SRC-JLB S.B. 257 78(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 257
78R1371 SLO-DBy: West
Education
3/11/2003
As Filed


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

School dropouts affect the Texas economy, decreasing not only the state's
future tax revenues but also its ability to attract new business.  Some
believe that Texas' method of reporting dropouts has obscured the state's
dropout problem, resulting in the loss of federal grants for certain
school districts. As proposed, S.B. 257 requires the Texas Education
Agency (TEA) to evaluate the accelerated instruction program and to
include an analysis of the effectiveness of each program;  requires TEA to
collect and report dropout and school completion data;  requires a dropout
data oversight committee to review TEA's standards and definitions for
dropouts and students completing school;  and requires the commissioner of
education (commissioner) to adopt rules under which the commissioner must
grant a one-year exemption from audits related to state compensatory
education to a school district that consistently achieves significant
reductions in dropout rates but prohibits the commissioner from granting
an exemption to a district that does not make consistent significant
progress in reducing its dropout rate. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

Rulemaking authority previously granted to the commissioner of education
is modified in SECTION 3 (Section 42.152) of this bill. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 29.081(c), Education Code, to require the
evaluation of the accelerated instruction program to include an analysis
of the effectiveness of each program described in the campus and district
improvement plans for reducing the disparities described by this
subsection. Requires the commissioner of education (commissioner) to
ensure that each school district complies with this subsection.  Makes
conforming changes. 

SECTION 2.  Amends Chapter 29C, Education Code, by adding Sections 29.088
and 29.089, as follows: 

Sec. 29.088.  STUDENT DROPOUT INFORMATION.  Requires the Texas Education
Agency (TEA) to collect data from school districts relating to dropout and
school completion rates using the dropout definitions and data standards
adopted by the United States Department of Education's National Center for
Education Statistics. 

Sec. 29.089.  DROPOUT DATA OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE.  (a) Requires the dropout
data oversight committee to review TEA's standards and definitions for
dropouts and students completing school before TEA implements the
standards and definitions.  Requires the committee to be composed of
certain people. 

(b) Requires a committee member appointed by the governor, lieutenant
governor, or speaker of the house to represent the public and to have a
demonstrated interest in dropout prevention and public education. 

(c) Provides that the committee is subject to Chapter 2110 State Agency
Advisory  Committees, Government Code. 

SECTION 3.  Amends Sections 42.152(d) and (r), Education Code, as follows:

(d) Requires TEA to systematically evaluate the effectiveness of
accelerated instruction and support programs provided under Section 29.081
for students at risk of dropping out of school. Requires TEA to organize
and share the information it collects during its evaluation with local
districts.  Requires the commissioner, if TEA cannot perform this
evaluation with existing resources, to withhold from the total amount
appropriated for allotments under this section an amount the commissioner
determines is necessary to perform the evaluation and reduce each
district's tier one allotments in the manner described for a reduction in
allotments under Section 42.253. 

(r) Requires the commissioner to adopt rules under which the commissioner
must grant a oneyear exemption from the requirements of Subsection (q) to
a school district that consistently achieves significant reductions in the
disparity in performance between students described by Section 29.081(d)
and all other students.  Prohibits the commissioner from granting an
exemption to a district that does not make consistent significant progress
in reducing its dropout rate.  Requires the commissioner each year, based
on the most recent information available, to determine if a school
district is entitled to an exemption for the following school year and
notify the district and the district's board of trustees of that
determination.  Deletes language requiring the commissioner to grant a
one-year exemption to a district in which a group of students performs at
a certain improved level on assessment instruments the year after failing
to do so. 

SECTION 4.  (a) Provides that this Act takes effect beginning with the
2003-2004 school year. 

(b) Requires the appointment of the dropout data oversight committee as
soon as practicable on or after the Acts's effective date. 
     
SECTION 5.  Effective date:  upon passage or September 1, 2003.