BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center S.B. 2357
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Under current law, the structured courses that a school district is required to provide in disciplinary alternative education programs (DAEPs) 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 in DAEPs equivalent to the regular classroom curriculum requirements. This legislation would require school districts to not only "focus" on the specified academic courses for DAEPs, but to provide students with an academic curriculum comparable to the regular school curriculum. This requirement will further assure that students in DAEPs are afforded the same academic courses required for academic advancement in a regular school setting. This will allow the academic expectations for all students to be equal and will fulfill the mission of DAEPs, as stated under Section 37.008(m) (relating to requiring the commissioner of education to adopt rules related to the evaluation of a districts' DAEP), Education Code, by enabling students to perform at grade level.
As proposed, S.B. 2357 amends current law relating to the curriculum that must be provided by a disciplinary alternative education program.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Sections 37.008(a) and (1), Education Code, as follows:
(a) Requires each school district to provide a disciplinary alternative education program (DAEP) that provides structured courses in, rather than focuses on, 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; and provides an established curriculum for each grade level that provides students 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.
(1) Provides that a school district is required to provide in the district's DAEP a course necessary to fulfill a student's high school graduation requirements, rather than only as provided by this subsection.
SECTION 2. Provides that this Act applies beginning with the 2009-2010 school year.
SECTION 3. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2009.