The bill, H.B. No. 159, proposes amendments to the Education Code regarding the assessment of public school students. It introduces Section 21.419, which prohibits the use of results from certain assessment instruments as the sole criterion for evaluating teacher performance or determining teacher compensation. Additionally, it adds Section 39.0264, which allows school districts to adopt and administer interim testing and adaptive, growth-based assessment instruments, provided that the U.S. Department of Education grants a waiver from the requirement to administer the same assessments to all students. The bill defines adaptive, growth-based assessments and outlines the conditions under which these assessments can be developed and administered.

Furthermore, the bill mandates that the results of interim assessments be combined to produce a single summative score for each student and establishes requirements for the timing and number of assessments to be administered throughout the school year. It also specifies that improvements in student performance must be measured from the beginning to the end of the school year. The provisions of this bill will take effect starting with the 2026-2027 school year, and the commissioner of education is required to apply for the necessary waiver by January 1, 2026.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Education Code 39.053 (Education Code 39)