House Bill (HB 3) Implementation: Texas Success Initiative Assessment (TSIA) Reimbursement Request

This letter details processes and procedures for districts regarding the request for TSIA reimbursement as authorized by House Bill 3 (HB 3) of the 86th Legislative Session, 2019. Included below are the processes and procedures for the submission of the TSIA reimbursement request. 

Background 
Texas Education Code §48.155 states that a school district is entitled to a reimbursement to help defray the cost of the administration of college preparation assessments (SAT, ACT, or TSIA) to students in the spring of their junior year or during their senior year, beginning in the 2019-2020 school year. 

This is a one-time reimbursement to districts for the cost of administering one college preparation assessment (SAT, ACT or TSIA) per eligible student. For the 2019-2020 school year, districts received estimated Foundation School Program allocations. The amount of estimated funding may be found on line 39 of the Summary of Finance report. 

Districts will receive estimated funding annually for assessment reimbursement. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) will settle up with districts in the spring of the following year, once all student assessment data is received. If multiple records of a student are reported, TEA will reimburse the highest cost exam. If multiple records of a student are reported from several districts, the first district will be considered. 

TEA released a To The Administrator Addressed (TAA) letter on February 6, 2020 providing a high-level overview of the entire reimbursement process. In that letter, TEA specified that there would be a separate process for submitting a request for reimbursement of the TSIA. 

If the TSIA is the highest cost exam for a student for which the district paid and would like reimbursement, the district must request a reimbursement to TEA that follows the process outlined in this document. 

Timeline for Submission of TSIA Requests 
On June 1, 2020, TEA will open the window for districts to submit a Qualtrics form with the required data to request their TSIA reimbursement. This window will close September 18, 2020. TEA will not accept late requests. 

Process for Completion of the Form 
Districts must provide required data elements detailed in the spreadsheet to the agency. TEA has provided a template for districts to utilize and/or replicate, along with the instructions on the data needed and the submission process, all of which can be found on our website. Districts will then submit the spreadsheet to TEA through the Qualtrics form. 

TEA and College Board Support 
TEA will post a recorded webinar on June 5 to answer questions and walk through the completion of the template and form. Additionally, TEA has collaborated with the College Board to provide instructions on how TSIA administrators can create a custom report and query on the ACCUPLACER platform with the necessary TSIA data requested on the template. This allows those districts who are TSIA administrators or who have a data sharing agreement with an institute of higher education (IHE) an easier ability to find accurate data. 

College Board’s instructions can be found to TSIA administrators when they log in to the ACCUPLACER platform. 

SAT and ACT Submission of Requests 

The TAA also outlined a process for submission of requests for SAT and ACT national day reimbursement. Districts do not need to submit documentation for SAT and ACT at this time. The SAT and ACT process is different than the TSIA reimbursement request and will be released in fall 2020. TEA does plan to utilize TEAL for this process and encourages districts to ensure they have adequate access to the platform. 

For Further Information 
The template, instructions, and webinar link are located on the College Preparation Assessment website. Additionally, TEA has FAQs regarding the college preparation assessment reimbursement. 

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