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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to intensive preparation academies to prepare public |
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school students to take a state exit-level assessment instrument. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 39, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 39.0252 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 39.0252. EXIT-LEVEL ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENT INTENSIVE |
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PREPARATION ACADEMIES. (a) At the end of a school year in which |
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5% or more students in a school district fail to perform |
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satisfactorily on an assessment instrument specified by Section |
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39.025(a), the districts selected according to Subsection d shall |
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operate at least one intensive preparation academy to prepare those |
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students to retake the assessment instrument. |
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(b) An intensive preparation academy must: |
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(1) be operated for at least 30 school days; |
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(2) include instruction in the curriculum material |
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most likely to be included in the assessment instruments specified |
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by Section 39.025(a); and |
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(3) include instruction in strategies for performing |
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satisfactorily on the assessment instruments. |
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(c) A student who fails to perform satisfactorily on an |
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assessment instrument specified by Section 39.025(a) shall attend |
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each portion of an intensive preparation academy under this section |
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relating to that assessment instrument or to strategies described |
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by Subsection (b)(3). |
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(d) Subsection (a) applies beginning with assessment |
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instruments administered during the 2008-2009 school year. For the |
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2007-2008 school year, the commissioner shall select at least 10 |
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and not more than 25 school districts in which 5% or more students |
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failed to perform satisfactorily on an assessment instrument |
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specified by Section 39.025(a) and administered during that school |
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year to operate intensive preparation academies for those students. |
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The commissioner shall select a group of districts that is diverse |
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in terms of: |
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(1) the number of students enrolled in each district; |
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(2) the race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status of |
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students in each district; |
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(3) the districts' characterization as urban, |
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suburban, or rural; and |
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(4) the districts' location in different geographic |
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regions of the state. |
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(e) Not later than December 15, 2008, the agency shall |
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deliver a written report to the legislature that reviews the |
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effectiveness of the intensive preparation academies operated |
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under Subsection (d). Subsection (d) and this subsection expire |
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January 15, 2009. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |