This summer, the Texas Legislature passed House Bill (HB) 4545 during the 87th Legislative Session, which requires school districts to provide accelerated instruction during the 2021–22 school year for students who “Did Not Meet Grade Level” or did not take the STAAR and STARR end-of-course assessments in Spring 2021.
The legislation includes:
- The elimination of grade retention and retesting requirements connected to STAAR test results in grades 5 and 8.
- The requirement for accelerated instruction for any student (including but not limited to special education, 504, and English Language Leaners) who scored in the “Did Not Meet” category on the STAAR assessment in grades 3–8 and high school or STAAR end-of-course (EOC) assessments or did not take the STAAR or EOC assessments
Accelerated instruction is required for any student (including but not limited to special education, 504, and English Language Learners) who scores in the “Did Not Meet” category on the STAAR assessment in grades 3–8 and high school or STAAR end-of-course (EOC) assessments or did not take the STAAR or EOC assessment. Accelerated instruction is targeted, supplemental instruction aligned to the TEKS, which must help the student in demonstrating proficiency of each content area. It may occur before school, after school, or embedded during the school day.
An accelerated learning committee will develop an individual educational plan and monitor progress for any student who scores in the “Did Not Meet” category on a STAAR assessment or did not take the STAAR or EOC assessment in grade 3, 5, 8 or high school in math or reading.
Arlington ISD is utilizing guidance provided by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to develop HB 4545 implementation guidelines for the District. Each campus is using student data to plan targeted educational supports to ensure students requiring accelerated instruction receive appropriate supplement instruction.
Parents will be informed of the direct impact of HB 4545 to their student in the coming weeks.
