Relating to the consideration of reading level in the adoption of certain assessment instruments and associated student performance levels and to the temporary suspension of accountability sanctions for public schools.
Impact
One notable impact of HB 4242 is the temporary suspension of accountability sanctions for the 2018-2019 school year concerning performance on these assessment instruments. This provision means that performance data from that year can't be used to initiate closures of schools or to determine whether students should be promoted to the next grade, provided that the assessments were found to be above grade level for students. This adjustment aims to support students who may have been unfairly penalized by unrealistic performance expectations.
Summary
House Bill 4242 addresses the evaluation and adoption of assessment instruments for public school students in Texas. The primary focus of the bill is to ensure that these assessments consider the appropriate reading levels for the students taking them. This means that any assessment embraced by the state must include content and passages that are aligned with the reading abilities of the grade level being tested. Additionally, the bill amends existing provisions of the Education Code to incorporate new requirements related to the validation of these assessment tools by independent entities.
Sentiment
The sentiment surrounding HB 4242 seems to embrace the notion of fairness and accountability within student assessments, reflecting a collective acknowledgment of the disparities in reading proficiency across different student populations. This approach has been welcomed by educators and advocates who argue that it aligns assessments more closely with actual student abilities, thereby allowing a more equitable evaluation of student performance.
Contention
While the bill aims for constructive educational reform, there are potential points of contention around how the assessments will be evaluated by appointed committees and what measures are in place to ensure that they remain relevant to evolving educational standards. Critics may concern themselves with the extent to which these measures will genuinely improve the quality of education and whether the suspension of sanctions could lead to complacency among underperforming schools. These discussions emphasize the ongoing debate between maintaining accountability in education and ensuring that assessments accurately reflect students' capabilities.
Relating to public school accountability, including the assessment of academic performance, and district and campus performance standards and sanctions.
Relating to accelerated instruction provided for public school students who fail to achieve satisfactory performance on certain assessment instruments, indicators under the public school accountability system, and performance standards in public schools.
Relating to the assessment of public school students and the provision of accelerated instruction to students who fail to achieve satisfactory performance on certain assessment instruments.
Relating to the administration of certain assessment instruments, the accountability rating system for assessing campus and district performance, public school career and technology education programs, and an extracurricular and cocurricular allotment under the Foundation School Program.
Relating to the assessment of public school students and the provision of accelerated instruction to students who fail to achieve satisfactory performance on certain assessment instruments.
Relating to the use of interim testing and adaptive, growth-based assessment instruments for certain required assessments of public school students and prohibiting the use of the results of certain required assessments of public school students for certain purposes.
Relating to the use of interim testing and adaptive, growth-based assessment instruments for certain required assessments of public school students and prohibiting the use of the results of certain required assessments of public school students for certain purposes.
Relating to the assessment of public school students, including the development and administration of assessment instruments, and technology permitted for use by students.