By Sibley S.B. No. 1879
76R12863 CAS-F
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to character education programs in public schools and in
1-3 certain alternative education programs.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 29, Education Code, is
1-6 amended by adding Section 29.903 to read as follows:
1-7 Sec. 29.903. CHARACTER EDUCATION PROGRAM. (a) Teaching
1-8 positive character traits in public schools is essential to
1-9 improving the learning environment, promoting student achievement,
1-10 reducing disciplinary problems, and developing civic-minded
1-11 students. Recognizing that the character of this state is only as
1-12 strong as the character of its citizens and that the state's
1-13 well-being requires involved, caring citizens of strong character,
1-14 the purposes of this section are to:
1-15 (1) extol and to instill in the children of this state
1-16 bedrock character traits and civic responsibility and to teach
1-17 those traits and that responsibility in a practical manner; and
1-18 (2) improve the behavior and enhance the future of
1-19 this state's young people by heralding sterling character traits in
1-20 personal relationships, school, the workplace, and civic life.
1-21 (b) Each school district may implement in district schools a
1-22 comprehensive character education program.
1-23 (c) A character education program under this section must:
1-24 (1) be secular in nature; and
2-1 (2) stress positive character traits, such as:
2-2 (A) trustworthiness, including honesty,
2-3 reliability, and loyalty;
2-4 (B) respect;
2-5 (C) responsibility, including accountability,
2-6 diligence, perseverance, and self-control;
2-7 (D) fairness, including justice and freedom from
2-8 prejudice;
2-9 (E) caring, including kindness, empathy,
2-10 compassion, consideration, generosity, and charity; and
2-11 (F) good citizenship, including concern for the
2-12 common good and the community and respect for authority and the
2-13 law.
2-14 (d) A district that implements a character education program
2-15 is encouraged, to the greatest extent practicable, to:
2-16 (1) incorporate instruction in the positive character
2-17 traits emphasized in the program into the district's regular
2-18 curriculum and classroom instruction;
2-19 (2) integrate the program into a school's procedures
2-20 and environment; and
2-21 (3) provide instruction in the positive character
2-22 traits primarily through definition, example, illustration,
2-23 application, and participation.
2-24 (e) This section does not require or authorize proselytizing
2-25 or indoctrinating concerning any specific religious or political
2-26 belief.
2-27 (f) The agency shall maintain a list of character education
3-1 programs that meet the criteria under Subsections (c) and (d).
3-2 (g) The agency shall review and evaluate the effectiveness
3-3 of comprehensive character education programs that meet the
3-4 criteria under Subsections (c) and (d), assess the impact of those
3-5 programs on student discipline, academic achievement, and other
3-6 performance indicators, and include the agency's findings and
3-7 recommendations in the comprehensive biennial report required under
3-8 Section 39.182.
3-9 (h) The agency shall award, out of funds appropriated for
3-10 that purpose, grants to school districts for implementing and
3-11 providing innovative character education programs.
3-12 SECTION 2. Section 37.008(a), Education Code, is amended to
3-13 read as follows:
3-14 (a) Each school district shall provide an alternative
3-15 education program that:
3-16 (1) is provided in a setting other than a student's
3-17 regular classroom;
3-18 (2) is located on or off of a regular school campus;
3-19 (3) provides for the students who are assigned to the
3-20 alternative education program to be separated from students who are
3-21 not assigned to the program;
3-22 (4) focuses on English language arts, mathematics,
3-23 science, history, and self-discipline;
3-24 (5) provides for students' educational and behavioral
3-25 needs; [and]
3-26 (6) provides supervision and counseling; and
3-27 (7) includes a comprehensive character education
4-1 program as described under Section 29.903.
4-2 SECTION 3. Section 37.011(d), Education Code, is amended to
4-3 read as follows:
4-4 (d) A juvenile justice alternative education program must
4-5 focus on English language arts, mathematics, science, social
4-6 studies, [and] self-discipline, and character education as
4-7 described under Sections 29.903(c) and (d). Each school district
4-8 shall consider course credit earned by a student while in a
4-9 juvenile justice alternative education program as credit earned in
4-10 a district school. Each program shall administer assessment
4-11 instruments under Subchapter B, Chapter 39, and shall offer a high
4-12 school equivalency program. The juvenile board or the board's
4-13 designee, with the parent or guardian of each student, shall
4-14 regularly review the student's academic progress. In the case of a
4-15 high school student, the board or the board's designee, with the
4-16 student's parent or guardian, shall review the student's progress
4-17 towards meeting high school graduation requirements and shall
4-18 establish a specific graduation plan for the student. The program
4-19 is not required to provide a course necessary to fulfill a
4-20 student's high school graduation requirements other than a course
4-21 specified by this subsection.
4-22 SECTION 4. This Act applies beginning with the 1999-2000
4-23 school year.
4-24 SECTION 5. The importance of this legislation and the
4-25 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
4-26 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
4-27 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
5-1 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
5-2 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
5-3 passage, and it is so enacted.