Bill > HB3470

This bill comprehensively reforms Texas public school assessment and graduation requirements, primarily by eliminating the use of standardized testing as a criterion for student promotion or graduation. The legislation removes previous requirements that students must pass specific end-of-course assessment instruments to receive a high school diploma, instead shifting the purpose of these assessments to diagnosing academic strengths and weaknesses. Key changes include reducing the number of mandated assessment instruments to comply with federal law, removing social studies testing, and modifying how assessment results can be used. The bill also introduces provisions for temporarily suspending accountability measures for school districts in areas affected by declared disasters, allowing flexibility during emergencies. Additionally, the bill updates various sections of the Education Code to reflect these changes, such as removing references to assessment instrument performance as a graduation requirement and modifying how student achievement is tracked. These reforms aim to provide more flexibility in student evaluation and reduce the high-stakes nature of standardized testing, with the changes set to take effect in the 2025-2026 school year.

Education

https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=89R&Bill=HB3470