AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
This bill removes the mandate that school districts adopt a policy that a student's performance on an end-of-course (EOC) assessment account for 15 percent of the student's final grade for that class. The legislation will allow a school district to use the EOC performance toward a student's grade, up to 15 percent, if it chooses to do so.
As proposed, S.B. 135 amends current law relating to the use of a public school student's performance on an end-of-course assessment instrument in determining the student's final grade for the course.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Sections 28.014(c) and (f), Education Code, as follows:
(c) Authorizes a school district to adopt a policy that requires a student's performance on the end-of-course assessment instrument (EOC assessment instrument) developed under this section to account for not more than 15 percent of the student's final grade for the course, rather than requiring each school district to adopt a policy that requires a student's performance on the EOC assessment instrument to account for 15 percent of the student's final grade for the course.
(f) Requires the commissioner of education (commissioner), to the extent applicable, to draw from curricula and instructional materials developed under Section 28.008 (Advancement of College Readiness in Curriculum), rather than under both Sections 28.008 and 61.0763 (Course Redesign Project [expired]), in developing a course and related instructional materials under this section. Deletes existing text requiring a school district to adopt a policy, as required by Subsection (c), requiring a student's performance on an EOC assessment instrument administered under that subsection to account for 15 percent of the student's grade for a course developed under this section not later than the 2014-2015 school year.
SECTION 2. Amends Section 39.023(c), Education Code, as follows:
(c) Authorizes, rather than requires, a school district to adopt a policy that requires a student's performance on an EOC assessment instrument for certain courses in which the student is enrolled to account for not more than 15 percent, rather than for 15 percent, of the student's final grade for the course. Deletes existing text providing that if a student retakes an EOC assessment instrument for certain courses, as provided by Section 39.025 (Secondary-Level Performance Required), 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.
SECTION 3. Provides that this Act applies beginning with the 2013-2014 school year.
SECTION 4. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2013.