SRC-TJG, AMY S.B. 186 78(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research CenterS.B. 186
By: Janek
Education
8/25/2003
Enrolled

DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Currently, Texas law requires that academic performance indicators include
dropout and district completion rates but does not specify how those rates
should be computed.  Texas law also requires that performance indicators
include the percentage of student taking end-of-course assessment
instruments. S.B. 186 requires computation of dropout rates in accordance
with standards adopted by the National Center for Education Statistics of
the United States Department of Education and deletes the requirement that
performance indicators include the percentage of student taking
end-of-course assessment instruments.  


RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to
a state officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Reenacts and amends Subsection (b), Section 39.051, Education
Code, as amended by Chapters 8, 725, 834, and 1420, Acts of the 77th
Legislature, Regular Session, 2001, as follows: 

(b) Requires dropout rates, including dropout rates and district
completion rates for grade levels 9 through 12, be computed in accordance
with standards and definitions adopted by the National Center for
Education Statistics of the United States Department of Education.
Requires high school graduation rates be computed in accordance with
standards and definitions adopted in compliance with the federal No Child
Left Behind Act of 2001 (Pub. L. No. 107-110).  Deletes existing
Subsection 9 which required the percentage of students taking
end-of-course assessment instruments adopted under Section 39.023(d)
(Adoption and Administration of Instruments) to be included as a
performance indicator relating to the computation of public school dropout
and completion rates. Replaces "subchapter" with "chapter" referring to
exemption from the assessment program.  Redesignates Subsection 11 as 10. 

SECTION 2.  Makes application of this Act prospective to the 2005-2006
school year. 

SECTION 3.  Requires the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to modify its data
collection system to permit the application of the National Center for
Education Statistics definition of a dropout to campuses not later than
the 2005-2006 school year.  Requires TEA, in the interim, to assist
districts in computing the required rates to the extent necessary to apply
for dropout reduction grants funded under Section 1803 of the No Child
Left Behind Act of 2001 (20 U.S.C. section 6553). 

SECTION 4.  Effective date: September 1, 2003.