SB 1249

TENNESSEE EDUCATION SAVINGS ACCOUNT PILOT PROGRAM T esting As a condition of participating in the Tennessee education savings account (ESA) pilot program, present law requires participating students in grades 3-11 to be annually administered the Tennessee comprehensive assessment program (TCAP) tests for math and English language arts, or successor tests authorized by the state board of education for math and English language arts. This bill removes these provisions and requires, instead, as a condition of participating in the progra m:  Participating students must be annually administered the TCAP tests, or successor tests authorized by the state board of education, that are administered to a public school student in the same grade or same course subject as the participating student.  Participating students in 11 th grade must be administered the examination that is administered to public school students in 11 th grade to assess student readiness for postsecondary education.  Participating students in grades K-3 must annually be administered each of the three Tennessee universal reading screeners, or universal reading screeners approved by the state board of education, during each of the three administration windows established by the department of education. Communications To ensure the safety and equitab le treatment of participating students, present law requires participating schools to meet certain requirements. This bill adds to that list of requirements that a participating school must publish the school's lesson plans and syllabus for each class offered by the school, a current list of materials in the school's library collection including materials available through course curricul a , and the academic standards for each class offered by the school on the school's website. Licensure This bill also requires a participating school to ensure that all educators of the participating school hold a valid license to teach in a public school that is issued by the state board of education. INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION ACCOUNT PROGRAM Testing For studen ts in grade s 3-8 participating in an individualized education account (IEA) program, present law requires a parent to ensure that the student is annually administered either a nationally norm-referenced test identified by the department of education or the TCAP tests or any future replacements of the TCAP tests. The tests should, at a minimum, measure learning in mathematics and English language arts. This bill removes these provisions and requires, instead, that a parent ensure their student adheres to t he above outlined testing schedule set out for students participating in the ESA pilot program . However, students with disabilities who, under present law, would have participated in the alternate assessment, as determined on the student's IEP, remain exe mpt from this requirement. Communications This bill also requires participating IEA program school s to publish the same information and materials lists to their websites as stated above for ESA program schools . Licensure This bill also requires a participating school to ensure that all educators of the participating school hold a valid license to teach in a public school that is issued by the state board of education.