The bill amends various sections of the Education Code to update the assessment instruments used for evaluating public school students in Texas. It replaces references to "end-of-course" assessments with "assessment instruments administered under Section 39.023(c)," impacting accountability systems, college preparatory courses, and graduation requirements. The bill emphasizes the significance of student performance on these assessments while addressing dropout rates and diploma completion. It also outlines school district responsibilities for providing accelerated instruction to students who do not perform satisfactorily and establishes guidelines for individual graduation committees to set additional requirements for those who fail to meet performance standards.

Furthermore, the bill allows school districts to select assessment instruments, such as the Iowa Assessments, and mandates uniform administration within districts. It requires the commissioner of education to identify procedures for selecting nationally recognized assessments like the SAT and ACT. The bill introduces a definition for "college readiness" and stipulates that if federal law changes reduce required assessments, the State Board of Education must adjust state requirements accordingly. It also retains end-of-course assessments for students entering grades above ninth during the transition period and repeals outdated sections of the Education Code related to the previous assessment framework. The changes are set to take effect starting with the 2027-2028 school year, with potential immediate implementation upon legislative approval.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Education Code 18.006, Education Code 25.005, Education Code 28.014, Education Code 39.023, Education Code 28.0258, Education Code 29.081, Education Code 29.087, Education Code 29.099, Education Code 39.0232, Education Code 39.0234, Education Code 39.0241, Education Code 39.025, Education Code 39.034, Education Code 39.035, Education Code 39.036, Education Code 39.203, Education Code 51.338 (Education Code 18, Education Code 28, Education Code 51, Education Code 29, Education Code 25, Education Code 39)