| 1 | 1 | | By: Farrar H.B. No. 3973 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 5 | 5 | | AN ACT |
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| 6 | 6 | | relating to the validity, reliability, and design of certain |
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| 7 | 7 | | state-adopted or state-developed assessment instruments for public |
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| 8 | 8 | | school students. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Section 39.023, Education Code, is amended by |
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| 11 | 11 | | adding Subsections (a-11) and (a-12) to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | (a-11) Before an assessment instrument adopted or developed |
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| 13 | 13 | | under Subsection (a) may be administered under that subsection, |
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| 14 | 14 | | the assessment instrument must, on the basis of empirical evidence, |
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| 15 | 15 | | be determined to be valid and reliable by an entity that is |
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| 16 | 16 | | independent of the agency and of any other entity that developed the |
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| 17 | 17 | | assessment instrument. |
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| 18 | 18 | | (a-12) The agency shall ensure that an assessment |
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| 19 | 19 | | instrument adopted or developed under Subsection (a) is designed |
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| 20 | 20 | | only to assess student understanding of the essential knowledge and |
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| 21 | 21 | | skills identified by the State Board of Education under Section |
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| 22 | 22 | | 28.002 of the subject and for the grade level for which the |
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| 23 | 23 | | assessment instrument is administered. |
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| 24 | 24 | | (a-13) An assessment instrument adopted or developed under |
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| 25 | 25 | | Subsection (a) may be used only for purposes: |
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| 26 | 26 | | (1) for which the assessment instrument is designed; |
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| 27 | 27 | | and |
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| 28 | 28 | | (2) for which, on the basis of empirical evidence, the |
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| 29 | 29 | | assessment instrument is determined to be valid and reliable by an |
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| 30 | 30 | | entity that is independent of the agency and of any other entity |
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| 31 | 31 | | that developed the assessment instrument. |
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| 32 | 32 | | SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2015-2016 |
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| 33 | 33 | | school year. |
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| 34 | 34 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 35 | 35 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 36 | 36 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 37 | 37 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 38 | 38 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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