1-1 By: Bivins S.B. No. 522 1-2 (In the Senate - Filed February 10, 1997; February 13, 1997, 1-3 read first time and referred to Committee on Education; 1-4 April 11, 1997, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 9, 1-5 Nays 1; April 11, 1997, sent to printer.) 1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-7 AN ACT 1-8 relating to promotion to the next grade level after completion of 1-9 an extended year program. 1-10 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-11 SECTION 1. Subsection (e), Section 29.082, Education Code, 1-12 is amended to read as follows: 1-13 (e) A student who attends at least 90 percent of the program 1-14 days of a program under this section and who satisfies the 1-15 requirements for promotion prescribed by Section 28.021 shall be 1-16 promoted to the next grade level at the beginning of the next 1-17 school year unless a parent of the student presents a written 1-18 request to the school principal that the student not be promoted to 1-19 the next grade level. As soon as practicable after receiving the 1-20 request from a parent, the principal shall hold a formal meeting 1-21 with the student's parent, extended year program teacher, and 1-22 counselor. During the meeting, the principal, teacher, or 1-23 counselor shall explain the longitudinal statistics on the academic 1-24 performance of students who are not promoted to the next grade 1-25 level and provide information on the effect of retention on a 1-26 student's self-esteem and on the likelihood of a student dropping 1-27 out of school. After the meeting, the parent may withdraw the 1-28 request that the student not be promoted to the next grade level. 1-29 If the parent of a student eligible for promotion under this 1-30 subsection withdraws the request, the student shall be promoted. 1-31 If a student is promoted under this subsection, the school district 1-32 shall continue to use innovative practices to ensure that the 1-33 student is successful in school in succeeding years. 1-34 SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 1997-1998 1-35 school year. 1-36 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 1-37 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-38 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-39 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-40 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 1-41 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 1-42 passage, and it is so enacted. 1-43 * * * * *