HB 221

relating to eliminating certain state-required assessment
instruments and certain end-of-course assessment instruments not
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1.  Section 28.0211(a-8), Education Code, is amended
(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, English I, or
English II, as applicable,] for that school year.
SECTION 2.  Section 39.023, Education Code, is amended by
amending Subsections (a), (c), and (c-2) and adding Subsection (q)
(a)  The agency shall adopt or develop appropriate
criterion-referenced assessment instruments designed to assess
essential knowledge and skills in reading, mathematics, [social
studies,] and science. Except as provided by Subsection (a-2), all
students, other than students assessed under Subsection (b) or (l)
or exempted under Section 39.027, shall be assessed in:
(1)  mathematics, annually in grades three through
(2)  reading, annually in grades three through eight;
(3)  [social studies, in grade eight;
[(4)]  science, in grades five and eight; and
(4) [(5)]  any other subject and grade required by
(c)  The agency shall also adopt end-of-course assessment
instruments for secondary-level courses in reading, mathematics,
and science only as necessary to comply with the Every Student
Succeeds Act (20 U.S.C. Section 6301 et seq.) to be administered
only as necessary to meet the minimum requirements of that Act
[Algebra I, biology, 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 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 adopted under [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-2)  The agency may adopt end-of-course assessment
instruments for courses for which end-of-course assessment
instruments are not adopted under [not listed in] Subsection
(c).  A student's performance on an end-of-course assessment
instrument adopted under this subsection is not subject to the
performance requirements established under Subsection (c) or
(q)  Notwithstanding any provision of this section or other
law, if changes made to the Every Student Succeeds Act (20 U.S.C.
Section 6301 et seq.) reduce the number or frequency of assessment
instruments required to be administered to students, the State
Board of Education shall adopt rules reducing the number or
frequency of assessment instruments administered to students under
state law, and the commissioner shall ensure that students are not
assessed in subject areas or in grades that are no longer required
to meet the minimum requirements of that Act.
SECTION 3.  Sections 39.025(a-1) and (a-3), Education Code,
are amended 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 mathematics or reading [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 mathematics [Algebra I] or reading
[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 the
corresponding subject for which the student failed to perform
satisfactorily on the end-of-course assessment instrument
satisfies the requirement concerning the mathematics [Algebra I] or
reading [English II] end-of-course assessment, as applicable.
SECTION 4.  Section 39.203(c), Education Code, is amended to
(c)  In addition to the distinction designations described
by Subsections (a) and (b), a campus that satisfies the criteria
developed under Section 39.204 shall be awarded a distinction
designation by the commissioner for outstanding performance in
academic achievement in reading [English language arts],
mathematics, or science[, or social studies].
SECTION 5.  Section 39.023(c-9), Education Code, is
SECTION 6.  This Act applies beginning with the 2025-2026
SECTION 7.  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.