By:  Bivins, et al.                                    S.B. No. 385
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the curriculum requirements for graduation from public
 1-3     high school.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 28.025, Education Code, is amended to
 1-6     read as follows:
 1-7           Sec. 28.025.  HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA AND CERTIFICATE; ACADEMIC
 1-8     ACHIEVEMENT RECORD.  (a)  The State Board of Education by rule
 1-9     shall determine curriculum requirements for the minimum,
1-10     recommended, and advanced high school programs that are consistent
1-11     with the required curriculum under Section 28.002.
1-12           (b)  A school district shall ensure that each student enrolls
1-13     in the courses necessary to complete the curriculum requirements
1-14     identified by the State Board of Education under Subsection (a) for
1-15     the recommended or advanced high school program unless the student,
1-16     the student's parent or other person standing in parental relation
1-17     to the student, and a school counselor or school administrator
1-18     agree that the student should be permitted to take courses under
1-19     the minimum high school program.
1-20           (c)  A school district, upon request of a student, may
1-21     petition the State Board of Education to approve any course that
1-22     does not fall within the recommended high school program in place
1-23     of a requirement listed as part of the recommended high school
1-24     program when the proposed course is academically rigorous and
1-25     addresses documented student needs.  The State Board of Education
 2-1     shall adopt rules to establish procedures for this section.
 2-2           (d)  School districts shall notify parents of children
 2-3     enrolling in the ninth grade, prior to class registration, of the
 2-4     following:
 2-5                 (1)  the recommended high school program is the
 2-6     curriculum preferred for graduation and required to receive a TEXAS
 2-7     grant;
 2-8                 (2)  the courses necessary to complete the recommended
 2-9     high school program;
2-10                 (3)  the procedure for enrolling a student in the
2-11     minimum high school program instead of the recommended high school
2-12     program; and
2-13                 (4)  the procedure for petitioning to have a course
2-14     counted toward the recommended high school program.
2-15           (e)  A school district may give notification as required
2-16     under Subsection (d) as part of regular correspondence concerning
2-17     registration and orientation.
2-18           (f)  A student may graduate and receive a diploma only if:
2-19                 (1)  the student successfully completes the curriculum
2-20     requirements identified by the State Board of Education under
2-21     Subsection (a) [board] and complies with Section 39.025(a); or
2-22                 (2)  the student successfully completes an
2-23     individualized education program developed under Section 29.005.
2-24           (g) [(b)]  A school district may issue a certificate of
2-25     coursework completion to a student who successfully completes the
2-26     curriculum requirements identified by the State Board of Education
 3-1     under Subsection (a) but who fails to comply with Section 39.025(a)
 3-2     [perform satisfactorily on the assessment instruments specified by
 3-3     Subsection (a)].  A school district may allow a student who
 3-4     receives a certificate to participate in a graduation ceremony with
 3-5     students receiving high school diplomas.
 3-6           (h) [(c)]  Each school district shall report the academic
 3-7     achievement record of students who have completed a minimum,
 3-8     recommended, or advanced high school program on transcript forms
 3-9     adopted by the State Board of Education.  The transcript forms
3-10     adopted by the board must be designed to clearly differentiate
3-11     between each of the high school programs and identify whether a
3-12     student received a diploma or a certificate of coursework
3-13     completion.
3-14           (i)  Subsection (b) applies to students entering the ninth
3-15     grade in the 2004-2005 school year and thereafter.  On application
3-16     of a school district, the commissioner may exempt the district from
3-17     the implementation date in this subsection if the commissioner
3-18     finds the requirement results in an undue hardship on the district.
3-19     An exemption under this subsection expires at the end of a period
3-20     determined by the commissioner not to exceed three years.  An
3-21     exemption under this subsection is not subject to Section 7.056.
3-22           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.