of technology and in grade eight with the aid
57	57	of technology on any assessment instrument that includes algebra;
58	58	(2) reading, annually in grades three through eight;
59	59	(3) English language arts [writing], including
60	60	spelling and grammar, in grades four and seven;
61	61	(4) social studies, in grade eight;
62	62	(5) science, in grades five and eight; and
63	63	(6) any other subject and grade required by federal
64	64	law.
65	65	SECTION 4. Section 39.023, Education Code, is amended by
66	66	adding Subsection (q) to read as follows:
67	67	(q) A writing sample submitted by a student in connection
68	68	with an assessment instrument administered under this section,
69	69	other than an English I or English II end-of-course assessment
70	70	instrument described by Subsection (c), may not be used to assess
71	71	the student's writing for purposes of accountability under this
72	72	chapter or for purposes of grade promotion criteria. Except as
73	73	provided by Subsection (c), the assessment of a student's writing
74	74	is governed by Section 39.0264.
75	75	SECTION 5. Subchapter B, Chapter 39, Education Code, is
76	76	amended by adding Section 39.0264 to read as follows:
77	77	Sec. 39.0264. LOCAL ASSESSMENT REQUIRED FOR WRITING IN
78	78	CERTAIN GRADES. (a) To evaluate student achievement in writing,
79	79	each school district shall assess students in grades four and seven
80	80	in accordance with the essential knowledge and skills for writing.
81	81	A district may use any method the district determines appropriate
82	82	for assessing students under this section, including portfolio
83	83	assessment.
84	84	(b) School districts shall report to the agency, as
85	85	determined by agency rule, the results of assessments required
86	86	under this section.
87	87	(c) The results of assessments required under this section
88	88	may not be used for purposes of accountability under this chapter or
89	89	for purposes of grade promotion criteria.
90	90	SECTION 6. Not later than September 1, 2016, the Texas
91	91	Education Agency shall adopt or develop appropriate
92	92	criterion-referenced assessment instruments designed to assess
93	93	essential knowledge and skills in English language arts as required
94	94	by Section 39.023, Education Code, as amended by this Act.
95	95	SECTION 7. This Act applies beginning with the 2016-2017
96	96	school year.
97	97	SECTION 8. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
98	98	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
99	99	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
100	100	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
101	101	Act takes effect September 1, 2015.