Makes English I a diagnostic only test; combines reading and writing.
Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas Today Dan Patrick Chairman of the Senate Education Committee along with Senators Eddie Lucio Brian Birdwell Donna Campbell Glen Hegar Ken Paxton and Larry Taylor filed SB 1724 which lays out a new plan for standardized testing. Over the past several months Senator Patrick and members of the Senate Education Committee have studied the issue in great detail. The goal was not to set the level of tests on a merely a number but rather a rationale for why each test should be given.
I believe we have come up with a plan that will reduce the number of tests taken by students and the number of testing days in school and provide a high level of accountability in key subject areas said Senator Patrick.
The plan includes the exact language of SB 3 that has already passed the committee. SB 3 created the Foundation Diploma with endorsements that better prepares them for career and college. SB 1724 calls for students in the Foundation Diploma and those with the Career and Business endorsement to take 5 tests in total with the passage of 4 required for graduation. Students seeking the STEM Humanities or Distinguished endorsement would take 6 tests with passage of 5 tests required for graduation. The tests would be based on pass fail and would not count toward a students GPA.
There are two unique aspects of the Senate plan:
- The current two separate day test for English Reading and Writing would be combined into a one day test by making each a shorter test.
- The inclusion of English I for every student as a diagnostic test only to measure each students proficiency in the 9th grade in reading and writing.
I believe this line-up of tests will ensure schools are testing on fewer days give teachers more time to teach schools time to remediate students and give us an accurate picture of how our students and schools are performing across Texas said Chairman Patrick.
