EDUCATION CODETITLE 2. PUBLIC EDUCATIONSUBTITLE H. PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM ACCOUNTABILITYCHAPTER 39. PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM ACCOUNTABILITYSUBCHAPTER A. COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF PUBLIC SCHOOL ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEMSUBCHAPTER B. ASSESSMENT OF ACADEMIC SKILLSSec. 39.021. ESSENTIAL SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE. The State Board of Education by rule shall establish the essential skills and knowledge that all students should learn to achieve the goals provided under Section 4.002.
Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995.
Sec. 39.022. ASSESSMENT PROGRAM. The State Board of Education by rule shall create and implement a statewide assessment program that is knowledge- and skills-based to ensure school accountability for student achievement that achieves the goals provided under Section 4.002. After adopting rules under this section, the State Board of Education shall consider the importance of maintaining stability in the statewide assessment program when adopting any subsequent modification of the rules.
Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995. Amended by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 397, Sec. 2, eff. Sept. 1, 1999.
Sec. 39.023. ADOPTION AND ADMINISTRATION OF INSTRUMENTS. (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. All students, except students assessed under Subsection (b) or (l) or exempted under Section 39.027, shall be assessed in:(1) mathematics, annually in grades three through seven without the aid of technology and in grade eight with the aid of technology on any assessment instrument that includes algebra;(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(6) any other subject and grade required by federal law.(a-1) The agency shall develop assessment instruments required under Subsection (a) in a manner that allows, to the extent practicable:(1) the score a student receives to provide reliable information relating to a student's satisfactory performance for each performance standard under Section 39.0241; and(2) an appropriate range of performances to serve as a valid indication of growth in student achievement.(b) The agency shall develop or adopt appropriate criterion-referenced alternative assessment instruments to be administered to each student in a special education program under Subchapter A, Chapter 29, for whom an assessment instrument adopted under Subsection (a), even with allowable accommodations, would not provide an appropriate measure of student achievement, as determined by the student's admission, review, and dismissal committee. (c) The agency shall also adopt end-of-course assessment instruments for secondary-level courses in Algebra I, Algebra II, geometry, biology, chemistry, physics, English I, English II, English III, world geography, world history, and United States history. The Algebra I, Algebra II, and geometry end-of-course assessment instruments must be administered with the aid of technology. A school district shall comply with State Board of Education rules regarding administration of the assessment instruments listed in this subsection and shall adopt a policy that requires a student's performance on an end-of-course assessment instrument for a course listed in this subsection in which the student is enrolled to account for 15 percent of the student's final grade for the course. If a student retakes an end-of-course assessment instrument for a course listed in this subsection, as provided by Section 39.025, a school district is not required to use the student's performance on the subsequent administration or administrations of the assessment instrument to determine the student's final grade for the course. 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. 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).(c-1) The agency shall develop any assessment instrument required under this section in a manner that allows for the measurement of annual improvement in student achievement as required by Sections 39.034(c) and (d).(c-2) The agency may adopt end-of-course assessment instruments for courses not listed in Subsection (c). A student's performance on an end-of-course assessment instrument adopted under this subsection is not subject to the performance requirements established under Subsection (c) or Section 39.025.(c-3) In adopting a schedule for the administration of assessment instruments under this section, the State Board of Education shall require:(1) assessment instruments administered under Subsection (a) to be administered on a schedule so that the first assessment instrument is administered at least two weeks later than the date on which the first assessment instrument was administered under Subsection (a) during the 2006-2007 school year; and(2) the spring administration of end-of-course assessment instruments under Subsection (c) to occur in each school district not earlier than the first full week in May, except that the spring administration of the end-of-course assessment instruments in English I, English II, and English III must be permitted to occur at an earlier date.(c-4) To the extent practicable and subject to Section 39.024, the agency shall ensure that each end-of-course assessment instrument adopted under Subsection (c) is:(1) developed in a manner that measures a student's performance under the college readiness standards established under Section 28.008; and(2) validated by national postsecondary education experts for college readiness content and performance standards.(c-5) A student's performance on an end-of-course assessment instrument required under Subsection (c) must be included in the student's academic achievement record.(c-6) In adopting an end-of-course assessment instrument under this section, the agency shall consider the use of an existing assessment instrument that is currently available. The agency may use an existing assessment instrument that is currently available only if the assessment instrument:(1) is aligned with the essential knowledge and skills of the subject being assessed; and(2) allows for the measurement of annual improvement in student achievement as provided by Subsection (c-1).(d) The commissioner may participate in multistate efforts to develop voluntary standardized end-of-course assessment instruments. The commissioner by rule may require a school district to administer an end-of-course assessment instrument developed through the multistate efforts. The admission, review, and dismissal committee of a student in a special education program under Subchapter A, Chapter 29, shall determine whether any allowable modification is necessary in administering to the student an end-of-course assessment instrument.(e) Under rules adopted by the State Board of Education, every third year, the agency shall release the questions and answer keys to each assessment instrument administered under Subsection (a), (b), (c), (d), or (l), excluding any assessment instrument administered to a student for the purpose of retaking the assessment instrument, after the last time the instrument is administered for that school year. To ensure a valid bank of questions for use each year, the agency is not required to release a question that is being field-tested and was not used to compute the student's score on the instrument. The agency shall also release, under board rule, each question that is no longer being field-tested and that was not used to compute a student's score.(f) The assessment instruments shall be designed to include assessment of a student's problem-solving ability and complex-thinking skills using a method of assessing those abilities and skills that is demonstrated to be highly reliable.(g) The State Board of Education may adopt one appropriate, nationally recognized, norm-referenced assessment instrument in reading and mathematics to be administered to a selected sample of students in the spring. If adopted, a norm-referenced assessment instrument must be a secured test. The state may pay the costs of purchasing and scoring the adopted assessment instrument and of distributing the results of the adopted instrument to the school districts. A district that administers the norm-referenced test adopted under this subsection shall report the results to the agency in a manner prescribed by the commissioner.(h) The agency shall notify school districts and campuses of the results of assessment instruments administered under this section at the earliest possible date determined by the State Board of Education but not later than the beginning of the subsequent school year.(i) The provisions of this section, except Subsection (d), are subject to modification by rules adopted under Section 39.022. Each assessment instrument adopted under those rules and each assessment instrument required under Subsection (d) must be reliable and valid and must meet any applicable federal requirements for measurement of student progress.(j) Repealed by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1312, Sec. 18, eff. September 1, 2007.(l) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules for the administration of the assessment instruments adopted under Subsection (a) in Spanish to students in grades three through five who are of limited English proficiency, as defined by Section 29.052, whose primary language is Spanish, and who are not otherwise exempt from the administration of an assessment instrument under Section 39.027(a)(1) or (2). Each student of limited English proficiency whose primary language is Spanish, other than a student to whom Subsection (b) applies, may be assessed using assessment instruments in Spanish under this subsection for up to three years or assessment instruments in English under Subsection (a). The language proficiency assessment committee established under Section 29.063 shall determine which students are administered assessment instruments in Spanish under this subsection.(m) The commissioner by rule shall develop procedures under which the language proficiency assessment committee established under Section 29.063 shall determine which students are exempt from the administration of the assessment instruments under Section 39.027(a)(1) or (2). The rules adopted under this subsection shall ensure that the language proficiency assessment committee provides that the exempted students are administered the assessment instruments under Subsections (a) and (c) at the earliest practical date.(n) This subsection applies only to a student who is determined to have dyslexia or a related disorder and who is an individual with a disability under 29 U.S.C. Section 705(20) and its subsequent amendments. The agency shall adopt or develop appropriate criterion-referenced assessment instruments designed to assess the ability of and to be administered to each student to whom this subsection applies for whom the assessment instruments adopted under Subsection (a), even with allowable modifications, would not provide an appropriate measure of student achievement, as determined by the committee established by the board of trustees of the district to determine the placement of students with dyslexia or related disorders. The committee shall determine whether any allowable modification is necessary in administering to a student an assessment instrument required under this subsection. The assessment instruments required under this subsection shall be administered on the same schedule as the assessment instruments administered under Subsection (a).(o) The commissioner of education and the commissioner of higher education shall study the feasibility of allowing students to satisfy end-of-course requirements under Subsection (c) by successfully completing a dual credit course through an institution of higher education. Not later than December 1, 2010, the commissioner of education and the commissioner of higher education shall make recommendations to the legislature based on the study conducted under this subsection.(p) On or before September 1 of each year, the commissioner shall make the following information available on the agency's Internet website for each assessment instrument administered under Subsection (a), (c), or (l):(1) the number of questions on the assessment instrument;(2) the number of questions that must be answered correctly to achieve satisfactory performance as determined by the commissioner under Section 39.0241(a);(3) the number of questions that must be answered correctly to achieve satisfactory performance under the college readiness performance standard as provided by Section 39.0241; and(4) the corresponding scale scores.
Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995. Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 767, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 397, Sec. 3, 8, eff. Sept. 1, 1999; Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 8, Sec. 1, eff. April 11, 2001; Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 834, Sec. 9, eff. Sept. 1, 2001; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 201, Sec. 25, eff. Sept. 1, 2003; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 430, Sec. 5, eff. Sept. 1, 2003; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 433, Sec. 1, eff. June 20, 2003; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1212, Sec. 11, eff. June 20, 2003; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1275, Sec. 2(20), eff. Sept. 1, 2003.Amended by: Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1312, Sec. 8, eff. September 1, 2007.Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1312, Sec. 18, eff. September 1, 2007.Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 895, Sec. 50, eff. June 19, 2009.
Sec. 39.0231. REPORTING OF RESULTS OF CERTAIN ASSESSMENTS. The agency shall ensure that each assessment instrument administered in accordance with Section 28.0211 is scored and that the results are returned to the appropriate school district not later than 10 days after receipt of the test materials by the agency or its test contractor.
Added by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 396, Sec. 2.18, eff. Sept. 1, 1999.
Sec. 39.0232. USE OF END-OF-COURSE ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENT AS PLACEMENT INSTRUMENT. To the extent practicable, the agency shall ensure that any high school end-of-course assessment instrument developed by the agency is developed in such a manner that the assessment instrument may be used to determine the appropriate placement of a student in a course of the same subject matter at an institution of higher education.
Added by Acts 2006, 79th Leg., 3rd C.S., Ch. 5, Sec. 5.05, eff. May 31, 2006.
Sec. 39.0233. SPECIAL-PURPOSE QUESTIONS INCLUDED IN END-OF-COURSE ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENTS. (a) The agency, in coordination with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, shall adopt a series of questions to be included in an end-of-course assessment instrument administered under Section 39.023(c) to be used for purposes of Section 51.3062. The questions adopted under this subsection must be developed in a manner consistent with any college readiness standards adopted under Sections 39.113 and 51.3062.(b) In addition to the questions adopted under Subsection (a), the agency shall adopt a series of questions to be included in an end-of-course assessment instrument administered under Section 39.023(c) to be used for purposes of identifying students who are likely to succeed in an advanced high school course. A school district shall notify a student who performs at a high level on the questions adopted under this subsection and the student's parent or guardian of the student's performance and potential to succeed in an advanced high school course. A school district may not require a student to perform at a particular level on the questions adopted under this subsection in order to be eligible to enroll in an advanced high school course.(c) The State Board of Education shall establish a level of performance on the questions adopted under this section that indicates a student's college readiness. A student's performance on the questions adopted under this section must be evaluated separately from the student's performance on the remainder of the assessment instrument. A student's performance on a question adopted under this section may not be used to determine the student's performance on the assessment instrument for purposes of Section 39.023 or 39.025. The commissioner shall adopt rules concerning the reporting of a student's performance on the questions adopted under this section.(d) The questions adopted under this section may not be administered in a separate section of the end-of-course assessment instrument.
Added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1312, Sec. 9, eff. September 1, 2007.Amended by: Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 895, Sec. 51, eff. June 19, 2009.
Sec. 39.0234. ADMINISTRATION OF ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENTS BY COMPUTER. (a) The agency shall ensure that assessment instruments required under Section 39.023 are capable of being administered by computer. The commissioner may not require a school district or open-enrollment charter school to administer an assessment instrument by computer.
Added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1312, Sec. 9, eff. September 1, 2007.Amended by: Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 895, Sec. 52, eff. June 19, 2009.
Sec. 39.0235. TECHNOLOGY LITERACY ASSESSMENT PILOT PROGRAM. (a) In this section, "pilot program" means the technology literacy assessment pilot program.(b) The commissioner by rule shall establish a pilot program in which a participating school district assesses student technology proficiency.(c) A school district may apply to the commissioner to participate in the pilot program. The commissioner shall select for participation school districts from both rural and urban areas of the state.(d) The agency shall adopt an assessment instrument designed to assess an individual student's mastery of the essential knowledge and skills in technology to be administered by a school district participating in the pilot program. The assessment instrument adopted under this subsection must be an existing product that is currently available.(e) Each school year, the assessment instrument adopted under Subsection (d) shall be administered in a participating school district to each student in either fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, or ninth grade, with the grade level and time to be determined by the district.(f) The assessment instrument adopted under Subsection (d) must:(1) be administered online;(2) be aligned with the essential knowledge and skills requirements for technology applications; and(3) incorporate performance-based measures, including a requirement that students perform certain technological tasks and respond to questions based on the completion of those tasks.(g) An assessment instrument administered by a participating school district must be designed in a manner to provide the district with an automatic report of the technology literacy proficiency of a district student in a format that is compatible with the school district and state data information systems.(h) A participating school district shall report student performance on the assessment instrument to the agency.
Added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1237, Sec. 1, eff. June 15, 2007.
For expiration of Subsections (f-1) and (f-2), see Subsection (f-2).Sec. 39.024. MEASURE OF COLLEGE READINESS. (a) In this section, "college readiness" means the level of preparation a student must attain in English language arts and mathematics courses to enroll and succeed, without remediation, in an entry-level general education course for credit in that same content area for a baccalaureate degree or associate degree program at:(1) a general academic teaching institution, as defined by Section 61.003, other than a research institution, as categorized under the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's accountability system; or(2) a postsecondary educational institution that primarily offers associate degrees or certificates or credentials other than baccalaureate or advanced degrees.(b) The agency and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall ensure that the Algebra II and English III end-of-course assessment instruments required under Section 39.023(c) are developed to be capable of, beginning with the 2011-2012 school year, measuring college readiness.(c) Before the beginning of the 2011-2012 school year, the agency, in collaboration with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, shall gather data and conduct research studies to substantiate the correlation between a certain level of performance by students on the Algebra II and English III end-of-course assessment instruments and college readiness.(d) Studies under Subsection (c) must include an evaluation of any need for remediation courses to facilitate college readiness.(e) Based on the results of the studies conducted under Subsection (c), the commissioner of education and the commissioner of higher education shall establish student performance standards for the Algebra II and English III end-of-course assessment instruments indicating that students have attained college readiness.(f) The agency, in collaboration with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, shall conduct research studies similar to the studies conducted under Subsection (c) for the appropriate science and social studies end-of-course assessment instruments. If the commissioner of education, in collaboration with the commissioner of higher education, determines that the research studies conducted under this subsection substantiate a correlation between a certain level of performance by students on science and social studies end-of-course assessment instruments and college readiness, the commissioner of education, in collaboration with the commissioner of higher education, as soon as practicable, may establish student performance standards for the science and social studies end-of-course assessment instruments indicating that students have attained college readiness.(f-1) Not later than December 1, 2012, the agency and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall deliver to the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the clerks of the standing committees of the senate and the house of representatives with primary jurisdiction over public education and higher education a report that includes:(1) an analysis of the feasibility of establishing college readiness performance standards for science and social studies end-of-course assessment instruments; and(2) a summary of any implementation procedures adopted for each standard.(f-2) Subsection (f-1) and this subsection expire January 1, 2013.(g) The agency, in collaboration with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, shall continue to gather data to perform studies as provided under Subsections (c) and (f) at least once every three years.(h) The agency and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall periodically review the college readiness performance standards established under this section and compare the performance standards to performance standards established nationally and internationally for comparable assessment instruments. Following each review, the agency and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall deliver to the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the clerks of the standing committees of the senate and the house of representatives with primary jurisdiction over public education and higher education a report on the results of the review indicating whether the college readiness performance standards established under this section are sufficiently rigorous to prepare students in this state to compete academically with students nationally and internationally. If the agency and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board determine that the college readiness performance standards established under this section are not sufficiently rigorous, the agency and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall recommend changes to the college readiness performance standards.(i) The agency shall gather data and conduct research to substantiate any correlation between a certain level of performance by students on end-of-course assessment instruments and success in:(1) military service; or(2) a workforce training, certification, or other credential program at a postsecondary educational institution that primarily offers associate degrees or certificates or credentials other than baccalaureate or advanced degrees.
Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995. Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 767, Sec. 2, eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 396, Sec. 2.19, eff. Sept. 1, 1999; Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 397, Sec. 4, eff. Sept. 1, 1999; Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1420, Sec. 4.006, eff. Sept. 1, 2001; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1212, Sec. 12, 14, eff. June 20, 2003.Amended by: Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 895, Sec. 53, eff. June 19, 2009.Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1328, Sec. 40, eff. September 1, 2009.Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1328, Sec. 105(a)(5), eff. September 1, 2009.
Sec. 39.0241. PERFORMANCE STANDARDS. (a) The commissioner shall determine the level of performance considered to be satisfactory on the assessment instruments.(a-1) The commissioner of education, in collaboration with the commissioner of higher education, shall determine the level of performance necessary to indicate college readiness, as defined by Section 39.024(a).(a-2) For the purpose of establishing performance across grade levels, the commissioner shall establish:(1) the performance standards for the Algebra II and English III end-of-course assessment instruments, as provided under Section 39.024(b) and under Subsection (a);(2) the performance standards for the Algebra I and English II end-of-course assessment instruments, as determined based on studies under Section 39.0242 that correlate student performance on the Algebra I and English II end-of-course assessment instruments with student performance on the Algebra II and English III assessment instruments;(3) the performance standards for the English I end-of-course assessment instrument, as determined based on studies under Section 39.0242 that correlate student performance on the English I end-of-course assessment instrument with student performance on the English II assessment instrument;(4) the performance standards for the grade eight assessment instruments, as determined based on studies under Section 39.0242 that correlate student performance on the grade eight assessment instruments with student performance on the Algebra I and English I end-of-course assessment instruments in the same content area; and(5) the performance standards on the assessment instruments in each of grades three through seven, as determined based on studies under Section 39.0242 that correlate student performance in the same content area on the assessment instrument for each grade with student performance on the assessment instrument in the succeeding grade.(c) Using funds appropriated for purposes of this subsection, the agency may develop study guides for the assessment instruments administered under Sections 39.023(a) and (c). To assist parents in providing assistance during the period that school is recessed for summer, each school district shall make the study guides available to parents of students who do not perform satisfactorily as determined by the commissioner under Subsection (a) on one or more parts of an assessment instrument administered under this subchapter.(d) Using funds appropriated for purposes of this subsection, the agency shall develop and make available teacher training materials and other teacher training resources to assist teachers in enabling students of limited English proficiency to meet state performance expectations. The teacher training resources shall be designed to support intensive, individualized, and accelerated instructional programs developed by school districts for students of limited English proficiency.
Added by Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 895, Sec. 53, eff. June 19, 2009.
Sec. 39.0242. PERFORMANCE STANDARDS: RESEARCH STUDIES AND IMPLEMENTATION OF STANDARDS. (a) During the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 school years, the agency shall collect data through:(1) the annual administration of assessment instruments required under Section 39.023(a) in grades three through eight; and(2) the administration to a sufficiently large sample of students throughout the state of end-of-course assessment instruments required under Section 39.023(c) for the purpose of setting performance standards.(b) Before the beginning of the 2011-2012 school year, the agency shall analyze the data collected under Subsection (a) to substantiate:(1) the correlation between satisfactory student performance for each performance standard under Section 39.0241 on the grade three, four, five, six, or seven assessment instruments with satisfactory performance under the same performance standard on the assessment instruments in the same content area for the next grade level;(2) the correlation between satisfactory student performance for each performance standard under Section 39.0241 on the grade eight assessment instruments with satisfactory performance under the same performance standard on the Algebra I and English I end-of-course assessment instruments in the same content area;(3) the correlation between satisfactory student performance for each performance standard under Section 39.0241 on the English I end-of-course assessment instrument with satisfactory performance under the same performance standard on the English II end-of-course assessment instrument;(4) the correlation between satisfactory student performance for each performance standard under Section 39.0241 on the English II end-of-course assessment instrument with satisfactory performance under the same performance standard on the English III end-of-course assessment instrument; and(5) the correlation between satisfactory student performance for each performance standard under Section 39.0241 on the Algebra I end-of-course assessment instrument with satisfactory performance under the same performance standard on the Algebra II end-of-course assessment instrument.(c) Studies under this section must include an evaluation of any need for remediation courses to facilitate college readiness.(d) The agency shall continue to gather data and perform studies as provided under this section at least once every three years. If the data do not support the correlation between student performance standards and college readiness, the commissioner of education, in collaboration with the commissioner of higher education, shall revise the standard of performance considered to be satisfactory.(e) Based on the data collected and studies performed periodically under Subsection (d), the commissioner shall increase the rigor of the performance standard established under Section 39.0241(a) as the commissioner determines necessary.
Added by Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 895, Sec. 53, eff. June 19, 2009.
Sec. 39.025. SECONDARY-LEVEL PERFORMANCE REQUIRED. (a) The commissioner shall adopt rules requiring a student participating in the recommended or advanced high school program to be administered each end-of-course assessment instrument listed in Section 39.023(c) and requiring a student participating in the minimum high school program to be administered an end-of-course assessment instrument listed in Section 39.023(c) only for a course in which the student is enrolled and for which an end-of-course assessment instrument is administered. A student is required to achieve, in each subject in the foundation curriculum under Section 28.002(a)(1), a cumulative score that is at least equal to the product of the number of end-of-course assessment instruments administered to the student in that subject and a scale score that indicates satisfactory performance, as determined by the commissioner under Section 39.0241(a). A student must achieve a minimum score as determined by the commissioner to be within a reasonable range of the scale score under Section 39.0241(a) on an end-of-course assessment instrument for the score to count towards the student's cumulative score. For purposes of this subsection, a student's cumulative score is determined using the student's highest score on each end-of-course assessment instrument administered to the student. A student may not receive a high school diploma until the student has performed satisfactorily on the end-of-course assessment instruments in the manner provided under this subsection. This subsection does not require a student to demonstrate readiness to enroll in an institution of higher education.(a-1) The commissioner by rule shall determine a method by which a student's satisfactory performance on an advanced placement test, international baccalaureate examination, an SAT Subject Test, or another assessment instrument determined by the commissioner to be at least as rigorous as an end-of-course assessment instrument adopted under Section 39.023(c) may be used as a factor in determining whether the student satisfies the requirements of Subsection (a), including the cumulative score requirement of that subsection. The commissioner by rule may determine a method by which a student's satisfactory performance on a Preliminary Scholastic Assessment Test (PSAT) assessment or a preliminary American College Test (ACT) assessment may be used as a factor in determining whether the student satisfies the requirements of Subsection (a).(a-2) In addition to the cumulative score requirements under Subsection (a), a student must achieve a score that meets or exceeds the score determined by the commissioner under Section 39.0241(a) for English III and Algebra II end-of-course assessment instruments to graduate under the recommended high school program.(a-3) In addition to the cumulative score requirements under Subsection (a), a student must achieve a score that meets or exceeds the score determined by the commissioner under Section 39.0241(a-1) on English III and Algebra II end-of-course assessment instruments in order to graduate under the advanced high school program.(b) Each time an end-of-course assessment instrument is administered, a student who failed to achieve a minimum score under Subsection (a) shall retake the assessment instrument.
A student who fails to perform satisfactorily on an Algebra II or English III end-of-course assessment instrument under the college readiness performance standard, as provided under Section 39.024(b), may retake the assessment instrument. Any other student may retake an end-of-course assessment instrument for any reason. A student is not required to retake a course as a condition of retaking an end-of-course assessment instrument.(b-1) A school district shall provide each student who fails to perform satisfactorily as determined by the commissioner under Section 39.0241(a) on an end-of-course assessment instrument with accelerated instruction in the subject assessed by the assessment instrument.(b-2) If a school district determines that a student, on completion of grade 11, is unlikely to achieve the cumulative score requirements for one or more subjects prescribed by Subsection (a) for receiving a high school diploma, the district shall require the student to enroll in a corresponding content-area college preparatory course for which an end-of-course assessment instrument has been adopted, if available. A student who enrolls in a college preparatory course described by this subsection shall be administered an end-of-course assessment instrument for the course, with the end-of-course assessment instrument scored on a scale as determined by the commissioner not to exceed 20 percent of the cumulative score requirements required to graduate as determined under Subsection (a). A student may use the student's score on the end-of-course assessment instrument for the college preparatory course towards satisfying the cumulative score requirements prescribed by Subsection (a).(c) A student who has been denied a high school diploma under this section and who subsequently performs at the level necessary to comply with the requirements of this section shall be issued a high school diploma.(c-1) A school district may not administer an assessment instrument required for graduation administered under this section as this section existed before September 1, 1999. A school district may administer to a student who failed to perform satisfactorily on an assessment instrument described by this subsection an alternate assessment instrument designated by the commissioner. The commissioner shall determine the level of performance considered to be satisfactory on an alternate assessment instrument. The district may not administer to the student an assessment instrument or a part of an assessment instrument that assesses a subject that was not assessed in an assessment instrument required for graduation administered under this section as this section existed before September 1, 1999. The commissioner shall make available to districts information necessary to administer the alternate assessment instrument authorized by this subsection. The commissioner's determination regarding designation of an appropriate alternate assessment instrument under this subsection and the performance required on the assessment instrument is final and may not be appealed.(d) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), the commissioner by rule shall adopt one or more alternative nationally recognized norm referenced assessment instruments under this section to administer to a student to qualify for a high school diploma if the student enrolls after January 1 of the school year in which the student is otherwise eligible to graduate:(1) for the first time in a public school in this state; or(2) after an absence of at least four years from any public school in this state.(e) The commissioner shall establish a required performance level for an assessment instrument adopted under Subsection (d) that is at least as rigorous as the performance level required to be met under Subsection (a).(f) The commissioner shall by rule adopt a transition plan to implement the amendments made by Chapter 1312 (S.B. No. 1031), Acts of the 80th Legislature, Regular Session, 2007, replacing general subject assessment instruments administered at the high school level with end-of-course assessment instruments. The rules must provide for the end-of-course assessment instruments adopted under Section 39.023(c) to be administered beginning with students entering the ninth grade during the 2011-2012 school year. During the period under which the transition to end-of-course assessment instruments is made:(1) for students entering a grade above the ninth grade during the 2011-2012 school year, the commissioner shall retain, administer, and use for purposes of accreditation and other campus and district accountability measures under this chapter the assessment instruments required by Section 39.023(a) or (c), as that section existed before amendment by Chapter 1312 (S.B. No. 1031), Acts of the 80th Legislature, Regular Session, 2007;(2) a student subject to Subdivision (1) may not receive a high school diploma unless the student has performed satisfactorily on each required assessment instrument administered under Section 39.023(c) as that section existed before amendment by Chapter 1312 (S.B. No. 1031), Acts of the 80th Legislature, Regular Session, 2007; and(3) the agency may defer releasing assessment instrument questions and answer keys as required by Section 39.023(e) to the extent necessary to develop additional assessment instruments.(g) Rules adopted under Subsection (f) must require that each student who will be subject to the requirements of Subsection (a) is entitled to notice of the specific requirements applicable to the student. Notice under this subsection must be provided not later than the date the student enters the eighth grade. Subsection (f) and this subsection expire September 1, 2015.
Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995. Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 767, Sec. 3, eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 397, Sec. 5, eff. Sept. 1, 1999.Amended by: Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 164, Sec. 6, eff. May 27, 2005.Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1312, Sec. 10, eff. September 1, 2007.Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 895, Sec. 54, eff. June 19, 2009.
Sec. 39.026. LOCAL OPTION. In addition to the assessment instruments adopted by the agency and administered by the State Board of Education, a school district may adopt and administer criterion-referenced or norm-referenced assessment instruments, or both, at any grade level. A norm-referenced assessment instrument adopted under this section must be economical, nationally recognized, and state-approved.
Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995.
Sec. 39.0261. COLLEGE PREPARATION ASSESSMENTS. (a) In addition to the assessment instruments otherwise authorized or required by this subchapter:(1) each school year and at state cost, a school district shall administer to students in the spring of the eighth grade an established, valid, reliable, and nationally norm-referenced preliminary college preparation assessment instrument for the purpose of diagnosing the academic strengths and deficiencies of students before entrance into high school;(2) each school year and at state cost, a school district shall administer to students in the 10th grade an established, valid, reliable, and nationally norm-referenced preliminary college preparation assessment instrument for the purpose of measuring a student's progress toward readiness for college and the workplace; and(3) high school students in the spring of the 11th grade or during the 12th grade may select and take once, at state cost, one of the valid, reliable, and nationally norm-referenced assessment instruments used by colleges and universities as part of their undergraduate admissions processes.(b) The agency shall:(1) select and approve vendors of the specific assessment instruments administered under this section; and(2) pay all fees associated with the administration of the assessment instrument from funds allotted under the Foundation School Program, and the commissioner shall reduce the total amount of state funds allocated to each district from any source in the same manner described for a reduction in allotments under Section 42.253.(c) The agency shall ensure that vendors are not paid under Subsection (b) for the administration of an assessment instrument to a student to whom the assessment instrument is not actually administered. The agency may comply with this subsection by any reasonable means, including by creating a refund system under which a vendor returns any payment made for a student who registered for the administration of an assessment instrument but did not appear for the administration.(d) A vendor that administers an assessment instrument for a district under this section shall report the results of the assessment instrument to the agency. The agency shall:(1) include a student's results on the assessment instrument in the electronic student records system established under Section 7.010; and(2) ensure that a student and the student's parent receive a report of the student's results on the assessment instrument.(e) Subsection (a)(3) does not prohibit a high school student in the spring of the 11th grade or during the 12th grade from selecting and taking, at the student's own expense, one of the valid, reliable, and nationally norm-referenced assessment instruments used by colleges and universities as part of their undergraduate admissions processes more than once.(f) The provisions of this section apply only if the legislature appropriates funds for purposes of this section.
Added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1312, Sec. 11, eff. September 1, 2007.
Sec. 39.0262. ADMINISTRATION OF DISTRICT-REQUIRED ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENTS IN CERTAIN SUBJECT AREAS. (a) In a subject area for which assessment instruments are administered under Section 39.023, a school district may not administer locally required assessment instruments designed to prepare students for state-administered assessment instruments to any student on more than 10 percent of the instructional days in any school year. A campus-level planning and decision-making committee established under Section 11.251 may limit the administration of locally required assessment instruments under this subsection to 10 percent or a lower percentage of the instructional days in any school year.(b) The prohibition prescribed by this section does not apply to the administration of a college preparation assessment instrument, an advanced placement test, an international baccalaureate examination, or an assessment instrument administered under Section 39.023.
Added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1312, Sec. 11, eff. September 1, 2007.Amended by: Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 895, Sec. 55, eff. June 19, 2009.
Sec. 39.027. EXEMPTION. (a) A student may be administered an accommodated or alternative assessment instrument or may be granted an exemption from or a postponement of the administration of an assessment instrument under:(1) Section 39.023(a), (b), (c), or (l) for a period of up to one year after initial enrollment in a school in the United States if the student is of limited English proficiency, as defined by Section 29.052, and has not demonstrated proficiency in English as determined by the assessment system under Subsection (e);(2) Section 39.023(a), (b), (c), or (l) for a period of up to two years in addition to the exemption period authorized by Subdivision (1) if the student has received an exemption under Subdivision (1) and:(A) is a recent unschooled immigrant; or(B) is in a grade for which no assessment instrument in the primary language of the student is available; or(3) Section 39.023(a), (b), (c), or (l) for a period of up to four years, in addition to the exemption period authorized under Subdivision (1), if the student's initial enrollment in a school in the United States was as an unschooled asylee or refugee.(a-1) For purposes of this section, "unschooled asylee or refugee" means a student who:(1) initially enrolled in a school in the United States as:(A) an asylee as defined by 45 C.F.R. Section 400.41; or(B) a refugee as defined by 8 U.S.C. Section 1101;(2) has a visa issued by the United States Department of State with a Form I-94 Arrival/Departure record, or a successor document, issued by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services that is stamped with "Asylee," "Refugee," or "Asylum"; and(3) as a result of inadequate schooling outside of the United States, lacks the necessary foundation in the essential knowledge and skills of the curriculum prescribed under Section 28.002, as determined by the language proficiency assessment committee established under Section 29.063.(b) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules under which a dyslexic student who is not exempt under Subsection (a) may use procedures including oral examinations if appropriate or may be allowed additional time or the materials or technology necessary for the student to demonstrate the student's mastery of the competencies the assessment instruments are designed to measure.(c) The commissioner shall develop and adopt a process for reviewing the exemption process of a school district or shared services arrangement that gives an exemption under Subsection (a)(1) as follows:(1) to more than five percent of the students in the special education program, in the case of a district or shared services arrangement with an average daily attendance of at least 1,600;(2) to more than 10 percent of the students in the special education program, in the case of a district or shared services arrangement with an average daily attendance of at least 190 and not more than 1,599; or(3) to the greater of more than 10 percent of the students in the special education program or to at least five students in the special education program, in the case of a district or shared services arrangement with an average daily attendance of not more than 189.(d) Expired.(e) The commissioner shall develop an assessment system that shall be used for evaluating the academic progress, including reading proficiency in English, of all students of limited English proficiency, as defined by Section 29.052. A student who is exempt from the administration of an assessment instrument under Subsection (a)(1) or (2) who achieves reading proficiency in English as determined by the assessment system developed under this subsection shall be administered the assessment instruments described by Sections 39.023(a) and (c). The performance under the assessment system developed under this subsection of students to whom Subsection (a)(1) or (2) applies shall be included in the indicator systems under Section 39.301, as applicable, the performance report under Section 39.306, and the comprehensive annual report under Section 39.332. This information shall be provided in a manner that is disaggregated by the bilingual education or special language program, if any, in which the student is enrolled.(f) In this section, "average daily attendance" is computed in the manner provided by Section 42.005.(g) For purposes of this section, "recent unschooled immigrant" means an immigrant who initially enrolled in a school in the United States not more than 12 months before the date of the administration of an assessment instrument under Section 39.023(a) or (l) and who, as a result of inadequate schooling outside of the United States, lacks the necessary foundation in the essential knowledge and skills of the curriculum prescribed under Section 28.002 as determined by the language proficiency assessment committee established under Section 29.063. For purposes of this subsection and to the extent authorized by federal law, a child's prior enrollment in a school in the United States shall be determined on the basis of documents and records required under Section 25.002(a).
Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995. Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 767, Sec. 4, eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 397, Sec. 6, eff. Sept. 1, 1999; Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 8, Sec. 2, eff. April 11, 2001; Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 725, Sec. 3, eff. June 13, 2001; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1276, Sec. 6.007, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.Amended by: Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1340, Sec. 4, eff. June 15, 2007.Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 895, Sec. 56, eff. June 19, 2009.
Sec. 39.028. COMPARISON OF STATE RESULTS TO NATIONAL RESULTS. The state assessment program shall obtain nationally comparative results for the subject areas and grade levels for which criterion-referenced assessment instruments are adopted under Section 39.023.
Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995.
Sec. 39.029. MIGRATORY CHILDREN. The State Board of Education by rule may provide alternate dates for the administration of the assessment instruments to a student who is a migratory child as defined by 20 U.S.C. Section 6399. The alternate dates may be chosen following a consideration of migrant work patterns, and the dates selected may afford maximum opportunity for the students to be present when the assessment instruments are administered.
Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995.
Sec. 39.030. CONFIDENTIALITY; PERFORMANCE REPORTS. (a) In adopting academic skills assessment instruments under this subchapter, the State Board of Education or a school district shall ensure the security of the instruments and tests in their preparation, administration, and grading. Meetings or portions of meetings held by the State Board of Education or a school district at which individual assessment instruments or assessment instrument items are discussed or adopted are not open to the public under Chapter 551, Government Code, and the assessment instruments or assessment instrument items are confidential.(b) The results of individual student performance on academic skills assessment instruments administered under this subchapter are confidential and may be released only in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (20 U.S.C. Section 1232g). However, overall student performance data shall be aggregated by ethnicity, sex, grade level, subject area, campus, and district and made available to the public, with appropriate interpretations, at regularly scheduled meetings of the board of trustees of each school district. The information may not contain the names of individual students or teachers.(c) Repealed by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 767, Sec. 11, eff. June 13, 2001.
Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995. Amended by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 767, Sec. 11, eff. June 13, 2001.
Sec. 39.0301. SECURITY IN ADMINISTRATION OF ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENTS. (a) The commissioner:(1) shall establish procedures for the administration of assessment instruments adopted or developed under Section 39.023, including procedures designed to ensure the security of the assessment instruments; and(2) may establish record retention requirements for school district records related to the security of assessment instruments.(b) The commissioner may develop and implement statistical methods and standards for identifying potential violations of procedures established under Subsection (a) to ensure the security of assessment instruments adopted or developed under Section 39.023. In developing the statistical methods and standards, the commissioner may include indicators of:(1) potential violations that are monitored annually; and(2) patterns of inappropriate assessment practices that occur over time.(c) The commissioner may establish one or more advisory committees to advise the commissioner and agency regarding the monitoring of assessment practices and the use of statistical methods and standards for identifying potential violations of assessment instrument security, including standards to be established by the commissioner for selecting school districts for investigation for a potential assessment security violation under Subsection (e). The commissioner may not appoint an agency employee to an advisory committee established under this subsection.(d) Any document created for the deliberation of an advisory committee established under Subsection (c) or any recommendation of such a committee is confidential and not subject to disclosure under Chapter 552, Government Code. Except as provided by Subsection (e), the statistical methods and standards adopted under this section and the results of applying those methods and standards are confidential and not subject to disclosure under Chapter 552, Government Code.(e) The agency may conduct an investigation of a school district for a potential violation of assessment instrument security in accordance with the standards described by Subsection (c). Each school year, after completing all investigations of school districts selected for investigation, the agency shall disclose the identity of each district selected for investigation and the statistical methods and standards used to select the district.(f) At any time, the commissioner may authorize the audit of a random sample of school districts to determine the compliance of the districts with procedures established under Subsection (a). The identity of each school district selected for audit under this subsection is confidential and not subject to disclosure under Chapter 552, Government Code, except that the agency shall disclose the identity of each district after completion of the audit.(g) The state auditor may conduct a risk-based audit of a school district at any time to ensure the security of assessment instruments administered under Section 39.023 in the district.
Added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1312, Sec. 12, eff. September 1, 2007.
Sec. 39.0302. ISSUANCE OF SUBPOENAS. (a) During an agency investigation or audit of a school district under Section 39.0301(e) or (f), an accreditation investigation under Section 39.075(a)(8), or an investigation by the State Board for Educator Certification of an educator for an alleged violation of an assessment instrument security procedure established under Section 39.0301(a), the commissioner may issue a subpoena to compel the attendance of a relevant witness or the production, for inspection or copying, of relevant evidence that is located in this state.(b) A subpoena may be served personally or by certified mail.(c) If a person fails to comply with a subpoena, the commissioner, acting through the attorney general, may file suit to enforce the subpoena in a district court in this state. On finding that good cause exists for issuing the subpoena, the court shall order the person to comply with the subpoena. The court may punish a person who fails to obey the court order.(d) All information and materials subpoenaed or compiled in connection with an investigation or audit described by Subsection (a):(1) are confidential and not subject to disclosure under Chapter 552, Government Code; and(2) are not subject to disclosure, discovery, subpoena, or other means of legal compulsion for release to any person other than:(A) the commissioner or the State Board for Educator Certification, as applicable;(B) agency employees or agents involved in the investigation, as applicable; and(C) the office of the attorney general, the state auditor's office, and law enforcement agencies.
Added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1312, Sec. 12, eff. September 1, 2007.
Sec. 39.0303. SECURE ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENTS; CRIMINAL PENALTY. (a) A person commits an offense if:(1) the person intentionally discloses the contents of any portion of a secure assessment instrument developed or administered under this subchapter, including the answer to any item in the assessment instrument; and(2) the disclosure affects or is likely to affect the individual performance of one or more students on the assessment instrument.(b) An offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor.
Added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1312, Sec. 12, eff. September 1, 2007.
Sec. 39.0304. TRAINING IN ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENT ADMINISTRATION. (a) To ensure that each administration of assessment instruments under Section 39.023 is valid, reliable, and in compliance with the requirements of this subchapter, the commissioner may require training for school district employees involved in the administration of the assessment instruments.(b) The training under Subsection (a) may include a qualifying component to ensure that school district employees involved in the administration of assessment instruments under Section 39.023 possess the necessary skills and knowledge required to administer the assessment instruments.(c) The commissioner may adopt rules necessary to implement this section.
Added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1312, Sec. 12, eff. September 1, 2007.
Sec. 39.031. COST. The cost of preparing, administering, or grading the assessment instruments and releasing the question and answer keys under Section 39.023(e) shall be paid from amounts appropriated to the agency.
Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995. Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 767, Sec. 5, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.Amended by: Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1328, Sec. 41, eff. September 1, 2009.
Sec. 39.032. ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENT STANDARDS; CIVIL PENALTY. (a) Repealed by Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1210, Sec. 2, eff. June 19, 2009.(b) Repealed by Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1210, Sec. 2, eff. June 19, 2009.(c) State and national norms of averages shall be computed using data that are not more than eight years old at the time the assessment instrument is administered and that are representative of the group of students to whom the assessment instrument is administered.(c-1) The standardization norms computed under Subsection (c) shall be:(1) based on a national probability sample that meets accepted standards for educational and psychological testing; and(2) updated at least every eight years using proven psychometric procedures approved by the State Board of Education.(c-2) The eight-year limitation on data to compute norms under this section does not apply if only data older than eight years is available for an assessment instrument. The commissioner by rule may limit the exception created by this subsection based on the type of assessment instrument.(d) Repealed by Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1210, Sec. 2, eff. June 19, 2009.(e) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules for the implementation of this section and for the maintenance of the security of the contents of all assessment instruments.(f) In this section, "assessment instrument" means a group-administered achievement test.
Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995.Amended by: Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1210, Sec. 1, eff. June 19, 2009.Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1210, Sec. 2, eff. June 19, 2009.
Sec. 39.033. VOLUNTARY ASSESSMENT OF PRIVATE SCHOOL STUDENTS. (a) Under an agreement with the agency, a private school may administer an assessment instrument adopted under this subchapter to students at the school.(b) An agreement under this section must require the private school to:(1) as determined appropriate by the commissioner, provide to the commissioner the information described by Sections 39.053(c) and 39.301(c); and(2) maintain confidentiality in compliance with Section 39.030.(c) A private school must reimburse the agency for the cost of administering an assessment instrument under this section. The State Board of Education shall determine the cost under this section. The per-student cost may not exceed the cost of administering the same assessment to a student enrolled in a public school district.(d) In this section, "private school" means a school that:(1) offers a general education to elementary or secondary students; and(2) is not operated by a governmental entity.
Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995.Amended by: Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 895, Sec. 57, eff. June 19, 2009.
Sec. 39.034. MEASURE OF ANNUAL IMPROVEMENT IN STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT. (a) The commissioner shall determine a method by which the agency may measure annual improvement in student achievement from one school year to the next on an assessment instrument required under this subchapter.(b) For students of limited English proficiency, as defined by Section 29.052, the agency shall use a student's performance data on reading proficiency assessment instruments in English and one other language to calculate the student's progress toward dual language proficiency.(c) The agency shall use a student's previous years' performance data on an assessment instrument required under this subchapter to determine the student's expected annual improvement. The agency shall report that expected level of annual improvement and the actual level of annual improvement achieved to the district. The report must state whether the student fell below, met, or exceeded the agency's expectation for improvement.(d) The agency shall determine the necessary annual improvement required each year for a student to be prepared to perform satisfactorily on, as applicable:(1) the grade five assessment instruments;(2) the grade eight assessment instruments; and(3) the end-of-course assessment instruments required under this subchapter for graduation.(d-1) The agency shall report the necessary annual improvement required under Subsection (d) to the district. Each year, the report must state whether the student fell below, met, or exceeded the necessary target for improvement.(e) Repealed by Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 895, Sec. 66(1), eff. June 19, 2009.(f) Repealed by Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 895, Sec. 66(1), eff. June 19, 2009.(g) Repealed by Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 895, Sec. 66(1), eff. June 19, 2009.
EDUCATION CODETITLE 2. PUBLIC EDUCATIONSUBTITLE H. PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM ACCOUNTABILITYCHAPTER 39. PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM ACCOUNTABILITYSUBCHAPTER A. COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF PUBLIC SCHOOL ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEMSUBCHAPTER B. ASSESSMENT OF ACADEMIC SKILLSSec. 39.021. ESSENTIAL SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE. The State Board of Education by rule shall establish the essential skills and knowledge that all students should learn to achieve the goals provided under Section 4.002.
Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995.
Sec. 39.022. ASSESSMENT PROGRAM. The State Board of Education by rule shall create and implement a statewide assessment program that is knowledge- and skills-based to ensure school accountability for student achievement that achieves the goals provided under Section 4.002. After adopting rules under this section, the State Board of Education shall consider the importance of maintaining stability in the statewide assessment program when adopting any subsequent modification of the rules.
Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995. Amended by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 397, Sec. 2, eff. Sept. 1, 1999.
Sec. 39.023. ADOPTION AND ADMINISTRATION OF INSTRUMENTS. (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. All students, except students assessed under Subsection (b) or (l) or exempted under Section 39.027, shall be assessed in:(1) mathematics, annually in grades three through seven without the aid of technology and in grade eight with the aid of technology on any assessment instrument that includes algebra;(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(6) any other subject and grade required by federal law.(a-1) The agency shall develop assessment instruments required under Subsection (a) in a manner that allows, to the extent practicable:(1) the score a student receives to provide reliable information relating to a student's satisfactory performance for each performance standard under Section 39.0241; and(2) an appropriate range of performances to serve as a valid indication of growth in student achievement.(b) The agency shall develop or adopt appropriate criterion-referenced alternative assessment instruments to be administered to each student in a special education program under Subchapter A, Chapter 29, for whom an assessment instrument adopted under Subsection (a), even with allowable accommodations, would not provide an appropriate measure of student achievement, as determined by the student's admission, review, and dismissal committee. (c) The agency shall also adopt end-of-course assessment instruments for secondary-level courses in Algebra I, Algebra II, geometry, biology, chemistry, physics, English I, English II, English III, world geography, world history, and United States history. The Algebra I, Algebra II, and geometry end-of-course assessment instruments must be administered with the aid of technology. A school district shall comply with State Board of Education rules regarding administration of the assessment instruments listed in this subsection and shall adopt a policy that requires a student's performance on an end-of-course assessment instrument for a course listed in this subsection in which the student is enrolled to account for 15 percent of the student's final grade for the course. If a student retakes an end-of-course assessment instrument for a course listed in this subsection, as provided by Section 39.025, a school district is not required to use the student's performance on the subsequent administration or administrations of the assessment instrument to determine the student's final grade for the course. 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. 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).(c-1) The agency shall develop any assessment instrument required under this section in a manner that allows for the measurement of annual improvement in student achievement as required by Sections 39.034(c) and (d).(c-2) The agency may adopt end-of-course assessment instruments for courses not listed in Subsection (c). A student's performance on an end-of-course assessment instrument adopted under this subsection is not subject to the performance requirements established under Subsection (c) or Section 39.025.(c-3) In adopting a schedule for the administration of assessment instruments under this section, the State Board of Education shall require:(1) assessment instruments administered under Subsection (a) to be administered on a schedule so that the first assessment instrument is administered at least two weeks later than the date on which the first assessment instrument was administered under Subsection (a) during the 2006-2007 school year; and(2) the spring administration of end-of-course assessment instruments under Subsection (c) to occur in each school district not earlier than the first full week in May, except that the spring administration of the end-of-course assessment instruments in English I, English II, and English III must be permitted to occur at an earlier date.(c-4) To the extent practicable and subject to Section 39.024, the agency shall ensure that each end-of-course assessment instrument adopted under Subsection (c) is:(1) developed in a manner that measures a student's performance under the college readiness standards established under Section 28.008; and(2) validated by national postsecondary education experts for college readiness content and performance standards.(c-5) A student's performance on an end-of-course assessment instrument required under Subsection (c) must be included in the student's academic achievement record.(c-6) In adopting an end-of-course assessment instrument under this section, the agency shall consider the use of an existing assessment instrument that is currently available. The agency may use an existing assessment instrument that is currently available only if the assessment instrument:(1) is aligned with the essential knowledge and skills of the subject being assessed; and(2) allows for the measurement of annual improvement in student achievement as provided by Subsection (c-1).(d) The commissioner may participate in multistate efforts to develop voluntary standardized end-of-course assessment instruments. The commissioner by rule may require a school district to administer an end-of-course assessment instrument developed through the multistate efforts. The admission, review, and dismissal committee of a student in a special education program under Subchapter A, Chapter 29, shall determine whether any allowable modification is necessary in administering to the student an end-of-course assessment instrument.(e) Under rules adopted by the State Board of Education, every third year, the agency shall release the questions and answer keys to each assessment instrument administered under Subsection (a), (b), (c), (d), or (l), excluding any assessment instrument administered to a student for the purpose of retaking the assessment instrument, after the last time the instrument is administered for that school year. To ensure a valid bank of questions for use each year, the agency is not required to release a question that is being field-tested and was not used to compute the student's score on the instrument. The agency shall also release, under board rule, each question that is no longer being field-tested and that was not used to compute a student's score.(f) The assessment instruments shall be designed to include assessment of a student's problem-solving ability and complex-thinking skills using a method of assessing those abilities and skills that is demonstrated to be highly reliable.(g) The State Board of Education may adopt one appropriate, nationally recognized, norm-referenced assessment instrument in reading and mathematics to be administered to a selected sample of students in the spring. If adopted, a norm-referenced assessment instrument must be a secured test. The state may pay the costs of purchasing and scoring the adopted assessment instrument and of distributing the results of the adopted instrument to the school districts. A district that administers the norm-referenced test adopted under this subsection shall report the results to the agency in a manner prescribed by the commissioner.(h) The agency shall notify school districts and campuses of the results of assessment instruments administered under this section at the earliest possible date determined by the State Board of Education but not later than the beginning of the subsequent school year.(i) The provisions of this section, except Subsection (d), are subject to modification by rules adopted under Section 39.022. Each assessment instrument adopted under those rules and each assessment instrument required under Subsection (d) must be reliable and valid and must meet any applicable federal requirements for measurement of student progress.(j) Repealed by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1312, Sec. 18, eff. September 1, 2007.(l) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules for the administration of the assessment instruments adopted under Subsection (a) in Spanish to students in grades three through five who are of limited English proficiency, as defined by Section 29.052, whose primary language is Spanish, and who are not otherwise exempt from the administration of an assessment instrument under Section 39.027(a)(1) or (2). Each student of limited English proficiency whose primary language is Spanish, other than a student to whom Subsection (b) applies, may be assessed using assessment instruments in Spanish under this subsection for up to three years or assessment instruments in English under Subsection (a). The language proficiency assessment committee established under Section 29.063 shall determine which students are administered assessment instruments in Spanish under this subsection.(m) The commissioner by rule shall develop procedures under which the language proficiency assessment committee established under Section 29.063 shall determine which students are exempt from the administration of the assessment instruments under Section 39.027(a)(1) or (2). The rules adopted under this subsection shall ensure that the language proficiency assessment committee provides that the exempted students are administered the assessment instruments under Subsections (a) and (c) at the earliest practical date.(n) This subsection applies only to a student who is determined to have dyslexia or a related disorder and who is an individual with a disability under 29 U.S.C. Section 705(20) and its subsequent amendments. The agency shall adopt or develop appropriate criterion-referenced assessment instruments designed to assess the ability of and to be administered to each student to whom this subsection applies for whom the assessment instruments adopted under Subsection (a), even with allowable modifications, would not provide an appropriate measure of student achievement, as determined by the committee established by the board of trustees of the district to determine the placement of students with dyslexia or related disorders. The committee shall determine whether any allowable modification is necessary in administering to a student an assessment instrument required under this subsection. The assessment instruments required under this subsection shall be administered on the same schedule as the assessment instruments administered under Subsection (a).(o) The commissioner of education and the commissioner of higher education shall study the feasibility of allowing students to satisfy end-of-course requirements under Subsection (c) by successfully completing a dual credit course through an institution of higher education. Not later than December 1, 2010, the commissioner of education and the commissioner of higher education shall make recommendations to the legislature based on the study conducted under this subsection.(p) On or before September 1 of each year, the commissioner shall make the following information available on the agency's Internet website for each assessment instrument administered under Subsection (a), (c), or (l):(1) the number of questions on the assessment instrument;(2) the number of questions that must be answered correctly to achieve satisfactory performance as determined by the commissioner under Section 39.0241(a);(3) the number of questions that must be answered correctly to achieve satisfactory performance under the college readiness performance standard as provided by Section 39.0241; and(4) the corresponding scale scores.
Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995. Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 767, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 397, Sec. 3, 8, eff. Sept. 1, 1999; Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 8, Sec. 1, eff. April 11, 2001; Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 834, Sec. 9, eff. Sept. 1, 2001; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 201, Sec. 25, eff. Sept. 1, 2003; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 430, Sec. 5, eff. Sept. 1, 2003; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 433, Sec. 1, eff. June 20, 2003; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1212, Sec. 11, eff. June 20, 2003; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1275, Sec. 2(20), eff. Sept. 1, 2003.Amended by: Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1312, Sec. 8, eff. September 1, 2007.Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1312, Sec. 18, eff. September 1, 2007.Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 895, Sec. 50, eff. June 19, 2009.
Sec. 39.0231. REPORTING OF RESULTS OF CERTAIN ASSESSMENTS. The agency shall ensure that each assessment instrument administered in accordance with Section 28.0211 is scored and that the results are returned to the appropriate school district not later than 10 days after receipt of the test materials by the agency or its test contractor.
Added by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 396, Sec. 2.18, eff. Sept. 1, 1999.
Sec. 39.0232. USE OF END-OF-COURSE ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENT AS PLACEMENT INSTRUMENT. To the extent practicable, the agency shall ensure that any high school end-of-course assessment instrument developed by the agency is developed in such a manner that the assessment instrument may be used to determine the appropriate placement of a student in a course of the same subject matter at an institution of higher education.
Added by Acts 2006, 79th Leg., 3rd C.S., Ch. 5, Sec. 5.05, eff. May 31, 2006.
Sec. 39.0233. SPECIAL-PURPOSE QUESTIONS INCLUDED IN END-OF-COURSE ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENTS. (a) The agency, in coordination with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, shall adopt a series of questions to be included in an end-of-course assessment instrument administered under Section 39.023(c) to be used for purposes of Section 51.3062. The questions adopted under this subsection must be developed in a manner consistent with any college readiness standards adopted under Sections 39.113 and 51.3062.(b) In addition to the questions adopted under Subsection (a), the agency shall adopt a series of questions to be included in an end-of-course assessment instrument administered under Section 39.023(c) to be used for purposes of identifying students who are likely to succeed in an advanced high school course. A school district shall notify a student who performs at a high level on the questions adopted under this subsection and the student's parent or guardian of the student's performance and potential to succeed in an advanced high school course. A school district may not require a student to perform at a particular level on the questions adopted under this subsection in order to be eligible to enroll in an advanced high school course.(c) The State Board of Education shall establish a level of performance on the questions adopted under this section that indicates a student's college readiness. A student's performance on the questions adopted under this section must be evaluated separately from the student's performance on the remainder of the assessment instrument. A student's performance on a question adopted under this section may not be used to determine the student's performance on the assessment instrument for purposes of Section 39.023 or 39.025. The commissioner shall adopt rules concerning the reporting of a student's performance on the questions adopted under this section.(d) The questions adopted under this section may not be administered in a separate section of the end-of-course assessment instrument.
Added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1312, Sec. 9, eff. September 1, 2007.Amended by: Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 895, Sec. 51, eff. June 19, 2009.
Sec. 39.0234. ADMINISTRATION OF ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENTS BY COMPUTER. (a) The agency shall ensure that assessment instruments required under Section 39.023 are capable of being administered by computer. The commissioner may not require a school district or open-enrollment charter school to administer an assessment instrument by computer.
Added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1312, Sec. 9, eff. September 1, 2007.Amended by: Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 895, Sec. 52, eff. June 19, 2009.
Sec. 39.0235. TECHNOLOGY LITERACY ASSESSMENT PILOT PROGRAM. (a) In this section, "pilot program" means the technology literacy assessment pilot program.(b) The commissioner by rule shall establish a pilot program in which a participating school district assesses student technology proficiency.(c) A school district may apply to the commissioner to participate in the pilot program. The commissioner shall select for participation school districts from both rural and urban areas of the state.(d) The agency shall adopt an assessment instrument designed to assess an individual student's mastery of the essential knowledge and skills in technology to be administered by a school district participating in the pilot program. The assessment instrument adopted under this subsection must be an existing product that is currently available.(e) Each school year, the assessment instrument adopted under Subsection (d) shall be administered in a participating school district to each student in either fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, or ninth grade, with the grade level and time to be determined by the district.(f) The assessment instrument adopted under Subsection (d) must:(1) be administered online;(2) be aligned with the essential knowledge and skills requirements for technology applications; and(3) incorporate performance-based measures, including a requirement that students perform certain technological tasks and respond to questions based on the completion of those tasks.(g) An assessment instrument administered by a participating school district must be designed in a manner to provide the district with an automatic report of the technology literacy proficiency of a district student in a format that is compatible with the school district and state data information systems.(h) A participating school district shall report student performance on the assessment instrument to the agency.
Added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1237, Sec. 1, eff. June 15, 2007.
For expiration of Subsections (f-1) and (f-2), see Subsection (f-2).Sec. 39.024. MEASURE OF COLLEGE READINESS. (a) In this section, "college readiness" means the level of preparation a student must attain in English language arts and mathematics courses to enroll and succeed, without remediation, in an entry-level general education course for credit in that same content area for a baccalaureate degree or associate degree program at:(1) a general academic teaching institution, as defined by Section 61.003, other than a research institution, as categorized under the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's accountability system; or(2) a postsecondary educational institution that primarily offers associate degrees or certificates or credentials other than baccalaureate or advanced degrees.(b) The agency and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall ensure that the Algebra II and English III end-of-course assessment instruments required under Section 39.023(c) are developed to be capable of, beginning with the 2011-2012 school year, measuring college readiness.(c) Before the beginning of the 2011-2012 school year, the agency, in collaboration with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, shall gather data and conduct research studies to substantiate the correlation between a certain level of performance by students on the Algebra II and English III end-of-course assessment instruments and college readiness.(d) Studies under Subsection (c) must include an evaluation of any need for remediation courses to facilitate college readiness.(e) Based on the results of the studies conducted under Subsection (c), the commissioner of education and the commissioner of higher education shall establish student performance standards for the Algebra II and English III end-of-course assessment instruments indicating that students have attained college readiness.(f) The agency, in collaboration with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, shall conduct research studies similar to the studies conducted under Subsection (c) for the appropriate science and social studies end-of-course assessment instruments. If the commissioner of education, in collaboration with the commissioner of higher education, determines that the research studies conducted under this subsection substantiate a correlation between a certain level of performance by students on science and social studies end-of-course assessment instruments and college readiness, the commissioner of education, in collaboration with the commissioner of higher education, as soon as practicable, may establish student performance standards for the science and social studies end-of-course assessment instruments indicating that students have attained college readiness.(f-1) Not later than December 1, 2012, the agency and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall deliver to the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the clerks of the standing committees of the senate and the house of representatives with primary jurisdiction over public education and higher education a report that includes:(1) an analysis of the feasibility of establishing college readiness performance standards for science and social studies end-of-course assessment instruments; and(2) a summary of any implementation procedures adopted for each standard.(f-2) Subsection (f-1) and this subsection expire January 1, 2013.(g) The agency, in collaboration with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, shall continue to gather data to perform studies as provided under Subsections (c) and (f) at least once every three years.(h) The agency and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall periodically review the college readiness performance standards established under this section and compare the performance standards to performance standards established nationally and internationally for comparable assessment instruments. Following each review, the agency and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall deliver to the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the clerks of the standing committees of the senate and the house of representatives with primary jurisdiction over public education and higher education a report on the results of the review indicating whether the college readiness performance standards established under this section are sufficiently rigorous to prepare students in this state to compete academically with students nationally and internationally. If the agency and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board determine that the college readiness performance standards established under this section are not sufficiently rigorous, the agency and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall recommend changes to the college readiness performance standards.(i) The agency shall gather data and conduct research to substantiate any correlation between a certain level of performance by students on end-of-course assessment instruments and success in:(1) military service; or(2) a workforce training, certification, or other credential program at a postsecondary educational institution that primarily offers associate degrees or certificates or credentials other than baccalaureate or advanced degrees.
Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995. Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 767, Sec. 2, eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 396, Sec. 2.19, eff. Sept. 1, 1999; Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 397, Sec. 4, eff. Sept. 1, 1999; Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1420, Sec. 4.006, eff. Sept. 1, 2001; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1212, Sec. 12, 14, eff. June 20, 2003.Amended by: Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 895, Sec. 53, eff. June 19, 2009.Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1328, Sec. 40, eff. September 1, 2009.Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1328, Sec. 105(a)(5), eff. September 1, 2009.
Sec. 39.0241. PERFORMANCE STANDARDS. (a) The commissioner shall determine the level of performance considered to be satisfactory on the assessment instruments.(a-1) The commissioner of education, in collaboration with the commissioner of higher education, shall determine the level of performance necessary to indicate college readiness, as defined by Section 39.024(a).(a-2) For the purpose of establishing performance across grade levels, the commissioner shall establish:(1) the performance standards for the Algebra II and English III end-of-course assessment instruments, as provided under Section 39.024(b) and under Subsection (a);(2) the performance standards for the Algebra I and English II end-of-course assessment instruments, as determined based on studies under Section 39.0242 that correlate student performance on the Algebra I and English II end-of-course assessment instruments with student performance on the Algebra II and English III assessment instruments;(3) the performance standards for the English I end-of-course assessment instrument, as determined based on studies under Section 39.0242 that correlate student performance on the English I end-of-course assessment instrument with student performance on the English II assessment instrument;(4) the performance standards for the grade eight assessment instruments, as determined based on studies under Section 39.0242 that correlate student performance on the grade eight assessment instruments with student performance on the Algebra I and English I end-of-course assessment instruments in the same content area; and(5) the performance standards on the assessment instruments in each of grades three through seven, as determined based on studies under Section 39.0242 that correlate student performance in the same content area on the assessment instrument for each grade with student performance on the assessment instrument in the succeeding grade.(c) Using funds appropriated for purposes of this subsection, the agency may develop study guides for the assessment instruments administered under Sections 39.023(a) and (c). To assist parents in providing assistance during the period that school is recessed for summer, each school district shall make the study guides available to parents of students who do not perform satisfactorily as determined by the commissioner under Subsection (a) on one or more parts of an assessment instrument administered under this subchapter.(d) Using funds appropriated for purposes of this subsection, the agency shall develop and make available teacher training materials and other teacher training resources to assist teachers in enabling students of limited English proficiency to meet state performance expectations. The teacher training resources shall be designed to support intensive, individualized, and accelerated instructional programs developed by school districts for students of limited English proficiency.
Added by Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 895, Sec. 53, eff. June 19, 2009.
Sec. 39.0242. PERFORMANCE STANDARDS: RESEARCH STUDIES AND IMPLEMENTATION OF STANDARDS. (a) During the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 school years, the agency shall collect data through:(1) the annual administration of assessment instruments required under Section 39.023(a) in grades three through eight; and(2) the administration to a sufficiently large sample of students throughout the state of end-of-course assessment instruments required under Section 39.023(c) for the purpose of setting performance standards.(b) Before the beginning of the 2011-2012 school year, the agency shall analyze the data collected under Subsection (a) to substantiate:(1) the correlation between satisfactory student performance for each performance standard under Section 39.0241 on the grade three, four, five, six, or seven assessment instruments with satisfactory performance under the same performance standard on the assessment instruments in the same content area for the next grade level;(2) the correlation between satisfactory student performance for each performance standard under Section 39.0241 on the grade eight assessment instruments with satisfactory performance under the same performance standard on the Algebra I and English I end-of-course assessment instruments in the same content area;(3) the correlation between satisfactory student performance for each performance standard under Section 39.0241 on the English I end-of-course assessment instrument with satisfactory performance under the same performance standard on the English II end-of-course assessment instrument;(4) the correlation between satisfactory student performance for each performance standard under Section 39.0241 on the English II end-of-course assessment instrument with satisfactory performance under the same performance standard on the English III end-of-course assessment instrument; and(5) the correlation between satisfactory student performance for each performance standard under Section 39.0241 on the Algebra I end-of-course assessment instrument with satisfactory performance under the same performance standard on the Algebra II end-of-course assessment instrument.(c) Studies under this section must include an evaluation of any need for remediation courses to facilitate college readiness.(d) The agency shall continue to gather data and perform studies as provided under this section at least once every three years. If the data do not support the correlation between student performance standards and college readiness, the commissioner of education, in collaboration with the commissioner of higher education, shall revise the standard of performance considered to be satisfactory.(e) Based on the data collected and studies performed periodically under Subsection (d), the commissioner shall increase the rigor of the performance standard established under Section 39.0241(a) as the commissioner determines necessary.
Added by Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 895, Sec. 53, eff. June 19, 2009.
Sec. 39.025. SECONDARY-LEVEL PERFORMANCE REQUIRED. (a) The commissioner shall adopt rules requiring a student participating in the recommended or advanced high school program to be administered each end-of-course assessment instrument listed in Section 39.023(c) and requiring a student participating in the minimum high school program to be administered an end-of-course assessment instrument listed in Section 39.023(c) only for a course in which the student is enrolled and for which an end-of-course assessment instrument is administered. A student is required to achieve, in each subject in the foundation curriculum under Section 28.002(a)(1), a cumulative score that is at least equal to the product of the number of end-of-course assessment instruments administered to the student in that subject and a scale score that indicates satisfactory performance, as determined by the commissioner under Section 39.0241(a). A student must achieve a minimum score as determined by the commissioner to be within a reasonable range of the scale score under Section 39.0241(a) on an end-of-course assessment instrument for the score to count towards the student's cumulative score. For purposes of this subsection, a student's cumulative score is determined using the student's highest score on each end-of-course assessment instrument administered to the student. A student may not receive a high school diploma until the student has performed satisfactorily on the end-of-course assessment instruments in the manner provided under this subsection. This subsection does not require a student to demonstrate readiness to enroll in an institution of higher education.(a-1) The commissioner by rule shall determine a method by which a student's satisfactory performance on an advanced placement test, international baccalaureate examination, an SAT Subject Test, or another assessment instrument determined by the commissioner to be at least as rigorous as an end-of-course assessment instrument adopted under Section 39.023(c) may be used as a factor in determining whether the student satisfies the requirements of Subsection (a), including the cumulative score requirement of that subsection. The commissioner by rule may determine a method by which a student's satisfactory performance on a Preliminary Scholastic Assessment Test (PSAT) assessment or a preliminary American College Test (ACT) assessment may be used as a factor in determining whether the student satisfies the requirements of Subsection (a).(a-2) In addition to the cumulative score requirements under Subsection (a), a student must achieve a score that meets or exceeds the score determined by the commissioner under Section 39.0241(a) for English III and Algebra II end-of-course assessment instruments to graduate under the recommended high school program.(a-3) In addition to the cumulative score requirements under Subsection (a), a student must achieve a score that meets or exceeds the score determined by the commissioner under Section 39.0241(a-1) on English III and Algebra II end-of-course assessment instruments in order to graduate under the advanced high school program.(b) Each time an end-of-course assessment instrument is administered, a student who failed to achieve a minimum score under Subsection (a) shall retake the assessment instrument.
A student who fails to perform satisfactorily on an Algebra II or English III end-of-course assessment instrument under the college readiness performance standard, as provided under Section 39.024(b), may retake the assessment instrument. Any other student may retake an end-of-course assessment instrument for any reason. A student is not required to retake a course as a condition of retaking an end-of-course assessment instrument.(b-1) A school district shall provide each student who fails to perform satisfactorily as determined by the commissioner under Section 39.0241(a) on an end-of-course assessment instrument with accelerated instruction in the subject assessed by the assessment instrument.(b-2) If a school district determines that a student, on completion of grade 11, is unlikely to achieve the cumulative score requirements for one or more subjects prescribed by Subsection (a) for receiving a high school diploma, the district shall require the student to enroll in a corresponding content-area college preparatory course for which an end-of-course assessment instrument has been adopted, if available. A student who enrolls in a college preparatory course described by this subsection shall be administered an end-of-course assessment instrument for the course, with the end-of-course assessment instrument scored on a scale as determined by the commissioner not to exceed 20 percent of the cumulative score requirements required to graduate as determined under Subsection (a). A student may use the student's score on the end-of-course assessment instrument for the college preparatory course towards satisfying the cumulative score requirements prescribed by Subsection (a).(c) A student who has been denied a high school diploma under this section and who subsequently performs at the level necessary to comply with the requirements of this section shall be issued a high school diploma.(c-1) A school district may not administer an assessment instrument required for graduation administered under this section as this section existed before September 1, 1999. A school district may administer to a student who failed to perform satisfactorily on an assessment instrument described by this subsection an alternate assessment instrument designated by the commissioner. The commissioner shall determine the level of performance considered to be satisfactory on an alternate assessment instrument. The district may not administer to the student an assessment instrument or a part of an assessment instrument that assesses a subject that was not assessed in an assessment instrument required for graduation administered under this section as this section existed before September 1, 1999. The commissioner shall make available to districts information necessary to administer the alternate assessment instrument authorized by this subsection. The commissioner's determination regarding designation of an appropriate alternate assessment instrument under this subsection and the performance required on the assessment instrument is final and may not be appealed.(d) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), the commissioner by rule shall adopt one or more alternative nationally recognized norm referenced assessment instruments under this section to administer to a student to qualify for a high school diploma if the student enrolls after January 1 of the school year in which the student is otherwise eligible to graduate:(1) for the first time in a public school in this state; or(2) after an absence of at least four years from any public school in this state.(e) The commissioner shall establish a required performance level for an assessment instrument adopted under Subsection (d) that is at least as rigorous as the performance level required to be met under Subsection (a).(f) The commissioner shall by rule adopt a transition plan to implement the amendments made by Chapter 1312 (S.B. No. 1031), Acts of the 80th Legislature, Regular Session, 2007, replacing general subject assessment instruments administered at the high school level with end-of-course assessment instruments. The rules must provide for the end-of-course assessment instruments adopted under Section 39.023(c) to be administered beginning with students entering the ninth grade during the 2011-2012 school year. During the period under which the transition to end-of-course assessment instruments is made:(1) for students entering a grade above the ninth grade during the 2011-2012 school year, the commissioner shall retain, administer, and use for purposes of accreditation and other campus and district accountability measures under this chapter the assessment instruments required by Section 39.023(a) or (c), as that section existed before amendment by Chapter 1312 (S.B. No. 1031), Acts of the 80th Legislature, Regular Session, 2007;(2) a student subject to Subdivision (1) may not receive a high school diploma unless the student has performed satisfactorily on each required assessment instrument administered under Section 39.023(c) as that section existed before amendment by Chapter 1312 (S.B. No. 1031), Acts of the 80th Legislature, Regular Session, 2007; and(3) the agency may defer releasing assessment instrument questions and answer keys as required by Section 39.023(e) to the extent necessary to develop additional assessment instruments.(g) Rules adopted under Subsection (f) must require that each student who will be subject to the requirements of Subsection (a) is entitled to notice of the specific requirements applicable to the student. Notice under this subsection must be provided not later than the date the student enters the eighth grade. Subsection (f) and this subsection expire September 1, 2015.
Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995. Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 767, Sec. 3, eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 397, Sec. 5, eff. Sept. 1, 1999.Amended by: Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 164, Sec. 6, eff. May 27, 2005.Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1312, Sec. 10, eff. September 1, 2007.Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 895, Sec. 54, eff. June 19, 2009.
Sec. 39.026. LOCAL OPTION. In addition to the assessment instruments adopted by the agency and administered by the State Board of Education, a school district may adopt and administer criterion-referenced or norm-referenced assessment instruments, or both, at any grade level. A norm-referenced assessment instrument adopted under this section must be economical, nationally recognized, and state-approved.
Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995.
Sec. 39.0261. COLLEGE PREPARATION ASSESSMENTS. (a) In addition to the assessment instruments otherwise authorized or required by this subchapter:(1) each school year and at state cost, a school district shall administer to students in the spring of the eighth grade an established, valid, reliable, and nationally norm-referenced preliminary college preparation assessment instrument for the purpose of diagnosing the academic strengths and deficiencies of students before entrance into high school;(2) each school year and at state cost, a school district shall administer to students in the 10th grade an established, valid, reliable, and nationally norm-referenced preliminary college preparation assessment instrument for the purpose of measuring a student's progress toward readiness for college and the workplace; and(3) high school students in the spring of the 11th grade or during the 12th grade may select and take once, at state cost, one of the valid, reliable, and nationally norm-referenced assessment instruments used by colleges and universities as part of their undergraduate admissions processes.(b) The agency shall:(1) select and approve vendors of the specific assessment instruments administered under this section; and(2) pay all fees associated with the administration of the assessment instrument from funds allotted under the Foundation School Program, and the commissioner shall reduce the total amount of state funds allocated to each district from any source in the same manner described for a reduction in allotments under Section 42.253.(c) The agency shall ensure that vendors are not paid under Subsection (b) for the administration of an assessment instrument to a student to whom the assessment instrument is not actually administered. The agency may comply with this subsection by any reasonable means, including by creating a refund system under which a vendor returns any payment made for a student who registered for the administration of an assessment instrument but did not appear for the administration.(d) A vendor that administers an assessment instrument for a district under this section shall report the results of the assessment instrument to the agency. The agency shall:(1) include a student's results on the assessment instrument in the electronic student records system established under Section 7.010; and(2) ensure that a student and the student's parent receive a report of the student's results on the assessment instrument.(e) Subsection (a)(3) does not prohibit a high school student in the spring of the 11th grade or during the 12th grade from selecting and taking, at the student's own expense, one of the valid, reliable, and nationally norm-referenced assessment instruments used by colleges and universities as part of their undergraduate admissions processes more than once.(f) The provisions of this section apply only if the legislature appropriates funds for purposes of this section.
Added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1312, Sec. 11, eff. September 1, 2007.
Sec. 39.0262. ADMINISTRATION OF DISTRICT-REQUIRED ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENTS IN CERTAIN SUBJECT AREAS. (a) In a subject area for which assessment instruments are administered under Section 39.023, a school district may not administer locally required assessment instruments designed to prepare students for state-administered assessment instruments to any student on more than 10 percent of the instructional days in any school year. A campus-level planning and decision-making committee established under Section 11.251 may limit the administration of locally required assessment instruments under this subsection to 10 percent or a lower percentage of the instructional days in any school year.(b) The prohibition prescribed by this section does not apply to the administration of a college preparation assessment instrument, an advanced placement test, an international baccalaureate examination, or an assessment instrument administered under Section 39.023.
Added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1312, Sec. 11, eff. September 1, 2007.Amended by: Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 895, Sec. 55, eff. June 19, 2009.
Sec. 39.027. EXEMPTION. (a) A student may be administered an accommodated or alternative assessment instrument or may be granted an exemption from or a postponement of the administration of an assessment instrument under:(1) Section 39.023(a), (b), (c), or (l) for a period of up to one year after initial enrollment in a school in the United States if the student is of limited English proficiency, as defined by Section 29.052, and has not demonstrated proficiency in English as determined by the assessment system under Subsection (e);(2) Section 39.023(a), (b), (c), or (l) for a period of up to two years in addition to the exemption period authorized by Subdivision (1) if the student has received an exemption under Subdivision (1) and:(A) is a recent unschooled immigrant; or(B) is in a grade for which no assessment instrument in the primary language of the student is available; or(3) Section 39.023(a), (b), (c), or (l) for a period of up to four years, in addition to the exemption period authorized under Subdivision (1), if the student's initial enrollment in a school in the United States was as an unschooled asylee or refugee.(a-1) For purposes of this section, "unschooled asylee or refugee" means a student who:(1) initially enrolled in a school in the United States as:(A) an asylee as defined by 45 C.F.R. Section 400.41; or(B) a refugee as defined by 8 U.S.C. Section 1101;(2) has a visa issued by the United States Department of State with a Form I-94 Arrival/Departure record, or a successor document, issued by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services that is stamped with "Asylee," "Refugee," or "Asylum"; and(3) as a result of inadequate schooling outside of the United States, lacks the necessary foundation in the essential knowledge and skills of the curriculum prescribed under Section 28.002, as determined by the language proficiency assessment committee established under Section 29.063.(b) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules under which a dyslexic student who is not exempt under Subsection (a) may use procedures including oral examinations if appropriate or may be allowed additional time or the materials or technology necessary for the student to demonstrate the student's mastery of the competencies the assessment instruments are designed to measure.(c) The commissioner shall develop and adopt a process for reviewing the exemption process of a school district or shared services arrangement that gives an exemption under Subsection (a)(1) as follows:(1) to more than five percent of the students in the special education program, in the case of a district or shared services arrangement with an average daily attendance of at least 1,600;(2) to more than 10 percent of the students in the special education program, in the case of a district or shared services arrangement with an average daily attendance of at least 190 and not more than 1,599; or(3) to the greater of more than 10 percent of the students in the special education program or to at least five students in the special education program, in the case of a district or shared services arrangement with an average daily attendance of not more than 189.(d) Expired.(e) The commissioner shall develop an assessment system that shall be used for evaluating the academic progress, including reading proficiency in English, of all students of limited English proficiency, as defined by Section 29.052. A student who is exempt from the administration of an assessment instrument under Subsection (a)(1) or (2) who achieves reading proficiency in English as determined by the assessment system developed under this subsection shall be administered the assessment instruments described by Sections 39.023(a) and (c). The performance under the assessment system developed under this subsection of students to whom Subsection (a)(1) or (2) applies shall be included in the indicator systems under Section 39.301, as applicable, the performance report under Section 39.306, and the comprehensive annual report under Section 39.332. This information shall be provided in a manner that is disaggregated by the bilingual education or special language program, if any, in which the student is enrolled.(f) In this section, "average daily attendance" is computed in the manner provided by Section 42.005.(g) For purposes of this section, "recent unschooled immigrant" means an immigrant who initially enrolled in a school in the United States not more than 12 months before the date of the administration of an assessment instrument under Section 39.023(a) or (l) and who, as a result of inadequate schooling outside of the United States, lacks the necessary foundation in the essential knowledge and skills of the curriculum prescribed under Section 28.002 as determined by the language proficiency assessment committee established under Section 29.063. For purposes of this subsection and to the extent authorized by federal law, a child's prior enrollment in a school in the United States shall be determined on the basis of documents and records required under Section 25.002(a).
Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995. Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 767, Sec. 4, eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 397, Sec. 6, eff. Sept. 1, 1999; Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 8, Sec. 2, eff. April 11, 2001; Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 725, Sec. 3, eff. June 13, 2001; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1276, Sec. 6.007, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.Amended by: Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1340, Sec. 4, eff. June 15, 2007.Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 895, Sec. 56, eff. June 19, 2009.
Sec. 39.028. COMPARISON OF STATE RESULTS TO NATIONAL RESULTS. The state assessment program shall obtain nationally comparative results for the subject areas and grade levels for which criterion-referenced assessment instruments are adopted under Section 39.023.
Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995.
Sec. 39.029. MIGRATORY CHILDREN. The State Board of Education by rule may provide alternate dates for the administration of the assessment instruments to a student who is a migratory child as defined by 20 U.S.C. Section 6399. The alternate dates may be chosen following a consideration of migrant work patterns, and the dates selected may afford maximum opportunity for the students to be present when the assessment instruments are administered.
Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995.
Sec. 39.030. CONFIDENTIALITY; PERFORMANCE REPORTS. (a) In adopting academic skills assessment instruments under this subchapter, the State Board of Education or a school district shall ensure the security of the instruments and tests in their preparation, administration, and grading. Meetings or portions of meetings held by the State Board of Education or a school district at which individual assessment instruments or assessment instrument items are discussed or adopted are not open to the public under Chapter 551, Government Code, and the assessment instruments or assessment instrument items are confidential.(b) The results of individual student performance on academic skills assessment instruments administered under this subchapter are confidential and may be released only in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (20 U.S.C. Section 1232g). However, overall student performance data shall be aggregated by ethnicity, sex, grade level, subject area, campus, and district and made available to the public, with appropriate interpretations, at regularly scheduled meetings of the board of trustees of each school district. The information may not contain the names of individual students or teachers.(c) Repealed by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 767, Sec. 11, eff. June 13, 2001.
Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995. Amended by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 767, Sec. 11, eff. June 13, 2001.
Sec. 39.0301. SECURITY IN ADMINISTRATION OF ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENTS. (a) The commissioner:(1) shall establish procedures for the administration of assessment instruments adopted or developed under Section 39.023, including procedures designed to ensure the security of the assessment instruments; and(2) may establish record retention requirements for school district records related to the security of assessment instruments.(b) The commissioner may develop and implement statistical methods and standards for identifying potential violations of procedures established under Subsection (a) to ensure the security of assessment instruments adopted or developed under Section 39.023. In developing the statistical methods and standards, the commissioner may include indicators of:(1) potential violations that are monitored annually; and(2) patterns of inappropriate assessment practices that occur over time.(c) The commissioner may establish one or more advisory committees to advise the commissioner and agency regarding the monitoring of assessment practices and the use of statistical methods and standards for identifying potential violations of assessment instrument security, including standards to be established by the commissioner for selecting school districts for investigation for a potential assessment security violation under Subsection (e). The commissioner may not appoint an agency employee to an advisory committee established under this subsection.(d) Any document created for the deliberation of an advisory committee established under Subsection (c) or any recommendation of such a committee is confidential and not subject to disclosure under Chapter 552, Government Code. Except as provided by Subsection (e), the statistical methods and standards adopted under this section and the results of applying those methods and standards are confidential and not subject to disclosure under Chapter 552, Government Code.(e) The agency may conduct an investigation of a school district for a potential violation of assessment instrument security in accordance with the standards described by Subsection (c). Each school year, after completing all investigations of school districts selected for investigation, the agency shall disclose the identity of each district selected for investigation and the statistical methods and standards used to select the district.(f) At any time, the commissioner may authorize the audit of a random sample of school districts to determine the compliance of the districts with procedures established under Subsection (a). The identity of each school district selected for audit under this subsection is confidential and not subject to disclosure under Chapter 552, Government Code, except that the agency shall disclose the identity of each district after completion of the audit.(g) The state auditor may conduct a risk-based audit of a school district at any time to ensure the security of assessment instruments administered under Section 39.023 in the district.
Added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1312, Sec. 12, eff. September 1, 2007.
Sec. 39.0302. ISSUANCE OF SUBPOENAS. (a) During an agency investigation or audit of a school district under Section 39.0301(e) or (f), an accreditation investigation under Section 39.075(a)(8), or an investigation by the State Board for Educator Certification of an educator for an alleged violation of an assessment instrument security procedure established under Section 39.0301(a), the commissioner may issue a subpoena to compel the attendance of a relevant witness or the production, for inspection or copying, of relevant evidence that is located in this state.(b) A subpoena may be served personally or by certified mail.(c) If a person fails to comply with a subpoena, the commissioner, acting through the attorney general, may file suit to enforce the subpoena in a district court in this state. On finding that good cause exists for issuing the subpoena, the court shall order the person to comply with the subpoena. The court may punish a person who fails to obey the court order.(d) All information and materials subpoenaed or compiled in connection with an investigation or audit described by Subsection (a):(1) are confidential and not subject to disclosure under Chapter 552, Government Code; and(2) are not subject to disclosure, discovery, subpoena, or other means of legal compulsion for release to any person other than:(A) the commissioner or the State Board for Educator Certification, as applicable;(B) agency employees or agents involved in the investigation, as applicable; and(C) the office of the attorney general, the state auditor's office, and law enforcement agencies.
Added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1312, Sec. 12, eff. September 1, 2007.
Sec. 39.0303. SECURE ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENTS; CRIMINAL PENALTY. (a) A person commits an offense if:(1) the person intentionally discloses the contents of any portion of a secure assessment instrument developed or administered under this subchapter, including the answer to any item in the assessment instrument; and(2) the disclosure affects or is likely to affect the individual performance of one or more students on the assessment instrument.(b) An offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor.
Added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1312, Sec. 12, eff. September 1, 2007.
Sec. 39.0304. TRAINING IN ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENT ADMINISTRATION. (a) To ensure that each administration of assessment instruments under Section 39.023 is valid, reliable, and in compliance with the requirements of this subchapter, the commissioner may require training for school district employees involved in the administration of the assessment instruments.(b) The training under Subsection (a) may include a qualifying component to ensure that school district employees involved in the administration of assessment instruments under Section 39.023 possess the necessary skills and knowledge required to administer the assessment instruments.(c) The commissioner may adopt rules necessary to implement this section.
Added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1312, Sec. 12, eff. September 1, 2007.
Sec. 39.031. COST. The cost of preparing, administering, or grading the assessment instruments and releasing the question and answer keys under Section 39.023(e) shall be paid from amounts appropriated to the agency.
Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995. Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 767, Sec. 5, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.Amended by: Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1328, Sec. 41, eff. September 1, 2009.
Sec. 39.032. ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENT STANDARDS; CIVIL PENALTY. (a) Repealed by Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1210, Sec. 2, eff. June 19, 2009.(b) Repealed by Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1210, Sec. 2, eff. June 19, 2009.(c) State and national norms of averages shall be computed using data that are not more than eight years old at the time the assessment instrument is administered and that are representative of the group of students to whom the assessment instrument is administered.(c-1) The standardization norms computed under Subsection (c) shall be:(1) based on a national probability sample that meets accepted standards for educational and psychological testing; and(2) updated at least every eight years using proven psychometric procedures approved by the State Board of Education.(c-2) The eight-year limitation on data to compute norms under this section does not apply if only data older than eight years is available for an assessment instrument. The commissioner by rule may limit the exception created by this subsection based on the type of assessment instrument.(d) Repealed by Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1210, Sec. 2, eff. June 19, 2009.(e) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules for the implementation of this section and for the maintenance of the security of the contents of all assessment instruments.(f) In this section, "assessment instrument" means a group-administered achievement test.
Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995.Amended by: Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1210, Sec. 1, eff. June 19, 2009.Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1210, Sec. 2, eff. June 19, 2009.
Sec. 39.033. VOLUNTARY ASSESSMENT OF PRIVATE SCHOOL STUDENTS. (a) Under an agreement with the agency, a private school may administer an assessment instrument adopted under this subchapter to students at the school.(b) An agreement under this section must require the private school to:(1) as determined appropriate by the commissioner, provide to the commissioner the information described by Sections 39.053(c) and 39.301(c); and(2) maintain confidentiality in compliance with Section 39.030.(c) A private school must reimburse the agency for the cost of administering an assessment instrument under this section. The State Board of Education shall determine the cost under this section. The per-student cost may not exceed the cost of administering the same assessment to a student enrolled in a public school district.(d) In this section, "private school" means a school that:(1) offers a general education to elementary or secondary students; and(2) is not operated by a governmental entity.
Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995.Amended by: Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 895, Sec. 57, eff. June 19, 2009.
Sec. 39.034. MEASURE OF ANNUAL IMPROVEMENT IN STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT. (a) The commissioner shall determine a method by which the agency may measure annual improvement in student achievement from one school year to the next on an assessment instrument required under this subchapter.(b) For students of limited English proficiency, as defined by Section 29.052, the agency shall use a student's performance data on reading proficiency assessment instruments in English and one other language to calculate the student's progress toward dual language proficiency.(c) The agency shall use a student's previous years' performance data on an assessment instrument required under this subchapter to determine the student's expected annual improvement. The agency shall report that expected level of annual improvement and the actual level of annual improvement achieved to the district. The report must state whether the student fell below, met, or exceeded the agency's expectation for improvement.(d) The agency shall determine the necessary annual improvement required each year for a student to be prepared to perform satisfactorily on, as applicable:(1) the grade five assessment instruments;(2) the grade eight assessment instruments; and(3) the end-of-course assessment instruments required under this subchapter for graduation.(d-1) The agency shall report the necessary annual improvement required under Subsection (d) to the district. Each year, the report must state whether the student fell below, met, or exceeded the necessary target for improvement.(e) Repealed by Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 895, Sec. 66(1), eff. June 19, 2009.(f) Repealed by Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 895, Sec. 66(1), eff. June 19, 2009.(g) Repealed by Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 895, Sec. 66(1), eff. June 19, 2009.
EDUCATION CODETITLE 2. PUBLIC EDUCATIONSUBTITLE H. PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM ACCOUNTABILITYCHAPTER 39. PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM ACCOUNTABILITYSUBCHAPTER A. COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF PUBLIC SCHOOL ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEMSUBCHAPTER B. ASSESSMENT OF ACADEMIC SKILLSSec. 39.021. ESSENTIAL SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE. The State Board of Education by rule shall establish the essential skills and knowledge that all students should learn to achieve the goals provided under Section 4.002.
Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995.
Sec. 39.022. ASSESSMENT PROGRAM. The State Board of Education by rule shall create and implement a statewide assessment program that is knowledge- and skills-based to ensure school accountability for student achievement that achieves the goals provided under Section 4.002. After adopting rules under this section, the State Board of Education shall consider the importance of maintaining stability in the statewide assessment program when adopting any subsequent modification of the rules.
Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995. Amended by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 397, Sec. 2, eff. Sept. 1, 1999.
Sec. 39.023. ADOPTION AND ADMINISTRATION OF INSTRUMENTS. (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. All students, except students assessed under Subsection (b) or (l) or exempted under Section 39.027, shall be assessed in:(1) mathematics, annually in grades three through seven without the aid of technology and in grade eight with the aid of technology on any assessment instrument that includes algebra;(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(6) any other subject and grade required by federal law.(a-1) The agency shall develop assessment instruments required under Subsection (a) in a manner that allows, to the extent practicable:(1) the score a student receives to provide reliable information relating to a student's satisfactory performance for each performance standard under Section 39.0241; and(2) an appropriate range of performances to serve as a valid indication of growth in student achievement.(b) The agency shall develop or adopt appropriate criterion-referenced alternative assessment instruments to be administered to each student in a special education program under Subchapter A, Chapter 29, for whom an assessment instrument adopted under Subsection (a), even with allowable accommodations, would not provide an appropriate measure of student achievement, as determined by the student's admission, review, and dismissal committee. (c) The agency shall also adopt end-of-course assessment instruments for secondary-level courses in Algebra I, Algebra II, geometry, biology, chemistry, physics, English I, English II, English III, world geography, world history, and United States history. The Algebra I, Algebra II, and geometry end-of-course assessment instruments must be administered with the aid of technology. A school district shall comply with State Board of Education rules regarding administration of the assessment instruments listed in this subsection and shall adopt a policy that requires a student's performance on an end-of-course assessment instrument for a course listed in this subsection in which the student is enrolled to account for 15 percent of the student's final grade for the course. If a student retakes an end-of-course assessment instrument for a course listed in this subsection, as provided by Section 39.025, a school district is not required to use the student's performance on the subsequent administration or administrations of the assessment instrument to determine the student's final grade for the course. 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. 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).(c-1) The agency shall develop any assessment instrument required under this section in a manner that allows for the measurement of annual improvement in student achievement as required by Sections 39.034(c) and (d).(c-2) The agency may adopt end-of-course assessment instruments for courses not listed in Subsection (c). A student's performance on an end-of-course assessment instrument adopted under this subsection is not subject to the performance requirements established under Subsection (c) or Section 39.025.(c-3) In adopting a schedule for the administration of assessment instruments under this section, the State Board of Education shall require:(1) assessment instruments administered under Subsection (a) to be administered on a schedule so that the first assessment instrument is administered at least two weeks later than the date on which the first assessment instrument was administered under Subsection (a) during the 2006-2007 school year; and(2) the spring administration of end-of-course assessment instruments under Subsection (c) to occur in each school district not earlier than the first full week in May, except that the spring administration of the end-of-course assessment instruments in English I, English II, and English III must be permitted to occur at an earlier date.(c-4) To the extent practicable and subject to Section 39.024, the agency shall ensure that each end-of-course assessment instrument adopted under Subsection (c) is:(1) developed in a manner that measures a student's performance under the college readiness standards established under Section 28.008; and(2) validated by national postsecondary education experts for college readiness content and performance standards.(c-5) A student's performance on an end-of-course assessment instrument required under Subsection (c) must be included in the student's academic achievement record.(c-6) In adopting an end-of-course assessment instrument under this section, the agency shall consider the use of an existing assessment instrument that is currently available. The agency may use an existing assessment instrument that is currently available only if the assessment instrument:(1) is aligned with the essential knowledge and skills of the subject being assessed; and(2) allows for the measurement of annual improvement in student achievement as provided by Subsection (c-1).(d) The commissioner may participate in multistate efforts to develop voluntary standardized end-of-course assessment instruments. The commissioner by rule may require a school district to administer an end-of-course assessment instrument developed through the multistate efforts. The admission, review, and dismissal committee of a student in a special education program under Subchapter A, Chapter 29, shall determine whether any allowable modification is necessary in administering to the student an end-of-course assessment instrument.(e) Under rules adopted by the State Board of Education, every third year, the agency shall release the questions and answer keys to each assessment instrument administered under Subsection (a), (b), (c), (d), or (l), excluding any assessment instrument administered to a student for the purpose of retaking the assessment instrument, after the last time the instrument is administered for that school year. To ensure a valid bank of questions for use each year, the agency is not required to release a question that is being field-tested and was not used to compute the student's score on the instrument. The agency shall also release, under board rule, each question that is no longer being field-tested and that was not used to compute a student's score.(f) The assessment instruments shall be designed to include assessment of a student's problem-solving ability and complex-thinking skills using a method of assessing those abilities and skills that is demonstrated to be highly reliable.(g) The State Board of Education may adopt one appropriate, nationally recognized, norm-referenced assessment instrument in reading and mathematics to be administered to a selected sample of students in the spring. If adopted, a norm-referenced assessment instrument must be a secured test. The state may pay the costs of purchasing and scoring the adopted assessment instrument and of distributing the results of the adopted instrument to the school districts. A district that administers the norm-referenced test adopted under this subsection shall report the results to the agency in a manner prescribed by the commissioner.(h) The agency shall notify school districts and campuses of the results of assessment instruments administered under this section at the earliest possible date determined by the State Board of Education but not later than the beginning of the subsequent school year.(i) The provisions of this section, except Subsection (d), are subject to modification by rules adopted under Section 39.022. Each assessment instrument adopted under those rules and each assessment instrument required under Subsection (d) must be reliable and valid and must meet any applicable federal requirements for measurement of student progress.(j) Repealed by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1312, Sec. 18, eff. September 1, 2007.(l) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules for the administration of the assessment instruments adopted under Subsection (a) in Spanish to students in grades three through five who are of limited English proficiency, as defined by Section 29.052, whose primary language is Spanish, and who are not otherwise exempt from the administration of an assessment instrument under Section 39.027(a)(1) or (2). Each student of limited English proficiency whose primary language is Spanish, other than a student to whom Subsection (b) applies, may be assessed using assessment instruments in Spanish under this subsection for up to three years or assessment instruments in English under Subsection (a). The language proficiency assessment committee established under Section 29.063 shall determine which students are administered assessment instruments in Spanish under this subsection.(m) The commissioner by rule shall develop procedures under which the language proficiency assessment committee established under Section 29.063 shall determine which students are exempt from the administration of the assessment instruments under Section 39.027(a)(1) or (2). The rules adopted under this subsection shall ensure that the language proficiency assessment committee provides that the exempted students are administered the assessment instruments under Subsections (a) and (c) at the earliest practical date.(n) This subsection applies only to a student who is determined to have dyslexia or a related disorder and who is an individual with a disability under 29 U.S.C. Section 705(20) and its subsequent amendments. The agency shall adopt or develop appropriate criterion-referenced assessment instruments designed to assess the ability of and to be administered to each student to whom this subsection applies for whom the assessment instruments adopted under Subsection (a), even with allowable modifications, would not provide an appropriate measure of student achievement, as determined by the committee established by the board of trustees of the district to determine the placement of students with dyslexia or related disorders. The committee shall determine whether any allowable modification is necessary in administering to a student an assessment instrument required under this subsection. The assessment instruments required under this subsection shall be administered on the same schedule as the assessment instruments administered under Subsection (a).(o) The commissioner of education and the commissioner of higher education shall study the feasibility of allowing students to satisfy end-of-course requirements under Subsection (c) by successfully completing a dual credit course through an institution of higher education. Not later than December 1, 2010, the commissioner of education and the commissioner of higher education shall make recommendations to the legislature based on the study conducted under this subsection.(p) On or before September 1 of each year, the commissioner shall make the following information available on the agency's Internet website for each assessment instrument administered under Subsection (a), (c), or (l):(1) the number of questions on the assessment instrument;(2) the number of questions that must be answered correctly to achieve satisfactory performance as determined by the commissioner under Section 39.0241(a);(3) the number of questions that must be answered correctly to achieve satisfactory performance under the college readiness performance standard as provided by Section 39.0241; and(4) the corresponding scale scores.
Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995. Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 767, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 397, Sec. 3, 8, eff. Sept. 1, 1999; Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 8, Sec. 1, eff. April 11, 2001; Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 834, Sec. 9, eff. Sept. 1, 2001; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 201, Sec. 25, eff. Sept. 1, 2003; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 430, Sec. 5, eff. Sept. 1, 2003; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 433, Sec. 1, eff. June 20, 2003; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1212, Sec. 11, eff. June 20, 2003; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1275, Sec. 2(20), eff. Sept. 1, 2003.Amended by: Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1312, Sec. 8, eff. September 1, 2007.Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1312, Sec. 18, eff. September 1, 2007.Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 895, Sec. 50, eff. June 19, 2009.
Sec. 39.0231. REPORTING OF RESULTS OF CERTAIN ASSESSMENTS. The agency shall ensure that each assessment instrument administered in accordance with Section 28.0211 is scored and that the results are returned to the appropriate school district not later than 10 days after receipt of the test materials by the agency or its test contractor.
Added by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 396, Sec. 2.18, eff. Sept. 1, 1999.
Sec. 39.0232. USE OF END-OF-COURSE ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENT AS PLACEMENT INSTRUMENT. To the extent practicable, the agency shall ensure that any high school end-of-course assessment instrument developed by the agency is developed in such a manner that the assessment instrument may be used to determine the appropriate placement of a student in a course of the same subject matter at an institution of higher education.
Added by Acts 2006, 79th Leg., 3rd C.S., Ch. 5, Sec. 5.05, eff. May 31, 2006.
Sec. 39.0233. SPECIAL-PURPOSE QUESTIONS INCLUDED IN END-OF-COURSE ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENTS. (a) The agency, in coordination with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, shall adopt a series of questions to be included in an end-of-course assessment instrument administered under Section 39.023(c) to be used for purposes of Section 51.3062. The questions adopted under this subsection must be developed in a manner consistent with any college readiness standards adopted under Sections 39.113 and 51.3062.(b) In addition to the questions adopted under Subsection (a), the agency shall adopt a series of questions to be included in an end-of-course assessment instrument administered under Section 39.023(c) to be used for purposes of identifying students who are likely to succeed in an advanced high school course. A school district shall notify a student who performs at a high level on the questions adopted under this subsection and the student's parent or guardian of the student's performance and potential to succeed in an advanced high school course. A school district may not require a student to perform at a particular level on the questions adopted under this subsection in order to be eligible to enroll in an advanced high school course.(c) The State Board of Education shall establish a level of performance on the questions adopted under this section that indicates a student's college readiness. A student's performance on the questions adopted under this section must be evaluated separately from the student's performance on the remainder of the assessment instrument. A student's performance on a question adopted under this section may not be used to determine the student's performance on the assessment instrument for purposes of Section 39.023 or 39.025. The commissioner shall adopt rules concerning the reporting of a student's performance on the questions adopted under this section.(d) The questions adopted under this section may not be administered in a separate section of the end-of-course assessment instrument.
Added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1312, Sec. 9, eff. September 1, 2007.Amended by: Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 895, Sec. 51, eff. June 19, 2009.
Sec. 39.0234. ADMINISTRATION OF ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENTS BY COMPUTER. (a) The agency shall ensure that assessment instruments required under Section 39.023 are capable of being administered by computer. The commissioner may not require a school district or open-enrollment charter school to administer an assessment instrument by computer.
Added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1312, Sec. 9, eff. September 1, 2007.Amended by: Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 895, Sec. 52, eff. June 19, 2009.
Sec. 39.0235. TECHNOLOGY LITERACY ASSESSMENT PILOT PROGRAM. (a) In this section, "pilot program" means the technology literacy assessment pilot program.(b) The commissioner by rule shall establish a pilot program in which a participating school district assesses student technology proficiency.(c) A school district may apply to the commissioner to participate in the pilot program. The commissioner shall select for participation school districts from both rural and urban areas of the state.(d) The agency shall adopt an assessment instrument designed to assess an individual student's mastery of the essential knowledge and skills in technology to be administered by a school district participating in the pilot program. The assessment instrument adopted under this subsection must be an existing product that is currently available.(e) Each school year, the assessment instrument adopted under Subsection (d) shall be administered in a participating school district to each student in either fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, or ninth grade, with the grade level and time to be determined by the district.(f) The assessment instrument adopted under Subsection (d) must:(1) be administered online;(2) be aligned with the essential knowledge and skills requirements for technology applications; and(3) incorporate performance-based measures, including a requirement that students perform certain technological tasks and respond to questions based on the completion of those tasks.(g) An assessment instrument administered by a participating school district must be designed in a manner to provide the district with an automatic report of the technology literacy proficiency of a district student in a format that is compatible with the school district and state data information systems.(h) A participating school district shall report student performance on the assessment instrument to the agency.
Added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1237, Sec. 1, eff. June 15, 2007.
For expiration of Subsections (f-1) and (f-2), see Subsection (f-2).Sec. 39.024. MEASURE OF COLLEGE READINESS. (a) In this section, "college readiness" means the level of preparation a student must attain in English language arts and mathematics courses to enroll and succeed, without remediation, in an entry-level general education course for credit in that same content area for a baccalaureate degree or associate degree program at:(1) a general academic teaching institution, as defined by Section 61.003, other than a research institution, as categorized under the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's accountability system; or(2) a postsecondary educational institution that primarily offers associate degrees or certificates or credentials other than baccalaureate or advanced degrees.(b) The agency and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall ensure that the Algebra II and English III end-of-course assessment instruments required under Section 39.023(c) are developed to be capable of, beginning with the 2011-2012 school year, measuring college readiness.(c) Before the beginning of the 2011-2012 school year, the agency, in collaboration with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, shall gather data and conduct research studies to substantiate the correlation between a certain level of performance by students on the Algebra II and English III end-of-course assessment instruments and college readiness.(d) Studies under Subsection (c) must include an evaluation of any need for remediation courses to facilitate college readiness.(e) Based on the results of the studies conducted under Subsection (c), the commissioner of education and the commissioner of higher education shall establish student performance standards for the Algebra II and English III end-of-course assessment instruments indicating that students have attained college readiness.(f) The agency, in collaboration with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, shall conduct research studies similar to the studies conducted under Subsection (c) for the appropriate science and social studies end-of-course assessment instruments. If the commissioner of education, in collaboration with the commissioner of higher education, determines that the research studies conducted under this subsection substantiate a correlation between a certain level of performance by students on science and social studies end-of-course assessment instruments and college readiness, the commissioner of education, in collaboration with the commissioner of higher education, as soon as practicable, may establish student performance standards for the science and social studies end-of-course assessment instruments indicating that students have attained college readiness.(f-1) Not later than December 1, 2012, the agency and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall deliver to the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the clerks of the standing committees of the senate and the house of representatives with primary jurisdiction over public education and higher education a report that includes:(1) an analysis of the feasibility of establishing college readiness performance standards for science and social studies end-of-course assessment instruments; and(2) a summary of any implementation procedures adopted for each standard.(f-2) Subsection (f-1) and this subsection expire January 1, 2013.(g) The agency, in collaboration with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, shall continue to gather data to perform studies as provided under Subsections (c) and (f) at least once every three years.(h) The agency and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall periodically review the college readiness performance standards established under this section and compare the performance standards to performance standards established nationally and internationally for comparable assessment instruments. Following each review, the agency and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall deliver to the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the clerks of the standing committees of the senate and the house of representatives with primary jurisdiction over public education and higher education a report on the results of the review indicating whether the college readiness performance standards established under this section are sufficiently rigorous to prepare students in this state to compete academically with students nationally and internationally. If the agency and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board determine that the college readiness performance standards established under this section are not sufficiently rigorous, the agency and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall recommend changes to the college readiness performance standards.(i) The agency shall gather data and conduct research to substantiate any correlation between a certain level of performance by students on end-of-course assessment instruments and success in:(1) military service; or(2) a workforce training, certification, or other credential program at a postsecondary educational institution that primarily offers associate degrees or certificates or credentials other than baccalaureate or advanced degrees.
Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995. Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 767, Sec. 2, eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 396, Sec. 2.19, eff. Sept. 1, 1999; Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 397, Sec. 4, eff. Sept. 1, 1999; Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1420, Sec. 4.006, eff. Sept. 1, 2001; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1212, Sec. 12, 14, eff. June 20, 2003.Amended by: Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 895, Sec. 53, eff. June 19, 2009.Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1328, Sec. 40, eff. September 1, 2009.Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1328, Sec. 105(a)(5), eff. September 1, 2009.
Sec. 39.0241. PERFORMANCE STANDARDS. (a) The commissioner shall determine the level of performance considered to be satisfactory on the assessment instruments.(a-1) The commissioner of education, in collaboration with the commissioner of higher education, shall determine the level of performance necessary to indicate college readiness, as defined by Section 39.024(a).(a-2) For the purpose of establishing performance across grade levels, the commissioner shall establish:(1) the performance standards for the Algebra II and English III end-of-course assessment instruments, as provided under Section 39.024(b) and under Subsection (a);(2) the performance standards for the Algebra I and English II end-of-course assessment instruments, as determined based on studies under Section 39.0242 that correlate student performance on the Algebra I and English II end-of-course assessment instruments with student performance on the Algebra II and English III assessment instruments;(3) the performance standards for the English I end-of-course assessment instrument, as determined based on studies under Section 39.0242 that correlate student performance on the English I end-of-course assessment instrument with student performance on the English II assessment instrument;(4) the performance standards for the grade eight assessment instruments, as determined based on studies under Section 39.0242 that correlate student performance on the grade eight assessment instruments with student performance on the Algebra I and English I end-of-course assessment instruments in the same content area; and(5) the performance standards on the assessment instruments in each of grades three through seven, as determined based on studies under Section 39.0242 that correlate student performance in the same content area on the assessment instrument for each grade with student performance on the assessment instrument in the succeeding grade.(c) Using funds appropriated for purposes of this subsection, the agency may develop study guides for the assessment instruments administered under Sections 39.023(a) and (c). To assist parents in providing assistance during the period that school is recessed for summer, each school district shall make the study guides available to parents of students who do not perform satisfactorily as determined by the commissioner under Subsection (a) on one or more parts of an assessment instrument administered under this subchapter.(d) Using funds appropriated for purposes of this subsection, the agency shall develop and make available teacher training materials and other teacher training resources to assist teachers in enabling students of limited English proficiency to meet state performance expectations. The teacher training resources shall be designed to support intensive, individualized, and accelerated instructional programs developed by school districts for students of limited English proficiency.
Added by Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 895, Sec. 53, eff. June 19, 2009.
Sec. 39.0242. PERFORMANCE STANDARDS: RESEARCH STUDIES AND IMPLEMENTATION OF STANDARDS. (a) During the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 school years, the agency shall collect data through:(1) the annual administration of assessment instruments required under Section 39.023(a) in grades three through eight; and(2) the administration to a sufficiently large sample of students throughout the state of end-of-course assessment instruments required under Section 39.023(c) for the purpose of setting performance standards.(b) Before the beginning of the 2011-2012 school year, the agency shall analyze the data collected under Subsection (a) to substantiate:(1) the correlation between satisfactory student performance for each performance standard under Section 39.0241 on the grade three, four, five, six, or seven assessment instruments with satisfactory performance under the same performance standard on the assessment instruments in the same content area for the next grade level;(2) the correlation between satisfactory student performance for each performance standard under Section 39.0241 on the grade eight assessment instruments with satisfactory performance under the same performance standard on the Algebra I and English I end-of-course assessment instruments in the same content area;(3) the correlation between satisfactory student performance for each performance standard under Section 39.0241 on the English I end-of-course assessment instrument with satisfactory performance under the same performance standard on the English II end-of-course assessment instrument;(4) the correlation between satisfactory student performance for each performance standard under Section 39.0241 on the English II end-of-course assessment instrument with satisfactory performance under the same performance standard on the English III end-of-course assessment instrument; and(5) the correlation between satisfactory student performance for each performance standard under Section 39.0241 on the Algebra I end-of-course assessment instrument with satisfactory performance under the same performance standard on the Algebra II end-of-course assessment instrument.(c) Studies under this section must include an evaluation of any need for remediation courses to facilitate college readiness.(d) The agency shall continue to gather data and perform studies as provided under this section at least once every three years. If the data do not support the correlation between student performance standards and college readiness, the commissioner of education, in collaboration with the commissioner of higher education, shall revise the standard of performance considered to be satisfactory.(e) Based on the data collected and studies performed periodically under Subsection (d), the commissioner shall increase the rigor of the performance standard established under Section 39.0241(a) as the commissioner determines necessary.
Added by Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 895, Sec. 53, eff. June 19, 2009.
Sec. 39.025. SECONDARY-LEVEL PERFORMANCE REQUIRED. (a) The commissioner shall adopt rules requiring a student participating in the recommended or advanced high school program to be administered each end-of-course assessment instrument listed in Section 39.023(c) and requiring a student participating in the minimum high school program to be administered an end-of-course assessment instrument listed in Section 39.023(c) only for a course in which the student is enrolled and for which an end-of-course assessment instrument is administered. A student is required to achieve, in each subject in the foundation curriculum under Section 28.002(a)(1), a cumulative score that is at least equal to the product of the number of end-of-course assessment instruments administered to the student in that subject and a scale score that indicates satisfactory performance, as determined by the commissioner under Section 39.0241(a). A student must achieve a minimum score as determined by the commissioner to be within a reasonable range of the scale score under Section 39.0241(a) on an end-of-course assessment instrument for the score to count towards the student's cumulative score. For purposes of this subsection, a student's cumulative score is determined using the student's highest score on each end-of-course assessment instrument administered to the student. A student may not receive a high school diploma until the student has performed satisfactorily on the end-of-course assessment instruments in the manner provided under this subsection. This subsection does not require a student to demonstrate readiness to enroll in an institution of higher education.(a-1) The commissioner by rule shall determine a method by which a student's satisfactory performance on an advanced placement test, international baccalaureate examination, an SAT Subject Test, or another assessment instrument determined by the commissioner to be at least as rigorous as an end-of-course assessment instrument adopted under Section 39.023(c) may be used as a factor in determining whether the student satisfies the requirements of Subsection (a), including the cumulative score requirement of that subsection. The commissioner by rule may determine a method by which a student's satisfactory performance on a Preliminary Scholastic Assessment Test (PSAT) assessment or a preliminary American College Test (ACT) assessment may be used as a factor in determining whether the student satisfies the requirements of Subsection (a).(a-2) In addition to the cumulative score requirements under Subsection (a), a student must achieve a score that meets or exceeds the score determined by the commissioner under Section 39.0241(a) for English III and Algebra II end-of-course assessment instruments to graduate under the recommended high school program.(a-3) In addition to the cumulative score requirements under Subsection (a), a student must achieve a score that meets or exceeds the score determined by the commissioner under Section 39.0241(a-1) on English III and Algebra II end-of-course assessment instruments in order to graduate under the advanced high school program.(b) Each time an end-of-course assessment instrument is administered, a student who failed to achieve a minimum score under Subsection (a) shall retake the assessment instrument.
A student who fails to perform satisfactorily on an Algebra II or English III end-of-course assessment instrument under the college readiness performance standard, as provided under Section 39.024(b), may retake the assessment instrument. Any other student may retake an end-of-course assessment instrument for any reason. A student is not required to retake a course as a condition of retaking an end-of-course assessment instrument.(b-1) A school district shall provide each student who fails to perform satisfactorily as determined by the commissioner under Section 39.0241(a) on an end-of-course assessment instrument with accelerated instruction in the subject assessed by the assessment instrument.(b-2) If a school district determines that a student, on completion of grade 11, is unlikely to achieve the cumulative score requirements for one or more subjects prescribed by Subsection (a) for receiving a high school diploma, the district shall require the student to enroll in a corresponding content-area college preparatory course for which an end-of-course assessment instrument has been adopted, if available. A student who enrolls in a college preparatory course described by this subsection shall be administered an end-of-course assessment instrument for the course, with the end-of-course assessment instrument scored on a scale as determined by the commissioner not to exceed 20 percent of the cumulative score requirements required to graduate as determined under Subsection (a). A student may use the student's score on the end-of-course assessment instrument for the college preparatory course towards satisfying the cumulative score requirements prescribed by Subsection (a).(c) A student who has been denied a high school diploma under this section and who subsequently performs at the level necessary to comply with the requirements of this section shall be issued a high school diploma.(c-1) A school district may not administer an assessment instrument required for graduation administered under this section as this section existed before September 1, 1999. A school district may administer to a student who failed to perform satisfactorily on an assessment instrument described by this subsection an alternate assessment instrument designated by the commissioner. The commissioner shall determine the level of performance considered to be satisfactory on an alternate assessment instrument. The district may not administer to the student an assessment instrument or a part of an assessment instrument that assesses a subject that was not assessed in an assessment instrument required for graduation administered under this section as this section existed before September 1, 1999. The commissioner shall make available to districts information necessary to administer the alternate assessment instrument authorized by this subsection. The commissioner's determination regarding designation of an appropriate alternate assessment instrument under this subsection and the performance required on the assessment instrument is final and may not be appealed.(d) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), the commissioner by rule shall adopt one or more alternative nationally recognized norm referenced assessment instruments under this section to administer to a student to qualify for a high school diploma if the student enrolls after January 1 of the school year in which the student is otherwise eligible to graduate:(1) for the first time in a public school in this state; or(2) after an absence of at least four years from any public school in this state.(e) The commissioner shall establish a required performance level for an assessment instrument adopted under Subsection (d) that is at least as rigorous as the performance level required to be met under Subsection (a).(f) The commissioner shall by rule adopt a transition plan to implement the amendments made by Chapter 1312 (S.B. No. 1031), Acts of the 80th Legislature, Regular Session, 2007, replacing general subject assessment instruments administered at the high school level with end-of-course assessment instruments. The rules must provide for the end-of-course assessment instruments adopted under Section 39.023(c) to be administered beginning with students entering the ninth grade during the 2011-2012 school year. During the period under which the transition to end-of-course assessment instruments is made:(1) for students entering a grade above the ninth grade during the 2011-2012 school year, the commissioner shall retain, administer, and use for purposes of accreditation and other campus and district accountability measures under this chapter the assessment instruments required by Section 39.023(a) or (c), as that section existed before amendment by Chapter 1312 (S.B. No. 1031), Acts of the 80th Legislature, Regular Session, 2007;(2) a student subject to Subdivision (1) may not receive a high school diploma unless the student has performed satisfactorily on each required assessment instrument administered under Section 39.023(c) as that section existed before amendment by Chapter 1312 (S.B. No. 1031), Acts of the 80th Legislature, Regular Session, 2007; and(3) the agency may defer releasing assessment instrument questions and answer keys as required by Section 39.023(e) to the extent necessary to develop additional assessment instruments.(g) Rules adopted under Subsection (f) must require that each student who will be subject to the requirements of Subsection (a) is entitled to notice of the specific requirements applicable to the student. Notice under this subsection must be provided not later than the date the student enters the eighth grade. Subsection (f) and this subsection expire September 1, 2015.
Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995. Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 767, Sec. 3, eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 397, Sec. 5, eff. Sept. 1, 1999.Amended by: Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 164, Sec. 6, eff. May 27, 2005.Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1312, Sec. 10, eff. September 1, 2007.Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 895, Sec. 54, eff. June 19, 2009.
Sec. 39.026. LOCAL OPTION. In addition to the assessment instruments adopted by the agency and administered by the State Board of Education, a school district may adopt and administer criterion-referenced or norm-referenced assessment instruments, or both, at any grade level. A norm-referenced assessment instrument adopted under this section must be economical, nationally recognized, and state-approved.
Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995.
Sec. 39.0261. COLLEGE PREPARATION ASSESSMENTS. (a) In addition to the assessment instruments otherwise authorized or required by this subchapter:(1) each school year and at state cost, a school district shall administer to students in the spring of the eighth grade an established, valid, reliable, and nationally norm-referenced preliminary college preparation assessment instrument for the purpose of diagnosing the academic strengths and deficiencies of students before entrance into high school;(2) each school year and at state cost, a school district shall administer to students in the 10th grade an established, valid, reliable, and nationally norm-referenced preliminary college preparation assessment instrument for the purpose of measuring a student's progress toward readiness for college and the workplace; and(3) high school students in the spring of the 11th grade or during the 12th grade may select and take once, at state cost, one of the valid, reliable, and nationally norm-referenced assessment instruments used by colleges and universities as part of their undergraduate admissions processes.(b) The agency shall:(1) select and approve vendors of the specific assessment instruments administered under this section; and(2) pay all fees associated with the administration of the assessment instrument from funds allotted under the Foundation School Program, and the commissioner shall reduce the total amount of state funds allocated to each district from any source in the same manner described for a reduction in allotments under Section 42.253.(c) The agency shall ensure that vendors are not paid under Subsection (b) for the administration of an assessment instrument to a student to whom the assessment instrument is not actually administered. The agency may comply with this subsection by any reasonable means, including by creating a refund system under which a vendor returns any payment made for a student who registered for the administration of an assessment instrument but did not appear for the administration.(d) A vendor that administers an assessment instrument for a district under this section shall report the results of the assessment instrument to the agency. The agency shall:(1) include a student's results on the assessment instrument in the electronic student records system established under Section 7.010; and(2) ensure that a student and the student's parent receive a report of the student's results on the assessment instrument.(e) Subsection (a)(3) does not prohibit a high school student in the spring of the 11th grade or during the 12th grade from selecting and taking, at the student's own expense, one of the valid, reliable, and nationally norm-referenced assessment instruments used by colleges and universities as part of their undergraduate admissions processes more than once.(f) The provisions of this section apply only if the legislature appropriates funds for purposes of this section.
Added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1312, Sec. 11, eff. September 1, 2007.
Sec. 39.0262. ADMINISTRATION OF DISTRICT-REQUIRED ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENTS IN CERTAIN SUBJECT AREAS. (a) In a subject area for which assessment instruments are administered under Section 39.023, a school district may not administer locally required assessment instruments designed to prepare students for state-administered assessment instruments to any student on more than 10 percent of the instructional days in any school year. A campus-level planning and decision-making committee established under Section 11.251 may limit the administration of locally required assessment instruments under this subsection to 10 percent or a lower percentage of the instructional days in any school year.(b) The prohibition prescribed by this section does not apply to the administration of a college preparation assessment instrument, an advanced placement test, an international baccalaureate examination, or an assessment instrument administered under Section 39.023.
Added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1312, Sec. 11, eff. September 1, 2007.Amended by: Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 895, Sec. 55, eff. June 19, 2009.
Sec. 39.027. EXEMPTION. (a) A student may be administered an accommodated or alternative assessment instrument or may be granted an exemption from or a postponement of the administration of an assessment instrument under:(1) Section 39.023(a), (b), (c), or (l) for a period of up to one year after initial enrollment in a school in the United States if the student is of limited English proficiency, as defined by Section 29.052, and has not demonstrated proficiency in English as determined by the assessment system under Subsection (e);(2) Section 39.023(a), (b), (c), or (l) for a period of up to two years in addition to the exemption period authorized by Subdivision (1) if the student has received an exemption under Subdivision (1) and:(A) is a recent unschooled immigrant; or(B) is in a grade for which no assessment instrument in the primary language of the student is available; or(3) Section 39.023(a), (b), (c), or (l) for a period of up to four years, in addition to the exemption period authorized under Subdivision (1), if the student's initial enrollment in a school in the United States was as an unschooled asylee or refugee.(a-1) For purposes of this section, "unschooled asylee or refugee" means a student who:(1) initially enrolled in a school in the United States as:(A) an asylee as defined by 45 C.F.R. Section 400.41; or(B) a refugee as defined by 8 U.S.C. Section 1101;(2) has a visa issued by the United States Department of State with a Form I-94 Arrival/Departure record, or a successor document, issued by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services that is stamped with "Asylee," "Refugee," or "Asylum"; and(3) as a result of inadequate schooling outside of the United States, lacks the necessary foundation in the essential knowledge and skills of the curriculum prescribed under Section 28.002, as determined by the language proficiency assessment committee established under Section 29.063.(b) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules under which a dyslexic student who is not exempt under Subsection (a) may use procedures including oral examinations if appropriate or may be allowed additional time or the materials or technology necessary for the student to demonstrate the student's mastery of the competencies the assessment instruments are designed to measure.(c) The commissioner shall develop and adopt a process for reviewing the exemption process of a school district or shared services arrangement that gives an exemption under Subsection (a)(1) as follows:(1) to more than five percent of the students in the special education program, in the case of a district or shared services arrangement with an average daily attendance of at least 1,600;(2) to more than 10 percent of the students in the special education program, in the case of a district or shared services arrangement with an average daily attendance of at least 190 and not more than 1,599; or(3) to the greater of more than 10 percent of the students in the special education program or to at least five students in the special education program, in the case of a district or shared services arrangement with an average daily attendance of not more than 189.(d) Expired.(e) The commissioner shall develop an assessment system that shall be used for evaluating the academic progress, including reading proficiency in English, of all students of limited English proficiency, as defined by Section 29.052. A student who is exempt from the administration of an assessment instrument under Subsection (a)(1) or (2) who achieves reading proficiency in English as determined by the assessment system developed under this subsection shall be administered the assessment instruments described by Sections 39.023(a) and (c). The performance under the assessment system developed under this subsection of students to whom Subsection (a)(1) or (2) applies shall be included in the indicator systems under Section 39.301, as applicable, the performance report under Section 39.306, and the comprehensive annual report under Section 39.332. This information shall be provided in a manner that is disaggregated by the bilingual education or special language program, if any, in which the student is enrolled.(f) In this section, "average daily attendance" is computed in the manner provided by Section 42.005.(g) For purposes of this section, "recent unschooled immigrant" means an immigrant who initially enrolled in a school in the United States not more than 12 months before the date of the administration of an assessment instrument under Section 39.023(a) or (l) and who, as a result of inadequate schooling outside of the United States, lacks the necessary foundation in the essential knowledge and skills of the curriculum prescribed under Section 28.002 as determined by the language proficiency assessment committee established under Section 29.063. For purposes of this subsection and to the extent authorized by federal law, a child's prior enrollment in a school in the United States shall be determined on the basis of documents and records required under Section 25.002(a).
Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995. Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 767, Sec. 4, eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 397, Sec. 6, eff. Sept. 1, 1999; Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 8, Sec. 2, eff. April 11, 2001; Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 725, Sec. 3, eff. June 13, 2001; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1276, Sec. 6.007, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.Amended by: Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1340, Sec. 4, eff. June 15, 2007.Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 895, Sec. 56, eff. June 19, 2009.
Sec. 39.028. COMPARISON OF STATE RESULTS TO NATIONAL RESULTS. The state assessment program shall obtain nationally comparative results for the subject areas and grade levels for which criterion-referenced assessment instruments are adopted under Section 39.023.
Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995.
Sec. 39.029. MIGRATORY CHILDREN. The State Board of Education by rule may provide alternate dates for the administration of the assessment instruments to a student who is a migratory child as defined by 20 U.S.C. Section 6399. The alternate dates may be chosen following a consideration of migrant work patterns, and the dates selected may afford maximum opportunity for the students to be present when the assessment instruments are administered.
Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995.
Sec. 39.030. CONFIDENTIALITY; PERFORMANCE REPORTS. (a) In adopting academic skills assessment instruments under this subchapter, the State Board of Education or a school district shall ensure the security of the instruments and tests in their preparation, administration, and grading. Meetings or portions of meetings held by the State Board of Education or a school district at which individual assessment instruments or assessment instrument items are discussed or adopted are not open to the public under Chapter 551, Government Code, and the assessment instruments or assessment instrument items are confidential.(b) The results of individual student performance on academic skills assessment instruments administered under this subchapter are confidential and may be released only in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (20 U.S.C. Section 1232g). However, overall student performance data shall be aggregated by ethnicity, sex, grade level, subject area, campus, and district and made available to the public, with appropriate interpretations, at regularly scheduled meetings of the board of trustees of each school district. The information may not contain the names of individual students or teachers.(c) Repealed by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 767, Sec. 11, eff. June 13, 2001.
Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995. Amended by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 767, Sec. 11, eff. June 13, 2001.
Sec. 39.0301. SECURITY IN ADMINISTRATION OF ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENTS. (a) The commissioner:(1) shall establish procedures for the administration of assessment instruments adopted or developed under Section 39.023, including procedures designed to ensure the security of the assessment instruments; and(2) may establish record retention requirements for school district records related to the security of assessment instruments.(b) The commissioner may develop and implement statistical methods and standards for identifying potential violations of procedures established under Subsection (a) to ensure the security of assessment instruments adopted or developed under Section 39.023. In developing the statistical methods and standards, the commissioner may include indicators of:(1) potential violations that are monitored annually; and(2) patterns of inappropriate assessment practices that occur over time.(c) The commissioner may establish one or more advisory committees to advise the commissioner and agency regarding the monitoring of assessment practices and the use of statistical methods and standards for identifying potential violations of assessment instrument security, including standards to be established by the commissioner for selecting school districts for investigation for a potential assessment security violation under Subsection (e). The commissioner may not appoint an agency employee to an advisory committee established under this subsection.(d) Any document created for the deliberation of an advisory committee established under Subsection (c) or any recommendation of such a committee is confidential and not subject to disclosure under Chapter 552, Government Code. Except as provided by Subsection (e), the statistical methods and standards adopted under this section and the results of applying those methods and standards are confidential and not subject to disclosure under Chapter 552, Government Code.(e) The agency may conduct an investigation of a school district for a potential violation of assessment instrument security in accordance with the standards described by Subsection (c). Each school year, after completing all investigations of school districts selected for investigation, the agency shall disclose the identity of each district selected for investigation and the statistical methods and standards used to select the district.(f) At any time, the commissioner may authorize the audit of a random sample of school districts to determine the compliance of the districts with procedures established under Subsection (a). The identity of each school district selected for audit under this subsection is confidential and not subject to disclosure under Chapter 552, Government Code, except that the agency shall disclose the identity of each district after completion of the audit.(g) The state auditor may conduct a risk-based audit of a school district at any time to ensure the security of assessment instruments administered under Section 39.023 in the district.
Added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1312, Sec. 12, eff. September 1, 2007.
Sec. 39.0302. ISSUANCE OF SUBPOENAS. (a) During an agency investigation or audit of a school district under Section 39.0301(e) or (f), an accreditation investigation under Section 39.075(a)(8), or an investigation by the State Board for Educator Certification of an educator for an alleged violation of an assessment instrument security procedure established under Section 39.0301(a), the commissioner may issue a subpoena to compel the attendance of a relevant witness or the production, for inspection or copying, of relevant evidence that is located in this state.(b) A subpoena may be served personally or by certified mail.(c) If a person fails to comply with a subpoena, the commissioner, acting through the attorney general, may file suit to enforce the subpoena in a district court in this state. On finding that good cause exists for issuing the subpoena, the court shall order the person to comply with the subpoena. The court may punish a person who fails to obey the court order.(d) All information and materials subpoenaed or compiled in connection with an investigation or audit described by Subsection (a):(1) are confidential and not subject to disclosure under Chapter 552, Government Code; and(2) are not subject to disclosure, discovery, subpoena, or other means of legal compulsion for release to any person other than:(A) the commissioner or the State Board for Educator Certification, as applicable;(B) agency employees or agents involved in the investigation, as applicable; and(C) the office of the attorney general, the state auditor's office, and law enforcement agencies.
Added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1312, Sec. 12, eff. September 1, 2007.
Sec. 39.0303. SECURE ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENTS; CRIMINAL PENALTY. (a) A person commits an offense if:(1) the person intentionally discloses the contents of any portion of a secure assessment instrument developed or administered under this subchapter, including the answer to any item in the assessment instrument; and(2) the disclosure affects or is likely to affect the individual performance of one or more students on the assessment instrument.(b) An offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor.
Added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1312, Sec. 12, eff. September 1, 2007.
Sec. 39.0304. TRAINING IN ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENT ADMINISTRATION. (a) To ensure that each administration of assessment instruments under Section 39.023 is valid, reliable, and in compliance with the requirements of this subchapter, the commissioner may require training for school district employees involved in the administration of the assessment instruments.(b) The training under Subsection (a) may include a qualifying component to ensure that school district employees involved in the administration of assessment instruments under Section 39.023 possess the necessary skills and knowledge required to administer the assessment instruments.(c) The commissioner may adopt rules necessary to implement this section.
Added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1312, Sec. 12, eff. September 1, 2007.
Sec. 39.031. COST. The cost of preparing, administering, or grading the assessment instruments and releasing the question and answer keys under Section 39.023(e) shall be paid from amounts appropriated to the agency.
Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995. Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 767, Sec. 5, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.Amended by: Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1328, Sec. 41, eff. September 1, 2009.
Sec. 39.032. ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENT STANDARDS; CIVIL PENALTY. (a) Repealed by Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1210, Sec. 2, eff. June 19, 2009.(b) Repealed by Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1210, Sec. 2, eff. June 19, 2009.(c) State and national norms of averages shall be computed using data that are not more than eight years old at the time the assessment instrument is administered and that are representative of the group of students to whom the assessment instrument is administered.(c-1) The standardization norms computed under Subsection (c) shall be:(1) based on a national probability sample that meets accepted standards for educational and psychological testing; and(2) updated at least every eight years using proven psychometric procedures approved by the State Board of Education.(c-2) The eight-year limitation on data to compute norms under this section does not apply if only data older than eight years is available for an assessment instrument. The commissioner by rule may limit the exception created by this subsection based on the type of assessment instrument.(d) Repealed by Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1210, Sec. 2, eff. June 19, 2009.(e) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules for the implementation of this section and for the maintenance of the security of the contents of all assessment instruments.(f) In this section, "assessment instrument" means a group-administered achievement test.
Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995.Amended by: Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1210, Sec. 1, eff. June 19, 2009.Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1210, Sec. 2, eff. June 19, 2009.
Sec. 39.033. VOLUNTARY ASSESSMENT OF PRIVATE SCHOOL STUDENTS. (a) Under an agreement with the agency, a private school may administer an assessment instrument adopted under this subchapter to students at the school.(b) An agreement under this section must require the private school to:(1) as determined appropriate by the commissioner, provide to the commissioner the information described by Sections 39.053(c) and 39.301(c); and(2) maintain confidentiality in compliance with Section 39.030.(c) A private school must reimburse the agency for the cost of administering an assessment instrument under this section. The State Board of Education shall determine the cost under this section. The per-student cost may not exceed the cost of administering the same assessment to a student enrolled in a public school district.(d) In this section, "private school" means a school that:(1) offers a general education to elementary or secondary students; and(2) is not operated by a governmental entity.
Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995.Amended by: Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 895, Sec. 57, eff. June 19, 2009.
Sec. 39.034. MEASURE OF ANNUAL IMPROVEMENT IN STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT. (a) The commissioner shall determine a method by which the agency may measure annual improvement in student achievement from one school year to the next on an assessment instrument required under this subchapter.(b) For students of limited English proficiency, as defined by Section 29.052, the agency shall use a student's performance data on reading proficiency assessment instruments in English and one other language to calculate the student's progress toward dual language proficiency.(c) The agency shall use a student's previous years' performance data on an assessment instrument required under this subchapter to determine the student's expected annual improvement. The agency shall report that expected level of annual improvement and the actual level of annual improvement achieved to the district. The report must state whether the student fell below, met, or exceeded the agency's expectation for improvement.(d) The agency shall determine the necessary annual improvement required each year for a student to be prepared to perform satisfactorily on, as applicable:(1) the grade five assessment instruments;(2) the grade eight assessment instruments; and(3) the end-of-course assessment instruments required under this subchapter for graduation.(d-1) The agency shall report the necessary annual improvement required under Subsection (d) to the district. Each year, the report must state whether the student fell below, met, or exceeded the necessary target for improvement.(e) Repealed by Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 895, Sec. 66(1), eff. June 19, 2009.(f) Repealed by Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 895, Sec. 66(1), eff. June 19, 2009.(g) Repealed by Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 895, Sec. 66(1), eff. June 19, 2009.
