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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to restricting certain state and school district |
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assessments of public school students in prekindergarten and |
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kindergarten. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 39, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 39.0264 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 39.0264. RESTRICTION ON ASSESSMENT OF STUDENTS IN |
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CERTAIN GRADE LEVELS. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), |
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the agency, the State Board of Education, or a school district may |
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not require administration of a standardized criterion-referenced |
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or norm-referenced assessment instrument, including an achievement |
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test, to students in prekindergarten or kindergarten. |
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(b) Subsection (a) does not apply to: |
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(1) a reading instrument administered under Section |
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28.006; |
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(2) an English language proficiency test under Section |
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29.056(a); or |
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(3) an assessment instrument administered to students |
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in one or more of a school's prekindergarten or kindergarten |
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classes to assess learning of specific instructional material, such |
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as a spelling test. |
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SECTION 2. Section 39.026, Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 39.026. LOCAL OPTION. In addition to the assessment |
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instruments adopted by the agency and administered by the State |
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Board of Education, a school district may adopt and administer |
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criterion-referenced or norm-referenced assessment instruments, or |
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both, at any grade level beginning at the first grade level. A |
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norm-referenced assessment instrument adopted under this section |
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must be economical, nationally recognized, and state-approved. |
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SECTION 3. This Act applies beginning with the 2015-2016 |
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school year. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |