House Bill No. 3470 proposes substantial revisions to the assessment requirements for Texas public schools, primarily eliminating the use of assessment instruments as criteria for student promotion or graduation. The bill removes the necessity for satisfactory performance on standardized exit-level assessments for high school diploma eligibility and shifts the focus for promotion criteria to teacher recommendations and student grades. Additionally, it allows for the temporary suspension of accountability determinations for school districts affected by declared disasters, providing greater flexibility in educational assessments.

The bill also amends various sections of the Education Code, including changes to adult education program eligibility, which will now permit individuals who did not perform satisfactorily on assessments prior to the 2025-2026 school year to enroll. It further clarifies that end-of-course assessment results cannot impact graduation status and should be used solely for instructional guidance. Significant deletions include the removal of social studies from annual assessment subjects and the repeal of previous assessment requirements. These changes are set to take effect with the 2025-2026 school year, with provisions for immediate implementation if passed by a two-thirds majority in both legislative houses.

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 39, Education Code 18, Education Code 19, Education Code 30, Education Code 32, Education Code 12, Education Code 25, Education Code 28, Education Code 29)