Bill > SB2317

This bill establishes a pilot program to assess whether reducing the number of district and state-mandated assessments leads to improved student academic success. The program, which will begin with up to ten eligible Local Education Agencies (LEAs) that meet specific academic and attendance criteria, will test a reduced assessment schedule for students in kindergarten through eighth grade who perform above the 40th percentile on initial reading and math screeners. For the 2027-2028 and 2028-2029 school years, participating LEAs will administer a limited number of state assessments, including one universal reading screener, one universal math screener, and one Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) test in English language arts and mathematics, along with a specified number of district-mandated benchmark assessments or additional screeners. The Department of Education will collect data and report findings to the General Assembly on the program's effectiveness, and an amendment to existing law clarifies that students who participated in this limited assessment program as third graders and demonstrated proficiency in English language arts based on their universal reading screener score may be exempt from certain other assessments.