SRC-CTC S.B. 265 77(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 265
77R2854 CAS-FBy: Ogden
Education
2/8/2001
As Filed


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Currently, the Texas Education Code does not allow students to remain
enrolled in school while preparing for and taking a high school equivalency
examination (exam).  S.B. 1, passed during the 76th Texas Legislature,
inadvertently deleted a provision allowing students taking the exam to stay
enrolled in school.  As proposed, S.B. 265 reinstates prior statutory
authorization for the Texas Education Agency to develop a program for
school districts to prepare eligible students for the exam and requires
participating school districts to offer preparatory classes to eligible
students. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Education Agency in
SECTION 1 (Section 29.087, Education Code) of this bill. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Chapter 29C, Education Code, by adding Section 29.087,
as follows: 

Sec. 29.087.  SCHOOL DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOL EQUIVALENCY EXAMINATION PROGRAMS.
Requires the Texas Education Agency (agency) to develop a program to
prepare eligible students who are at risk of dropping out of school to take
the high school equivalency examination (exam).  Requires a district
participating in the program to offer preparatory classes for the exam to
each eligible student.  Sets forth certain criteria for a student's
eligibility.  Requires a district to inform each student who has completed
the program of the time and place at which the student may take the exam.
Requires the agency to adopt rules to ensure that students are not
encouraged to participate in the program only because of discipline
problems or poor academic performance.  Requires the agency to request
permission from the General Educational Development Testing Service to
administer the exam to those students who participated in the program.
Requires the agency to include information on the number of students
enrolled in the program and the number who performed satisfactorily on the
exam in its comprehensive biennial report under Section 39.182. 

SECTION 2.  Reenacts and amends Section 7.111(a), Education Code, as
amended by Chapters 76 and 1282, Acts of the 76th Legislature, Regular
Session, 1999, to add a person who has completed a high school equivalency
preparation program under Section 29.087 to the list of people eligible to
take the high school equivalency examination. 

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

SECTION 4.  Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2001.