SB 2317

ON APRIL 21, 2026, THE HOUSE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #2 AND PASSED HOUSE BILL 2422, AS AMENDED. AMENDMENT #2 rewrites this bill to require the department of education to implement a pilot program in 10 LEAs to evaluate whether administering fewer district- and state-mandated assessments results in students achieving greater academic success. To be eligible to participate in the pilot program, an LEA must, for the 2024-2025 school year, have: (1) Received an "advancing"" or ""exemplary"" district designation from the department of education; (2) Demonstrated a proficiency rate for students in grades 3-5 in the subjects of English language arts and mathematics that is greater than 40%; and (3) Achieved a chronic absenteeism rate for the district that is below 20%. If an LEA is selected to participate in the pilot program, then: Assessments for the 2027-2028 and 2028-2029 school years must be limited for each student in any of the grades K-8 who achieves above the fortieth percentile on the universal reading screener and on the universal screener in mathematics that are administ ered to the student at the beginning of the respective school year. This amendment requires the department to limit the state mandated assessments in the subjects of English language arts and mathematics for such students to the following: (1) One universal reading screener approved by the state board of education or one Tennessee universal reading screener; (2) One universal screener in mathematics; (3) One TCAP test in the subject of English language arts; and (4) One TCAP test in the subject of mathematics. An LEA selected to participate in the pilot program is requires to limit the assessments mandated by the district in the subjects of English language arts and mathematics for: (1) Students to whom (1)-(4) apply by requiring the following assessments to be administered in the respective school year to any such student: (1) (A)Two benchmark assessments in the subject of English language arts; (B) Two universal reading screeners approved by the state board of education, in addition to the state-mandated screener; or (C) Two Tennessee universal reading screeners, in addition to the state-mandated screener; and (2) (A) Two benchmark assessments in the subject of mathematics; or (B) Two universal screeners in mathematics, in addition to the state-mandated screener. This amendment requires each LEA participating in the pilot program to provide a report to a parent or legal guardian of a student in any of the grades K-3 who is being administered a limited number of state- and locally mandated assessments through the pilot program, describing the student's progress after the student is administered a universal reading screener approved by the state board of education or the Tennessee universal reading screener. This amendment requires an LEA participating in the pilot program to submit the results of the student assessments to the department by June 15, 2029. The department is required to review the results of the assessments and submit a report of its findin gs to the general assembly. Present law generally prohibits promotion of a third-grade student unless the student is determined to be proficient in English language arts based on the student's achieving a performance level rating of ""on track"" or ""mastered"" on the ELA portion of th e student's most recent TCAP test. Present law provides six exceptions to the prohibition whereby a student who is not proficient in ELA may be promoted to the fourth grade. This amendment adds a seventh exception to allow promotion of a third-grade stu de nt who was administered a limited number of state-mandated assessments pursuant to this amendment as a third-grade student and the student demonstrates proficiency in ELA based on the student scoring within the fiftieth percentile on the most recently adm inistered universal reading screener approved by the state board of education or the Tennessee universal reading screener. ON APRIL 22, 2026, THE SENATE SUBSTITUTED HOUSE BILL 2422 FOR SENATE BILL 2317, ADOPTED AMENDMENT #2, AND PASSED HOUSE BILL 2422, AS AMENDED. AMENDMENT #2 provides that an LEA is not eligible to continue participation in the pilot program to evaluate whether administrating fewer district- and state-mandated assessments results in greater academic success if it does not meet the eligibility cri teria for two consecutive years. Such an LEA must not implement the assessment limitations of the bill. ON APRIL 22, 2026, THE HOUSE NON-CONCURRED IN SENATE AMENDMENT #2. ON APRIL 23, 2026, THE SENATE REFUSED TO RECEDE FROM ITS ADOPTION OF SENATE AMENDMENT #2. ON APRIL 23, 2026, THE HOUSE REFUSED TO RECEDE IN ITS ACTION IN NON-CONCURRING IN SENATE AMENDMENT #2 AND APPOINTED A CONFERENCE COMMITTEE. ON APRIL 23, 2026, THE SENATE APPOINTED A CONFERENCE COMMITTEE. ON APRIL 23, 2026, THE HOUSE ADOPTED THE CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REPORT AND MADE IT THE ACTION OF THE HOUSE. ON APRIL 23, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED THE CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REPORT AND MADE IT THE ACTION OF THE SENATE ."