H.B. No. 2349
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to public school assessment, performance standards, and
  course requirements.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 28.025(c-5), Education Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (c-5)  A student may earn a performance acknowledgment on the
  student's diploma and transcript by satisfying the requirements for
  that acknowledgment adopted by the State Board of Education by
  rule. An acknowledgment under this subsection may be earned:
               (1)  for outstanding performance:
                     (A)  in a dual credit course;
                     (B)  in bilingualism and biliteracy;
                     (C)  on a college advanced placement test or
  international baccalaureate examination; [or]
                     (D)  on an established, valid, reliable, and
  nationally norm-referenced preliminary college preparation
  assessment instrument used to measure a student's progress toward
  readiness for college and the workplace; or
                     (E)  on an established, valid, reliable, and
  nationally norm-referenced assessment instrument used by colleges
  and universities as part of their undergraduate admissions process
  [the PSAT, the ACT-Plan, the SAT, or the ACT]; or
               (2)  for earning a state recognized or nationally or
  internationally recognized business or industry certification or
  license.
         SECTION 2.  Section 39.023, Education Code, is amended by
  adding Subsection (e-1) to read as follows:
         (e-1)  The agency may defer releasing assessment instrument
  questions and answer keys as required by Subsection (e) to the
  extent necessary to develop additional assessment instruments.
         SECTION 3.  Subchapter B, Chapter 39, Education Code, is
  amended by adding Section 39.02315 to read as follows:
         Sec. 39.02315.  REPORTING RESULTS OF ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENTS
  FOR OUT-OF-STATE TRANSFER STUDENTS. (a) For assessment
  instruments required to be administered under Section 39.023, the
  agency shall adopt procedures to ensure that the results of the
  assessment instruments administered to students who transfer from a
  school district in another state to a school district in this state
  are reported to each school district separately from the results of
  assessment instruments administered to other students.
         (b)  The commissioner by rule shall:
               (1)  ensure that the results of assessment instruments
  administered to students who transfer from a school district in
  another state to a school district in this state reported under
  Subsection (a) are properly identified in agency systems that
  report and track academic performance of students; and
               (2)  adopt procedures for reporting and tracking data
  relating to students who transfer from a school district in another
  state to a school district in this state.
         SECTION 4.  Sections 39.025(a), (f), and (g), Education
  Code, are amended to read as follows:
         (a)  The commissioner shall adopt rules requiring a student
  in the foundation high school program under Section 28.025 to be
  administered an [each] 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 a scale score that
  indicates satisfactory performance, as determined by the
  commissioner under Section 39.0241(a), on each end-of-course
  assessment instrument administered to the student [listed under
  Section 39.023(c)].  For each scale score required under this
  subsection that is not based on a 100-point scale scoring system,
  the commissioner shall provide for conversion, in accordance with
  commissioner rule, of the scale score to an equivalent score based
  on a 100-point scale scoring system.  A student may not receive a
  high school diploma until the student has performed satisfactorily
  on 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.
         (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; and
               (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.]
         SECTION 5.  The following provisions of the Education Code
  are repealed:
               (1)  Section 39.023(o);
               (2)  Section 39.0233(c); and
               (3)  Section 39.025(b-2).
         SECTION 6.  This Act applies beginning with the 2015-2016
  school year.
         SECTION 7.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect on the 91st day after the last day of the
  legislative session.
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 2349 was passed by the House on May
  11, 2015, by the following vote:  Yeas 135, Nays 0, 1 present, not
  voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B.
  No. 2349 on May 29, 2015, by the following vote:  Yeas 144, Nays 2,
  2 present, not voting.
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 2349 was passed by the Senate, with
  amendments, on May 27, 2015, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays
  0.
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate   
  APPROVED: __________________
                  Date       
   
           __________________
                Governor