The bill introduced by Buckley aims to enhance public school accountability and transparency in Texas through a new instructionally supportive assessment program. Key provisions include amendments to the Education Code that require school districts to provide parents with online access to state assessment instruments and results via a dedicated parent portal. The bill outlines a transition from the current State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) program to the new assessment framework by the 2027-2028 school year, emphasizing progress monitoring and actionable information for educators, parents, and students. It also includes specific provisions for emergent bilingual students, allowing assessments in Spanish for up to three years and establishing a language proficiency assessment committee.

Additionally, the bill introduces new requirements for the development and administration of assessment instruments, ensuring they meet industry standards for validity and reliability while involving teacher input in the review process. It limits the number of benchmark assessments for students and mandates that the commissioner of education minimize disruptions during assessments. The bill also establishes a grant program for local accountability plans, modifies performance rating processes, and introduces criteria for academic distinction designations based on student performance. Overall, the legislation seeks to improve educational outcomes, enhance transparency, and ensure compliance with accountability measures within the education system.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Education Code 26.005, Education Code 39.022, Education Code 39.023, Education Code 39.0263, Education Code 39.0301, Education Code 39.304, Education Code 39.053, Education Code 39.054, Education Code 39.0541, Education Code 39.0542, Education Code 39.0544, Education Code 39.201, The following provisions of the Education Code 39.0531, Education Code 7.057, Education Code 39.001, Education Code 39.151, Education Code 7.056, Education Code 11.185, Education Code 21.4552, Education Code 39.02342, Education Code 39.0236, Education Code 39.0238, Education Code 39.025, Education Code 39.027, Education Code 39.030, Education Code 39.031, Education Code 39.035, Education Code 39.203 (The following provisions of the Education Code 39, Education Code 7, Education Code 39, Education Code 11, Education Code 21, Education Code 26)