House passes wide-ranging overhaul of school assessments and accountability after hours of debate

The Texas House on Tuesday passed House Bill 8, a major rewrite of the state’s school assessment and accountability system, after extended debate and adoption of multiple amendments.

House Bill 8 replaces the single, end-of-year STAAR administration with a three-part model — beginning-of-year, middle-of-year and end-of-year assessments — and changes how growth and accountability are measured. The bill passed on final passage by a roll-call vote of 78 yeas and 58 nays.

Supporters said the measure aims to reduce “high-stakes” pressure of a single test day, speed teachers’ access to results and give parents and educators more timely, actionable data. Rep. Tim Buckley, the bill’s author and chair of the Public Education Committee, said HB 8 “reforms our Texas assessment program and strengthens the state's accountability system while creating greater transparency, oversight and ultimately predictability for our public schools.”

Opponents warned the bill increases the number of state-mandated testing days and extends maximum testing time for some grade levels. Rep. Christina Hinojosa and others pressed Buckley on details including how many days and hours of testing would be required at each grade, and whether school districts could continue to use privately sold benchmark tests such as MAP or i-Ready.

Key provisions and schedule