bill letting districts swap test essays for writing portfolios

The text as introduced · 494 words

89R3513 RDR-F

By: Zwiener
H.B. No. 1249

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to authorizing the use of a writing portfolio assessment

to assess writing performance for public school students.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 39, Education Code, is

amended by adding Section 39.02301 to read as follows:

Sec. 39.02301. OPTIONAL USE OF WRITING PORTFOLIO

ASSESSMENT. (a) A school district may elect to use a writing

portfolio assessment to assess writing performance for students

enrolled in the district as an alternative to administering the

portion of a reading assessment instrument under Section 39.023(a)

or English I or English II end-of-course assessment instrument

under Section 39.023(c) that is not presented in a multiple choice

format.

(b) A school district that elects to use a writing portfolio

assessment under this section shall design the assessment in

consultation with a public or private institution of higher

education and submit the assessment to the agency for approval. The

agency shall approve the assessment if the assessment is:

(1) determined by the public or private institution of

higher education that consulted on the design of the assessment to

be valid and reliable; and

(2) designed to assess:

(A) a student's mastery of the essential

knowledge and skills in writing through timed writing samples;

(B) improvement of a student's writing skills

from the beginning of the school year to the end of the school year;

(C) a student's ability to follow the writing

process from rough draft to final product; and

(D) a student's ability to produce more than one

type of writing style.

(c) A school district that elects to use a writing portfolio

assessment under this section may adopt a policy allowing the

assessment to be scored by a classroom teacher assigned to the same

campus as the student to whom the assessment is administered. The

district may coordinate with the regional education service center

for the district's region in grading the assessments.

(d) A school district that elects to use a writing portfolio

assessment under this section is not required to administer the

portion of a reading assessment instrument under Section 39.023(a)

or English I or English II end-of-course assessment instrument

under Section 39.023(c) that is not presented in a multiple choice

format during the period the district is administering the writing

portfolio assessment. The agency shall, to the greatest extent

practicable, apply cost savings that result from the exemption

under this subsection to offset the costs accrued under this

section.

(e) The commissioner shall adopt rules as necessary to

implement this section.

SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2025-2026

school year.

SECTION 3. 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, 2025.