84R4482 KJE-D
By: Hernandez H.B. No. 588
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to restricting certain state and school district
assessments of public school students in prekindergarten and
kindergarten.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 39, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 39.0264 to read as follows:
Sec. 39.0264. RESTRICTION ON ASSESSMENT OF STUDENTS IN
CERTAIN GRADE LEVELS. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b),
the agency, the State Board of Education, or a school district may
not require administration of a standardized criterion-referenced
or norm-referenced assessment instrument, including an achievement
test, to students in prekindergarten or kindergarten.
(b) Subsection (a) does not apply to:
(1) a reading instrument administered under Section
28.006;
(2) an English language proficiency test under Section
29.056(a); or
(3) an assessment instrument administered to students
in one or more of a school's prekindergarten or kindergarten
classes to assess learning of specific instructional material, such
as a spelling test.
SECTION 2. Section 39.026, Education Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 39.026. LOCAL OPTION. In addition to the assessment
instruments adopted by the agency and administered by the State
Board of Education, a school district may adopt and administer
criterion-referenced or norm-referenced assessment instruments, or
both, at any grade level beginning at the first grade level. A
norm-referenced assessment instrument adopted under this section
must be economical, nationally recognized, and state-approved.
SECTION 3. This Act applies beginning with the 2015-2016
school year.
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2015.