Bill > SB2540

This bill, known as the "Tennessee Student Assessment Transparency Act," aims to increase transparency and flexibility in student assessments. It permits parents and teachers to access their students' questions and answers on state-required summative assessments, which are comprehensive tests designed to evaluate overall learning at the end of a period. Local school districts, referred to as LEAs (Local Education Agencies), will be required to clearly communicate the purpose of any standardized tests they administer locally and explain how these differ from state-mandated assessments. Additionally, the bill eliminates two state-required exams, one for eighth graders and another for tenth graders, and modifies the existing eleventh-grade assessment to focus on readiness for postsecondary education, allowing students to retake it once before graduation. The bill also mandates that the state's Department of Education annually release assessment blueprints and scoring methods, and provides guidance to LEAs on how to maximize instructional time while minimizing test preparation.