By Woolley                                             H.B. No. 481
         76R3109 CAS-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to bilingual education programs in public schools.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 29, Education Code, is
 1-5     amended by adding Section 29.0511 to read as follows:
 1-6           Sec. 29.0511.  EVALUATION; REPORT.  (a)  To improve bilingual
 1-7     education programs in public schools, the agency shall conduct a
 1-8     statewide evaluation of the effectiveness of bilingual education
 1-9     programs.  For each school district required to offer a bilingual
1-10     education program under this subchapter, the agency shall evaluate
1-11     the following for each of the district's bilingual education
1-12     programs:
1-13                 (1)  the demographics of district students;
1-14                 (2)  the number of students in the district's bilingual
1-15     education program;
1-16                 (3)  the progress of students in the bilingual
1-17     education program;
1-18                 (4)  the academic achievement of students after
1-19     completing the bilingual education program;
1-20                 (5)  the structure of the bilingual education program
1-21     and teaching methods used;
1-22                 (6)  whether students in the bilingual education
1-23     program also attend regular education programs during the school
1-24     day and the percentage of the school day students spend in each of
 2-1     those programs;
 2-2                 (7)  the average number of students in each bilingual
 2-3     education class; and
 2-4                 (8)  the amount and type of bilingual education
 2-5     resources available to the district.
 2-6           (b)  Not later than January 31, 2001, the agency shall report
 2-7     to the 77th Legislature:
 2-8                 (1)  the information the agency is required to collect
 2-9     under Subsection (a);
2-10                 (2)  information concerning the manner in which the
2-11     most successful bilingual education programs are conducted and the
2-12     elements that make each of those programs successful; and
2-13                 (3)  recommendations concerning educational methods
2-14     districts can use to improve bilingual education programs.
2-15           (c)  This section expires February 1, 2001.
2-16           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-17     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-18     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-19     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-20     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
2-21     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
2-22     passage, and it is so enacted.