Texas High School Students Get Test Relief

I am pleased to post about House Bill 5, which was signed into law by Governor Rick Perry on June 10, 2013 during the 83rd Texas Legislative session. Related to public school accountability, including assessment and curriculum requirements, the bill mandates a reduction in standardized testing, such that Texas students entering high school for the 2013-2014 school year will take ten less standardized state exams in order to graduate, in comparison to fifteen under the old law.  

With standardized testing reduced, students and teachers will have more time and thus more opportunity to focus on developing skills for college and the workforce, rather than spending the majority of the school year preparing for state exams. Beginning in the 2014-2015 school year, students will also have more flexibility in choosing curriculum in areas of their personal interest.

Under the law, Texas public schools will do away with offering only one general education plan that requires all students to take the same core courses in order to graduate. Instead a basic curriculum, which includes four English credits and three credits each in science, social studies, and math, has been established for minimum graduation requirements. While minimum course work must be completed for graduation, a broader curriculum will be offered for students who chose a diploma endorsement program of their choice. Students will have the option to choose an advanced graduation plan or diploma endorsement, which requires additional course work focused in one of five areas of study, including science and technology, business and industry, public services, humanities, and multidisciplinary studies.

Now, if this doesn't sound like college preparation, I don’t know what does! Students who choose a diploma endorsement or even consider one will be cognizant of the structure of a college graduation plan and better prepared for the transition into college life. Moreover, this system gives students an opportunity to examine studies of their interest, which they may continue in college. This may reduce the population of students who enter college with undecided majors or change majors frequently, as the program gives students an opportunity to discover early on that they may or may not have a passion for a program of study. 

The bill also establishes attendance standards which require students in grades K through 12 to be in attendance for 90 percent of the days a class is offered (or between 75 and 89.9 percent if the student completes a plan approved by the school principal) in order to receive credit or a final grade in a course. The board of trustees of each school district is to appoint at least one attendance committee to hear petitions for students who have not earned class credit or a final grade as a result of  their attendance.

The bill also sets forth new measures to enhance school accountability by rating school academic and financial performance as well as community and student engagement to provide a more accurate representation of a school’s performance. Schools will receive a letter grade for their performance in each area to provide a comprehensive and practical representation of a school’s overall performance. 

While Texas has come a long way in terms of testing required for high school graduation, the passage of House Bill 5 has a great connection to House Bill 72, passed during a 1984 special session, which enacted many educational reforms including a requirement for students to pass a basic skills test in order to graduate from high school.

The increase in standardized testing in Texas over the past few years can be attributed to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) which became No Child Left Behind (NCLB) when it was reauthorized in 2001, becoming one of the most significant federal reforms since the passage of ESEA. The primary focus of NCLB is to hold schools accountable for the performance of all students by measuring student proficiency on state academic achievement standards through the use of annual assessments, relying on scientific research to determine what methods are most effective, promoting an increase in parental involvement, and measuring overall school performance with annual assessments and progress reports.

Texas was prepared with a plan when the Obama administration recently announced that states may get relief from the provisions of the NCLB in exchange for efforts to close achievement gaps, promote rigorous school accountability, and ensure that all students are on track to graduate well-prepared for college and the workforce.

While Texas has long emphasized the need for school accountability, high-quality academic assessments, and highly-qualified teachers, the new law allows Texas high schools to continue improving student achievement and school accountability. By relying on a combination of state exams, curriculum focused on college and career readiness, emphasis on the importance attendance, and a more comprehensive school performance assessment, Texas high schools should see an increase in their overall performance ratings as well as their graduation rates.