H.B. No. 102 aims to enhance public school accountability in Texas by reducing the number of state-required accountability exams to the minimum mandated by federal law. The bill introduces an instructionally supportive assessment program that will replace current state assessments with nationally-normed assessments designed to provide flexibility to school districts and charter schools that maintain acceptable ratings. These new assessments will focus on progress monitoring and instructional growth, ensuring compliance with federal requirements while providing actionable information to educators, students, and parents to improve student instruction and learning outcomes. The bill also outlines specific requirements for the assessments, including their administration at the beginning, middle, and end of the school year, and mandates that they be valid, reliable, and minimize disruption to instructional time. Additionally, the bill amends various sections of the Education Code to update end-of-course assessment requirements, allowing for assessments to be administered in multiple parts over several days and introducing provisions for special education students. It emphasizes technology-enhanced assessment items while limiting the percentage of points from multiple-choice questions. The bill also introduces new performance indicators for evaluating campuses serving students from prekindergarten through eighth grade, mandates parental access to assessment results, and establishes a timeline for defining state standards for achievement indicators. Changes to the accountability system must be legislatively approved, and the act will take effect 91 days after the end of the legislative session, with implementation beginning in the 2025-2026 school year.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Education Code 39.022, Education Code 39.023, Education Code 39.0237, Education Code 29.056, Education Code 26.005, Education Code 39.203, Education Code 39.053 (Education Code 29, Education Code 39, Education Code 26)