This section creates a technology literacy assessment pilot program, lets school districts apply to join, and requires participating districts to report student performance to the agency.
Sec. 39.0235. TECHNOLOGY LITERACY ASSESSMENT PILOT PROGRAM. (a) In this section, "pilot program" means the technology literacy assessment pilot program. (b) The commissioner by rule shall establish a pilot program in which a participating school district assesses student technology proficiency. (c) A school district may apply to the commissioner to participate in the pilot program. The commissioner shall select for participation school districts from both rural and urban areas of the state. (d) The agency shall adopt an assessment instrument designed to assess an individual student's mastery of the essential knowledge and skills in technology to be administered by a school district participating in the pilot program. The assessment instrument adopted under this subsection must be an existing product that is currently available. (e) Each school year, the assessment instrument adopted under Subsection (d) shall be administered in a participating school district to each student in either fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, or ninth grade, with the grade level and time to be determined by the district. (f) The assessment instrument adopted under Subsection (d) must: (1) be administered online; (2) be aligned with the essential knowledge and skills requirements for technology applications; and (3) incorporate performance-based measures, including a requirement that students perform certain technological tasks and respond to questions based on the completion of those tasks. (g) An assessment instrument administered by a participating school district must be designed in a manner to provide the district with an automatic report of the technology literacy proficiency of a district student in a format that is compatible with the school district and state data information systems. (h) A participating school district shall report student performance on the assessment instrument to the agency. Added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1237 (H.B. 2503), Sec. 1, eff. June 15, 2007.