SRC-AMY S.B. 931 78(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 931
By: Shapiro
Education
3/13/2003
As Filed


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Currently, Texas law does not specify an individual to determine a
student's grade, except at a local level. Although a classroom teacher is
the best judge of a student's performance, the teacher could be required,
by a campus or district administrator, to change a student's grade.  As
proposed, S.B. 931 allows the teacher to be the final authority over a
student's grade by prohibiting anyone from requiring a teacher to change
the student's grade unless it is determined to be arbitrary, erroneous, or
not in accordance with district grading policy.  The bill does not limit
local boards of trustees' current control over adopting district grading
policies. 

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.  Amends Section 28.021, Education Code, as follows:

Sec. 28.021.  New heading: STUDENT GRADES AND ADVANCEMENT.  (a) No change
to this subsection. 

(b) No change to this subsection.

(c) Prohibits a teacher from being required to change a student's grade
unless it is determined to be arbitrary and capricious, erroneous, or not
in accordance with a district grading policy.  Provides that a
determination on this issue by the board of trustees, or its designee, is
final and nonappealable and does not give rise to a cause of action,
except as provided by Section 33.081(g) (Extracurricular Activities). 

SECTION 2.  Provides that this Act applies beginning with the 2003 - 2004
school year. 

SECTION 3.  Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2003.