C.S.S.B. 1108 78(R) BILL ANALYSIS C.S.S.B. 1108 By: Shapiro Public Education Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE According to the Closing the Gaps report, Texas must increase the number of students completing bachelor's degrees from 57,000 to 104,000 by the year 2015 to place Texas above the national average. C.S.S.B. 1108 establishes a statewide standard for high-quality teachers and requires the development of an on-line diagnostic and assistance program in each TAKS subject area to help students prepare for the 11th grade exit-level test administration. The bill also allows participation in an innovative redesign project as one of the options to improve low-performing schools. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the commissioner of education in SECTION 1 (21.005, Education Code) of this bill. ANALYSIS C.S.S.B. 1108 amends the Education Code to authorize the commissioner of education (commissioner) to establish a statewide standard to be used to certify each school district that is preparing, training, and recruiting high-quality teachers in a manner consistent with the No Child Left Behind Act. The bill requires the commissioner, in coordination with appropriate representatives of institutions of higher education and school districts, to develop a diagnostic and assistance program for each assessed subject and to develop other academic programs of mutual benefit to school districts and institutions of higher education. The bill requires the commissioner to seek private funding to make available on the Internet each diagnostic and assistance program developed. The bill authorizes the commissioner to permit a low-performing campus to participate in an innovative redesign of the campus to improve campus performance. EFFECTIVE DATE Upon passage, or, if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2003. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE C.S.S.B. 1108 modifies the engrossed version by deleting provisions relating to personal graduation plans for students at risk of not receiving a diploma. C.S.S.B. 1108 modifies the engrossed version by deleting provisions that permit students who have performed poorly on statewide assessments to receive credit for additional core courses in lieu of an elective enrichment course. C.S.S.B. 1108 modifies the engrossed version by deleting provisions that require a school district to offer an intensive instruction program for each student that performs poorly on an assessment instrument.