By Ellis                                               S.B. No. 235
         76R2572 CAS-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to college advanced placement courses and tests.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1.  Section 28.002, Education Code, is amended by
 1-5     adding Subsection (l) to read as follows:
 1-6           (l)  Each school district shall offer at each regular high
 1-7     school campus in the district college advanced placement courses in
 1-8     mathematics, science, and English language arts if state money is
 1-9     expressly appropriated and allocated to school districts for that
1-10     purpose.  A district may offer college advanced placement courses
1-11     in addition to those required by this subsection.  In this
1-12     subsection, "college advanced placement course" has the meaning
1-13     assigned by Section 28.051.
1-14           SECTION 2.  Sections 39.052(b) and (c), Education Code, are
1-15     amended to read as follows:
1-16           (b)  The report card shall include the following information
1-17     where applicable:
1-18                 (1)  the academic excellence indicators adopted under
1-19     Sections 39.051(b)(1) through (8);
1-20                 (2)  student/teacher ratios; [and]
1-21                 (3)  administrative and instructional costs per
1-22     student; and
1-23                 (4)  for each regular high school campus, the scores on
1-24     college advanced placement tests as defined by Section 28.051.
 2-1           (c)  The commissioner shall adopt rules for requiring
 2-2     dissemination of appropriate student performance portions of campus
 2-3     report cards annually to the parent[, guardian, conservator,] or
 2-4     other person having lawful control of each student at the campus.
 2-5     The rules must require that the information disseminated include
 2-6     the scores on college advanced placement tests, as specified under
 2-7     Subsection (b)(4).  On written request, the school district shall
 2-8     provide a copy of a campus report card to any other party.
 2-9           SECTION 3.  Subchapter F, Chapter 51, Education Code, is
2-10     amended by adding Section 51.309 to read as follows:
2-11           Sec. 51.309.  ADVANCED PLACEMENT COURSE CREDIT.  (a)  In this
2-12     section:
2-13                 (1)  "College advanced placement test" has the meaning
2-14     assigned by Section 28.051.
2-15                 (2)  "Public junior college" has the meaning assigned
2-16     by Section 61.003.
2-17           (b)  Each institution of higher education shall give a
2-18     student who scores a three or higher on a college advanced
2-19     placement test course credit for the course that is the subject of
2-20     the test.  Each public junior college shall give the student course
2-21     credit toward an associate's degree for the course that is the
2-22     subject of the test.  If the course for which the student is given
2-23     credit under this subsection is a prerequisite for another course,
2-24     the student is considered to have satisfied that prerequisite.
2-25           SECTION 4.  (a)  Section 28.002(l), Education Code, as added
2-26     by this Act, applies beginning with the 2002-2003 school year.
2-27           (b)  Sections 39.052(b) and (c), Education Code, as amended
 3-1     by this Act, apply beginning with the campus report card for the
 3-2     1999-2000 school year.
 3-3           (c)  Section 51.309, Education Code, as added by this Act,
 3-4     applies only to college advanced placement course credit on the
 3-5     basis of a college advanced placement test taken on or after
 3-6     September 1, 1999.
 3-7           SECTION 5.  The importance of this legislation and the
 3-8     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
 3-9     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
3-10     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
3-11     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
3-12     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
3-13     passage, and it is so enacted.