Bucy’s bill dropping English II and U.S. history end-of-course tests

The text as introduced · 1,023 words

89R1524 AMF-F

By: Bucy
H.B. No. 297

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to eliminating certain state-required end-of-course

assessment instruments not required by federal law and eliminating

graduation requirements based on satisfactory performance on

certain end-of-course assessment instruments.

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

SECTION 1. Section 28.0211(a-8), Education Code, is amended

to read as follows:

(a-8) A school district may not be required to provide

supplemental instruction under Subsection (a-1)(2) to a student in

more than two subject areas per school year. If the district would

otherwise be required to provide supplemental instruction to a

student in more than two subject areas for a school year, the

district shall prioritize providing supplemental instruction to

the student in mathematics and reading, or Algebra I or [ , ] English

I, [ or English II, ] as applicable, for that school year.

SECTION 2. Section 39.023, Education Code, is amended by

amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsection (q) to read as

follows:

(c) The agency shall also adopt end-of-course assessment

instruments for secondary-level courses in Algebra I, biology, and

English I[ , English II, and United States history ]. The Algebra I

end-of-course assessment instrument must be administered with the

aid of technology, but may include one or more parts that prohibit

the use of technology. The English I [ and English II ]

end-of-course assessment instrument [ instruments ] must [ each ]

assess essential knowledge and skills in both reading and writing

and must provide a single score. A school district shall comply

with State Board of Education rules regarding administration of the

assessment instruments listed in this subsection. If a student is

in a special education program under Subchapter A, Chapter 29, the

student's admission, review, and dismissal committee shall

determine whether any allowable modification is necessary in

administering to the student an assessment instrument required

under this subsection. The State Board of Education shall

administer the assessment instruments. An end-of-course

assessment instrument may be administered in multiple parts over

more than one day. The State Board of Education shall adopt a

schedule for the administration of end-of-course assessment

instruments that complies with the requirements of Subsection

(c-3).

(q) This subsection applies to end-of-course assessment

instruments adopted under Subsection (c) for secondary-level

courses in English II and United States history, as that subsection

existed before amendment by __.B. No.___, Acts of the 89th

Legislature, Regular Session, 2025. The agency may retain

assessment instruments described by this subsection, but may not

require a school district to administer those assessment

instruments. A school district may choose to administer an

assessment instrument described by this subsection. An assessment

instrument described by this subsection administered by a school

district may not be used for accountability purposes to measure the

performance of the district or a district campus.

SECTION 3. Section 39.025, Education Code, is amended by

amending Subsections (a-1) and (a-3) and adding Subsections (h),

(i), and (j) to read as follows:

(a-1) A student enrolled in a college preparatory

mathematics or English language arts course under Section 28.014

who satisfies the Texas Success Initiative (TSI) college readiness

benchmarks prescribed by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating

Board under Section 51.334 on an assessment instrument designated

by the coordinating board under that section administered at the

end of the college preparatory mathematics or English language arts

course satisfies the requirements concerning and is exempt from the

administration of the Algebra I or the English I [ and English II ]

end-of-course assessment instrument [ instruments ], as applicable,

as prescribed by Section 39.023(c), even if the student did not

perform satisfactorily on a previous administration of the

applicable end-of-course assessment instrument. A student who

fails to perform satisfactorily on the assessment instrument

designated by the coordinating board under Section 51.334

administered as provided by this subsection may retake that

assessment instrument for purposes of this subsection or may take

the appropriate end-of-course assessment instrument.

(a-3) A student who, after retaking an end-of-course

assessment instrument for Algebra I [ or English II ], has failed to

perform satisfactorily as required by Subsection (a)[ , ] but who

receives a score of proficient on the Texas Success Initiative

(TSI) diagnostic assessment for mathematics [ the corresponding

subject for which the student failed to perform satisfactorily on

the end-of-course assessment instrument ] satisfies the requirement

concerning the Algebra I [ or English II ] end-of-course assessment[ ,

as applicable ].

(h) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), in order to receive a

high school diploma, a student is not required to achieve a scale

score that indicates satisfactory performance on an end-of-course

assessment for secondary-level courses in English II or United

States history after the effective date of ___.B. No. _____, Acts of

the 89th Legislature, Regular Session, 2025, regardless of the date

the student enters high school.

(i) Subject to Subsection (j), a school district or

open-enrollment charter school policy that requires a student to

demonstrate satisfactory performance on an end-of-course

assessment for secondary-level courses in English II or United

States history does not apply to a student of the district or school

as of the effective date of ___.B. No. _____, Acts of the 89th

Legislature, Regular Session, 2025, regardless of the date that

student enters high school or whether the student is currently

enrolled in high school.

(j) The board of trustees of a school district or the

governing body of an open-enrollment charter school with a policy

described by Subsection (i) may readopt the policy after the

effective date of ___.B. No. _____, Acts of the 89th Legislature,

Regular Session, 2025, to apply to district or charter school

students enrolled in high school on or after the date the policy is

readopted.

SECTION 4. Section 39.023(c-9), Education Code, is

repealed.

SECTION 5. This Act applies beginning with the 2025-2026

school year.

SECTION 6. 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.