BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 2357

By: Gallegos

Public Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Under current law, the structured courses that a school district is required to provide in a disciplinary alternative education program (DAEP) have been academically inefficient. Thus, school districts are required to focus only on English language arts, mathematics, science, history, and self-discipline. To improve the academic performance of students in DAEPs, school districts should be required to implement an academic program equivalent to the regular classroom curriculum requirements to ensure that students in DAEPs are meeting the academic expectations of all students and performing at grade level.

S.B. 2357 requires a school district's disciplinary alternative education program to provide an established curriculum for each grade level that provides students with an opportunity to achieve promotion to the next grade level or to graduate from high school on the same schedule as students in the regular classroom setting. The bill specifies that a program provide structured courses in, rather than focus on, English language arts, mathematics, science, history, and self-discipline and adds that these courses are to be equivalent in content and rigor to courses in those subjects as provided in the regular classroom setting.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

S.B. 2357 amends the Education Code to specify that the curriculum provided in a school district's disciplinary alternative education program (DAEP) must consist of structured courses in English language arts, mathematics, science, history, and self-discipline that are equivalent in content and rigor to courses in those subjects as provided in the regular classroom setting. The bill further requires a DAEP to provide an established curriculum for each grade level that affords students the opportunity to achieve promotion to the next grade level or to graduate from high school on the same schedule as students in the regular classroom setting. The bill makes its provisions applicable beginning with the 2009-2010 school year.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the act does not receive the necessary vote, the act takes effect September 1, 2009.