HBA-JEK H.B. 1646 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1646
By: Delisi
Public Education
4/2/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

The Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) test was designed to measure
the knowledge and skills of students in an effort to ensure school
accountability.  However, there are reports of some educators teaching to
the TAAS and even providing rewards to students for their TAAS performance,
raising concerns over the fair and equitable administration of the test.
House Bill 1646 prohibits with one exception the use of TAAS study guides
as classroom instructional tools and the giving of a material award to a
student based on the student's TAAS performance. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 1646 amends the Education Code to prohibit a study guide
developed by the Texas Education Agency for the essential knowledge and
skills assessment instruments from being used in a classroom as an
instructional tool except in connection with an intensive program of
instruction for students who did not perform satisfactorily on an
assessment instrument.  The bill prohibits a school district employee or
any other person from giving a student a material award based on or related
in any way to the student's performance on an assessment instrument. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act
takes effect September 1, 2001. This Act applies beginning with the
2001-2002 school year.