Texas House Bill HB3607

Texas 2017 - 85th Regular

Caption

Relating to secondary-level assessment of public school students.

Impact

The proposed changes in HB3607 have significant implications for educational standards in Texas. By requiring partnerships with higher education institutions, the bill ostensibly aims to foster better alignment between K-12 education and college expectations. The inclusion of dropout rates and diploma completion rates as critical components of the accountability framework suggests a holistic approach to assessing student success and school performance. It is viewed as a step towards more inclusive and comprehensive evaluation metrics that prioritize student preparedness over traditional testing methods.

Summary

House Bill 3607 seeks to amend specific provisions of the Texas Education Code pertaining to the assessment of public school students at the secondary level. The bill introduces modifications to the existing accountability system meant to evaluate student performance more comprehensively. Key aspects include the requirement for school districts to partner with institutions of higher education to provide college preparatory courses and to consider various performance metrics beyond just end-of-course assessments. The changes aim to ensure that students are adequately prepared for post-secondary education and to improve overall educational outcomes.

Contention

However, the bill is not without its detractors. Some critics express concerns about the implementation feasibility and the potential burden on school districts to collaborate with higher education institutions. Others worry that without careful oversight, the quality of college preparatory courses may vary, leading to disparities among school districts. Additionally, there are apprehensions regarding the sufficient training of educators in adapting to these new requirements, which could result in uneven educational quality across the state.