|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
relating to the Texas Education Agency's online clearinghouse of |
|
information concerning best practices for public schools and |
|
open-enrollment charter schools. |
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
SECTION 1. Section 7.009, Education Code, is amended to |
|
read as follows: |
|
Sec. 7.009. BEST PRACTICES; CLEARINGHOUSE. (a) In |
|
coordination with the Legislative Budget Board, the agency shall |
|
establish an online clearinghouse of information relating to best |
|
practices of campuses, [and] school districts, and open-enrollment |
|
charter schools regarding instruction, public school finance, |
|
resource allocation, and business practices. To the extent |
|
practicable, the agency shall ensure that information provided |
|
through the online clearinghouse is specific, actionable |
|
information relating to the best practices of high-performing and |
|
highly efficient campuses, [and] school districts, and |
|
open-enrollment charter schools rather than general guidelines |
|
relating to campus, [and] school district, and open-enrollment |
|
charter school operation. The information must be accessible by |
|
campuses, school districts, open-enrollment charter schools, and |
|
interested members of the public. |
|
(b) The agency shall solicit and collect from the |
|
Legislative Budget Board, centers for education research |
|
established under Section 1.005, [and] exemplary or recognized |
|
school districts, campuses, and open-enrollment charter schools, |
|
as rated under Section 39.072, and campuses, school districts, and |
|
open-enrollment charter schools identified under Subsection (c-1) |
|
examples of best practices relating to instruction, public school |
|
finance, resource allocation, and business practices, including |
|
best practices relating to curriculum, scope and sequence, |
|
compensation and incentive systems, bilingual education and |
|
special language programs, compensatory education programs, and |
|
the effective use of instructional technology, including online |
|
courses. |
|
(c) The agency shall contract for the services of one or |
|
more third-party contractors to develop, implement, and maintain a |
|
system of collecting and evaluating the best practices of campuses, |
|
[and] school districts, and open-enrollment charter schools as |
|
provided by this section. In addition to any other considerations |
|
required by law, the agency must consider an applicant's |
|
demonstrated competence and qualifications in analyzing campus, |
|
[and] school district, and open-enrollment charter school |
|
practices in awarding a contract under this subsection. |
|
(c-1) The system developed under Subsection (c) must be |
|
capable of evaluating campuses, school districts, and |
|
open-enrollment charter schools using statistical analyses of |
|
performance data of campuses, school districts, and |
|
open-enrollment charter schools of similar demographics and |
|
identify those campuses, school districts, and open-enrollment |
|
charter schools that are high-performing and highly efficient. The |
|
information described by this subsection must be accessible by |
|
campuses, school districts, and open-enrollment charter schools |
|
and presented in a manner that is clear and easy to understand. |
|
(d) The commissioner may purchase from available funds |
|
curriculum and other instructional or analytical tools identified |
|
under this section to provide for use by school districts and |
|
open-enrollment charter schools. |
|
(e) Regional education service centers shall assist school |
|
districts and open-enrollment charter schools in: |
|
(1) using any instructional or analytical tools |
|
provided by the commissioner under Subsection (d); and |
|
(2) implementing best practices included in the online |
|
clearinghouse under this section. |
|
SECTION 2. 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. |