By Shields                                            H.B. No. 1960
         77R7671 BDH-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to character education programs in public schools.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1. Section 39.051(b), Education Code, as amended by
 1-5     Chapters 396, 397, and 1422, Acts of the 76th Legislature, Regular
 1-6     Session, 1999, is reenacted and amended to read as follows:
 1-7           (b)  Performance on the indicators adopted under this section
 1-8     shall be compared to state-established standards.  The degree of
 1-9     change from one school year to the next in performance on each
1-10     indicator adopted under this section shall also be considered.  The
1-11     indicators must be based on information that is disaggregated with
1-12     respect to race, ethnicity, sex, and socioeconomic status and must
1-13     include:
1-14                 (1)  the results of assessment instruments required
1-15     under Sections 39.023(a), (c), and (l), aggregated by grade level
1-16     and subject area;
1-17                 (2)  dropout rates;
1-18                 (3)  student attendance rates;
1-19                 (4)  the percentage of graduating students who attain
1-20     scores on the secondary exit-level assessment instruments required
1-21     under Subchapter B that are equivalent to a passing score on the
1-22     test instrument required under Section 51.306;
1-23                 (5)  the percentage of graduating students who meet the
1-24     course requirements established for the recommended high school
 2-1     program by State Board of Education rule;
 2-2                 (6)  the results of the Scholastic Assessment Test
 2-3     (SAT), the American College Test, articulated postsecondary degree
 2-4     programs described by Section 61.852, and certified workforce
 2-5     training programs described by Chapter 311, Labor Code;
 2-6                 (7)  the number of students, aggregated by grade level,
 2-7     provided accelerated instruction under Section 28.0211(c), the
 2-8     results of assessments administered under that section, the number
 2-9     of students promoted through the grade placement committee process
2-10     under Section 28.0211, the subject of the assessment instrument on
2-11     which each student failed to perform satisfactorily, and the
2-12     performance of those students in the school year following that
2-13     promotion on the assessment instruments required under Section
2-14     39.023;
2-15                 (8)  for students who have failed to perform
2-16     satisfactorily on an assessment instrument required under Section
2-17     39.023(a) or (c), the numerical progress of those students on
2-18     subsequent assessment instruments required under those sections,
2-19     aggregated by grade level and subject area;
2-20                 (9)  the percentage of students exempted, by exemption
2-21     category, from the assessment program generally applicable under
2-22     this subchapter; [and]
2-23                 (10)  the percentage of schools in the school district
2-24     that offer a character education program; and
2-25                 (11)  any other indicator the State Board of Education
2-26     adopts.
2-27           SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2001-2002
 3-1     school year.
 3-2           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
 3-3     a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
 3-4     provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
 3-5     Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
 3-6     Act takes effect September 1, 2001.