By: Seliger S.B. No. 313
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the essential knowledge and skills of the required
public school curriculum and the administration and reports
relating to assessment instruments administered to public school
students.
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 of the foundation curriculum subjects under Section
28.002(a)(1); and
(2) modify the essential knowledge and skills of the
foundation curriculum subjects to narrow the content 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) In establishing or following an established timeline
for reviewing and modifying the essential knowledge and skills as
required under this section, 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 applicable subject and
grade level as required under this section not later than September
1, 2018.
(d) Until the review and modification under this section is
complete, the State Board of Education may not add to or modify the
content and scope of standards and skills for any subject in the
foundation curriculum under Section 28.002(a)(1) unless
modifications are made in accordance with this section.
(e) The State Board of Education may not modify the
essential knowledge and skills of the foundation curriculum
subjects in a manner that requires:
(1) the revision of professional development training
for teachers on essential knowledge and skills;
(2) the purchase of additional instructional
materials; or
(3) the revision of assessment instruments adopted or
developed under Section 39.023.
(f) This section expires September 1, 2018.
SECTION 2. Section 28.008(d), Education Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(d) The State Board of Education shall incorporate college
readiness standards and expectations approved by the commissioner
of education and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
under Subsection (b) into the essential knowledge and skills
identified by the board under Section 28.002(c). The State Board of
Education shall develop and by rule adopt a chart that clearly
indicates the alignment of the college readiness standards and
expectations with the essential knowledge and skills identified by
the board under Section 28.002(c).
SECTION 3. Subchapter A, Chapter 28, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 28.0081 to read as follows:
Sec. 28.0081. ADMINISTRATION OF ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENT FOR
DIAGNOSTIC PURPOSES. (a) Not later than April 1 of each school
year, a school district, using funds appropriated to the agency and
distributed by the commissioner to the district for that purpose,
shall administer an assessment instrument designated by the Texas
Higher Education Coordinating Board under Section 51.3062(c) to
each student in the district enrolled in the 10th grade. A
student's performance on the assessment instrument may only be used
for diagnostic purposes, including a determination as to whether a
student should be enrolled in developmental education courses. If
a student is in a special education program under Subchapter A,
Chapter 29, the student's admission, review, and dismissal
committee shall determine if it is appropriate for the student to be
administered the assessment instrument required under this
section.
(b) This section applies only until the State Board of
Education has completed the review and modification of essential
knowledge and skills of the foundation curriculum subjects required
by Section 28.0025. This section expires September 1, 2018.
SECTION 4. Subchapter B, Chapter 39, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 39.0239 to read as follows:
Sec. 39.0239. REQUIRED REPORT FOR CERTAIN ASSESSMENTS.
(a) Following the administration of an assessment instrument
adopted or developed under Section 39.023(a), the agency shall
provide a detailed report of a student's performance on the
assessment instrument to:
(1) the student;
(2) the student's parent or other person standing in
parental relationship; and
(3) the student's teachers.
(b) The report provided under Subsection (a) must include an
analysis of a student's performance on each assessed standard or
skill in the essential knowledge and skills of the subject for which
the assessment instrument was administered. The analysis must
indicate whether the student mastered each standard or skill
assessed in the assessment instrument.
(c) The analysis under Subsection (b) must demonstrate both
individual assessment results and assessment results aggregated
across classes, campuses, and districts.
(d) If the commissioner contracts with a third party for the
development or adoption of an assessment instrument under Section
39.023(a), the contract must require the third party to fulfill the
requirements of this section.
SECTION 5. Not later than January 1, 2016, the State Board
of Education shall adopt a chart as prescribed by Section
28.008(d), Education Code, as amended by this Act.
SECTION 6. The change in law made by Section 39.0239(d),
Education Code, as added by this Act, applies only to a contract
entered into, amended, or renewed on or after the effective date of
this Act. A contract entered into, amended, or renewed before the
effective date of this Act is governed by the law as it existed
immediately before the effective date of this Act, and that law is
continued in effect for that purpose.
SECTION 7. This Act applies beginning with the 2015-2016
school year.
SECTION 8. 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.