|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to assessment of the academic growth of students attending |
|
|
a disciplinary alternative education program and evaluation of |
|
|
disciplinary alternative education programs. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 37, Education Code, is |
|
|
amended by adding Section 37.0082 to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 37.0082. ASSESSMENT OF ACADEMIC GROWTH OF STUDENTS IN |
|
|
DISCIPLINARY ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION PROGRAMS. (a) To assess a |
|
|
student's academic growth during placement in a disciplinary |
|
|
alternative education program, a school district shall administer |
|
|
to a student placed in a program for a period of 90 school days or |
|
|
longer an assessment instrument approved by the commissioner for |
|
|
that purpose. The instrument shall be administered: |
|
|
(1) initially on placement of the student in the |
|
|
program; and |
|
|
(2) subsequently on the date of the student's |
|
|
departure from the program, or as near that date as possible. |
|
|
(b) The assessment instrument required by this section: |
|
|
(1) must be designed to assess at least a student's |
|
|
basic skills in reading and mathematics; |
|
|
(2) may be: |
|
|
(A) comparable to any assessment instrument |
|
|
generally administered to students placed in juvenile justice |
|
|
alternative education programs for a similar purpose; or |
|
|
(B) based on an appropriate alternative |
|
|
assessment instrument developed by the agency to measure student |
|
|
academic growth; and |
|
|
(3) is in addition to the assessment instruments |
|
|
required to be administered under Chapter 39. |
|
|
(c) The commissioner shall adopt rules necessary to |
|
|
implement this section. |
|
|
SECTION 2. (a) The Texas Education Agency shall explore |
|
|
alternative methods of evaluating the effectiveness of |
|
|
disciplinary alternative education programs. The alternative |
|
|
methods to be explored must include a method that includes, in |
|
|
addition to the indicator required under current law that is based |
|
|
on student performance on assessment instruments required under |
|
|
Sections 39.023(a) and (c), Education Code, indicators relating to |
|
|
student academic growth, course completion, and behavior |
|
|
improvement. |
|
|
(b) Not later than November 1, 2008, the Texas Education |
|
|
Agency shall submit a report of its conclusions and recommendations |
|
|
resulting from the action required by Subsection (a) of this |
|
|
section to the presiding officers of the standing committees of the |
|
|
senate and house of representatives with primary jurisdiction over |
|
|
the public school system or the commitment and rehabilitation of |
|
|
youths. |
|
|
SECTION 3. Section 37.0082, Education Code, as added by |
|
|
this Act, applies beginning with the 2007-2008 school year. |
|
|
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
|
|
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
|
|
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
|
|
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
|
|
Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |