Texas 2021 - 87th Regular

Texas House Bill HB2344 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
	1	+	87R18089 ANG-F
1	2		By: Zwiener, Bernal, VanDeaver, Buckley, H.B. No. 2344
2		-	Lozano, et al.
	3	+	Lozano
	4	+	Substitute the following for H.B. No. 2344:
	5	+	By: Dutton C.S.H.B. No. 2344
3	6
4	7
5	8		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	9		AN ACT
7	10		relating to authorizing the use of a writing portfolio assessment
8	11		to assess writing performance for public school students.
9	12		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	13		SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 39, Education Code, is
11	14		amended by adding Section 39.02301 to read as follows:
12	15		Sec. 39.02301. OPTIONAL USE OF WRITING PORTFOLIO
13	16		ASSESSMENT. (a) A school district may elect to use a writing
14	17		portfolio assessment to assess writing performance for students
15	18		enrolled in the district as an alternative to administering the
16	19		portion of a reading assessment instrument under Section 39.023(a)
17	20		or English I or English II end-of-course assessment instrument
18	21		under Section 39.023(c) that is not presented in a multiple choice
19	22		format.
20	23		(b) A school district that elects to use a writing portfolio
21	24		assessment under this section shall design the assessment in
22	25		consultation with a public or private institution of higher
23	26		education and submit the assessment to the agency for approval. The
24	27		agency shall approve the assessment if the assessment is:
25	28		(1) determined by the public or private institution of
26	29		higher education that consulted on the design of the assessment to
27	30		be valid and reliable; and
28	31		(2) designed to assess:
29	32		(A) a student's mastery of the essential
30	33		knowledge and skills in writing through timed writing samples;
31	34		(B) improvement of a student's writing skills
32	35		from the beginning of the school year to the end of the school year;
33	36		(C) a student's ability to follow the writing
34	37		process from rough draft to final product; and
35	38		(D) a student's ability to produce more than one
36	39		type of writing style.
37	40		(c) A school district that elects to use a writing portfolio
38		-	assessment under this section ~~may~~ adopt a policy allowing the
	41	+	assessment under this section shall adopt a policy allowing the
39	42		assessment to be scored by a classroom teacher assigned to the same
40	43		campus as the student to whom the assessment is administered. The
41	44		district may coordinate with the regional education service center
42	45		for the district's region in grading the assessments.
43	46		(d) A school district that elects to use a writing portfolio
44	47		assessment under this section is not required to administer the
45	48		portion of a reading assessment instrument under Section 39.023(a)
46	49		or English I or English II end-of-course assessment instrument
47	50		under Section 39.023(c) that is not presented in a multiple choice
48	51		format during the period the district is administering the writing
49	52		portfolio assessment. The agency shall, to the greatest extent
50	53		practicable, apply cost savings that result from the exemption
51	54		under this subsection to offset the costs accrued under this
52	55		section.
53	56		(e) The commissioner shall adopt rules as necessary to
54	57		implement this section.
55	58		SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2021-2022
56	59		school year.
57	60		SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
58	61		a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
59	62		provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
60	63		Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
61	64		Act takes effect September 1, 2021.