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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a language immersion pilot project in certain school |
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districts. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 29, Education Code, is amended by adding |
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Subchapter J to read as follows: |
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SUBCHAPTER J. LANGUAGE IMMERSION PILOT PROJECT |
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Sec. 29.351. ESTABLISHMENT OF PILOT PROJECT. The |
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commissioner shall establish a pilot project in school districts |
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selected by the commissioner under which the agency examines |
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language immersion programs and the effect of those programs on a |
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student's ability to advance to high school, graduate from high |
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school, or prepare for college coursework or postgraduation |
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employment. |
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Sec. 29.352. PILOT PROJECT ADMINISTRATION. (a) The |
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commissioner shall establish a procedure and adopt criteria for the |
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agency to administer the pilot project. |
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(b) In adopting criteria under this section, the |
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commissioner shall require the agency to select only school |
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districts or campuses that: |
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(1) demonstrate a substantial enrollment of: |
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(A) students with limited English proficiency; |
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or |
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(B) bilingual students; |
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(2) demonstrate parent, teacher, and community |
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support for a language immersion program; |
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(3) will commit to a language immersion program in a |
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language other than English as selected by the district for a |
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minimum of three years in elementary grades; |
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(4) will offer in secondary grades at least one |
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language program in a language other than English or the language |
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used in the language immersion program provided under Subdivision |
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(3); and |
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(5) demonstrate the potential for expanding the |
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programs provided under Subdivisions (3) and (4) across primary and |
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secondary grades, including: |
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(A) incorporating the program provided under |
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Subdivision (3) in kindergarten; and |
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(B) offering the program provided under |
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Subdivision (4) for four years in high school. |
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(c) The agency shall require a school district or campus |
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selected under this subchapter to provide annual self-evaluations |
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of progress toward language immersion program goals. |
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Sec. 29.353. PILOT PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION. (a) The |
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commissioner by rule shall require a school district or campus to |
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limit activities of the language immersion program during the first |
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year of the program to: |
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(1) planning activities, including: |
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(A) hiring and training teachers and other |
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professional development activities as determined by the |
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commissioner; and |
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(B) acquiring adequate instructional and |
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technological materials in each program language, including |
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software; and |
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(2) expanding or improving existing language |
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immersion programs. |
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(b) The commissioner by rule shall develop procedures to |
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assign a technical assistance team that includes university faculty |
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with expertise in language learning to assist participating school |
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districts and campuses in program development, implementation, and |
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assessment. |
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Sec. 29.354. SCHOOL DISTRICT OR CAMPUS SELECTION. (a) The |
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agency shall select school districts and campuses to participate in |
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the pilot project using the criteria provided by Section 29.352(b) |
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and based on the readiness of the district or campus to incorporate |
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language immersion programs into classrooms as demonstrated by the |
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past performance of the district or campus relating to language |
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instruction. |
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(b) In selecting participants, the agency shall consider |
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geographic diversity. |
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(c) The agency shall select not more than 10 school |
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districts and not more than 30 elementary schools to participate in |
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the pilot project. |
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(d) A school district that applies for the expansion of an |
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existing language immersion program is eligible for a grant under |
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this subchapter. |
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Sec. 29.355. PILOT PROJECT FUNDING. (a) To implement the |
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pilot project, the agency may use only undedicated and unobligated |
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money from the general revenue fund for purposes of the pilot |
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project. |
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(b) The agency may not spend an amount more than $5 million |
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per year for the language immersion pilot project under this |
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subchapter. The spending limitation imposed by this subsection |
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does not apply to an expenditure made by the commissioner under |
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Section 29.356(c). |
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(c) To supplement the funding for the pilot project, the |
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agency may use any gift, grant, or donation given for the pilot |
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project. The agency may solicit and accept a gift, grant, or |
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donation of any kind from any source, including from a foundation, |
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private entity, governmental entity, or institution of higher |
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education, for the implementation of the pilot project. |
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(d) Funds for the pilot project may not be used for the |
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construction of a building or other facility. |
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(e) The agency shall use funds under this subchapter for: |
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(1) teacher training in implementing the language |
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immersion programs; |
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(2) hiring technical support staff for school |
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districts or campuses participating in the pilot project; and |
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(3) purchasing technology-based instructional |
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materials and resources. |
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Sec. 29.356. PILOT PROJECT GRANTS. (a) From amounts |
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appropriated to the agency, including foundation school program |
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funds, the commissioner shall award grants to school districts and |
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campuses that participate in the program. A grant under this |
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section must be in an amount sufficient to pay the costs to the |
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district or campus of participating in the program, as determined |
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by the commissioner. A determination of the commissioner under |
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this subsection is final and may not be appealed. |
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(b) During the 2007-2008 school year, the commissioner may |
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award grants to school districts and campuses under this section |
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only for the purpose of planning activities described by Section |
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29.355(e) in an amount not to exceed five percent of the total |
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amount required to fully implement the pilot program for the |
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2008-2009 school year. |
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(c) To expand language learning opportunities for all |
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public school students and school district employees, including |
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students and employees in school districts not participating in the |
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pilot project, the commissioner shall enter into a contract to |
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license language-learning software using language immersion |
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methods. Expenditures under this subsection must be sufficient to |
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support language learning opportunities for a maximum of one |
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million public school students and employees for a maximum of three |
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years. The commissioner shall make the software available online |
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to public school students and employees across the state not later |
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than January 1, 2008. The commissioner may not spend more than $4 |
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million each year to comply with this subsection. |
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Sec. 29.357. COMMUNITY EDUCATIONAL PIPELINE PROGRESS |
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TEAM. (a) Each participating school district or campus shall |
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establish a community educational pipeline progress team to assist |
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in developing and implementing the language immersion pilot |
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project. |
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(b) The board of trustees of a participating school district |
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or of a school district in which a participating campus is located |
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shall appoint individuals to the team. The team may be composed of: |
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(1) educators; |
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(2) district-level administrators; |
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(3) community leaders; |
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(4) parents of students who attend a participating |
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campus; and |
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(5) any other individual the board finds appropriate. |
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(c) The team shall develop an academic improvement plan that |
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describes the manner in which the pilot project should be |
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implemented in the participating school district or campus. In |
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developing the academic improvement plan, the team shall consider: |
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(1) the educational problems in the district or at the |
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campus that could be mitigated through the implementation of the |
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pilot project; and |
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(2) the technological and nontechnological resources |
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that are necessary to ensure successful implementation of the pilot |
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project. |
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(d) The team shall recommend to the board of trustees the |
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manner in which the pilot project funds should be used to implement |
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the academic improvement plan developed under Subsection (c). |
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Annually, the team may recommend to the board any necessary changes |
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in the academic improvement plan. The agency must approve the |
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academic improvement plan or any changes to the plan before |
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disbursing pilot project funds to the board. |
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(e) The board of trustees of each district participating in |
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the pilot project shall provide an annual progress report to the |
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agency not later than August 1 of each year that the district is |
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participating in the pilot project. The report must state in detail |
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the type of plan used in the district or at the campus and the effect |
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of the pilot project on the district or campus, including: |
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(1) any effect on the academic progress of students |
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who are participating in a pilot project, as measured by |
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performance on assessment instruments, including assessment |
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instruments administered under Section 39.023; |
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(2) if applicable, a comparison of student progress at |
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a campus or in a classroom in a school district that is |
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participating in the pilot project as compared to student progress |
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at a campus or in a classroom in that same district that is not |
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participating in the pilot project; |
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(3) any elements of the pilot project that contribute |
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to improved student performance on assessment instruments |
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administered under Section 39.023 or any other assessment |
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instrument required by the agency; |
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(4) any cost savings or improved efficiency relating |
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to school personnel or the maintenance of school facilities; |
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(5) any effect on student attendance or dropout rates; |
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(6) any effect on student enrollment in high school; |
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(7) any effect on teacher performance or retention; |
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(8) any improvement in communications among students, |
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parents, teachers, and administrators; |
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(9) any improvement in parental involvement in the |
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education of the parent's child; |
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(10) any effect on community involvement and support |
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for the district or campus; and |
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(11) any increase in student proficiency in technology |
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that would help prepare students for becoming members of the |
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workforce. |
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Sec. 29.358. PILOT PROJECT EVALUATION. (a) The agency |
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shall perform an annual review of the language immersion pilot |
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project based on the reports the agency receives from the board of |
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trustees of participating school districts. The agency shall |
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include a summary of the review of the pilot project in the |
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comprehensive annual report required under Section 39.182. |
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(b) During the 2010-2011 school year, the agency shall |
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contract with one or more educational research centers to evaluate |
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the efficacy of the pilot project to determine whether the pilot |
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project should be continued. The cost of the evaluation may not |
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exceed $250,000. |
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Sec. 29.359. EXPIRATION. This subchapter expires September |
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1, 2011. |
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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. |