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Read. Follow. Verify.Texas HB 1249 permits school districts to use writing portfolio assessments in place of traditional writing tests
Last action · May 19, 2025: Referred to Education K-16Sponsors: Erin Zwiener and 4 others
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What This Bill Proposed
Texas school districts may now choose to use a to evaluate student writing instead of administering the non-multiple-choice portions of standard reading or English I and English II end-of-course exams, beginning in the 2025-2026 school year.
Local school districts gain the option to replace standardized writing exam sections with portfolio evaluations designed with higher education input, potentially changing how student writing performance is measured and graded.
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
school districts
School districts gain the option to design, submit, and utilize writing portfolio assessments as an alternative to standard test portions and may establish local scoring policies.
public school students
classroom teachers
Teachers on the same campus may be authorized by district policy to score the writing portfolio assessments.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can school districts completely replace standard reading and English exams with a writing portfolio?
Who is allowed to grade the writing portfolio assessments?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · passed the House · in Senate committee.
Procedural history
28 actions- May 19, 2025SenateCommitteeReferred to Education K-16
- May 19, 2025SenateIntroducedRead first time
- May 19, 2025SenateReceived from the House
- May 16, 2025HouseReported engrossed
- May 16, 2025HouseStatement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
- May 16, 2025HouseFloorRecord vote (RV#2921)
Show 22 earlier actions
- May 16, 2025HouseFloorPassed
- May 16, 2025HouseLaid out as postponed business
- May 15, 2025HousePostponed (5/16/25 9:00 AM)
- May 15, 2025HouseFloorRead 3rd time
- May 14, 2025HouseStatement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
- May 14, 2025HouseFloorRecord vote (RV#2510)
- May 14, 2025HouseFloorPassed to engrossment
- May 14, 2025HouseFloorRead 2nd time
- May 11, 2025HousePlaced on General State Calendar
- May 9, 2025HouseConsidered in Calendars
- May 8, 2025HouseCommittee report sent to Calendars
- May 8, 2025HouseCommittee report distributed
- May 8, 2025HouseComte report filed with Committee Coordinator
- May 1, 2025HouseCommitteeReported favorably w/o amendment(s)
- May 1, 2025HouseConsidered in formal meeting
- Apr 29, 2025HouseLeft pending in committee
- Apr 29, 2025HouseTestimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
- Apr 29, 2025HouseConsidered in public hearing
- Apr 29, 2025HouseScheduled for public hearing on . . .
- Mar 10, 2025HouseCommitteeReferred to Public Education
- Mar 10, 2025HouseIntroducedRead first time
- Nov 12, 2024HouseIntroducedFiled
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Decentralization of Writing Assessment
The bill shifts assessment design authority to local school districts in consultation with higher education institutions, creating an alternative to state-mandated non-multiple-choice testing formats.
Connected Entities
Sources
capitol.texas.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 60)
- Controversy25Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz35Current news / social attention level
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