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SB 1213

Education - As enacted, empowers a student who is an English language learner and who received language assistance services in the classroom during the school year to receive the same language assistance services while taking a Tennessee comprehensive assessment program test or an end-of-course assessment, as long as the receipt of language assistance services does not invalidate the assessment. - Amends TCA Title 49.

114th Regular Session (2025-2026) Introduced by Raumesh Akbari and 1 co-sponsor

Tennessee bill allows ELL students language assistance during standardized tests if accommodations don't compromise assessment validity.

Signed by Governor.
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Bill Summary · SB 1213

Legislative bill overview

SB 1213 allows English language learner (ELL) students in Tennessee to receive the same language assistance services during standardized tests (TCAP and end-of-course exams) that they receive in regular classroom instruction. The bill includes a safeguard that these accommodations cannot be used if they would compromise the validity or integrity of the assessment itself.

Why is this important

ELL students currently may have access to language support during daily instruction but lose that support during high-stakes testing, potentially creating an unfair assessment gap. This bill aims to level the testing environment while maintaining assessment standards—a significant issue affecting thousands of Tennessee students whose academic abilities may be masked by language barriers rather than content knowledge.

Potential points of contention

  • Assessment validity concerns: Disagreement may exist over which accommodations preserve vs. invalidate test integrity; different stakeholders (educators, assessment companies, policymakers) may have conflicting interpretations
  • Implementation burden: Schools must determine which accommodations meet the "does not invalidate" threshold and ensure consistent application across districts, creating administrative complexity
  • Debate over accommodation scope: Some may argue certain language services (like bilingual dictionaries or translation tools) fundamentally alter what a test measures, while others contend they simply remove language barriers unrelated to content mastery

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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