House Bill No. 3470 proposes significant reforms to the assessment and accountability framework in Texas public schools. The bill removes the requirement for assessment instruments to be used as criteria for student promotion or graduation, specifically eliminating the need for satisfactory performance on standardized exit-level assessments for high school diploma eligibility. It also allows for the temporary suspension of accountability determinations for school districts affected by declared disasters and emphasizes curriculum completion over assessment performance for adult education and diploma programs. Additionally, the bill mandates that school districts provide accelerated instruction to students who do not perform satisfactorily on end-of-course assessments, ensuring support is available at no cost to the student.

The bill further amends various sections of the Education Code, including the removal of social studies from required annual assessments for grades three through eight, while retaining assessments in reading and mathematics. It introduces provisions for the State Board of Education to adjust the number or frequency of assessments in line with the Every Student Succeeds Act and establishes a process for waiving assessment requirements during disaster situations. The end-of-course assessments will now be used primarily for diagnosing student strengths and weaknesses rather than as graduation criteria. The changes are set to take effect in the 2025-2026 school year, with the possibility of immediate implementation upon legislative approval.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Education Code 12.257, Education Code 12.258, Education Code 12.260, Education Code 18.005, Education Code 19.0043, Education Code 25.005, Education Code 28.021, Education Code 28.02541, Education Code 28.02591, Education Code 29.402, Education Code 30.021, Education Code 30.104, Education Code 32.258, Education Code 39.003, Education Code 39.023, Education Code 39.025, Education Code 39.034, Education Code 39.053, Education Code 39.203 (Education Code 28, Education Code 30, Education Code 19, Education Code 18, Education Code 12, Education Code 29, Education Code 25, Education Code 32, Education Code 39)