Texas 2021 87th Regular

Texas House Bill HB2800 Introduced / Bill

Filed 03/04/2021

                    87R9681 GCB-D
 By: Dean H.B. No. 2800


 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 AN ACT
 relating to the limitation on administration and use of certain
 assessment instruments in public schools.
 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 SECTION 1.  Section 39.023(a), Education Code, as effective
 until September 1, 2021, is amended to read as follows:
 (a)  The agency shall adopt or develop appropriate
 criterion-referenced assessment instruments designed to assess
 essential knowledge and skills in reading, [writing,] mathematics,
 [social studies,] and science. Except as provided by Subsection
 (a-2), all students, other than students assessed under Subsection
 (b) or (l) or exempted under Section 39.027, shall be assessed in:
 (1)  mathematics, annually in grades three through
 eight;
 (2)  reading, annually in grades three through eight;
 (3)  [writing, including spelling and grammar, in
 grades four and seven;
 [(4)  social studies, in grade eight;
 [(5)]  science, in grades five and eight; and
 (4) [(6)]  any other subject and grade required by
 federal law.
 SECTION 2.  Section 39.023(a), Education Code, as effective
 September 1, 2021, is amended to read as follows:
 (a)  The agency shall adopt or develop appropriate
 criterion-referenced assessment instruments designed to assess
 essential knowledge and skills in reading, mathematics, [social
 studies,] and science. Except as provided by Subsection (a-2), all
 students, other than students assessed under Subsection (b) or (l)
 or exempted under Section 39.027, shall be assessed in:
 (1)  mathematics, annually in grades three through
 eight;
 (2)  reading, annually in grades three through eight;
 (3)  [social studies, in grade eight;
 [(4)]  science, in grades five and eight; and
 (4) [(5)]  any other subject and grade required by
 federal law.
 SECTION 3.  Section 39.023(c), Education Code, is amended to
 read as follows:
 (c)  The agency shall also adopt end-of-course assessment
 instruments for secondary-level courses in Algebra I, biology, and
 [English I,] English II[, and United States history]. The Algebra I
 end-of-course assessment instrument must be administered with the
 aid of technology, but may include one or more parts that prohibit
 the use of technology. The [English I and] English II end-of-course
 assessment instrument [instruments] must [each] assess essential
 knowledge and skills in both reading and writing and must provide a
 single score. A school district shall comply with State Board of
 Education rules regarding administration of the assessment
 instruments listed in this subsection. If a student is in a special
 education program under Subchapter A, Chapter 29, the student's
 admission, review, and dismissal committee shall determine whether
 any allowable modification is necessary in administering to the
 student an assessment instrument required under this subsection.
 The State Board of Education shall administer the assessment
 instruments. An end-of-course assessment instrument may be
 administered in multiple parts over more than one day. The State
 Board of Education shall adopt a schedule for the administration of
 end-of-course assessment instruments that complies with the
 requirements of Subsection (c-3).
 SECTION 4.  Section 39.025(a-1), Education Code, is amended
 to read as follows:
 (a-1)  A student enrolled in a college preparatory
 mathematics or English language arts course under Section 28.014
 who satisfies the Texas Success Initiative (TSI) college readiness
 benchmarks prescribed by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating
 Board under Section 51.334 on an assessment instrument designated
 by the coordinating board under that section administered at the
 end of the college preparatory mathematics or English language arts
 course satisfies the requirements concerning and is exempt from the
 administration of the Algebra I or the [English I and] English II
 end-of-course assessment instrument [instruments], as applicable,
 as prescribed by Section 39.023(c), even if the student did not
 perform satisfactorily on a previous administration of the
 applicable end-of-course assessment instrument. A student who
 fails to perform satisfactorily on the assessment instrument
 designated by the coordinating board under Section 51.334
 administered as provided by this subsection may retake that
 assessment instrument for purposes of this subsection or may take
 the appropriate end-of-course assessment instrument.
 SECTION 5.  Section 39.203(c), Education Code, is amended to
 read as follows:
 (c)  In addition to the distinction designations described
 by Subsections (a) and (b), a campus that satisfies the criteria
 developed under Section 39.204 shall be awarded a distinction
 designation by the commissioner for outstanding performance in
 academic achievement in English language arts, mathematics, or
 science[, or social studies].
 SECTION 6.  Section 39.0238, Education Code, is repealed.
 SECTION 7.  This Act applies beginning with the 2021-2022
 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, 2021.