Source: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index4.aspx?id=6348&ekfxmen_noscript=1&ekfxmensel=e9f6cb525_620_634
Timestamp: 2013-05-23 06:01:04
Document Index: 371007066

Matched Legal Cases: ['§28', '§7', '§101', '§101', '§101', '§2006']

Texas Education Agency - 09 September Instruction item 3
09 September Instruction item 3
Proposed Revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 101, Assessment, Subchapter A, General Provisions, and Subchapter B, Development and Administration of Tests (First Reading and Filing Authorization)September 18, 2009COMMITTEE ON INSTRUCTION: ACTIONSTATE BOARD OF EDUCATION: ACTIONSUMMARY: This item presents proposed revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 101, Assessment, Subchapter A, General Provisions, and Subchapter B, Development and Administration of Tests, for first reading and filing authorization. The proposed revisions would implement House Bill (HB) 3, 81st Texas Legislature, 2009, which requires conforming changes to State Board of Education (SBOE) assessment rules relating to requirements for student testing, graduation, grade advancement, remediation, release of tests, performance standards, and private schools administration of state tests.STATUTORY AUTHORITY: Texas Education Code (TEC), §§28.0211, 39.023, 39.0241, 39.027, and 39.033, as amended and added by HB 3, 81st Texas Legislature, 2009.EFFECTIVE DATE: The proposed effective date of the proposed revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 101, Subchapters A and B, is 20 days after filing as adopted with the Texas Register. Under TEC, §7.102(f), the SBOE must approve the rule action at second reading and final adoption by a vote of two-thirds of its members to specify an effective date earlier than the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year. The earlier effective date is necessary to allow the implementation of revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 101, Subchapters A and B, prior to the beginning of statewide testing in spring 2010.PREVIOUS BOARD ACTION: The SBOE adopted rules in 19 TAC Chapter 101, Subchapters A-E, to be effective November 15, 2001. In Subchapter A, §§101.5, 101.7, 101.9, and 101.11 were amended to be effective March 23, 2005. In Subchapter B, §101.23 was last amended to be effective September 1, 2009. Section 101.31 has not been amended since adopted. Section 101.33 was last amended to be effective October 12, 2008. The SBOE last adopted the statutorily required four-year rule review of 19 TAC Chapter 101 in March 2009.BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND SIGNIFICANT ISSUES: In June 2009, the 81st Texas Legislature enacted HB 3, which made significant changes to the Texas student assessment program. These legislative changes include:• restricting the administration of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) assessments in Spanish to eligible students of limited English proficiency in Grades 3-5 instead of Grades 3-6;• removing exemptions from statewide testing that are no longer allowed under state and federal law for certain students served by special education; • specifying that the Texas Education Agency (TEA) is no longer required to develop TAKS study guides; • excluding from release assessments administered for the purpose of retesting;• revising the Student Success Initiative (SSI) requirements, including the removal of the automatic grade level retention provision for students in Grade 3 who do not meet the TAKS reading assessment standard; and • requiring the commissioner of education to determine satisfactory performance levels for assessment instruments.These changes in statute require the amendment and repeal of SBOE rules in 19 TAC Chapter 101. In addition, other technical and conforming changes are required to align the SBOE rules in 19 TAC Chapter 101 with state and federal law. Some of these changes stem from the enactment of HB 3, while others were identified during the statutorily required four-year rule review of 19 TAC Chapter 101 adopted by the SBOE in March 2009. The proposed revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 101, Subchapters A and B, (shown in Attachment II) include the following.Section 101.5, Student Testing Requirements, would be amended to limit the administration of the TAKS assessments in Spanish to eligible students of limited English proficiency in Grades 3-5. Other technical changes would be made to align the rule with state and federal law. Section 101.7, Testing Requirements for Graduation, would be repealed because HB 3 transfers the authority to set state assessment performance standards from the SBOE to the commissioner of education. The adoption of commissioner's rules relating to testing requirements for graduation will be coordinated with the repeal of §101.7.Section 101.9, Grade Advancement Requirements, would be amended to reflect new SSI requirements, including the removal of the automatic grade level retention provision for students in Grade 3 who do not meet the TAKS reading assessment standard.Section 101.11, Remediation, would be amended to specify that the TEA is no longer required to develop TAKS study guides and to reference a new remediation requirement in HB 3 for students in Grades 3-8 who fail any TAKS assessment.Section 101.23, Performance Standards, would be repealed because HB 3 transfers the authority to set state assessment performance standards from the SBOE to the commissioner of education.Section 101.31, Private Schools, would be amended to incorporate technical changes due to the enactment of HB 3.Section 101.33, Release of Tests, would be amended to reflect the exclusion from release of assessments administered for the purpose of retesting.It is necessary for the proposed revisions in this item to be presented for first reading and filing authorization instead of discussion at this meeting to ensure the revisions take effect prior to the beginning of statewide testing in spring 2010. It should be noted that if the SBOE does not adopt the proposed revisions by a two-thirds vote at second reading and final adoption at its November 2009 meeting, these revisions to the student assessment program required by HB 3 would be implemented in accordance with the amended statute but without consistent administrative rules.FISCAL IMPACT: The TEA has determined that there would be fiscal implications for the state as a result of the proposed rule actions. Eliminating the requirement for the TEA to release test items and answers from assessments administered for the purpose of retesting would result in a savings of approximately $200,000 each year for fiscal years 2010-2014.Eliminating the administration of the Spanish-version TAKS assessments in Grade 6 to eligible students of limited English proficiency would result in an estimated annual savings of $250,000 for fiscal years 2010-2014. The elimination of the second and third administrations of the TAKS Grade 3 reading assessment would result in an estimated annual savings of $550,000 for fiscal years 2010-2014. In fiscal years 2010-2014, not developing the study guides could result in an estimated savings of $13.4 million per fiscal year.The TEA has determined that there will be some administrative savings for school districts and charter schools because of reduced testing. The amount of savings to school districts and charter schools is unknown.The TEA has determined that there are no additional costs to persons required to comply with the proposed rule actions. In addition, there is no direct adverse economic impact for small businesses and microbusinesses; therefore, no regulatory flexibility analysis, specified in Texas Government Code, §2006.002, is required.PUBLIC AND STUDENT BENEFIT: The proposed revisions would update the rules to reflect new assessment requirements in statute and to help ensure that these requirements are clearly defined for students, school districts, and the public.PROCEDURAL AND REPORTING IMPLICATIONS: Eliminating the Spanish Grade 6 TAKS would remove all reporting and procedural requirements for the TEA that are directly associated with these assessments.LOCALLY MAINTAINED PAPERWORK REQUIREMENTS: The proposed revisions would have no new locally maintained paperwork requirements.PUBLIC COMMENTS: The official public comment period will begin when the revisions are published as proposed in the Texas Register.ALTERNATIVES: None.OTHER COMMENTS AND RELATED ISSUES: A request for a public hearing on the proposal submitted under the Administrative Procedure Act must be received by the commissioner of education not more than 15 calendar days after notice of the proposal has been published in the Texas Register.COMMISSIONER'S RECOMMENDATION: I recommend that the State Board of Education:Approve for first reading and filing authorization the proposed revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 101, Assessment, Subchapter A, General Provisions, and Subchapter B, Development and Administration of Tests.Respectfully submitted,Robert ScottCommissioner of EducationStaff Members Responsible: Criss Cloudt, Associate CommissionerAssessment, Accountability, and Data QualityGloria Zyskowski, Deputy Associate CommissionerStudent Assessment Attachments:I. Statutory CitationsII. Text of Proposed Revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 101, Assessment, Subchapter A, General Provisions, and Subchapter B, Development and Administration of Tests