S.B. No. 9 seeks to improve public school accountability and transparency in Texas by establishing a new assessment program that will replace the current State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) program by the 2027-2028 school year. The bill mandates that the Texas Education Agency (TEA) provide parents with easy online access to assessment results and ensures that assessments are aligned with essential knowledge and skills. It also introduces provisions for emergent bilingual students, allowing them to be assessed in Spanish for up to three years and establishing a language proficiency assessment committee. Additionally, the bill emphasizes the importance of minimizing the impact of assessments on instructional time and requires timely reporting of results to schools.

The legislation includes several amendments to the Education Code, such as limiting the number of benchmark assessments for students and requiring the commissioner to establish procedures to minimize disruptions during assessments. It modifies the performance rating system for school districts and campuses, introducing a new rating scale and allowing for "Not Rated" statuses under certain conditions. The bill also streamlines the process for awarding distinction designations and implementing campus turnaround plans, while enhancing accountability measures for early education and reading proficiency. Overall, S.B. No. 9 aims to create a more effective and inclusive assessment framework that holds schools accountable for student performance, particularly in early literacy.

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 (Education Code 39, Education Code 21, The following provisions of the Education Code 39, Education Code 11, Education Code 26, Education Code 7)
Senate Committee Report: 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 (Education Code 39, Education Code 21, The following provisions of the Education Code 39, Education Code 11, Education Code 26, Education Code 7)