SB2527 - Relating to early assessment and interventions for school district students.

      By: Paxton S.B. No. 2527               A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT   relating to early assessment and interventions for school district   students.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 28, Education Code, is   amended by adding Section 28.0071 to read as follows:           Sec.   28.0071.     EARLY MATHEMATICS ASSESSMENT AND   IMPROVEMENT. (a) The commissioner shall adopt a list of approved   or developed mathematics instruments that a school district may use   to assess a student's mathematics skills in kindergarten through   third grade.           (b)     The mathematics instruments on the list adopted under   Subsection (a) must:                 (1)     be designed to be administered at least at the   beginning, middle, and end of the school year;                 (2)     align with best practices for early mathematics   assessment;                 (3)     be based on scientific research concerning   foundational numeracy skills in mathematics;                 (4)     allow for statewide comparison of student   performance;                 (5)     be grade-level and developmentally appropriate   for the intended grade for which the instrument will be   administered;                 (6)     assess performance of students in foundational   numeracy skills components of the essential knowledge and skills   adopted under Section 28.002 for mathematics;                 (7)     be capable of monitoring student progress in a   manner that allows school district staff to identify foundational   numeracy skills in need of targeted instruction;                 (8)     assess whether a student's performance in   foundational numeracy skills indicates that the student is at risk,   as determined by the commissioner, of not achieving satisfactory   performance on the third grade mathematics assessment administered   under Section 39.023;                 (9)     allow a school to district to generate a report   regarding a student's mathematics progress that is in plain   language that may be distributed to the student's parent in   English, Spanish or, to the extent practicable, any other languages   spoken by the parent.           (c)  The commissioner shall:                 (1)     update the list of mathematics instruments adopted   under Subsection (a) not less than once every four years;                 (2)     ensure the list of mathematics instruments adopted   under Subsection (a) includes multiple instruments;                 (3)     develop a process by which a school district may   submit an instrument to the commissioner for approval; and                 (4)     make publicly available the criteria for the   evaluation and approval of an instrument submitted to the   commissioner.           (d)     The commissioner may allow a school district to   substitute:                 (1)     an interim assessment instrument adopted or   developed under Section 39.023(o) for an instrument adopted under   this section; or                 (2)  a third grade assessment instrument adopted or   developed under Section 39.023 for an instrument adopted under   this section that is administered at the end of the school year   for a third grade student.           ( e )     A school district shall administer a mathematics   instrument on the list adopted under Subsection (a) to each student   in kindergarten through third grade in accordance with requirements   established by the commissioner under this section.           (f)  The superintendent of each school district shall:                 (1)     report to the commissioner and the board of   trustees of the district the results of a mathematics instrument   administered to students under this section; and                 (2)     not later than the 30th calendar day after the date   on which the results of a mathematics instrument are available,   report, in writing or electronically, to a student's parent or   guardian:                       (A)  the student's results on the instrument; and                       (B)  the report described by Subsection (b)(9).           (f)     If a student's results on two consecutive mathematics   instruments administered under this section indicate that the   student is at risk, as determined by the commissioner, of not   achieving satisfactory performance in foundational numeracy, the   student's school district shall:                 (1)     develop and implement a mathematics improvement   plan for the student;                 (2)     communicate, in writing or electronically, the   student's improvement plan to the student's parent or guardian; and                 (3)     provide regular updates to the student and parents   on the progress made by the student until the student is no longer   determined to be at risk, as determined by the commissioner, of not   achieving satisfactory performance in foundational numeracy.           (g)     A school district shall provide mathematics   intervention services to a student described by Subsection (f) in   accordance with the mathematics improvement plan developed for the   student under that subsection until the student demonstrates   proficiency in mathematics on a mathematics instrument   administered under this section or on an assessment instrument   administered under Section 39.023(a).           (h)     A student's parent or guardian may submit a written   request to the administrator of the campus at which the student is   enrolled to opt the student out of the administration of a   mathematics instrument required under this section. A school   district may not encourage or direct a parent or guardian to submit   a written request under this subsection.           (i)     The commissioner may adopt rules as necessary to   implement this section.           (j)     The agency may not use data collected from a mathematics   instrument administered under this section in evaluating the   performance of a school district or campus under Section 39.054.          SECTION 2.  This Act applies beginning with the 2025-2026   school year.          SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives   a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as   provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this   Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this   Act takes effect September 1, 2025.