1-1     By:  Bivins, West, Zaffirini                           S.B. No. 385
 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed January 25, 2001; January 29, 2001,
 1-3     read first time and referred to Committee on Education;
 1-4     March 26, 2001, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
 1-5     Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 8, Nays 0; March 26, 2001,
 1-6     sent to printer.)
 1-7     COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 385                   By:  Bivins
 1-8                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-9                                   AN ACT
1-10     relating to the curriculum requirements for graduation from public
1-11     high school.
1-12           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-13           SECTION 1.  Section 28.025, Education Code, is amended to
1-14     read as follows:
1-15           Sec. 28.025.  HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA AND CERTIFICATE; ACADEMIC
1-16     ACHIEVEMENT RECORD.  (a)  The State Board of Education by rule
1-17     shall determine curriculum requirements for the minimum,
1-18     recommended, and advanced high school programs that are consistent
1-19     with the required curriculum under Section 28.002.
1-20           (b)  A school district shall ensure that each student enrolls
1-21     in the courses necessary to complete the curriculum requirements
1-22     identified by the State Board of Education under Subsection (a) for
1-23     the recommended or advanced high school program unless the student,
1-24     the student's parent or other person standing in parental relation
1-25     to the student, and a school counselor or school administrator
1-26     agree that the student should be permitted to take courses under
1-27     the minimum high school program.
1-28           (c)  A school district, upon request of a student, may
1-29     petition the State Board of Education to approve any course that
1-30     does not fall within the recommended high school program in place
1-31     of a requirement listed as part of the recommended high school
1-32     program when the proposed course is academically rigorous and
1-33     addresses documented student needs.  The State Board of Education
1-34     shall adopt rules to establish procedures for this section.
1-35           (d)  School districts shall notify parents of children
1-36     enrolling in the ninth grade, prior to class registration, of the
1-37     following:
1-38                 (1)  the recommended high school program is the
1-39     curriculum preferred for graduation and required to receive a TEXAS
1-40     grant;
1-41                 (2)  the courses necessary to complete the recommended
1-42     high school program;
1-43                 (3)  the procedure for enrolling a student in the
1-44     minimum high school program instead of the recommended high school
1-45     program; and
1-46                 (4)  the procedure for petitioning to have a course
1-47     counted toward the recommended high school program.
1-48           (e)  A school district may give notification as required
1-49     under Subsection (d) as part of regular correspondence concerning
1-50     registration and orientation.
1-51           (f)  A student may graduate and receive a diploma only if:
1-52                 (1)  the student successfully completes the curriculum
1-53     requirements identified by the State Board of Education under
1-54     Subsection (a) [board] and complies with Section 39.025(a); or
1-55                 (2)  the student successfully completes an
1-56     individualized education program developed under Section 29.005.
1-57           (g) [(b)]  A school district may issue a certificate of
1-58     course work completion to a student who successfully completes the
1-59     curriculum requirements identified by the State Board of Education
1-60     under Subsection (a) but who fails to comply with Section 39.025(a)
1-61     [perform satisfactorily on the assessment instruments specified by
1-62     Subsection (a)].  A school district may allow a student who
1-63     receives a certificate to participate in a graduation ceremony with
1-64     students receiving high school diplomas.
 2-1           (h) [(c)]  Each school district shall report the academic
 2-2     achievement record of students who have completed a minimum,
 2-3     recommended, or advanced high school program on transcript forms
 2-4     adopted by the State Board of Education.  The transcripts forms
 2-5     adopted by the board must be designed to clearly differentiate
 2-6     between each of the high school programs and identify whether a
 2-7     student received a diploma or a certificate of course work
 2-8     completion.
 2-9           (i)  Subsection (b) applies to students entering the ninth
2-10     grade in the 2004-2005 school year and thereafter.  On application
2-11     of a school district, the commissioner may exempt the district from
2-12     the implementation date in this subsection if the commissioner
2-13     finds the requirement results in an undue hardship on the district.
2-14     An exemption under this subsection expires at the end of a period
2-15     determined by the commissioner not to exceed three years.  An
2-16     exemption under this subsection is not subject to Section 7.056.
2-17           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
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