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.