SRC-JJJ S.B. 516 76(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 516
76R6268 CAS-DBy: Ogden
Education
2/25/1999
As Filed


DIGEST 

Currently, Texas law requires a student to withdraw from school in order to
be eligible for the high school equivalency examination.  This prohibits
the ability to keep at-risk students in programs that help prepare them for
the examination.  This bill would develop a program that would be required
by each school district for students who wish to take the high school
equivalency examination to prepare eligible students for the examination. 

PURPOSE

As proposed, S.B. 516 establishes school district high school equivalency
examination programs. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

Rulemaking authority is granted to the Texas Higher Education Agency in
SECTION 1 (Section 29.086(e), Education Code) in this bill. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Chapter 29C, Education Code, by adding Section 29.086,
as follows: 

Sec. 29.086.  SCHOOL DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOL EQUIVALENCY EXAMINATION PROGRAMS.
Requires the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to develop a program for school
districts to prepare eligible students who are at risk of dropping out of
school to take a high school equivalency examination (examination).
Requires a district that participates in the program to offer preparatory
classes for the examination to each eligible student.  Sets forth
requirements for a student's eligibility for participation in the program.
Requires a district to inform each student who has completed the program of
the time and place at which the student is authorized to take the
examination.  Requires TEA to adopt rules to ensure that students are not
encouraged to participate in the program solely as a means to divert
students with discipline or academic problems into the program as an
alternative to regular high school graduation.  Requires TEA to request
permission from the General Educational Development Testing Service to
administer the service's examination to students enrolled in high school
who participate in the program. 

SECTION 2.  Amends Section 7.111(a), Education Code, to make conforming
changes. 

SECTION 3.  Amends Section 25.086(a), Education Code, to make conforming
changes. 

SECTION 4.  Emergency clause.
            Effective date: upon passage.