SRC-SLL, JJJ S.B. 877 76(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 877
76R7319 ESH-DBy: Shapiro
Education
4/27/1999
As Filed


DIGEST 

Currently, school districts receive performance accreditation ratings based
on student scores on the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills test (TASS).
The school districts receive one of four performance accreditation ratings:
exemplary, recognized, academically acceptable, or academically
unacceptable.  Some of the accountability rating standards are scheduled to
increase every year until 2000.  For instance, the 1994-1995 standard to be
"academically acceptable" required only 25 percent of students to pass the
TASS.  The standard has risen to 40 percent and will continue to rise by
five percent annually until the year 2000.  At that time, at least 50
percent of all students must pass the TASS if a district is to receive an
"academically acceptable" rating.  However, that means a district in which
50 percent of the students fail the TASS would be rated "academically
acceptable."  S.B. 877 would increase the minimum percentage of students
required to pass the TASS for a district or campus to be rated as
"academically acceptable." 

PURPOSE

As proposed, S.B. 877 establishes certain conditions pertaining to
accreditation and rating standards for public school districts and schools. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 39.024, Education Code, to amend the heading and
Subsection (a), as follows: 

Sec. 39.024.  New heading:  SATISFACTORY AND ACADEMICALLY RECOGNIZED
PERFORMANCE.  Requires the State Board of Education to determine the level
of performance considered to be academically recognized on the assessment
instrument. 

SECTION 2.  Amends Section 39.051(c), Education Code, to require the state
standard to provide that to be eligible for a district performance rating
of academically acceptable or a campus performance rating of acceptable, at
least 70 percent of the students for which results are disaggregated must
perform satisfactorily on the assessment instrument administered. 

SECTION 3.  Amends Section 39.053(a), Education Code, to make a conforming
change. 

SECTION 4.  Amends Section 39.072, Education Code, by amending Subsection
(c) and adding Subsection (d), to require the rules adopted under
Subsection (a) to provide that to be eligible for a performance rating of
recognized or exemplary, at least a minimum percent of students must
demonstrate academically recognized performance on the assessment
instruments administered. 

SECTION 5.  Effective date: September 1, 1999.

SECTION 6.  Provides that Section 39.051(c), Education Code, applies
beginning with the 20052006 school year.  Requires the commissioner of
education, beginning with the 2005-2006 school year, to incrementally raise
the level of overall student performance on the assessment instruments
administered that is necessary for a district performance rating of
academically acceptable or a campus performance rating of acceptable from
the level established for the 1998-1999 school year. 

SECTION 7.  Emergency clause.