By: Campbell  S.B. No. 1005
         (In the Senate - Filed February 22, 2017; March 6, 2017,
  read first time and referred to Committee on Education;
  May 1, 2017, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 10,
  Nays 0; May 1, 2017, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to the use of the SAT or the ACT as a secondary exit-level
  assessment instrument to allow certain public school students to
  receive a high school diploma.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 39.025, Education Code, is amended by
  amending Subsection (f) and adding Subsection (f-1) to read as
  follows:
         (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
  enrolled in [entering] the ninth grade for the first time 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 or students repeating 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 the SAT or the ACT as provided by Subsection (f-1)
  or 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.
         (f-1)  The commissioner shall establish satisfactory
  performance levels for the SAT and the ACT that are equivalent in
  rigor to the performance level required to be met under Subsection
  (a), as that subsection existed before amendment by Chapter 1312
  (S.B. No. 1031), Acts of the 80th Legislature, Regular Session,
  2007, that qualify a student subject to Subsection (f)(1) to
  receive a high school diploma.  Notwithstanding Subsection (f), the
  commissioner is not required after September 1, 2017, to maintain
  and administer assessment instruments 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.
         SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2017.
 
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