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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to requiring the Texas Education Agency to conduct a study |
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to develop a writing assessment method for public school students |
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and establish a pilot program to administer the assessment method |
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developed. |
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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 39.02301 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 39.02301. WRITING ASSESSMENT STUDY; PILOT PROGRAM. |
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(a) During the 2015-2016 school year, the agency, in coordination |
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with the entity that has been contracted to develop or implement |
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assessment instruments under Section 39.023, shall conduct a study |
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to develop a writing assessment method as an alternative to the |
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writing assessment instruments required under Sections 39.023(a) |
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and (c). The writing assessment method must be designed to assess: |
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(1) a student's mastery of the essential knowledge and |
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skills in writing through timed writing samples; |
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(2) improvement of a student's writing skills from the |
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beginning of the school year to the end of the school year; |
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(3) a student's ability to follow the writing process |
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from rough draft to final product; and |
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(4) a student's ability to produce more than one type |
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of writing style. |
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(b) During the 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 school years, the |
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agency shall establish a pilot program as provided by this section |
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to implement in designated school districts the writing assessment |
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method developed under Subsection (a). |
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(c) The agency shall designate school districts to |
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participate in the pilot program as provided by this subsection. |
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The pilot program must include at least one large urban district, |
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one medium-sized district, and one rural district. Each district |
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included must have a student enrollment that is representative of |
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diverse demographics and socioeconomic backgrounds. To the extent |
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practicable, the agency shall designate the number of districts the |
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agency determines appropriate to achieve the cost savings described |
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by Subsection (d). |
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(d) A school district designated to participate in the pilot |
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program under this section is not required to comply with the |
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writing assessment requirements under Sections 39.023(a) and (c) |
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during the period the district is participating in the pilot |
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program. The agency shall, to the greatest extent practicable, |
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apply cost savings that result from the exemption under this |
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subsection to offset the costs accrued under this section. |
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(e) The agency shall establish the process for |
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consolidating student writing assessments under the method |
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developed under Subsection (a) to be submitted for scoring. This |
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process may include the submission of a student portfolio for |
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scoring. |
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(f) The individuals responsible for scoring student writing |
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assessments under the pilot program shall be coordinated jointly |
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by: |
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(1) the school district in which the student is |
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enrolled and that is participating in the pilot program; |
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(2) a public junior college or institution of higher |
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education that enters into an agreement with the participating |
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school district; and |
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(3) the regional education service center that serves |
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the participating district. |
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(g) A random sampling of scored student writing |
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assessments, the size of which the agency shall determine, shall be |
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delivered to the agency. |
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(h) Not later than September 1, 2016, the agency shall |
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prepare and deliver to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the |
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speaker of the house of representatives, and the presiding officer |
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of each legislative standing committee with primary jurisdiction |
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over primary and secondary education a report covering the study of |
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the development of the writing assessment method under Subsection |
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(a). Not later than September 1 of each year in 2017 and 2018, the |
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agency shall prepare and deliver to the governor, the lieutenant |
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governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the |
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presiding officer of each legislative standing committee with |
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primary jurisdiction over primary and secondary education a report |
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that: |
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(1) evaluates the implementation and progress of the |
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pilot program under this section; and |
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(2) makes recommendations regarding the continuation |
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or expansion of the pilot program. |
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(i) The agency shall adopt rules as necessary to administer |
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this section. |
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(j) This section expires September 1, 2019. |
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SECTION 2. 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. |
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