The board must adopt rules on how nursing schools and educational programs may use private standardized exams, and those rules must bar using the exam as a graduation requirement or to deny graduation affidavits.
Sec. 301.1571. USE OF STANDARDIZED EXAMINATIONS. (a) The board shall adopt rules related to the use by a school of nursing or educational program offered in this state of a standardized examination prepared by a private entity. The rules must prohibit the use of a standardized examination as a graduation requirement or to deny students an affidavit of graduation. The rules may authorize the use of a standardized examination only to: (1) familiarize students with computerized testing; (2) assess potential or enrolled students for purposes of: (A) serving as one component of admissions criteria; (B) evaluating a student's strengths and weaknesses for remediation purposes; or (C) identifying students experiencing academic difficulties who require early remediation; or (3) assess the effectiveness of the school of nursing or educational program by providing: (A) trend data on student performance; (B) a comparison of student performance with nationwide averages; (C) feedback of student knowledge of program content; (D) data to monitor the effectiveness of specific course, level, and program curriculum revisions; (E) a measure of student mastery of content; or (F) an evaluation of the effectiveness of curriculum content for revision purposes. (b) The rules adopted under Subsection (a) must provide that a score on a standardized examination may not account for more than 10 percent of a course grade for a course in a school of nursing or educational program. (c) A school of nursing or educational program that determines a student is in need of academic remediation on the basis of a standardized examination may not require the student to attend any course offered by the examination provider. (d) Failure to comply with the rules adopted under Subsection (a) may subject the school of nursing or educational program to disciplinary action, including removal of the school's or program's approval status, as determined by the board. Added by Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 286 (S.B. 1429), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2023.