Statewide Rate for College Preparation Assessments

This letter announces the statewide negotiated rate for the school day administration of an ACT or SAT in the state of Texas as a result of House Bill (HB) 3, 86th Texas Legislature, 2019. 

Background 

Texas Education Code (TEC), §48.155, added by HB 3, entitles districts to reimbursement for the cost of the administration of one college preparation assessment (ACT, SAT, or TSIA) per student in the spring of the student’s junior year or in the student’s senior year, beginning in the 2019‐2020 school year. Under TEC, §39.0261(b), the agency must 

(1) select and approve vendors of the specific assessment instruments; and 

(2) provide reimbursement to a school district for all fees associated with the administration of the assessment instrument from funds appropriated for that purpose. 

Statewide Rate 

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) released a request for proposals (RFP) calling for organizations to offer a uniform, statewide rate for a universally accepted, norm-referenced college preparation assessment administered on a school day. As a result of the RFP, TEA awarded two-year contracts with the opportunity for three optional renewals with ACT, Inc. for the administration of the ACT and the College Board for the administration of the SAT. The pricing structure is as follows: 

The rates are uniform and apply to Texas public school students who test on a school day and who are eligible for reimbursement (i.e., students who test either in the spring of their junior year or during their senior year). Students who are identified in other grade levels may not receive this statewide rate and may be charged at a higher rate by the vendor. 

All local education agencies (LEAs) should review pricing with the vendor prior to test administration. 

Reimbursement Reminders 

As noted above, LEAs cannot receive more than one reimbursement per student. TEA provides each district estimated funding annually for assessment reimbursements, which can be found in the Summary of School Finance Report (line 40). TEA will settle up with districts in the spring of the following fiscal year, once all student assessment data is processed. 

 Other Benefits 

Other benefits for Texas educators and students as a result of these contracts include, but are not limited to: 

The College Board 

• Texas specific website 
• Income eligible benefits for students who qualify for fee waivers 
• SAT and TEKS alignment report 
• Personalized Official SAT Practice and diagnostics through Khan Academy 
• Statewide support for school day administration implementation 

ACT 

• Texas specific website (forthcoming) 
• Income eligible benefits for students who qualify for fee waivers 
• ACT and TEKS alignment report 
• ACT practice through ACT Learning Resources 
• Statewide support for school day administration implementation 

For Further Information 

If you have additional questions regarding this correspondence, please contact Advanced Academics at advancedacademics@tea.texas.gov or 512-463-9762.