Sec. 39.02301. WRITING ASSESSMENT STUDY; PILOT PROGRAM. (a) During the 2015-2016 school year, the agency, in coordination with the entity that has been contracted to develop or implement assessment instruments under Section 39.023, shall conduct a study to develop a writing assessment method as an alternative to the writing assessment instruments required under Sections 39.023(a) and (c). The writing assessment method must be designed to assess:
(1) a student's mastery of the essential knowledge and skills in writing through timed writing samples;
(2) improvement of a student's writing skills from the beginning of the school year to the end of the school year;
(3) a student's ability to follow the writing process from rough draft to final product; and
(4) a student's ability to produce more than one type of writing style.
(b) During the 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 school years, the agency shall establish a pilot program as provided by this section to implement in designated school districts the writing assessment method developed under Subsection (a).
(c) The agency shall designate school districts to participate in the pilot program as provided by this subsection. The pilot program must include at least one large urban district, one medium-sized district, and one rural district. Each district included must have a student enrollment that is representative of diverse demographics and socioeconomic backgrounds. To the extent practicable, the agency shall designate the number of districts the agency determines appropriate to achieve the cost savings described by Subsection (d).
(d) A school district designated to participate in the pilot program under this section is not required to comply with the writing assessment requirements under Sections 39.023(a) and (c) during the period the district is participating in the pilot program. 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 agency shall establish the process for consolidating student writing assessments under the method developed under Subsection (a) to be submitted for scoring. This process may include the submission of a student portfolio for scoring.
(f) The individuals responsible for scoring student writing assessments under the pilot program shall be coordinated jointly by:
(1) the school district in which the student is enrolled and that is participating in the pilot program;
(2) a public junior college or institution of higher education that enters into an agreement with the participating school district; and
(3) the regional education service center that serves the participating district.
(g) A random sampling of scored student writing assessments, the size of which the agency shall determine, shall be delivered to the agency.
(h) Not later than September 1, 2016, the agency shall prepare and deliver to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the presiding officer of each legislative standing committee with primary jurisdiction over primary and secondary education a report covering the study of the development of the writing assessment method under Subsection (a). Not later than September 1 of each year in 2017 and 2018, the agency shall prepare and deliver to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the presiding officer of each legislative standing committee with primary jurisdiction over primary and secondary education a report that:
(1) evaluates the implementation and progress of the pilot program under this section; and
(2) makes recommendations regarding the continuation or expansion of the pilot program.
(i) The agency shall adopt rules as necessary to administer this section.
(j) This section expires September 1, 2019.
Added by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 711 (H.B. 1164), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2015.
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