84R5347 JSL-F
By: Seliger S.B. No. 313
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to review and modification of the essential knowledge and
skills of the required public school curriculum.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 28, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 28.0025 to read as follows:
Sec. 28.0025. REVIEW AND MODIFICATION OF ESSENTIAL
KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS. (a) The State Board of Education shall:
(1) conduct a review of the essential knowledge and
skills adopted under Section 28.002; and
(2) modify the essential knowledge and skills to
narrow the number and scope of standards and skills for each subject
and grade level in accordance with this section.
(b) In complying with this section, the State Board of
Education shall consider:
(1) for each subject and grade level, the time:
(A) a teacher would require to provide
comprehensive instruction on a particular standard or skill; and
(B) a typical student would require to master a
particular standard or skill;
(2) whether, in light of the consideration required by
Subdivision (1), each essential knowledge and skill of a subject
can be comprehensively taught within the number of school days
required under Section 25.081, not including the number of days
required for testing;
(3) the college and career readiness standards, and
whether inclusion of part of those standards in the essential
knowledge and skills of a subject is possible; and
(4) whether an assessment instrument administered
under Section 39.023 adequately assesses a particular standard or
skill.
(c) The State Board of Education shall identify process
skills for each subject in the essential knowledge and skills or use
process skills already identified for each subject in the essential
knowledge and skills to guide the board's modification of the
essential knowledge and skills. The essential knowledge and skills
of a subject must be based on process skills that enable students to
engage with the content of the subject and attain a greater depth of
understanding of content.
(d) In establishing or following an established timeline
for reviewing and modifying the essential knowledge and skills, the
State Board of Education shall ensure that the timeline reflects a
priority to first review and modify a subject for which an
end-of-course assessment instrument under Section 39.023(c) is
administered before a subject for which an assessment instrument
under Section 39.023(a) is administered. The board shall complete
the review and modification of the essential knowledge and skills
for each subject and grade level not later than September 1, 2018.
(e) Until the review and modification under this section is
complete, the State Board of Education shall ensure that each
assessment instrument administered under Section 39.023 beginning
with the 2015-2016 school year assesses only essential knowledge
and skills identified as readiness standards by the agency.
(f) Following the review and modification under this
section, the number and scope of the essential knowledge and skills
for each subject and grade level may not be greater than the number
and scope of the essential knowledge and skills identified as
readiness standards by the agency for each subject and grade level
as of January 1, 2015.
(g) This section expires September 1, 2018.
SECTION 2. 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.