By: Eissler (Senate Sponsor - Shapiro) H.B. No. 3
         (In the Senate - Received from the House April 30, 2009;
  May 4, 2009, read first time and referred to Committee on
  Education; May 11, 2009, reported adversely, with favorable
  Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 5, Nays 0;
  May 11, 2009, sent to printer.)
 
  COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 3 By:  Shapiro
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to public school accountability, curriculum, and
  promotion requirements.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subsection (a), Section 7.028, Education Code,
  is amended to read as follows:
         (a)  Except as provided by Section 29.001(5), 29.010(a),
  39.056 [39.074], or 39.057 [39.075], the agency may monitor
  compliance with requirements applicable to a process or program
  provided by a school district, campus, program, or school granted
  charters under Chapter 12, including the process described by
  Subchapter F, Chapter 11, or a program described by Subchapter B, C,
  D, E, F, H, or I, Chapter 29, Subchapter A, Chapter 37, or Section
  38.003, and the use of funds provided for such a program under
  Subchapter C, Chapter 42, only as necessary to ensure:
               (1)  compliance with federal law and regulations;
               (2)  financial accountability, including compliance
  with grant requirements; and
               (3)  data integrity for purposes of:
                     (A)  the Public Education Information Management
  System (PEIMS); and
                     (B)  accountability under Chapter 39.
         SECTION 2.  Subsections (e) and (f), Section 7.056,
  Education Code, are amended to read as follows:
         (e)  Except as provided by Subsection (f), a school campus or
  district may not receive an exemption or waiver under this section
  from:
               (1)  a prohibition on conduct that constitutes a
  criminal offense;
               (2)  a requirement imposed by federal law or rule,
  including a requirement for special education or bilingual
  education programs; or
               (3)  a requirement, restriction, or prohibition
  relating to:
                     (A)  essential knowledge or skills under Section
  28.002 or high school [minimum] graduation requirements under
  Section 28.025;
                     (B)  public school accountability as provided by
  Subchapters B, C, D, E, and J [G], Chapter 39;
                     (C)  extracurricular activities under Section
  33.081 or participation in a University Interscholastic League
  area, regional, or state competition under Section 33.0812;
                     (D)  health and safety under Chapter 38;
                     (E)  purchasing under Subchapter B, Chapter 44;
                     (F)  elementary school class size limits, except
  as provided by Section 25.112;
                     (G)  removal of a disruptive student from the
  classroom under Subchapter A, Chapter 37;
                     (H)  at-risk programs under Subchapter C, Chapter
  29;
                     (I)  prekindergarten programs under Subchapter E,
  Chapter 29;
                     (J)  educator rights and benefits under
  Subchapters A, C, D, E, F, G, and I, Chapter 21, or under Subchapter
  A, Chapter 22;
                     (K)  special education programs under Subchapter
  A, Chapter 29;
                     (L)  bilingual education programs under
  Subchapter B, Chapter 29; or
                     (M)  the requirements for the first day of
  instruction under Section 25.0811.
         (f)  A school district or campus that is required to develop
  and implement a student achievement improvement plan under Section
  39.101 [39.131] or 39.102 [39.132] may receive an exemption or
  waiver under this section from any law or rule other than:
               (1)  a prohibition on conduct that constitutes a
  criminal offense;
               (2)  a requirement imposed by federal law or rule;
               (3)  a requirement, restriction, or prohibition
  imposed by state law or rule relating to:
                     (A)  public school accountability as provided by
  Subchapters B, C, D, E, and J [G], Chapter 39; or
                     (B)  educator rights and benefits under
  Subchapters A, C, D, E, F, G, and I, Chapter 21, or under Subchapter
  A, Chapter 22; or
               (4)  textbook selection under Chapter 31.
         SECTION 3.  Subsections (b) and (d), Section 8.051,
  Education Code, are amended to read as follows:
         (b)  Each regional education service center shall annually
  develop and submit to the commissioner for approval a plan for
  improvement.  Each plan must include the purposes and description
  of the services the center will provide to:
               (1)  campuses that fail to satisfy any standard
  [identified as academically unacceptable based on the indicators
  adopted] under Section 39.054(d) [39.051];
               (2)  the lowest-performing campuses in the region; and
               (3)  other campuses.
         (d)  Each regional education service center shall maintain
  core services for purchase by school districts and campuses. The
  core services are:
               (1)  training and assistance in teaching each subject
  area assessed under Section 39.023;
               (2)  training and assistance in providing each program
  that qualifies for a funding allotment under Section 42.151,
  42.152, 42.153, or 42.156;
               (3)  assistance specifically designed for a school
  district rated accredited-warned or accredited-probation
  [academically unacceptable] under Section 39.052 [39.072(a)] or a
  campus that fails to satisfy any standard [whose performance is
  considered unacceptable based on the indicators adopted] under
  Section 39.054(d) [39.051];
               (4)  training and assistance to teachers,
  administrators, members of district boards of trustees, and members
  of site-based decision-making committees;
               (5)  assistance specifically designed for a school
  district that is considered out of compliance with state or federal
  special education requirements, based on the agency's most recent
  compliance review of the district's special education programs; and
               (6)  assistance in complying with state laws and rules.
         SECTION 4.  Section 11.001, Education Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 11.001.  ACCREDITATION. Each school district must be
  accredited by the agency as provided by Subchapter C [D], Chapter
  39.
         SECTION 5.  Subsection (d), Section 11.003, Education Code,
  is amended to read as follows:
         (d)  The commissioner may require a district to enter into a
  cooperative shared services arrangement for administrative
  services if the commissioner determines:
               (1)  that the district has failed to satisfy a
  financial accountability standard as determined by commissioner
  rule under Subchapter D [I], Chapter 39; and
               (2)  that entering into a cooperative shared services
  arrangement would:
                     (A)  enable the district to enhance its
  performance on the financial accountability standard identified
  under Subdivision (1); and
                     (B)  promote the efficient operation of the
  district.
         SECTION 6.  Subsection (b), Section 11.1511, Education Code,
  is amended to read as follows:
         (b)  The board shall:
               (1)  seek to establish working relationships with other
  public entities to make effective use of community resources and to
  serve the needs of public school students in the community;
               (2)  adopt a vision statement and comprehensive goals
  for the district and the superintendent and monitor progress toward
  those goals;
               (3)  establish performance goals for the district
  concerning:
                     (A)  the academic and fiscal performance
  indicators under Subchapters C, D, and J [I], Chapter 39[,
  respectively]; and
                     (B)  any performance indicators adopted by the
  district;
               (4)  ensure that the superintendent:
                     (A)  is accountable for achieving performance
  results;
                     (B)  recognizes performance accomplishments; and
                     (C)  takes action as necessary to meet performance
  goals;
               (5)  adopt a policy to establish a district- and
  campus-level planning and decision-making process as required
  under Section 11.251;
               (6)  publish an annual educational performance report
  as required under Section 39.306 [39.053];
               (7)  adopt an annual budget for the district as
  required under Section 44.004;
               (8)  adopt a tax rate each fiscal year as required under
  Section 26.05, Tax Code;
               (9)  monitor district finances to ensure that the
  superintendent is properly maintaining the district's financial
  procedures and records;
               (10)  ensure that district fiscal accounts are audited
  annually as required under Section 44.008;
               (11)  publish an end-of-year financial report for
  distribution to the community;
               (12)  conduct elections as required by law;
               (13)  by rule, adopt a process through which district
  personnel, students or the parents or guardians of students, and
  members of the public may obtain a hearing from the district
  administrators and the board regarding a complaint;
               (14)  make decisions relating to terminating the
  employment of district employees employed under a contract to which
  Chapter 21 applies, including terminating or not renewing an
  employment contract to which that chapter applies; and
               (15)  carry out other powers and duties as provided by
  this code or other law.
         SECTION 7.  Subsection (d), Section 11.201, Education Code,
  is amended to read as follows:
         (d)  The duties of the superintendent include:
               (1)  assuming administrative responsibility and
  leadership for the planning, organization, operation, supervision,
  and evaluation of the education programs, services, and facilities
  of the district and for the annual performance appraisal of the
  district's staff;
               (2)  except as provided by Section 11.202, assuming
  administrative authority and responsibility for the assignment,
  supervision, and evaluation of all personnel of the district other
  than the superintendent;
               (3)  overseeing compliance with the standards for
  school facilities established by the commissioner under Section
  46.008;
               (4)  initiating the termination or suspension of an
  employee or the nonrenewal of an employee's term contract;
               (5)  managing the day-to-day operations of the district
  as its administrative manager, including implementing and
  monitoring plans, procedures, programs, and systems to achieve
  clearly defined and desired results in major areas of district
  operations;
               (6)  preparing and submitting to the board of trustees
  a proposed budget as provided by Section 44.002 and rules adopted
  under that section, and administering the budget;
               (7)  preparing recommendations for policies to be
  adopted by the board of trustees and overseeing the implementation
  of adopted policies;
               (8)  developing or causing to be developed appropriate
  administrative regulations to implement policies established by
  the board of trustees;
               (9)  providing leadership for the attainment and, if
  necessary, improvement of student performance in the district based
  on the indicators adopted under Sections 39.053 and 39.301 [Section
  39.051] and other indicators adopted by the commissioner [State
  Board of Education] or the district's board of trustees;
               (10)  organizing the district's central
  administration;
               (11)  consulting with the district-level committee as
  required under Section 11.252(f);
               (12)  ensuring:
                     (A)  adoption of a student code of conduct as
  required under Section 37.001 and enforcement of that code of
  conduct; and
                     (B)  adoption and enforcement of other student
  disciplinary rules and procedures as necessary;
               (13)  submitting reports as required by state or
  federal law, rule, or regulation;
               (14)  providing joint leadership with the board of
  trustees to ensure that the responsibilities of the board and
  superintendent team are carried out; and
               (15)  performing any other duties assigned by action of
  the board of trustees.
         SECTION 8.  Subsection (d), Section 11.203, Education Code,
  is amended to read as follows:
         (d)  A principal who was employed as principal at [of] a
  campus that failed to satisfy any standard under Section 39.054(d)
  during the preceding school year [rated academically unacceptable,
  as well as any person employed to replace that principal,] shall
  participate in the program and complete the program requirements
  not later than a date determined by the commissioner.
         SECTION 9.  Subsection (a), Section 11.252, Education Code,
  is amended to read as follows:
         (a)  Each school district shall have a district improvement
  plan that is developed, evaluated, and revised annually, in
  accordance with district policy, by the superintendent with the
  assistance of the district-level committee established under
  Section 11.251. The purpose of the district improvement plan is to
  guide district and campus staff in the improvement of student
  performance for all student groups in order to attain state
  standards in respect to the student achievement [academic
  excellence] indicators adopted under Section 39.053 [39.051]. The
  district improvement plan must include provisions for:
               (1)  a comprehensive needs assessment addressing
  district student performance on the student achievement [academic
  excellence] indicators, and other appropriate measures of
  performance, that are disaggregated by all student groups served by
  the district, including categories of ethnicity, socioeconomic
  status, sex, and populations served by special programs, including
  students in special education programs under Subchapter A, Chapter
  29;
               (2)  measurable district performance objectives for
  all appropriate student achievement [academic excellence]
  indicators for all student populations, including students in
  special education programs under Subchapter A, Chapter 29, and
  other measures of student performance that may be identified
  through the comprehensive needs assessment;
               (3)  strategies for improvement of student performance
  that include:
                     (A)  instructional methods for addressing the
  needs of student groups not achieving their full potential;
                     (B)  methods for addressing the needs of students
  for special programs, such as suicide prevention, conflict
  resolution, violence prevention, or dyslexia treatment programs;
                     (C)  dropout reduction;
                     (D)  integration of technology in instructional
  and administrative programs;
                     (E)  discipline management;
                     (F)  staff development for professional staff of
  the district;
                     (G)  career education to assist students in
  developing the knowledge, skills, and competencies necessary for a
  broad range of career opportunities; and
                     (H)  accelerated education;
               (4)  strategies for providing to middle school, junior
  high school, and high school students, those students' teachers and
  counselors, and those students' parents information about:
                     (A)  higher education admissions and financial
  aid opportunities;
                     (B)  the TEXAS grant program and the Teach for
  Texas grant program established under Chapter 56;
                     (C)  the need for students to make informed
  curriculum choices to be prepared for success beyond high school;
  and
                     (D)  sources of information on higher education
  admissions and financial aid;
               (5)  resources needed to implement identified
  strategies;
               (6)  staff responsible for ensuring the accomplishment
  of each strategy;
               (7)  timelines for ongoing monitoring of the
  implementation of each improvement strategy; and
               (8)  formative evaluation criteria for determining
  periodically whether strategies are resulting in intended
  improvement of student performance.
         SECTION 10.  Subsections (c) and (d), Section 11.253,
  Education Code, are amended to read as follows:
         (c)  Each school year, the principal of each school campus,
  with the assistance of the campus-level committee, shall develop,
  review, and revise the campus improvement plan for the purpose of
  improving student performance for all student populations,
  including students in special education programs under Subchapter
  A, Chapter 29, with respect to the student achievement [academic
  excellence] indicators adopted under Section 39.053 [39.051] and
  any other appropriate performance measures for special needs
  populations.
         (d)  Each campus improvement plan must:
               (1)  assess the academic achievement for each student
  in the school using the student achievement [academic excellence]
  indicator system as described by Section 39.053 [39.051];
               (2)  set the campus performance objectives based on the
  student achievement [academic excellence] indicator system,
  including objectives for special needs populations, including
  students in special education programs under Subchapter A, Chapter
  29;
               (3)  identify how the campus goals will be met for each
  student;
               (4)  determine the resources needed to implement the
  plan;
               (5)  identify staff needed to implement the plan;
               (6)  set timelines for reaching the goals;
               (7)  measure progress toward the performance
  objectives periodically to ensure that the plan is resulting in
  academic improvement;
               (8)  include goals and methods for violence prevention
  and intervention on campus; and
               (9)  provide for a program to encourage parental
  involvement at the campus.
         SECTION 11.  Subsection (a), Section 11.255, Education Code,
  is amended to read as follows:
         (a)  Each district-level planning and decision-making
  committee and each campus-level planning and decision-making
  committee for a junior, middle, or high school campus shall analyze
  information related to dropout prevention, including:
               (1)  the results of the audit of dropout records
  required by Section 39.308 [39.055];
               (2)  campus information related to graduation rates,
  dropout rates, high school equivalency certificate rates, and the
  percentage of students who remain in high school more than four
  years after entering grade level 9;
               (3)  the number of students who enter a high school
  equivalency certificate program and:
                     (A)  do not complete the program;
                     (B)  complete the program but do not take the high
  school equivalency examination; or
                     (C)  complete the program and take the high school
  equivalency examination but do not obtain a high school equivalency
  certificate;
               (4)  for students enrolled in grade levels 9 and 10,
  information related to academic credit hours earned, retention
  rates, and placements in alternative education programs and
  expulsions under Chapter 37; and
               (5)  the results of an evaluation of each school-based
  dropout prevention program in the district.
         SECTION 12.  Subsection (b), Section 12.013, Education Code,
  is amended to read as follows:
         (b)  A home-rule school district is subject to:
               (1)  a provision of this title establishing a criminal
  offense;
               (2)  a provision of this title relating to limitations
  on liability; and
               (3)  a prohibition, restriction, or requirement, as
  applicable, imposed by this title or a rule adopted under this
  title, relating to:
                     (A)  the Public Education Information Management
  System (PEIMS) to the extent necessary to monitor compliance with
  this subchapter as determined by the commissioner;
                     (B)  educator certification under Chapter 21 and
  educator rights under Sections 21.407, 21.408, and 22.001;
                     (C)  criminal history records under Subchapter C,
  Chapter 22;
                     (D)  student admissions under Section 25.001;
                     (E)  school attendance under Sections 25.085,
  25.086, and 25.087;
                     (F)  inter-district or inter-county transfers of
  students under Subchapter B, Chapter 25;
                     (G)  elementary class size limits under Section
  25.112, in the case of any campus in the district that fails to
  satisfy any standard [is considered academically unacceptable]
  under Section 39.054(d) [39.132];
                     (H)  high school graduation under Section 28.025;
                     (I)  special education programs under Subchapter
  A, Chapter 29;
                     (J)  bilingual education under Subchapter B,
  Chapter 29;
                     (K)  prekindergarten programs under Subchapter E,
  Chapter 29;
                     (L)  safety provisions relating to the
  transportation of students under Sections 34.002, 34.003, 34.004,
  and 34.008;
                     (M)  computation and distribution of state aid
  under Chapters 31, 42, and 43;
                     (N)  extracurricular activities under Section
  33.081;
                     (O)  health and safety under Chapter 38;
                     (P)  public school accountability under
  Subchapters B, C, D, E, and J [G], Chapter 39;
                     (Q)  equalized wealth under Chapter 41;
                     (R)  a bond or other obligation or tax rate under
  Chapters 42, 43, and 45; and
                     (S)  purchasing under Chapter 44.
         SECTION 13.  Subsection (b), Section 12.056, Education Code,
  is amended to read as follows:
         (b)  A campus or program for which a charter is granted under
  this subchapter is subject to:
               (1)  a provision of this title establishing a criminal
  offense; and
               (2)  a prohibition, restriction, or requirement, as
  applicable, imposed by this title or a rule adopted under this
  title, relating to:
                     (A)  the Public Education Information Management
  System (PEIMS) to the extent necessary to monitor compliance with
  this subchapter as determined by the commissioner;
                     (B)  criminal history records under Subchapter C,
  Chapter 22;
                     (C)  high school graduation under Section 28.025;
                     (D)  special education programs under Subchapter
  A, Chapter 29;
                     (E)  bilingual education under Subchapter B,
  Chapter 29;
                     (F)  prekindergarten programs under Subchapter E,
  Chapter 29;
                     (G)  extracurricular activities under Section
  33.081;
                     (H)  health and safety under Chapter 38; and
                     (I)  public school accountability under
  Subchapters B, C, E [D], and J [G], Chapter 39.
         SECTION 14.  Subdivision (5), Section 12.1012, Education
  Code, is amended to read as follows:
               (5)  "Management services" means services related to
  the management or operation of an open-enrollment charter school,
  including:
                     (A)  planning, operating, supervising, and
  evaluating the school's educational programs, services, and
  facilities;
                     (B)  making recommendations to the governing body
  of the school relating to the selection of school personnel;
                     (C)  managing the school's day-to-day operations
  as its administrative manager;
                     (D)  preparing and submitting to the governing
  body of the school a proposed budget;
                     (E)  recommending policies to be adopted by the
  governing body of the school, developing appropriate procedures to
  implement policies adopted by the governing body of the school, and
  overseeing the implementation of adopted policies; and
                     (F)  providing leadership for the attainment of
  student performance at the school based on the indicators adopted
  under Sections 39.053 and 39.301 [Section 39.051] or by the
  governing body of the school.
         SECTION 15.  Subsection (b), Section 12.104, Education Code,
  is amended to read as follows:
         (b)  An open-enrollment charter school is subject to:
               (1)  a provision of this title establishing a criminal
  offense; and
               (2)  a prohibition, restriction, or requirement, as
  applicable, imposed by this title or a rule adopted under this
  title, relating to:
                     (A)  the Public Education Information Management
  System (PEIMS) to the extent necessary to monitor compliance with
  this subchapter as determined by the commissioner;
                     (B)  criminal history records under Subchapter C,
  Chapter 22;
                     (C)  reading instruments and accelerated reading
  instruction programs under Section 28.006;
                     (D)  [satisfactory performance on assessment
  instruments and to] accelerated instruction under Section 28.0211;
                     (E)  high school graduation requirements under
  Section 28.025;
                     (F)  special education programs under Subchapter
  A, Chapter 29;
                     (G)  bilingual education under Subchapter B,
  Chapter 29;
                     (H)  prekindergarten programs under Subchapter E,
  Chapter 29;
                     (I)  extracurricular activities under Section
  33.081;
                     (J)  discipline management practices or behavior
  management techniques under Section 37.0021;
                     (K)  health and safety under Chapter 38;
                     (L)  public school accountability under
  Subchapters B, C, D, E, and J [G], Chapter 39;
                     (M)  the requirement under Section 21.006 to
  report an educator's misconduct; and
                     (N)  intensive programs of instruction under
  Section 28.0213.
         SECTION 16.  Subsection (a), Section 12.1054, Education
  Code, is amended to read as follows:
         (a)  A member of the governing body of a charter holder, a
  member of the governing body of an open-enrollment charter school,
  or an officer of an open-enrollment charter school is considered to
  be a local public official for purposes of Chapter 171, Local
  Government Code. For purposes of that chapter:
               (1)  a member of the governing body of a charter holder
  or a member of the governing body or officer of an open-enrollment
  charter school is considered to have a substantial interest in a
  business entity if a person related to the member or officer in the
  third degree by consanguinity or affinity, as determined under
  Chapter 573, Government Code, has a substantial interest in the
  business entity under Section 171.002, Local Government Code;
               (2)  notwithstanding any provision of Subdivision (1)
  [Section 12.1054(1)], an employee of an open-enrollment charter
  school that satisfies all performance standards [rated as
  academically acceptable or higher] under Section 39.054(d)
  [Chapter 39] for at least two of the preceding three school years
  may serve as a member of the governing body of the charter holder of
  the governing body of the school if the employees do not constitute
  a quorum of the governing body or any committee of the governing
  body; however, all members shall comply with the requirements of
  Sections 171.003-171.007, Local Government Code.
         SECTION 17.  Subsection (b), Section 12.1055, Education
  Code, is amended to read as follows:
         (b)  Notwithstanding Subsection (a), if an open-enrollment
  charter school satisfies all performance standards [is rated
  academically acceptable or higher] under Section 39.054(d)
  [Chapter 39] for at least two of the preceding three school years,
  then Chapter 573, Government Code, does not apply to that school;
  however, a member of the governing body of a charter holder or a
  member of the governing body or officer of an open-enrollment
  charter school shall comply with the requirements of Sections
  171.003-171.007, Local Government Code, with respect to a personnel
  matter concerning a person related to the member or officer within
  the degree specified by Section 573.002, Government Code, as if the
  personnel matter were a transaction with a business entity subject
  to those sections, and persons defined under Sections
  573.021-573.025, Government Code, shall not constitute a quorum of
  the governing body or any committee of the governing body.
         SECTION 18.  Subsection (a), Section 12.1162, Education
  Code, is amended to read as follows:
         (a)  The commissioner shall take any of the actions described
  by Subsection (b) or by Section 39.101(a) [39.131(a)], to the
  extent the commissioner determines necessary, if an
  open-enrollment charter school, as determined by a report issued
  under Section 39.058(b) [39.076(b)]:
               (1)  commits a material violation of the school's
  charter;
               (2)  fails to satisfy generally accepted accounting
  standards of fiscal management; or
               (3)  fails to comply with this subchapter or another
  applicable rule or law.
         SECTION 19.  Subsection (a), Section 18.006, Education Code,
  is amended to read as follows:
         (a)  The commissioner shall develop and implement a system of
  accountability consistent with Chapter 39, where appropriate, to be
  used in assigning an annual performance rating to Job Corps diploma
  programs comparable to the ratings assigned to school districts
  under Section 39.054 [39.072].
         SECTION 20.  Subsection (e), Section 21.354, Education Code,
  is amended to read as follows:
         (e)  The appraisal of a principal shall include
  consideration of the performance of a principal's campus on the
  student achievement indicators established under Section 39.053
  [39.051] and the campus's objectives established under Section
  11.253, including performance gains of the campus and the
  maintenance of those gains.
         SECTION 21.  Subsection (c), Section 21.357, Education Code,
  is amended to read as follows:
         (c)  A performance incentive awarded to a principal under
  this section must be distributed to the principal's school and used
  in the manner determined by the campus-level committee established
  under Section 11.253 in accordance with the requirements of Section
  39.264(a) [39.094(a)].
         SECTION 22.  Subsection (b), Section 21.4541, Education
  Code, is amended to read as follows:
         (b)  A school district or campus is eligible to participate
  in the pilot program under this section if the district or campus
  meets the eligibility criteria established as provided by Section
  39.408 [39.358].
         SECTION 23.  Subsection (c), Section 21.4551, Education
  Code, is amended to read as follows:
         (c)  The commissioner by rule shall require a teacher to
  attend a reading academy if the teacher provides instruction in
  reading, mathematics, science, or social studies to students at the
  sixth, seventh, or eighth grade level at a campus that fails to
  satisfy any standard [is considered academically unacceptable]
  under Section 39.054(d) [39.132] on the basis of student
  performance on the reading assessment instrument administered
  under Section 39.023(a) to students in any grade level at the
  campus.
         SECTION 24.  Section 28.002, Education Code, is amended by
  adding Subsections (c-1), (c-2), and (c-3) to read as follows:
         (c-1)  The State Board of Education may adopt rules to allow
  courses offered in the foundation curriculum or the enrichment
  curriculum to simultaneously satisfy, to the extent practicable,
  more than one required credit for the minimum, recommended, or
  advanced high school program in which the student is participating.
         (c-2)  The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to
  authorize each school district to implement a program under which
  students in middle or junior high school may earn credits toward
  high school graduation in middle or junior high school for any
  course determined by board rule to qualify as a high school
  equivalent course.
         (c-3)  The State Board of Education shall adopt rules
  requiring students enrolled in grade levels six, seven, and eight
  to complete a fine arts course for at least four semesters during
  those grade levels as part of a district's fine arts curriculum.
         SECTION 25.  Subsection (j), Section 28.006, Education Code,
  is amended to read as follows:
         (j)  No more than 15 percent of the funds certified by the
  commissioner under Subsection (i) may be spent on indirect
  costs.  The commissioner shall evaluate the programs that fail to
  meet the standard of performance under Section 39.301(c)(4)
  [39.051(b)(8)] and may implement sanctions under Subchapter E [G],
  Chapter 39. The commissioner may audit the expenditures of funds
  appropriated for purposes of this section.  The use of the funds
  appropriated for purposes of this section shall be verified as part
  of the district audit under Section 44.008.
         SECTION 26.  Subsection (d), Section 28.014, Education Code,
  is amended to read as follows:
         (d)  The agency, in coordination with the Texas Higher
  Education Coordinating Board, shall adopt a series of questions to
  be included in an end-of-course assessment instrument administered
  under Subsection (c) to be used for purposes of Section
  51.3062.  The questions must be developed in a manner consistent
  with any college readiness standards adopted under Sections 39.233
  [39.113] and 51.3062.  A student's performance on a question
  adopted under this subsection may not be used to determine the
  student's performance on an end-of-course assessment instrument.
         SECTION 27.  The heading to Section 28.0211, Education Code,
  is amended to read as follows:
         Sec. 28.0211.  STUDENT ADVANCEMENT DETERMINATION;
  [SATISFACTORY] PERFORMANCE ON ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENTS [REQUIRED];
  ACCELERATED INSTRUCTION.
         SECTION 28.  Section 28.0211, Education Code, is amended by
  amending Subsections (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f), (g), (i), and (k)
  and adding Subsections (c-1), (d-1), (d-2), and (d-3) to read as
  follows:
         (a)  Not later than the first day of the school year, a school
  district shall determine the requirements for student advancement
  from one grade level to the next. In determining whether a student
  may be promoted to the next grade level, the district shall
  consider:
               (1)  the recommendation of the student's teacher;
               (2)  the student's grade in each subject or course;
               (3)  the student's score on an assessment instrument
  administered under Section 39.023(a), (b), or (l); and
               (4)  any other necessary information, as determined by
  the district [Except as provided by Subsection (b) or (e), a student
  may not be promoted to:
               [(1)     the fourth grade program to which the student
  would otherwise be assigned if the student does not perform
  satisfactorily on the third grade reading assessment instrument
  under Section 39.023;
               [(2)     the sixth grade program to which the student
  would otherwise be assigned if the student does not perform
  satisfactorily on the fifth grade mathematics and reading
  assessment instruments under Section 39.023; or
               [(3)     the ninth grade program to which the student
  would otherwise be assigned if the student does not perform
  satisfactorily on the eighth grade mathematics and reading
  assessment instruments under Section 39.023].
         (b)  A school district shall provide to a student who
  initially fails to perform satisfactorily on the third grade
  reading assessment instrument, the fifth grade mathematics and
  reading assessment instruments, or the eighth grade mathematics and
  reading assessment instruments under Section 39.023 an [assessment
  instrument specified under Subsection (a) at least two] additional
  opportunity [opportunities] to take the assessment instrument. [A
  school district may administer an alternate assessment instrument
  to a student who has failed an assessment instrument specified
  under Subsection (a) on the previous two opportunities.
  Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, a student may
  be promoted if the student performs at grade level on an alternate
  assessment instrument under this subsection that is appropriate for
  the student's grade level and approved by the commissioner.]
         (c)  If [Each time] a student fails to perform satisfactorily
  on a mathematics or reading [an] assessment instrument administered
  [specified] under Section 39.023(a), (b), or (l) in the third,
  fifth, or eighth grade [Subsection (a)], the school district in
  which the student attends school shall provide to the student
  accelerated instruction in the applicable subject area. If a
  student in a third, fifth, or eighth grade program fails to meet the
  requirements for student advancement from one grade level to the
  next as determined by a school district under Subsection (a), the
  district shall establish[, including reading instruction for a
  student who fails to perform satisfactorily on a reading assessment
  instrument. After a student fails to perform satisfactorily on an
  assessment instrument a second time,] a grade placement committee
  [shall be established] to prescribe the accelerated instruction the
  district shall provide to the student. If a student in a program
  other than a third, fifth, or eighth grade program fails to meet the
  requirements for student advancement from one grade level to the
  next as determined by a school district under Subsection (a), the
  district may establish a grade placement committee to prescribe the
  accelerated instruction the district shall provide to the student
  [before the student is administered the assessment instrument the
  third time]. The grade placement committee shall be composed of the
  principal or the principal's designee, the student's parent or
  guardian, and the teacher of the subject of an assessment
  instrument on which the student failed to perform satisfactorily.
  The district shall notify the parent or guardian of the time and
  place for convening the grade placement committee and the purpose
  of the committee. The accelerated instruction program provided
  under this subsection must be systematic and may not be based solely
  on assessment instrument practice skills and:
               (1)  for a student in a third, fifth, or eighth grade
  program:
                     (A)  must provide for instruction in the
  applicable subject area;
                     (B)  must be approved by the student's parent or
  guardian and the district; and
                     (C)  [An accelerated instruction group
  administered by a school district under this section] may not have a
  ratio of more than 10 students for each teacher in an accelerated
  instruction group; or
               (2)  for a student in a program other than a third,
  fifth, or eighth grade program, be made available to the student in
  the next grade level.
         (c-1)  A school district shall implement an accelerated
  instruction program under Subsection (c) not later than the 30th
  day after the first day of school of the next school year.
  Accelerated instruction may occur outside of regular school hours,
  including during summer school.
         (d)  In addition to providing accelerated instruction to a
  student under Subsection (c), the school district shall notify the
  student's parent or guardian of:
               (1)  the information collected under Subsection (a),
  including if applicable, the student's failure to perform
  satisfactorily on the assessment instrument;
               (2)  the accelerated instruction program to which the
  student is assigned; [and]
               (3)  the possibility that the student might be retained
  at the same grade level for the next school year;
               (4)  the areas requiring improvement for the student to
  meet the requirements for advancement from one grade level to the
  next as determined by the district under Subsection (a); and
               (5)  any other applicable information as determined by
  the district.
         (d-1)  A school district shall make information provided to a
  parent or guardian under Subsections (d)(1), (4), and (5) available
  to the student's current teacher and the student's teacher in the
  next grade level.
         (d-2)  The grade placement committee shall make a
  determination that the student who failed to meet the requirements
  for student advancement from one grade level to the next determined
  by a school district under Subsection (a) be:
               (1)  retained at the same grade level for the next
  school year; or
               (2)  placed in the next grade level with accelerated
  instruction as provided under Subsection (c).
         (d-3)  A student who fails to participate in an accelerated
  instruction program developed under Subsection (c)(1) may not be
  promoted to the next grade level program to which the student would
  otherwise be assigned if the student does not perform
  satisfactorily on the applicable assessment instrument specified
  under Subsection (b).
         (e)  A [student who, after at least three attempts, fails to
  perform satisfactorily on an assessment instrument specified under
  Subsection (a) shall be retained at the same grade level for the
  next school year in accordance with Subsection (a). The] student's
  parent or guardian may [appeal the student's retention by
  submitting a] request that [to] the grade placement committee
  reconsider the committee's decision under Subsection (d-2) to
  retain the student [established under Subsection (c)]. The school
  district shall give the parent or guardian written notice of the
  opportunity to request reconsideration [appeal. The grade
  placement committee may decide in favor of a student's promotion
  only if the committee concludes, using standards adopted by the
  board of trustees, that if promoted and given accelerated
  instruction, the student is likely to perform at grade level]. A
  student may not be promoted on the basis of the grade placement
  committee's decision under this subsection unless that decision is
  unanimous. The commissioner by rule shall establish a time line for
  making the placement determination. This subsection does not
  create a property interest in promotion. The decision of the grade
  placement committee under this subsection is final and may not be
  appealed.
         (f)  An accelerated instruction program under Subsection (c)
  [A school district shall provide to a student who, after three
  attempts, has failed to perform satisfactorily on an assessment
  instrument specified under Subsection (a) accelerated instruction
  during the next school year as prescribed by an educational plan
  developed for the student by the student's grade placement
  committee established under Subsection (c). The district shall
  provide that accelerated instruction regardless of whether the
  student has been promoted or retained. The educational plan] must
  be designed to enable the student to perform at the appropriate
  grade level by the conclusion of the school year. During the school
  year, the student shall be monitored to ensure that the student is
  progressing in accordance with the program [plan]. The district
  shall administer to the student the assessment instrument for the
  grade level in which the student is placed at the time the district
  regularly administers the assessment instruments for that school
  year.
         (g)  This section does not preclude the retention at a grade
  level, in accordance with state law or school district policy, of a
  student who performs satisfactorily on an assessment instrument
  administered [specified] under Section 39.023 [Subsection (a)].
         (i)  The admission, review, and dismissal committee of a
  student who participates in a district's special education program
  under Subchapter B, Chapter 29, and who does not perform
  satisfactorily on a mathematics or reading [an] assessment
  instrument [specified under Subsection (a) and] administered under
  Section 39.023(a) or (b) shall determine:
               (1)  the manner in which the student will participate
  in an accelerated instruction program under this section; and
               (2)  whether the student will be promoted or retained
  under this section.
         (k)  The commissioner shall adopt rules as necessary to
  implement this section, including rules concerning when school
  districts shall administer assessment instruments required under
  this section and which administration of the assessment instruments
  will be used for purposes of Section 39.053 [39.051].
         SECTION 29.  Subchapter B, Chapter 28, Education Code, is
  amended by adding Section 28.0216 to read as follows:
         Sec. 28.0216.  DISTRICT GRADING POLICY. A school district
  shall adopt a grading policy, including provisions for the
  assignment of grades on class assignments and examinations, before
  each school year. A district grading policy:
               (1)  must require a classroom teacher to assign a grade
  that reflects the student's relative mastery of an assignment; and
               (2)  may not require a classroom teacher to assign a
  minimum grade for an assignment without regard to the student's
  quality of work.
         SECTION 30.  Section 28.025, Education Code, is amended by
  amending Subsections (a), (b), and (b-1) and adding Subsections
  (b-3), (b-4), and (b-5) to read as follows:
         (a)  The State Board of Education by rule shall determine
  curriculum requirements for the minimum, recommended, and advanced
  high school programs that are consistent with the required
  curriculum under Section 28.002. Subject to Subsection (b-1), the
  State Board of Education shall designate the specific courses in
  the foundation curriculum required for a student participating in
  the minimum, recommended, or advanced high school program. Except
  as provided by Subsection (b-1), the State Board of Education may
  not designate a specific course or a specific number of credits
  required for a subject in the enrichment curriculum. This
  subsection does not prohibit the State Board of Education from
  designating the total number of credits required under the
  enrichment curriculum for a student participating in the minimum,
  recommended, or advanced high school program.
         (b)  A school district shall ensure that each student enrolls
  in the courses necessary to complete the curriculum requirements
  identified by the State Board of Education under Subsection (a) for
  the recommended or advanced high school program unless the student,
  the student's parent or other person standing in parental relation
  to the student, and a school counselor or school administrator
  agree that the student should be permitted to take courses under the
  minimum high school program and the student:
               (1)  is at least 16 years of age;
               (2)  has completed two credits required for graduation
  in each subject of the foundation curriculum under Section
  28.002(a)(1); or
               (3)  has failed to be promoted to the tenth grade one or
  more times as determined by the school district.
         (b-1)  The State Board of Education by rule shall require
  that:
               (1)  except as provided by Subsection (b-2), the
  curriculum requirements for the recommended and advanced high
  school programs under Subsection (a) include a requirement that
  students successfully complete:
                     (A)  four credits [courses] in each subject of the
  foundation curriculum under Section 28.002(a)(1), including at
  least one-half credit in government and at least one-half credit in
  economics to meet the social studies requirement;
                     (B)  for the recommended high school program, two
  credits in the same language in a language other than English under
  Section 28.002(a)(2)(A) and, for the advanced high school program,
  three credits in the same language in a language other than English
  under Section 28.002(a)(2)(A); and
                     (C)  eight elective credits; and
               (2)  one or more credits [courses] offered in the
  required curriculum for the recommended and advanced high school
  programs include a research writing component.
         (b-3)  In adopting rules to provide students with the option
  described by Subsection (b-1)(1), the State Board of Education must
  approve a variety of mathematics and science courses that may be
  taken by a student after completion of Algebra II and physics to
  comply with the recommended program requirements. A course
  approved under this subsection must contain substantively similar
  and rigorous academic content as a course approved under Subsection
  (b-2).
         (b-4)  Before a student's parent or other person standing in
  parental relation to the student may agree that the student be
  permitted to take courses under the minimum high school program as
  provided by Subsection (b), a school district must provide written
  notice to the parent or person standing in parental relation
  explaining the benefits of the recommended high school program.
  The notice shall be developed by the agency and must:
               (1)  be printed in English and Spanish; and
               (2)  require that the student's parent or person
  standing in parental relation to the student sign a confirmation of
  receipt and return the confirmation to the student's campus.
         (b-5)  Notwithstanding Section 5.09, Chapter 5 (H.B. 1),
  79th Legislature, 3rd Called Session, 2006, the curriculum
  requirements for the recommended and advanced high school programs
  under Subsection (b-1) apply to students entering the ninth grade
  beginning with the 2011-2012 school year. This subsection expires
  September 1, 2015.
         SECTION 31.  Subsection (b), Section 28.0252, Education
  Code, is amended to read as follows:
         (b)  If the commissioner develops a standard method under
  this section, a school district shall use the standard method to
  compute a student's high school grade point average[, except that
  to the extent of a conflict between that method and the method
  adopted under Section 51.807, the student's grade point average
  computed in accordance with the method established under Section
  51.807 shall be used in determining the student's eligibility for
  university admission under Subchapter U, Chapter 51].
         SECTION 32.  Subsection (a), Section 29.062, Education Code,
  is amended to read as follows:
         (a)  The legislature recognizes that compliance with this
  subchapter is an imperative public necessity. Therefore, in
  accordance with the policy of the state, the agency shall evaluate
  the effectiveness of programs under this subchapter based on the
  student achievement [academic excellence] indicators adopted under
  Section 39.053 [39.051(a)], including the results of assessment
  instruments. The agency may combine evaluations under this section
  with federal accountability measures concerning students of
  limited English proficiency.
         SECTION 33.  Subsection (c), Section 29.094, Education Code,
  is amended to read as follows:
         (c)  A campus may apply to the commissioner to participate in
  the pilot program. The commissioner may select for participation
  in the pilot program only campuses that have failed to improve
  student performance in reading according to standards established
  by the commissioner. The standards established by the commissioner
  for purposes of this subsection must be based on reading
  performance standards considered [required] for student promotion
  under Section 28.0211.
         SECTION 34.  Subdivision (1), Subsection (a), Section
  29.095, Education Code, as added by Chapter 1058 (H.B. 2237), Acts
  of the 80th Legislature, Regular Session, 2007, is amended to read
  as follows:
               (1)  "Council" means the High School Completion and
  Success Initiative Council established under Subchapter M [L],
  Chapter 39.
         SECTION 35.  Subsection (c), Section 29.095, Education Code,
  as added by Chapter 1058 (H.B. 2237), Acts of the 80th Legislature,
  Regular Session, 2007, is amended to read as follows:
         (c)  The commissioner may award a grant in an amount not to
  exceed $5,000 in a school year to a school district on behalf of a
  student club at a district high school campus that is eligible under
  the criteria established under Section 39.408 [39.358]. To be
  eligible for a grant, the student club and the club's sponsor must
  be sanctioned by the campus and district. A grant awarded under
  this program must be matched by other federal, state, or local
  funds, including donations, in an amount equal to the amount of the
  grant. A district shall seek donations or sponsorships from local
  businesses or community organizations to raise the matching funds.
  The commissioner may award a grant on behalf of more than one
  student club at a campus in the same school year.
         SECTION 36.  Subsections (a) and (c), Section 29.096,
  Education Code, are amended to read as follows:
         (a)  In this section, "council" means the High School
  Completion and Success Initiative Council established under
  Subchapter M [L], Chapter 39.
         (c)  A school district or open-enrollment charter school is
  eligible to participate and receive a grant under this section
  under the eligibility criteria established under Section 39.408
  [39.358].
         SECTION 37.  Subdivision (1), Subsection (a), Section
  29.097, Education Code, is amended to read as follows:
               (1)  "Council" means the High School Completion and
  Success Initiative Council established under Subchapter M [L],
  Chapter 39.
         SECTION 38.  Subsection (c), Section 29.097, Education Code,
  is amended to read as follows:
         (c)  The commissioner may select for participation in the
  pilot program only a campus that is eligible under the criteria
  established under Section 39.408 [39.358].
         SECTION 39.  Subsection (c), Section 29.098, Education Code,
  is amended to read as follows:
         (c)  The commissioner of education may select for
  participation in the pilot program only a campus that is eligible
  under the criteria established under Section 39.408 [39.358].
         SECTION 40.  Subsection (a), Section 29.202, Education Code,
  is amended to read as follows:
         (a)  A student is eligible to receive a public education
  grant or to attend another public school in the district in which
  the student resides under this subchapter if the student is
  assigned to attend a public school campus:
               (1)  at which 50 percent or more of the students did not
  perform satisfactorily on an assessment instrument administered
  under Section 39.023(a) or (c) in any two of the preceding three
  years; or
               (2)  that [was], at any time in the preceding three
  years, failed to satisfy any standard [considered academically
  unacceptable] under Section 39.054(d) [39.132].
         SECTION 41.  Subsection (d), Section 29.904, Education Code,
  is amended to read as follows:
         (d)  A plan developed under this section:
               (1)  must establish clear, achievable goals for
  increasing the percentage of the school district's graduating
  seniors, particularly the graduating seniors attending a high
  school described by Subsection (a), who enroll in an institution of
  higher education for the academic year following graduation;
               (2)  must establish an accurate method of measuring
  progress toward the goals established under Subdivision (1) that
  may include the percentage of district high school students and the
  percentage of students attending a district high school described
  by Subsection (a) who:
                     (A)  are enrolled in a course for which a student
  may earn college credit, such as an advanced placement or
  international baccalaureate course or a course offered through
  concurrent enrollment in high school and at an institution of
  higher education;
                     (B)  are enrolled in courses that meet the
  curriculum requirements for the recommended or advanced high school
  program as determined under Section 28.025;
                     (C)  have submitted a free application for federal
  student aid (FAFSA);
                     (D)  are exempt under Section 51.3062(p) or (q)
  [51.306(l) or (m)] from administration of an assessment [a test]
  instrument under Section 51.3062 [51.306] or have performed
  successfully on an assessment [a test] instrument under Section
  51.3062 [51.306];
                     (E)  graduate from high school;
                     (F)  graduate from an institution of higher
  education; and
                     (G)  have taken college entrance examinations and
  the average score of those students on the examinations;
               (3)  must cover a period of at least five years; and
               (4)  may be directed at district students at any level
  of primary or secondary education.
         SECTION 42.  Subsection (e), Section 29.906, Education Code,
  is amended to read as follows:
         (e)  The agency shall:
               (1)  maintain a list of character education programs
  that school districts have implemented that meet the criteria under
  Subsection (b);
               (2)  based on data reported by districts, annually
  designate as a Character Plus School each school that provides a
  character education program that:
                     (A)  meets the criteria prescribed by Subsection
  (b); and
                     (B)  is approved by the committee selected under
  Subsection (c); and
               (3)  include in the report required under Section
  39.332 [39.182]:
                     (A)  based on data reported by districts, the
  impact of character education programs on student discipline and
  academic achievement; and
                     (B)  other reported data relating to character
  education programs the agency considers appropriate for inclusion.
         SECTION 43.  Subsections (a) and (c), Section 29.918,
  Education Code, are amended to read as follows:
         (a)  Notwithstanding Section 39.234 [39.114] or 42.152, a
  school district or open-enrollment charter school with a high
  dropout rate, as determined by the commissioner, must submit a plan
  to the commissioner describing the manner in which the district or
  charter school intends to use the compensatory education allotment
  under Section 42.152 and the high school allotment under Section
  42.2516(b)(3) for developing and implementing research-based
  strategies for dropout prevention. The district or charter school
  shall submit the plan not later than December 1 of each school year
  preceding the school year in which the district or charter school
  will receive the compensatory education allotment or high school
  allotment to which the plan applies.
         (c)  The commissioner shall adopt rules to administer this
  section. The commissioner may impose interventions or sanctions
  under Section 39.101 [39.131] or 39.103 [39.1321] if a school
  district or open-enrollment charter school fails to timely comply
  with this section.
         SECTION 44.  Section 30A.101, Education Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 30A.101.  ELIGIBILITY TO ACT AS PROVIDER SCHOOL
  DISTRICT OR SCHOOL. (a)  A school district is eligible to act as a
  provider school district under this chapter only if the district is
  rated accredited [academically acceptable or higher] under Section
  39.052 [39.072].
         (b)  An open-enrollment charter school is eligible to act as
  a provider school under this chapter only if the school satisfies
  all performance standards [is rated recognized or higher] under
  Section 39.054(d) [39.072], and may serve as a provider school
  only:
               (1)  to a student within the school district in which
  the school is located or within its service area, whichever is
  smaller; or
               (2)  to another student in the state through an
  agreement with the administering authority under Section 30A.153.
         SECTION 45.  Subsection (a), Section 32.157, Education Code,
  is amended to read as follows:
         (a)  After the expiration of the pilot project, the agency
  may review the pilot project based on the annual reports the agency
  receives from the board of trustees of participating school
  districts.  The agency may include the review of the pilot project
  in the comprehensive annual report required under Section 39.332
  [39.182] that covers the 2010-2011 school year.
         SECTION 46.  Subsection (b), Section 32.252, Education Code,
  is amended to read as follows:
         (b)  The portal must serve as a single point of access to
  educational resources other than student assessment data
  accessible through the student assessment data portal under Section
  32.258. In addition to any other purpose specified by this
  subchapter or any other educational purpose, the portal may be used
  to:
               (1)  alleviate inequities in access to educational
  resources by providing access to on-line courses;
               (2)  improve student academic performance by providing
  access to tutorial materials, instructional materials that have
  been shown to improve academic performance, and other interactive
  materials, including materials that assess an individual student's
  knowledge and prepare the student for the administration of a
  standardized assessment instrument, including an assessment
  instrument administered under Section 39.023;
               (3)  provide school districts with access to
  administrative software and other electronic tools designed to
  promote administrative efficiency and intra-district
  communication; or
               (4)  [provide secure access to student assessment data;
  or
               [(5)]  provide links to appropriate educational
  resources and experts available through the Internet.
         SECTION 47.  Section 32.258, Education Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 32.258.  STUDENT ASSESSMENT DATA; DATA PORTAL.
  (a)  The agency shall establish and maintain a student assessment
  data portal for use by school districts, teachers, parents,
  students, and public institutions of higher education. The
  agency shall [may] establish a secure, interoperable system to be
  implemented through the portal under which:
               (1)  a student or the student's parent or other person
  standing in parental relationship can easily access the student's
  individual assessment data;
               (2)  an authorized employee of a school district,
  including a district teacher, [districts] can readily access
  individual [student] assessment data of district students for use
  in developing strategies for improving student performance; and
               (3)  an authorized employee of a public institution of
  higher education can readily access individual assessment data of
  students applying for admission for use in developing strategies
  for improving student performance.
         (b)  The system established under Subsection (a) shall
  provide a means for a student or the student's parent or other
  person standing in parental relationship to track the student's
  progress on assessment instrument requirements for graduation.
         (c)  The agency shall establish an interoperable system to be
  implemented through the portal under which general student
  assessment data is easily accessible to the public.
         (d)  Student assessment data provided under this section
  must:
               (1)  be available on or before the first instructional
  day of the school year following the year in which the data is
  collected; and
               (2)  include student performance data on assessment
  instruments over multiple years, beginning with the 2007-2008
  school year, including any data indicating progress in student
  achievement.
         (e)  Each [(b)  In establishing the] system established
  under [required by] this section must permit comparisons of[, the
  agency shall seek to further the goal of providing school districts
  with access to] student performance information at the classroom,
  campus, district, and state levels [level].
         SECTION 48.  Section 39.023, Education Code, is amended by
  adding Subsection (a-1) and amending Subsections (c-4) and (e) to
  read as follows:
         (a-1)  The agency shall develop assessment instruments
  required under Subsection (a) in a manner that allows, to the extent
  practicable:
               (1)  the score a student receives to provide reliable
  information relating to a student's satisfactory performance for
  each performance standard under Section 39.0241; and
               (2)  an appropriate range of performances to serve as a
  valid indication of growth in student achievement.
         (c-4)  To the extent practicable and subject to Section
  39.024, the agency shall ensure that each end-of-course assessment
  instrument adopted under Subsection (c) is:
               (1)  developed in a manner that measures a student's
  performance under the college readiness standards established
  under Section 28.008; and
               (2)  validated by national postsecondary education
  experts for college readiness content and performance standards.
         (e)  Under rules adopted by the State Board of Education,
  every third year, the agency shall release the questions and answer
  keys to each assessment instrument administered under Subsection
  (a), (b), (c), (d), or (l), excluding any assessment instrument
  administered to a student for the purpose of retaking the
  assessment instrument, after the last time the instrument is
  administered for that school year. To ensure a valid bank of
  questions for use each year, the agency is not required to release a
  question that is being field-tested and was not used to compute the
  student's score on the instrument. The agency shall also release,
  under board rule, each question that is no longer being
  field-tested and that was not used to compute a student's score.
         SECTION 49.  Subsection (d), Section 39.0233, Education
  Code, is amended to read as follows:
         (d)  The questions adopted under this section may not [must]
  be administered in a separate section of the end-of-course
  assessment instrument [in which the questions are included].
         SECTION 50.  Subchapter B, Chapter 39, Education Code, is
  amended by amending Section 39.024 and adding Sections 39.0241 and
  39.0242 to read as follows:
         Sec. 39.024.  MEASURE OF COLLEGE READINESS. (a)  In this
  section, "college readiness" means the level of preparation a
  student must attain in English language arts and mathematics
  courses to enroll and succeed, without remediation, in an
  entry-level general education course for credit in that same
  content area at:
               (1)  a postsecondary educational institution that
  primarily offers baccalaureate degrees and primarily serves a
  limited geographic region; or
               (2)  a postsecondary educational institution that
  primarily offers associate degrees or certificates or credentials
  other than baccalaureate or advanced degrees.
         (b)  The agency shall ensure that the Algebra II and English
  III end-of-course assessment instruments required under Section
  39.023(c) are developed to be capable of, beginning with the
  2011-2012 school year, measuring college readiness.
         (c)  Before the beginning of the 2011-2012 school year, the
  agency shall gather data and conduct research studies to
  substantiate the correlation between a certain level of performance
  by students on the Algebra II and English III end-of-course
  assessment instruments and college readiness.
         (d)  Studies under Subsection (c) must include an evaluation
  of any need for remediation courses to facilitate college
  readiness.
         (e)  Based on the results of the studies conducted under
  Subsection (c), the commissioner of education, in conjunction with
  the commissioner of higher education, shall establish student
  performance standards for the Algebra II and English III
  end-of-course assessment instruments indicating that students have
  attained college readiness.
         (f)  To the extent practicable, the agency, in conjunction
  with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, shall conduct
  research studies similar to the studies conducted under Subsection
  (c) for the appropriate science and social studies end-of-course
  assessment instruments. If the commissioner of education, in
  conjunction with the commissioner of higher education, determines
  that the research studies conducted under this subsection
  substantiate a correlation between a certain level of performance
  by students on science and social studies end-of-course assessment
  instruments and college readiness, the commissioner of education,
  in conjunction with the commissioner of higher education, as soon
  as practicable, may establish student performance standards for the
  science and social studies end-of-course assessment instruments
  indicating that students have attained college readiness.
         (f-1)  Not later than December 1, 2012, the agency shall
  deliver to the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of
  representatives, and the clerks of the standing committees of the
  senate and the house of representatives with primary jurisdiction
  over public education a report that includes:
               (1)  an analysis of the feasibility of establishing
  college readiness performance standards for science and social
  studies end-of-course assessment instruments; and
               (2)  a summary of any implementation procedures adopted
  for each standard.
         (f-2)  Subsection (f-1) and this subsection expire January
  1, 2013.
         (g)  The agency shall continue to gather data to perform
  studies as provided under Subsections (c) and (f) at least once
  every three years.
         (h)  The agency and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating
  Board jointly shall periodically review the college readiness
  performance standards established under this section and compare
  the performance standards to performance standards established
  nationally and internationally for comparable assessment
  instruments. Following each review, the agency and the Texas
  Higher Education Coordinating Board shall deliver to the lieutenant
  governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the
  clerks of the standing committees of the senate and the house of
  representatives with primary jurisdiction over public education
  and higher education a joint report on the results of the review
  indicating whether the college readiness performance standards
  established under this section are sufficiently rigorous to prepare
  students in this state to compete academically with students
  nationally and internationally. If the agency and the Texas Higher
  Education Coordinating Board determine that the college readiness
  performance standards established under this section are not
  sufficiently rigorous, the agency and board jointly shall recommend
  changes to the college readiness performance standards.
         (i)  The agency shall gather data and conduct research to
  substantiate any correlation between a certain level of performance
  by students on end-of-course assessment instruments and success in:
               (1)  military service; or
               (2)  a workforce training, certification, or other
  credential program at a postsecondary educational institution that
  primarily offers associate degrees or certificates or credentials
  other than baccalaureate or advanced degrees.
         Sec. 39.0241.  [SATISFACTORY] PERFORMANCE STANDARDS.
  (a)  Except as otherwise provided by Subsection (b) [this
  subsection], the commissioner [State Board of Education] shall
  determine the level of performance considered to be satisfactory on
  the assessment instruments.
         (a-1)  The commissioner of education, in conjunction with
  the commissioner of higher education, shall determine the level of
  performance necessary to indicate college readiness, as defined by
  Section 39.024(a).
         (a-2)  For the purpose of establishing performance across
  grade levels, the commissioner shall establish:
               (1)  the performance standards for the Algebra II and
  English III end-of-course assessment instruments, as provided
  under Section 39.024(b) and under Subsection (a);
               (2)  the performance standards for the Algebra I and
  English II end-of-course assessment instruments, as determined
  based on studies under Section 39.0242 that correlate student
  performance on the Algebra I and English II end-of-course
  assessment instruments with student performance on the Algebra II
  and English III assessment instruments;
               (3)  the performance standards for the English I
  end-of-course assessment instrument, as determined based on
  studies under Section 39.0242 that correlate student performance on
  the English I end-of-course assessment instrument with student
  performance on the English II assessment instrument;
               (4)  the performance standards for the grade eight
  assessment instruments, as determined based on studies under
  Section 39.0242 that correlate student performance on the grade
  eight assessment instruments with student performance on the
  Algebra I and English I end-of-course assessment instruments in the
  same content area;
               (5)  the performance standards for the grade seven
  assessment instruments, as determined based on studies under
  Section 39.0242 that correlate student performance on the grade
  seven assessment instruments with student performance on the grade
  eight assessment instruments in the same content area;
               (6)  the performance standards for the grade six
  assessment instruments, as determined based on studies under
  Section 39.0242 that correlate student performance on the grade six
  assessment instruments with student performance on the grade seven
  assessment instruments in the same content area;
               (7)  the performance standards for the grade five
  assessment instruments, as determined based on studies under
  Section 39.0242 that correlate student performance on the grade
  five assessment instruments with student performance on the grade
  six assessment instruments in the same content area;
               (8)  the performance standards for the grade four
  assessment instruments, as determined based on studies under
  Section 39.0242 that correlate student performance on the grade
  four assessment instruments with student performance on the grade
  five assessment instruments in the same content area; and
               (9)  the performance standards for the grade three
  assessment instruments, as determined based on studies under
  Section 39.0242 that correlate student performance on the grade
  three assessment instruments with student performance on the grade
  four assessment instruments in the same content area.
         (b)  The admission, review, and dismissal committee of a
  student being assessed under Section 39.023(b) shall determine the
  level of performance considered to be satisfactory on the
  assessment instruments administered to that student in accordance
  with criteria established by agency rule.
         (c)  The agency shall develop study guides for the assessment
  instruments administered under Sections 39.023(a) and (c). To
  assist parents in providing assistance during the period that
  school is recessed for summer, each school district shall make
  available [distribute] the study guides to parents of students who
  do not perform satisfactorily on one or more parts of an assessment
  instrument administered under this subchapter.
         (d)  The agency shall develop and make available teacher
  training materials and other teacher training resources to assist
  teachers in enabling students of limited English proficiency to
  meet state performance expectations. The teacher training
  resources shall be designed to support intensive, individualized,
  and accelerated instructional programs developed by school
  districts for students of limited English proficiency.
         (e)  The commissioner shall retain a portion of the total
  amount of funds allotted under Section 42.152(a) that the
  commissioner considers appropriate to finance activities under
  Subsection [Subsections] (c) and may retain a portion for
  activities under Subsection (d) and for intensive programs of
  instruction for students of limited English proficiency offered by
  school districts and shall reduce each district's allotment
  proportionately.
         Sec. 39.0242.  PERFORMANCE STANDARDS: RESEARCH STUDIES AND
  IMPLEMENTATION OF STANDARDS. (a)  During the 2009-2010 and
  2010-2011 school years, the agency shall collect data through:
               (1)  the annual administration of assessment
  instruments required under Section 39.023(a) in grades three
  through eight; and
               (2)  the administration to a sufficiently large sample
  of students throughout the state of end-of-course assessment
  instruments required under Section 39.023(c) for the purpose of
  setting performance standards.
         (b)  Before the beginning of the 2011-2012 school year, the
  agency shall analyze the data collected under Subsection (a) to
  substantiate:
               (1)  the correlation between satisfactory student
  performance for each performance standard under Section 39.0241 on
  the grade three, four, five, six, or seven assessment instruments
  with satisfactory performance under the same performance standard
  on the assessment instruments in the same content area for the next
  grade level;
               (2)  the correlation between satisfactory student
  performance for each performance standard under Section 39.0241 on
  the grade eight assessment instruments with satisfactory
  performance under the same performance standard on the Algebra I
  and English I end-of-course assessment instruments in the same
  content area;
               (3)  the correlation between satisfactory student
  performance for each performance standard under Section 39.0241 on
  the English I end-of-course assessment instrument with
  satisfactory performance under the same performance standard on the
  English II end-of-course assessment instrument;
               (4)  the correlation between satisfactory student
  performance for each performance standard under Section 39.0241 on
  the English II end-of-course assessment instrument with
  satisfactory performance under the same performance standard on the
  English III end-of-course assessment instrument; and
               (5)  the correlation between satisfactory student
  performance for each performance standard under Section 39.0241 on
  the Algebra I end-of-course assessment instrument with
  satisfactory performance under the same performance standard on the
  Algebra II end-of-course assessment instrument.
         (c)  Studies under this section must include an evaluation of
  any need for remediation courses to facilitate college readiness.
         (d)  The agency shall continue to gather data and perform
  studies as provided under this section at least once every three
  years. If the data do not support the correlation between student
  performance standards and college readiness, the commissioner of
  education, in collaboration with the commissioner of higher
  education, shall revise the standard of performance considered to
  be satisfactory.
         (e)  Based on the data collected and studies performed
  periodically under Subsection (d), the commissioner shall increase
  the rigor of the performance standard established under Section
  39.0241(a) as the commissioner determines necessary.
         SECTION 51.  Section 39.025, Education Code, is amended by
  amending Subsections (a), (a-1), (b), (b-1), (b-2), and (f) and
  adding Subsections (a-2) and (c-1) to read as follows:
         (a)  The commissioner shall adopt rules requiring a student
  participating in the recommended or advanced high school program to
  be administered each end-of-course assessment instrument listed in
  Section 39.023(c) and requiring a student participating in the
  minimum high school program to be administered an end-of-course
  assessment instrument listed in Section 39.023(c) only for Algebra
  I and English III and any other [a] course in which the student is
  enrolled and for which an end-of-course assessment instrument is
  administered. Except as otherwise provided by this section, a [A]
  student is required to perform satisfactorily under either
  performance standard under Section 39.0241 on two of the three
  end-of-course assessment instruments [achieve,] in each subject in
  which the student is required to take end-of-course assessment
  instruments [in the foundation curriculum under Section
  28.002(a)(1), a cumulative score that is at least equal to the
  product of the number of end-of-course assessment instruments
  administered to the student in that subject and 70, with each
  end-of-course assessment instrument scored on a scale of 100. A
  student must achieve a score of at least 60 on an end-of-course
  assessment instrument for the score to count towards the student's
  cumulative score]. Except as provided under Subsection (a-2), a
  student participating in the minimum high school program must
  perform satisfactorily on the Algebra I and English III
  end-of-course assessment instruments and a student participating
  in the recommended or advanced high school program must perform
  satisfactorily on the Algebra II and English III end-of-course
  assessment instruments. A student who performs satisfactorily on
  the Algebra II and English III end-of-course assessment instruments
  under the college readiness performance standard, as determined
  under Section 39.024, is not required to comply with the
  requirement to perform satisfactorily on two of three end-of-course
  assessment instruments in those subjects [For purposes of this
  subsection, a student's cumulative score is determined using the
  student's highest score on each end-of-course assessment
  instrument administered to the student]. A student may not receive
  a high school diploma until the student has performed
  satisfactorily on the end-of-course assessment instruments in the
  manner provided under this subsection. [This subsection does not
  require a student to demonstrate readiness to enroll in an
  institution of higher education.]
         (a-1)  The student's score on an end-of-course assessment
  instrument constitutes 15 percent of the student's grade in the
  course for which the assessment instrument is administered.
         (a-2)  The commissioner by rule shall determine a method by
  which a student's satisfactory performance on an advanced placement
  test, international baccalaureate examination, a Scholastic
  Assessment Test (SAT) Subject Test, or another assessment
  instrument determined by the commissioner to be at least as
  rigorous as an end-of-course assessment instrument adopted under
  Section 39.023(c) may be used as a factor in determining whether the
  student satisfies the requirements of Subsection (a)[, including
  the cumulative score requirement of that subsection]. The
  commissioner by rule may determine a method by which a student's
  satisfactory performance on a Preliminary Scholastic Assessment
  Test (PSAT) assessment or a preliminary American College Test (ACT)
  assessment may be used as a factor in determining whether the
  student satisfies the requirements of Subsection (a).
         (b)  Each time an end-of-course assessment instrument is
  administered, a student who failed to perform satisfactorily
  [achieve a score of at least 60] on the assessment instrument as
  determined by the commissioner under Section 39.0241(a) shall
  retake the assessment instrument. A student who fails to perform
  satisfactorily on an Algebra II or English III end-of-course
  assessment instrument under the college readiness performance
  standard, as determined under Section 39.024(b), may retake the
  assessment instrument [Any other student may retake an
  end-of-course assessment instrument for any reason]. A student is
  not required to retake a course as a condition of retaking an
  end-of-course assessment instrument.
         (b-1)  A school district shall provide each student who fails
  to perform satisfactorily as determined by the commissioner under
  Section 39.0241(a) [achieve a score of at least 70] on an
  end-of-course assessment instrument with accelerated instruction
  in the subject assessed by the assessment instrument.
         (b-2)  The agency, in collaboration with the Texas Higher
  Education Coordinating Board, shall develop senior-level English
  language arts and mathematics accelerated instruction courses for
  purposes of this section. If [a school district determines that] a
  student does not demonstrate the performance standard for college
  readiness as provided by Section 39.024(b) on the Algebra II or
  English III end-of-course assessment instrument[, on completion of
  grade 11, is unlikely to achieve the cumulative score requirements
  for one or more subjects prescribed by Subsection (a) for receiving
  a high school diploma], the district shall offer [require] the
  student the opportunity to enroll in a [corresponding content-area
  college preparatory] course described by this subsection [for which
  an end-of-course assessment instrument has been adopted, if
  available]. A student who enrolls in a [college preparatory]
  course described by this subsection shall be administered an
  appropriate end-of-course assessment instrument [for the course,
  with the end-of-course assessment instrument scored on a scale of
  40. A student may use the student's score on the end-of-course
  assessment instrument for the college preparatory course towards
  satisfying the cumulative score requirements] prescribed by
  Subsection (a).
         (c-1)  A school district may not administer an assessment
  instrument required for graduation administered under this section
  as this section existed before September 1, 1999. A school district
  may administer to a student who failed to perform satisfactorily on
  an assessment instrument described by this subsection an alternate
  assessment instrument selected from a list of assessment
  instruments approved by the commissioner. The commissioner shall
  determine the level of performance considered to be satisfactory on
  an alternate assessment instrument. The district may not
  administer to the student an assessment instrument or a part of an
  assessment instrument that assesses a subject that was not assessed
  in an assessment instrument required for graduation administered
  under this section as this section existed before September 1,
  1999. The commissioner shall make available to districts
  information necessary to administer the alternate assessment
  instrument authorized by this subsection. The determination of the
  commissioner regarding the list of approved alternate assessment
  instruments under this subsection and the performance required on
  the assessment instruments are final and may not be appealed.
         (f)  The commissioner shall by rule adopt a transition plan
  to implement the amendments made by Chapter 1312 (S.B. No. 1031),
  Acts of the 80th Legislature, Regular Session, 2007, replacing
  general subject assessment instruments administered at the high
  school level with end-of-course assessment instruments [to this
  section and Sections 39.023(a) and (c) and 39.051(b)(5)]. The
  rules must provide for the end-of-course assessment instruments
  adopted under Section 39.023(c) to be administered beginning with
  students entering the ninth grade during the 2011-2012 school year.
  During the period under which the transition to end-of-course
  assessment instruments is made:
               (1)  for students entering a grade above the ninth
  grade during the 2011-2012 school year, the commissioner shall
  retain, administer, and use for purposes of district accreditation
  and other campus and district accountability measures [ratings]
  under this chapter [Subchapter D] the assessment instruments
  required by Section 39.023(a) or (c), as that section existed
  before amendment by Chapter 1312 (S.B. No. 1031), Acts of the 80th
  Legislature, Regular Session, 2007;
               (2)  a student subject to Subdivision (1) may not
  receive a high school diploma unless the student has performed
  satisfactorily on the English language arts, mathematics, science,
  and social studies assessment instruments administered under
  Section 39.023(c), as that section existed before amendment by
  Chapter 1312 (S.B. No. 1031), Acts of the 80th Legislature, Regular
  Session, 2007; and
               (3) [(2)]  the agency may defer releasing assessment
  instrument questions and answer keys as required by Section
  39.023(e) to the extent necessary to develop additional assessment
  instruments.
         SECTION 52.  Section 39.0261, Education Code, is amended by
  adding Subsection (a-1) to read as follows:
         (a-1)  As part of the assessment program under Section
  39.022, the commissioner by rule shall develop a plan for
  implementing college preparation assessment instruments under this
  section beginning with eighth grade assessment instruments under
  Subsection (a)(1) in the 2010-2011 school year.
         SECTION 53.  Section 39.027, Education Code, is amended by
  amending Subsections (a) and (e) and adding Subsections (a-1) and
  (a-2) to read as follows:
         (a)  A student may be administered an accommodated or
  alternative assessment instrument or may be granted an exemption
  [exempted] from or a postponement of the administration of an
  assessment instrument under:
               (1)  Section 39.023(a) or (b) if the student is
  eligible for a special education program under Section 29.003 and
  the student's individualized education program does not include
  instruction in the essential knowledge and skills under Section
  28.002 at any grade level;
               (2)  Section 39.023(c) or (d) if the student is
  eligible for a special education program under Section 29.003 and:
                     (A)  the student's individualized education
  program does not include instruction in the essential knowledge and
  skills under Section 28.002 at any grade level; or
                     (B)  the assessment instrument, even with
  allowable modifications, would not provide an appropriate measure
  of the student's achievement as determined by the student's
  admission, review, and dismissal committee;
               (3)  Section 39.023(a), (b), (c), or (l) for a period of
  up to three years [one year] after initial enrollment in a school in
  the United States if the student is an immigrant and a student of
  limited English proficiency, as defined by Section 29.052, who, as
  a result of inadequate schooling outside of the United States,
  lacks the necessary foundation in the essential knowledge and
  skills of the curriculum [and has not demonstrated proficiency in
  English as determined by the assessment system under Subsection
  (e)]; or
               (4)  Section 39.023(a), (b), (c), or (l) for a period of
  up to five [two] years, if the student is a student of limited
  English proficiency, as defined by Section 29.052, whose initial
  enrollment in a school in the United States was as an unschooled
  asylee or refugee [in addition to the exemption period authorized
  by Subdivision (3) if the student has received an exemption under
  Subdivision (3) and:
                     [(A)  is a recent unschooled immigrant; or
                     [(B)     is in a grade for which no assessment
  instrument in the primary language of the student is available].
         (a-1)  The language proficiency assessment committee
  established under Section 29.063 shall determine whether a student
  meets the criteria under Subsection (a)(3) or (4). The
  commissioner by rule shall develop procedures under which the
  language proficiency assessment committee makes a determination
  under this subsection. In adopting rules under this subsection,
  the commissioner shall:
               (1)  consider the end-of-course requirements for
  graduation for students; and
               (2)  ensure that the language proficiency assessment
  committee requires students to be administered assessment
  instruments under this section at the earliest practical date.
         (a-2)  For purposes of this section, "unschooled asylee or
  refugee" means a student who:
               (1)  initially enrolled in a school in the United
  States as:
                     (A)  an asylee as defined by 45 C.F.R. Section
  400.41; or
                     (B)  a refugee as defined by 8 U.S.C. Section
  1101;
               (2)  has a visa issued by the United States Department
  of State with a Form I-94 Arrival/Departure record, or a successor
  document, issued by the United States Citizenship and Immigration
  Services that is stamped with "Asylee," "Refugee," or "Asylum"; and
               (3)  has had little or no formal schooling outside of
  the United States and lacks even rudimentary literacy skills.
         (e)  The commissioner shall develop an assessment system
  that shall be used for evaluating the academic progress, including
  reading proficiency in English, of all students of limited English
  proficiency, as defined by Section 29.052. A student who is exempt
  from the administration of an assessment instrument under
  Subsection (a)(3) or (4) who achieves reading proficiency in
  English as determined by the assessment system developed under this
  subsection shall be administered the assessment instruments
  described by Sections 39.023(a) and (c). The performance under the
  assessment system developed under this subsection of students to
  whom Subsection (a)(3) or (4) applies shall be included in the
  [academic excellence] indicator system under Section 39.301, as
  applicable [Section 39.051], the performance report under Section
  39.306 [39.053], and the comprehensive annual report under Section
  39.332 [39.182]. This information shall be provided in a manner
  that is disaggregated by the bilingual education or special
  language program, if any, in which the student is enrolled.
         SECTION 54.  Subsection (b), Section 39.033, Education Code,
  is amended to read as follows:
         (b)  An agreement under this section must require the private
  school to:
               (1)  as determined appropriate by the commissioner,
  provide to the commissioner the information described by Sections
  39.053(c) and 39.301(c); [Section 39.051(b)] and
               (2)  [to] maintain confidentiality in compliance with
  Section 39.030.
         SECTION 55.  Section 39.034, Education Code, is amended by
  amending Subsection (d) and adding Subsection (d-1) to read as
  follows:
         (d)  The agency shall determine the necessary annual
  improvement required each year for a student to be prepared to
  perform satisfactorily on, as applicable:
               (1)  the grade five assessment instruments;
               (2)  the grade eight assessment instruments; and
               (3)  the end-of-course assessment instruments required
  under this subchapter for graduation.
         (d-1)  The agency shall report the necessary annual
  improvement required under Subsection (d) to the district.  Each
  year, the report must state whether the student fell below, met, or
  exceeded the necessary target for improvement.
         SECTION 56.  Subchapters C through L, Chapter 39, Education
  Code, as amended by Section 2.25, Chapter 396 (S.B. 4), and Section
  4, Chapter 931 (H.B. 2307), Acts of the 76th Legislature, Regular
  Session, 1999, are amended to read as follows:
  SUBCHAPTER C. ACCREDITATION [PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
  [SUBCHAPTER D. ACCREDITATION STATUS]
         Sec. 39.051 [39.071].  ACCREDITATION STATUS.
  [(a)]  Accreditation of a school district is determined in
  accordance with this subchapter [section]. The commissioner by
  rule shall determine in accordance with this subchapter the
  criteria for [define] the following accreditation statuses:
               (1)  accredited;
               (2)  accredited-warned; and
               (3)  accredited-probation.
         Sec. 39.052.  DETERMINATION OF ACCREDITATION STATUS.
  (a)  Not later than August 8 of each [(b)  Each] year, the
  commissioner shall determine the accreditation status of each
  school district.
         (b)  In determining the accreditation status of a school
  district, the commissioner:
               (1)  shall evaluate and consider:
                     (A)  [the] performance on student achievement
  indicators described by Section 39.053(c);
                     (B)  whether a significant pattern of decreased
  academic performance has developed as a result of the promotion in
  the preceding two school years of students who did not perform
  satisfactorily as determined by the commissioner under Section
  39.0241(a) on assessment instruments administered under Section
  39.023(a), (c), or (l) [of the district under:
                     [(A)     the academic accountability system under
  Section 39.072]; and
                     (C)  performance under [(B)] the financial
  accountability rating system developed under Subchapter D [I]; and
               (2)  may evaluate and consider:
                     (A)  the district's compliance with statutory
  requirements and requirements imposed by rule of the commissioner
  or State Board of Education under specific statutory authority that
  relate to:
                           (i)  reporting data through the Public
  Education Information Management System (PEIMS) or other reports
  required by state or federal law or court order;
                           (ii)  the high school graduation
  requirements under Section 28.025; or
                           (iii)  an item listed under Sections
  7.056(e)(3)(C)-(I) that applies to the district;
                     (B)  the effectiveness of the district's programs
  for special populations; and
                     (C)  the effectiveness of the district's career
  and technology program.
         (c)  Based on a school district's performance under
  Subsection (b), the commissioner shall:
               (1)  assign each [a] district an accreditation status;
  or
               (2)  revoke the accreditation of the district and order
  closure of the district under this subchapter.
         (d)  A school district's accreditation status may be raised
  or lowered based on the district's performance or may be lowered
  based on the performance of one or more campuses in the district
  that is below a standard required under this subchapter.
         (e) [(d)]  The commissioner shall notify a school district
  that receives an accreditation status of accredited-warned or
  accredited-probation or a campus that performs below a standard
  required under this subchapter that the performance of the district
  or campus is below a standard required under this subchapter. If
  the district received an accreditation status of accredited-warned
  or accredited-probation for the preceding school year or if any
  campus performed below a standard required under this subchapter in
  the preceding school year, the commissioner shall notify the
  district or campus of a subsequent such designation on or before
  June 15 [section]. The commissioner shall require the district to
  notify the parents of students enrolled in the district and
  property owners in the district of the district's accreditation
  status and the implications of that accreditation status.
         (f) [(e)]  A school district that is not accredited may not
  receive funds from the agency or hold itself out as operating a
  public school of this state.
         (g) [(f)]  This chapter may not be construed to invalidate a
  diploma awarded, course credit earned, or grade promotion granted
  by a school district before the commissioner revoked the district's
  accreditation.
         Sec. 39.053.  PERFORMANCE INDICATORS: STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT.
  (a)  The commissioner shall adopt a set of indicators of the
  quality of learning and student achievement. The commissioner
  biennially shall review the indicators for the consideration of
  appropriate revisions.
         [Sec.   39.051.     ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE INDICATORS. (a)     The
  State Board of Education shall adopt a set of indicators of the
  quality of learning on a campus. The State Board of Education
  biennially shall review the indicators for the consideration of
  appropriate revisions.]
         (b)  Performance on the student achievement indicators
  adopted under this section shall be compared to state-established
  standards. The degree of change from one school year to the next in
  performance on each indicator adopted under this section shall also
  be considered. The indicators must be based on information that is
  disaggregated by race, ethnicity, [gender,] and socioeconomic
  status.
         (c)  Indicators of student achievement adopted under this
  section [and] must include:
               (1)  the results of assessment instruments required
  under Sections 39.023(a), (c), and (l), including the results of
  assessment instruments required for graduation retaken by a
  student, aggregated across [by] grade levels by [level and] subject
  area, including:
                     (A)  for the performance standard determined by
  the commissioner under Section 39.0241(a):
                           (i)  the percentage of students who
  performed satisfactorily on the assessment instruments, aggregated
  across grade levels by subject area; and
                           (ii)  for students who did not perform
  satisfactorily, the percentage of students who met the standard for
  annual improvement, as determined by the agency under Section
  39.034, on the assessment instruments, aggregated across grade
  levels by subject area; and
                     (B)  for the college readiness performance
  standard as determined under Section 39.0241:
                           (i)  the percentage of students who
  performed satisfactorily on the assessment instruments, aggregated
  across grade levels by subject area; and
                           (ii)  for students who did not perform
  satisfactorily, the percentage of students who met the standard for
  annual improvement, as determined by the agency under Section
  39.034, on the assessment instruments, aggregated across grade
  levels by subject area;
               (2)  dropout rates, including dropout rates and
  district completion rates for grade levels 9 through 12, computed
  in accordance with standards and definitions adopted by the
  National Center for Education Statistics of the United States
  Department of Education; and
               (3)  high school graduation rates, computed in
  accordance with standards and definitions adopted in compliance
  with the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (20 U.S.C. Section 6301 et
  seq.).
         (d)  For purposes of Subsection (c), the commissioner by rule
  shall determine the period within which a student must retake an
  assessment instrument for that assessment instrument to be
  considered in determining the accreditation status of the district.
         (e)  [(Pub. L. No. 107-110);
               [(4)  student attendance rates;
               [(5)     the percentage of graduating students who attain
  scores on the questions developed for end-of-course assessment
  instruments under Section 39.0233(a) that are equivalent to a
  passing score on the assessment instrument required under Section
  51.3062;
               [(6)     the percentage of graduating students who meet
  the course requirements established for the recommended high school
  program by State Board of Education rule;
               [(7)     the results of the Scholastic Assessment Test
  (SAT), the American College Test (ACT), articulated postsecondary
  degree programs described by Section 61.852, and certified
  workforce training programs described by Chapter 311, Labor Code;
               [(8)     the percentage of students, aggregated by grade
  level, provided accelerated instruction under Section 28.0211(c),
  the results of assessments administered under that section, the
  percentage of students promoted through the grade placement
  committee process under Section 28.0211, the subject of the
  assessment instrument on which each student failed to perform
  satisfactorily, and the performance of those students in the school
  year following that promotion on the assessment instruments
  required under Section 39.023;
               [(9)     for students who have failed to perform
  satisfactorily on an assessment instrument required under Section
  39.023(a) or (c), the numerical progress of those students grouped
  by percentage on subsequent assessment instruments required under
  those sections, aggregated by grade level and subject area;
               [(10)     the percentage of students exempted, by
  exemption category, from the assessment program generally
  applicable under this chapter;
               [(11)     the percentage of students of limited English
  proficiency exempted from the administration of an assessment
  instrument under Sections 39.027(a)(3) and (4);
               [(12)     the percentage of students in a special
  education program under Subchapter A, Chapter 29, assessed through
  assessment instruments developed or adopted under Section
  39.023(b);
               [(13)     the measure of progress toward preparation for
  postsecondary success; and
               [(14)     the measure of progress toward dual language
  proficiency under Section 39.034(b), for students of limited
  English proficiency, as defined by Section 29.052.
         [(b-1)     Performance on the indicators described by
  Subsections (b)(1), (2), (3), (8), (9), and (14) must be based on
  longitudinal student data that is disaggregated by the bilingual
  education or special language program, if any, in which students of
  limited English proficiency, as defined by Section 29.052, are or
  former students of limited English proficiency were enrolled. If a
  student described by this subsection is not or was not enrolled in
  specialized language instruction, the number and percentage of
  those students shall be provided.
         [(c)]  Performance on the student achievement indicators
  [indicator] under Subsections (c)(1) and (2) [Subsection (b)(1)]
  shall be compared to state standards and[,] required improvement[,
  and comparable improvement]. The state standard shall be
  established by the commissioner. Required improvement is [defined
  as] the progress necessary for the campus or district to meet state
  standards and, for the student achievement indicator under
  Subsection (c)(1), for its students to meet each of the performance
  standards as determined under Section 39.0241.
         (f)  [exit requirements as defined by the commissioner.
  Comparable improvement is derived by measuring campuses and
  districts against a profile developed from a total state student
  performance database which exhibits substantial equivalence to the
  characteristics of students served by the campus or district,
  including past academic performance, socioeconomic status,
  ethnicity, and limited English proficiency.
         [(d)]  Annually, the commissioner shall define the state
  standard for the current school year for each student achievement
  [exemplary, recognized, and unacceptable performance for each
  academic excellence] indicator described by Subsection (c)
  [included under Subsections (b)(1) through (7)] and shall project
  the state standards for each [of those levels of performance for
  succeeding years. For the] indicator for the following two school
  [under Subsection (b)(8), the commissioner shall define exemplary,
  recognized, and unacceptable performance based on student
  performance for the period covering both the current and preceding
  academic] years.
         (g)  In defining the required state standard [exemplary,
  recognized, and unacceptable performance] for the indicator
  described by Subsection (c)(2) [indicators under Subsections
  (b)(2) and (4)], the commissioner may not consider as a dropout [or
  as] a student [who has failed to attend school a student] whose
  failure to attend school results from:
               (1)  the student's expulsion under Section 37.007; and
               (2)  as applicable:
                     (A)  adjudication as having engaged in delinquent
  conduct or conduct indicating a need for supervision, as defined by
  Section 51.03, Family Code; or
                     (B)  conviction of and sentencing for an offense
  under the Penal Code.
         (g-1)  In computing dropout and completion rates under
  Subsection (c)(2), the commissioner shall exclude:
               (1)  students who are ordered by a court to attend a
  high school equivalency certificate program but who have not yet
  earned a high school equivalency certificate;
               (2)  students who were previously reported to the state
  as dropouts;
               (3)  students in attendance who are not in membership
  for purposes of average daily attendance;
               (4)  students whose initial enrollment in a school in
  the United States in grades 7 through 12 was as unschooled refugees
  or asylees as defined by Section 39.027(a-2);
               (5)  students who are in the district exclusively as a
  function of having been detained at a county detention facility but
  are otherwise not students of the district in which the facility is
  located;
               (6)  students who return to school at any point up
  through the fourth Friday in October each year; and
               (7)  students who are incarcerated in state jails and
  federal penitentiaries as adults and as persons certified to stand
  trial as adults.
         (h) [(e)]  Each school district shall cooperate with the
  agency in determining whether a student is a dropout for purposes of
  accreditation and evaluating performance by school districts and
  campuses under this chapter [section].
         (i) [(f)     The indicator under Subsection (b)(1) must include
  the results of assessment instruments required under Section
  39.023(b).
         [(g)]  The commissioner by rule shall adopt accountability
  measures to be used in assessing the progress of students who have
  failed to perform satisfactorily as determined by the commissioner
  under Section 39.0241(a) or under the college readiness standard as
  determined under Section 39.0241 in the preceding school year on an
  assessment instrument required under Section 39.023(a), (c), or
  (l).
         Sec. 39.054.  METHODS AND STANDARDS FOR EVALUATING
  PERFORMANCE. (a)  The commissioner shall adopt rules consistent
  with this section to evaluate school district and campus
  performance and assign each district and campus a performance
  rating that reflects satisfactory performance, unsatisfactory
  performance, or performance eligible for distinction under
  Subchapter G.
         (a-1)  A campus is considered academically accredited if the
  campus is assigned a satisfactory performance rating under this
  section.
         (b)  In evaluating performance, the commissioner shall
  evaluate against state standards and consider the performance of
  each campus in a school district and each open-enrollment charter
  school on the basis of:
               (1)  the campus's or school's performance on the
  student achievement indicators adopted under Section 39.053(c);
  and
               (2)  whether a significant pattern of decreased
  academic performance has developed as a result of the promotion in
  the preceding two school years of students who did not perform
  satisfactorily as determined by the commissioner under Section
  39.0241(a) on assessment instruments administered under Section
  39.023(a), (c), or (l).
         (b-1)  [39.072.     ACCREDITATION STANDARDS. (a)     The State
  Board of Education shall adopt rules to evaluate the performance of
  school districts and to assign to each district a performance
  rating as follows:
               [(1)     exemplary (meets or exceeds state exemplary
  standards);
               [(2)     recognized (meets or exceeds required
  improvement and within 10 percent of state exemplary standards);
               [(3)     academically acceptable (below the exemplary and
  recognized standards but exceeds the academically unacceptable
  standards); or
               [(4)     academically unacceptable (below the state
  clearly unacceptable performance standard and does not meet
  required improvement).
         [(b)     The academic excellence indicators adopted under
  Sections 39.051(b)(1) through (8) and the district's current
  special education compliance status with the agency shall be the
  main considerations of the agency in the rating of the district
  under this section. Additional criteria in the rules may include
  consideration of:
               [(1)     compliance with statutory requirements and
  requirements imposed by rule of the State Board of Education under
  specific statutory authority that relate to:
                     [(A)     reporting data through the Public Education
  Information Management System (PEIMS);
                     [(B)     the high school graduation requirements
  under Section 28.025; or
                     [(C)     an item listed in Sections
  7.056(e)(3)(C)-(I) that applies to the district;
               [(2)     the effectiveness of the district's programs for
  special populations; and
               [(3)     the effectiveness of the district's career and
  technology programs.
         [(c)     The agency shall evaluate against state standards and
  shall, not later than August 1 of each year, report the performance
  of each campus in a district and each open-enrollment charter
  school on the basis of the campus's performance on the indicators
  adopted under Sections 39.051(b)(1) through (8).] Consideration of
  the effectiveness of district programs under Section
  39.052(b)(2)(B) or (C):
               (1)  [Subsection (b)(2) or (3)] must:
                     (A)  be based on data collected through the Public
  Education Information Management System (PEIMS) for purposes of
  accountability under this chapter; and
                     (B)  include the results of assessments required
  under Section 39.023; and
               (2)  may be based on the results of a special
  accreditation investigation conducted under Section 39.057.
         (c)  In evaluating school district and campus performance on
  the student achievement indicators adopted under Sections
  39.053(c)(1) and (2), the commissioner shall identify satisfactory
  performance as meeting the state standard determined by the
  commissioner under Section 39.053(f) for the current school year
  based on:
               (1)  student performance in the current school year; or
               (2)  student performance as averaged over the current
  school year and the preceding two school years.
         (d)  [Notwithstanding any other provision of this code, for
  purposes of determining the performance of a school district under
  this chapter, including the accreditation status of the district, a
  student confined by court order in a residential program or
  facility operated by or under contract with the Texas Youth
  Commission, Texas Juvenile Probation Commission, or any other
  governmental entity, including a juvenile board, is not considered
  to be a student of the school district in which the program or
  facility is physically located. The performance of such a student
  on an assessment instrument or other academic excellence indicator
  adopted under Section 39.051 shall be determined, reported, and
  considered separately from the performance of students attending a
  school of the district in which the program or facility is
  physically located.
         [Sec.   39.0721.     GOLD PERFORMANCE RATING PROGRAM. (a)     In
  addition to district and campus performance ratings reported under
  Section 39.072, the commissioner shall develop a gold performance
  rating program based on enhanced performance. The agency shall
  administer the program.
         [(b)     Under the gold performance rating program, a district
  or campus rated exemplary under Section 39.072 is eligible for an
  exemplary gold rating, a district or campus rated recognized is
  eligible for a recognized gold rating, and a district or campus
  rated academically acceptable is eligible for an academically
  acceptable gold rating.
         [(c)     The performance standards on which a gold performance
  rating is based should include:
               [(1)  student proficiency on:
                     [(A)     assessment instruments administered under
  Sections 39.023(a), (c), and (l); and
                     [(B)     other measures of proficiency determined by
  the commissioner;
               [(2)     student performance on one or more nationally
  recognized norm-referenced assessment instruments;
               [(3)  improvement in student performance;
               [(4)     in the case of middle or junior high school
  campuses, student proficiency in mathematics, including algebra;
  and
               [(5)  in the case of high school campuses:
                     [(A)     the extent to which graduating students are
  academically prepared to attend institutions of higher education;
                     [(B)     the percentage of students who take advanced
  placement tests and student performance on those tests; and
                     [(C)     the percentage of students who take and
  successfully complete advanced academic courses or college-level
  course work offered through dual credit programs provided under
  agreements between high schools and institutions of higher
  education.
         [(d)     The commissioner may adopt rules as necessary to
  implement and administer this section.
         [Sec.   39.073.     DETERMINING ACCREDITATION STATUS. (a)     The
  agency shall annually review the performance of each district and
  campus on the indicators adopted under Sections 39.051(b)(1)
  through (8) and determine if a change in the accreditation status of
  the district is warranted. The commissioner may determine how all
  indicators adopted under Section 39.051(b) may be used to determine
  accountability ratings and to select districts and campuses for
  acknowledgment.
         [(b)]  Each annual performance review under this section
  shall include an analysis of the student achievement indicators
  adopted under Section 39.053(c) [Sections 39.051(b)(1) through
  (8)] to determine school district and campus performance in
  relation to:
               (1)  standards established for each indicator; and
               (2)  required improvement as defined under Section
  39.053(e).
         (d-1)  The commissioner by rule may adopt a method of
  evaluation by which a district or campus is not assigned an
  unsatisfactory performance rating solely because the district or
  campus fails to satisfy the minimum performance standards on 15
  percent or fewer of the measures of evaluation the commissioner
  determines appropriate with respect to the student achievement
  indicators adopted under Section 39.053(c). Under the method of
  evaluation adopted by the commissioner under this subsection, the
  commissioner:
               (1)  may grant an exception under this subsection to a
  district or campus only if the performance of the district or campus
  is within five percentage points of the minimum performance
  standard established by the commissioner for the measure of
  evaluation;
               (2)  may not grant an exception under this subsection
  if a district or campus fails to satisfy the minimum performance
  standard on the same measure of evaluation for two consecutive
  school years; and
               (3)  may establish other performance criteria for a
  district or campus to obtain an exception under this subsection
  [39.051(c); and
               [(3)     comparable improvement as defined by Section
  39.051(c)].
         [(c)     A district's accreditation rating may be raised or
  lowered based on the district's performance or may be lowered based
  on the unacceptable performance of one or more campuses in the
  district.
         [(d)     The commissioner shall notify a district that is rated
  academically unacceptable that the performance of the district or a
  campus in the district is below each standard under Subsection (b)
  and shall require the district to notify property owners and
  parents in the district of the lowered accreditation rating and its
  implication.]
         (e)  [In determining a district's accreditation rating, the
  agency shall consider:
               [(1)     the district's current special education
  compliance status with the agency; and
               [(2)     the progress of students who have failed to
  perform satisfactorily in the preceding school year on an
  assessment instrument required under Section 39.023(a), (c), or
  (l).
         [(f)]  In the computation of dropout rates under Section
  39.053(c)(2) [39.051(b)(2)], a student who is released from a
  juvenile pre-adjudication secure detention facility or juvenile
  post-adjudication secure correctional facility and fails to enroll
  in school or a student who leaves a residential treatment center
  after receiving treatment for fewer than 85 days and fails to enroll
  in school may not be considered to have dropped out from the [campus
  or] school district or campus serving the facility or center unless
  that district or campus [or district] is the one to which the
  student is regularly assigned. The commissioner may not limit the
  number of students excluded from being counted as dropouts under
  this subsection.
         Sec. 39.055.  STUDENT ORDERED BY A JUVENILE COURT NOT
  CONSIDERED FOR ACCOUNTABILITY PURPOSES. Notwithstanding any other
  provision of this code, for purposes of determining the performance
  of a school district or campus under this chapter, a student ordered
  by a juvenile court into a residential program or facility operated
  by or under contract with the Texas Youth Commission, the Texas
  Juvenile Probation Commission, a juvenile board, or any other
  governmental entity is not considered to be a student of the school
  district in which the program or facility is physically located.
  The performance of such a student on an assessment instrument or
  other student achievement indicator adopted under Section 39.053 or
  reporting indicator adopted under Section 39.301 shall be
  determined, reported, and considered separately from the
  performance of students attending a school of the district in which
  the program or facility is physically located.
         Sec. 39.056 [39.074].  ON-SITE INVESTIGATIONS. (a)  The
  commissioner may:
               (1)  direct the agency to conduct on-site
  investigations of a school district at any time to answer any
  questions concerning a program, including special education,
  required by federal law or for which the district receives federal
  funds; and
               (2)  [raise or lower the performance rating] as a
  result of the investigation, change the accreditation status of a
  district or accountability rating of a district or campus or
  withdraw a distinction designation under Subchapter G.
         (b)  The commissioner shall determine the frequency of
  on-site investigations by the agency according to annual
  comprehensive analyses of student performance and equity in
  relation to the student achievement [academic excellence]
  indicators adopted under Section 39.053 [39.051].
         (c)  In making an on-site [accreditation] investigation, the
  investigators shall obtain information from administrators,
  teachers, and parents of students enrolled in the school district.
  The investigation may not be closed until information is obtained
  from each of those sources. The State Board of Education shall
  adopt rules for:
               (1)  obtaining information from parents and using that
  information in the investigator's report; and
               (2)  obtaining information from teachers in a manner
  that prevents a [campus or] district or campus from screening the
  information.
         (d)  The agency shall give written notice to the
  superintendent and the board of trustees of a school district of any
  impending investigation of the district's accreditation.
         (e)  [If an annual review indicates low performance on one or
  more of the indicators under Sections 39.051(b)(1) through (8) of
  one or more campuses in a district, the agency may conduct an
  on-site evaluation of those campuses only.
         [(f)]  The investigators shall report orally and in writing
  to the board of trustees of the school district and, as appropriate,
  to campus administrators and shall make recommendations concerning
  any necessary improvements or sources of aid such as regional
  education service centers.
         Sec. 39.057 [39.075]. SPECIAL ACCREDITATION INVESTIGATIONS.
  (a)  The commissioner shall authorize special accreditation
  investigations to be conducted:
               (1)  when excessive numbers of absences of students
  eligible to be tested on state assessment instruments are
  determined;
               (2)  when excessive numbers of allowable exemptions
  from the required state assessment instruments are determined;
               (3)  in response to complaints submitted to the agency
  with respect to alleged violations of civil rights or other
  requirements imposed on the state by federal law or court order;
               (4)  in response to established compliance reviews of
  the district's financial accounting practices and state and federal
  program requirements;
               (5)  when extraordinary numbers of student placements
  in disciplinary alternative education programs, other than
  placements under Sections 37.006 and 37.007, are determined;
               (6)  in response to an allegation involving a conflict
  between members of the board of trustees or between the board and
  the district administration if it appears that the conflict
  involves a violation of a role or duty of the board members or the
  administration clearly defined by this code;
               (7)  when excessive numbers of students in special
  education programs under Subchapter A, Chapter 29, are assessed
  through assessment instruments developed or adopted under Section
  39.023(b);
               (8)  in response to an allegation regarding or an
  analysis using a statistical method result indicating a possible
  violation of an assessment instrument security procedure
  established under Section 39.0301, including for the purpose of
  investigating or auditing a school district under that section;
  [or]
               (9)  when excessive numbers of students graduate under
  the minimum high school program;
               (10)  when excessive numbers of students eligible to
  enroll fail to complete an Algebra II course or any other course
  determined by the commissioner as distinguishing between students
  participating in the recommended high school program from students
  participating in the minimum high school program; or
               (11)  as the commissioner otherwise determines
  necessary.
         (b)  If the agency's findings in an investigation under
  Subsection (a)(6) indicate that the board of trustees has observed
  a lawfully adopted policy, the agency may not substitute its
  judgment for that of the board.
         (c) [(b-1)]  The commissioner may authorize special
  accreditation investigations to be conducted in response to
  repeated complaints submitted to the agency concerning imposition
  of excessive paperwork requirements on classroom teachers.
         (d) [(c)]  Based on the results of a special accreditation
  investigation, the commissioner may:
               (1)  take appropriate action under Subchapter E [G];
               (2)  lower the school district's accreditation status
  or the district's or campus's accountability rating; or
               (3)  take action under both Subdivisions (1) and (2).
         (e)  [(c)     Based on the results of a special accreditation
  investigation, the commissioner may lower the district's
  accreditation rating and may take appropriate action under
  Subchapter G.] Regardless of whether the commissioner lowers the
  school district's accreditation status or the district's or
  campus's accountability rating under Subsection (d), the
  commissioner may take action under Sections 39.101(a)(1) through
  (8) or Section 39.102 [39.131(a)(1) through (8)] if the
  commissioner determines that the action is necessary to improve any
  area of a district's or campus's performance, including the
  district's financial accounting practices.
         Sec. 39.058 [39.076].  CONDUCT OF INVESTIGATIONS. (a)  The
  agency shall adopt written procedures for conducting on-site
  investigations under this subchapter. The agency shall make the
  procedures available to the complainant, the alleged violator, and
  the public. Agency staff must be trained in the procedures and must
  follow the procedures in conducting the investigation.
         (b)  After completing an investigation, the agency shall
  present preliminary findings to any person the agency finds has
  violated a law, rule, or policy. Before issuing a report with its
  final findings, the agency must provide a person the agency finds
  has violated a law, rule, or policy an opportunity for an informal
  review by the commissioner or a designated hearing examiner.
  SUBCHAPTER D [I]. FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY
         Sec. 39.081 [39.201].  DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
               (1)  "Parent" includes a guardian or other person
  having lawful control of a student.
               (2)  "System" means the financial accountability
  rating system.
         Sec. 39.082 [39.202].  DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION.
  (a)  The commissioner shall, in consultation with the comptroller,
  develop and implement a financial accountability rating system for
  school districts in this state that:
               (1)  distinguishes among school districts based on
  levels of financial performance; and
               (2)  includes procedures to:
                     (A)  provide additional transparency to public
  education finance; and
                     (B)  enable the commissioner and school district
  administrators to provide meaningful financial oversight and
  improvement.
         (b)  The system must include uniform indicators adopted by
  the commissioner by which to measure a district's financial
  management performance.
         Sec. 39.0821.  COMPTROLLER REVIEW OF RESOURCE ALLOCATION
  PRACTICES. The comptroller shall identify school districts and
  campuses that use resource allocation practices that contribute to
  high academic achievement and cost-effective operations. In
  identifying districts and campuses under this section, the
  comptroller shall:
               (1)  evaluate existing academic accountability and
  financial data by integrating the data;
               (2)  rank the results of the evaluation under
  Subdivision (1) to identify the relative performance of districts
  and campuses; and
               (3)  identify potential areas for district and campus
  improvement.
         Sec. 39.0822.  FINANCIAL SOLVENCY REVIEW REQUIRED. (a)  The
  agency shall develop a review process to anticipate the future
  financial solvency of each school district. The review process
  shall analyze:
               (1)  district revenues and expenditures for the
  preceding school year; and
               (2)  projected district revenues and expenditures for
  the current school year and the following two school years.
         (b)  In analyzing the information under Subsection (a), the
  review process developed must consider, for the preceding school
  year, the current school year, and the following two school years,
  as appropriate:
               (1)  student-to-staff ratios relative to expenditures,
  including average staff salaries;
               (2)  the rate of change in the district unreserved
  general fund balance;
               (3)  the number of students enrolled in the district;
               (4)  the adopted tax rate of the district;
               (5)  any independent audit report prepared for the
  district; and
               (6)  actual district financial information for the
  first quarter.
         (c)  The agency shall consult school district financial
  officers and public finance experts in developing the review
  process under this section.
         (d)  The agency shall develop an electronic-based program
  for school districts to use in submitting information to the agency
  for purposes of this section. Each district shall update
  information for purposes of the program within the period
  prescribed by the commissioner. The commissioner shall adopt rules
  under this subsection to allow a district to enter estimates of
  critical data into the program before the district adopts its
  budget. The program must:
               (1)  be capable of importing, to the extent
  practicable, data a district has previously submitted to the
  agency;
               (2)  include an entry space that allows a district to
  enter information explaining any irregularity in data submitted;
  and
               (3)  provide alerts for:
                     (A)  a student-to-staff ratio that is
  significantly outside the norm;
                     (B)  a rapid depletion of the district general
  fund balance; and
                     (C)  a significant discrepancy between actual
  budget figures and projected revenues and expenditures.
         (e)  An alert in the program developed under Subsection (d)
  must be developed to notify the agency immediately on the
  occurrence of a condition described by Subsection (d)(3). After
  the agency is alerted, the agency shall immediately notify the
  affected school district regarding the condition triggering the
  alert.
         Sec. 39.0823.  PROJECTED DEFICIT. (a)  If the review
  process under Section 39.0822 indicates a projected deficit for a
  school district general fund within the following three school
  years, the district shall provide the agency interim financial
  reports, supplemented by staff and student count data, as needed,
  to evaluate the district's current budget status.
         (b)  If the interim financial data provided under Subsection
  (a) substantiates the projected deficit, the school district shall
  develop a financial plan and submit the plan to the agency for
  approval. The agency may approve the plan only if the agency
  determines the plan will permit the district to avoid the projected
  insolvency.
         (c)  The commissioner shall assign a school district an
  accredited-warned status if:
               (1)  the district fails to submit a plan as provided by
  Subsection (b);
               (2)  the district fails to obtain approval from the
  agency for a plan as provided by Subsection (b);
               (3)  the district fails to comply with a plan approved
  by the agency under Subsection (b); or
               (4)  the agency determines in a subsequent school year,
  based on financial data submitted by the district, that the
  approved plan for the district is no longer sufficient or is not
  appropriately implemented.
         Sec. 39.083 [39.203].  REPORTING. (a)  The commissioner
  shall develop, as part of the system, a reporting procedure under
  which:
               (1)  each school district is required to prepare and
  distribute an annual financial management report; and
               (2)  the public is provided an opportunity to comment
  on the report at a hearing.
         (b)  The annual financial management report must include:
               (1)  a description of the district's financial
  management performance based on a comparison, provided by the
  agency, of the district's performance on the indicators adopted
  under Section 39.082(b) [39.202(b)] to:
                     (A)  state-established standards; and
                     (B)  the district's previous performance on the
  indicators; [and]
               (2)  a description of the data submitted using the
  electronic-based program developed under Section 39.0822; and
               (3)  any descriptive information required by the
  commissioner.
         (c)  The report may include:
               (1)  information concerning the district's:
                     (A)  financial allocations;
                     (B)  tax collections;
                     (C)  financial strength;
                     (D)  operating cost management;
                     (E)  personnel management;
                     (F)  debt management;
                     (G)  facility acquisition and construction
  management;
                     (H)  cash management;
                     (I)  budgetary planning;
                     (J)  overall business management;
                     (K)  compliance with rules; and
                     (L)  data quality; and
               (2)  any other information the board of trustees
  determines to be necessary or useful.
         (d)  The board of trustees of each school district shall hold
  a public hearing on the report. The board shall give notice of the
  hearing to owners of real property in the district and to parents of
  district students. In addition to other notice required by law,
  notice of the hearing must be provided:
               (1)  to a newspaper of general circulation in the
  district; and
               (2)  through electronic mail to media serving the
  district.
         (e)  After the hearing, the report shall be disseminated in
  the district in the manner prescribed by the commissioner.
         Sec. 39.084 [39.204].  RULES. The commissioner shall adopt
  rules as necessary for the implementation and administration of
  this subchapter.
  SUBCHAPTER E [G]. ACCREDITATION INTERVENTIONS AND SANCTIONS
         Sec. 39.101 [39.131].  INTERVENTIONS AND SANCTIONS FOR
  DISTRICTS. (a)  If a school district does not satisfy the
  accreditation criteria under Section 39.052 [39.071], the
  [academic] performance standards under Section 39.053 or 39.054
  [39.072], or any financial accountability standard as determined by
  commissioner rule, the commissioner shall take any of the following
  actions to the extent the commissioner determines necessary:
               (1)  issue public notice of the deficiency to the board
  of trustees;
               (2)  order a hearing conducted by the board of trustees
  of the district for the purpose of notifying the public of the
  insufficient [unacceptable] performance, the improvements in
  performance expected by the agency, and the interventions and
  sanctions that may be imposed under this section if the performance
  does not improve;
               (3)  order the preparation of a student achievement
  improvement plan that addresses each student achievement [academic
  excellence] indicator under Section 39.053(c) for which the
  district's performance is insufficient [unacceptable], the
  submission of the plan to the commissioner for approval, and
  implementation of the plan;
               (4)  order a hearing to be held before the commissioner
  or the commissioner's designee at which the president of the board
  of trustees of the district and the superintendent shall appear and
  explain the district's low performance, lack of improvement, and
  plans for improvement;
               (5)  arrange an on-site investigation of the district;
               (6)  appoint an agency monitor to participate in and
  report to the agency on the activities of the board of trustees or
  the superintendent;
               (7)  appoint a conservator to oversee the operations of
  the district;
               (8)  appoint a management team to direct the operations
  of the district in areas of insufficient [unacceptable] performance
  or require the district to obtain certain services under a contract
  with another person;
               (9)  if a district has a current accreditation status
  of accredited-warned or accredited-probation, fails to satisfy any
  standard under Section 39.054(d) [is rated academically
  unacceptable], or fails to satisfy financial accountability
  standards as determined by commissioner rule, appoint a board of
  managers to exercise the powers and duties of the board of trustees;
               (10)  if for two consecutive school years, including
  the [current] school year for which performance is currently
  determined, a district has received an accreditation status of
  accredited-warned or accredited-probation, has failed to satisfy
  any standard under Section 39.054(d) [been rated academically
  unacceptable], or has failed to satisfy financial accountability
  standards as determined by commissioner rule, revoke the district's
  accreditation and:
                     (A)  order closure of the district and annex the
  district to one or more adjoining districts under Section 13.054;
  or
                     (B)  in the case of a home-rule school district or
  open-enrollment charter school, order closure of all programs
  operated under the district's or school's charter; or
               (11)  if a district has failed to satisfy any standard
  under Section 39.054(d) [been rated academically unacceptable for
  two consecutive school years, including the current school year,]
  due to the district's dropout rates, impose sanctions designed to
  improve high school completion rates, including:
                     (A)  ordering the development of a dropout
  prevention plan for approval by the commissioner;
                     (B)  restructuring the district or appropriate
  school campuses to improve identification of and service to
  students who are at risk of dropping out of school, as defined by
  Section 29.081;
                     (C)  ordering lower student-to-counselor ratios
  on school campuses with high dropout rates; and
                     (D)  ordering the use of any other intervention
  strategy effective in reducing dropout rates, including mentor
  programs and flexible class scheduling.
         (b)  This subsection applies regardless of whether a
  district has satisfied the accreditation criteria. If for two
  consecutive school years, including the [current] school year for
  which the accreditation status is currently determined, a district
  has had a conservator or management team assigned, the commissioner
  may appoint a board of managers, a majority of whom must be
  residents of the district, to exercise the powers and duties of the
  board of trustees.
         Sec. 39.102 [39.132].  INTERVENTIONS AND SANCTIONS FOR
  [ACADEMICALLY UNACCEPTABLE] CAMPUSES. (a)  If a campus
  performance is below any standard under Section 39.054(d)
  [39.073(b)], the [campus is considered an academically
  unacceptable campus. The] commissioner [may permit the campus to
  participate in an innovative redesign of the campus to improve
  campus performance or] shall take [any of the other following]
  actions, to the extent the commissioner determines necessary, as
  provided by this subchapter.
         (b)  For a campus described by Subsection (a), the
  commissioner, to the extent the commissioner determines necessary,
  may[:
               [(1)     issue public notice of the deficiency to the
  board of trustees;
               [(2)     order a hearing conducted by the board of
  trustees at the campus for the purpose of:
                     [(A)     notifying the public of the unacceptable
  performance, the improvements in performance expected by the
  agency, and the sanctions that may be imposed under this section if
  the performance does not improve within a designated period of
  time; and
                     [(B)     soliciting public comment on the initial
  steps being taken to improve performance;
               [(3)     order the preparation of a report regarding the
  parental involvement program at the campus and a plan describing
  strategies for improving parental involvement at the campus;
               [(4)     order the preparation of a report regarding the
  effectiveness of the district- and campus-level planning and
  decision-making committees established under Subchapter F, Chapter
  11, and a plan describing strategies for improving the
  effectiveness of those committees;
               [(5)     order the preparation of a student improvement
  plan that addresses each academic excellence indicator for which
  the campus's performance is unacceptable, the submission of the
  plan to the commissioner for approval, and implementation of the
  plan;
               [(6)]  order a hearing to be held before the
  commissioner or the commissioner's designee at which the president
  of the board of trustees, the superintendent, and the campus
  principal shall appear and explain the campus's low performance,
  lack of improvement, and plans for improvement[; or
               [(7)     appoint a campus intervention team under Section
  39.1322].
         (c)  Notwithstanding the provisions of this subchapter, if
  the commissioner determines that a campus subject to interventions
  or sanctions under this subchapter has implemented substantially
  similar intervention measures under federal accountability
  requirements, the commissioner may accept the substantially
  similar intervention measures as measures in compliance with this
  subchapter.
         Sec. 39.103 [39.1321].  INTERVENTIONS AND SANCTIONS FOR
  CHARTER SCHOOLS. (a)  Interventions and sanctions [Sanctions]
  authorized under this chapter for a school district or campus apply
  in the same manner to an open-enrollment charter school.
         (b)  The commissioner shall adopt rules to implement
  procedures to impose any intervention or sanction provision under
  this chapter as those provisions relate to open-enrollment charter
  schools.
         (c)  In adopting rules under this section, the commissioner
  shall require that the charter of an open-enrollment charter
  school:
               (1)  be automatically revoked if the charter school is
  ordered closed under this chapter; and
               (2)  be automatically modified to remove authorization
  for an individual campus if the campus is ordered closed under this
  chapter.
         (d)  If interventions or sanctions are imposed on an
  open-enrollment charter school under the procedures provided by
  this chapter, a charter school is not entitled to an additional
  hearing relating to the modification, placement on probation,
  revocation, or denial of renewal of a charter as provided by
  Subchapter D, Chapter 12.
         Sec. 39.104 [39.1322].  [TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND] CAMPUS
  IMPROVEMENT PLAN [INTERVENTION TEAMS]. (a)  This section applies
  if [If] a campus performance satisfies performance standards under
  Section 39.054(d) [is rated academically acceptable] for the
  current school year but would not satisfy performance standards
  under Section 39.054(d) [be rated as academically unacceptable] if
  the [performance] standards to be used for the following school
  year were applied to the current school year. On request of[,] the
  commissioner, the campus shall submit to the commissioner in an
  electronic format the portions of the campus improvement plan
  developed under Section 11.253 that are relevant to those areas for
  which the campus would not satisfy performance standards [select
  and assign a technical assistance team to assist the campus in
  executing a school improvement plan and any other school
  improvement strategies the commissioner determines appropriate.
  The commissioner may waive the requirement to assign a technical
  assistance team under this subsection if the improvement in
  performance standards among all student groups, including special
  populations, over the preceding three years indicates that the
  campus is likely to be rated academically acceptable in the
  following school year].
         (b)  If the [a] campus to which this section applies is an
  open-enrollment charter school, the school shall establish a
  campus-level planning and decision-making committee as provided
  for through procedures as much as practicable the same as those
  provided by Sections 11.251(b)-(e) and develop a campus improvement
  plan as provided by Section 11.253. On request of the commissioner,
  the school shall submit to the commissioner in an electronic format
  the portions of the campus improvement plan that are relevant to
  those areas for which the school would not satisfy performance
  standards [has been identified as academically unacceptable under
  Section 39.132, the commissioner shall appoint a campus
  intervention team.
         [(c)     To the extent practicable, the commissioner shall
  select and assign the technical assistance team under Subsection
  (a) or the campus intervention team under Subsection (b) before the
  first day of instruction for the school year.
         [(d)     The commissioner may determine when the services of a
  technical assistance team or campus intervention team are no longer
  needed at a campus under this section].
         Sec. 39.105 [39.1323].  CAMPUS INTERVENTION TEAM
  [PROCEDURES]. (a)  If a campus performance is below any standard
  under Section 39.054(d), the commissioner shall assign a campus
  intervention team. A campus intervention team shall:
               (1)  conduct:
                     (A)  a targeted [comprehensive] on-site needs
  assessment relevant to an area of insufficient performance
  [evaluation] of the campus as provided by Subsection (b) [to
  determine the cause for the campus's low performance and lack of
  progress]; or
                     (B)  if the commissioner determines necessary, a
  comprehensive on-site needs assessment, using the procedures
  provided by Subsection (b);
               (2)  recommend appropriate actions as provided by
  Subsection (c)[, including reallocation of resources and technical
  assistance, changes in school procedures or operations, staff
  development for instructional and administrative staff,
  intervention for individual administrators or teachers, waivers
  from state statute or rule, or other actions the team considers
  appropriate];
               (3)  assist in the development of a targeted [school]
  improvement plan [for student achievement]; [and]
               (4)  assist the campus in submitting the targeted
  improvement plan to the board of trustees for approval and
  presenting the plan in a public hearing as provided by Subsection
  (e-1); and
               (5)  assist the commissioner in monitoring the progress
  of the campus in implementing the targeted [school] improvement
  plan [for improvement of student achievement].
         (b)  An [A campus intervention team assigned under Section
  39.1322 to a campus shall conduct a comprehensive] on-site needs
  assessment of the campus under Subsection (a) must [to] determine
  the contributing [causal] factors resulting in the campus's low
  performance and lack of progress. The team shall use any of the
  following guidelines and procedures relevant to any area of
  insufficient performance in conducting a targeted on-site needs
  assessment and shall use each of the following guidelines and
  procedures in conducting a [the] comprehensive on-site needs
  assessment [of the campus]:
               (1)  an assessment of the staff to determine the
  percentage of certified teachers who are teaching in their field,
  the number of teachers with less than three years of experience, and
  teacher turnover rates;
               (2)  compliance with the appropriate class-size rules
  and number of class-size waivers received;
               (3)  an assessment of the quality, quantity, and
  appropriateness of instructional materials, including the
  availability of technology-based instructional materials;
               (4)  a report on the parental involvement strategies
  and the effectiveness of the strategies;
               (5)  an assessment of the extent and quality of the
  mentoring program provided for new teachers on the campus;
               (6)  an assessment of the type and quality of the
  professional development provided to the staff;
               (7)  a demographic analysis of the student population,
  including student demographics, at-risk populations, and special
  education percentages;
               (8)  a report of disciplinary incidents and school
  safety information;
               (9)  financial and accounting practices;
               (10)  an assessment of the appropriateness of the
  curriculum and teaching strategies; and
               (11)  any other research-based data or information
  obtained from a data collection process that would assist the
  campus intervention team in:
                     (A)  recommending an action under Subsection (c);
  and
                     (B)  executing a targeted [school] improvement
  plan under Subsection (d-1) [(d)].
         (c)  On completing the on-site needs assessment [evaluation]
  under this section, the campus intervention team shall recommend
  actions relating to any area of insufficient performance,
  including:
               (1)  reallocation of resources;
               (2)  technical assistance;
               (3)  changes in school procedures or operations;
               (4)  staff development for instructional and
  administrative staff;
               (5)  intervention for individual administrators or
  teachers;
               (6)  waivers from state statutes or rules; or
               (7)  other actions the campus intervention team
  considers appropriate.
         (d)  The campus intervention team shall assist the campus in
  submitting the targeted improvement plan to the commissioner for
  approval.
         (d-1)  In executing the targeted [a school] improvement plan
  [developed under Subsection (a)(3)], the campus intervention team
  shall, if appropriate:
               (1)  assist the campus in implementing research-based
  practices for curriculum development and classroom instruction,
  including bilingual education and special education programs[, if
  appropriate,] and financial management; and
               (2)  provide research-based technical assistance,
  including data analysis, academic deficiency identification,
  intervention implementation, and budget analysis, to strengthen
  and improve the instructional programs at the campus[; and
               [(3)     submit the school improvement plan to the
  commissioner for approval].
         (e)  For each year campus performance is below any standard
  under Section 39.054(d), a [A] campus intervention team shall
  [appointed under Section 39.1322(b)]:
               (1)  [shall] continue to work with a campus until:
                     (A)  the campus satisfies all performance
  standards under Section 39.054(d) [is rated academically
  acceptable] for a two-year period; or
                     (B)  the campus satisfies all performance
  standards under Section 39.054(d) [is rated academically
  acceptable] for a one-year period and the commissioner determines
  that the campus is operating and will continue to operate in a
  manner that improves student achievement; [and]
               (2)  assist in updating the targeted improvement plan
  to identify and analyze areas of growth and areas that require
  improvement; and
               (3)  submit each updated plan described by Subdivision
  (2) to the board of trustees of the school district [may continually
  update the school improvement plan, with approval from the
  commissioner, to meet the needs of the campus].
         (e-1)  After a targeted improvement plan or updated plan is
  submitted to the board of trustees of the school district, the
  board:
               (1)  shall conduct a hearing for the purpose of:
                     (A)  notifying the public of the insufficient
  performance, the improvements in performance expected by the
  agency, and the intervention measures or sanctions that may be
  imposed under this subchapter if the performance does not improve
  within a designated period; and
                     (B)  soliciting public comment on the targeted
  improvement plan or any updated plan;
               (2)  may conduct one hearing relating to one or more
  campuses subject to a targeted improvement plan or an updated plan;
  and
               (3)  shall submit the targeted improvement plan or any
  updated plan to the commissioner for approval.
         (f)  Notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter,
  if the commissioner determines that a campus for which an
  intervention is ordered under Subsection (a) [Section 39.1322(b)]
  is not fully implementing the campus intervention team's
  recommendations or targeted [school] improvement plan or updated
  plan, the commissioner may order the reconstitution of the campus
  as provided by Section 39.106.
         Sec. 39.106 [39.1324].  RECONSTITUTION, REPURPOSING,
  ALTERNATIVE MANAGEMENT, AND CLOSURE [MANDATORY SANCTIONS].
  (a)  Unless otherwise provided under the procedures for approval of
  an updated targeted improvement plan under Section 39.105(e-1) or
  this subsection, after [If] a campus has been identified as below
  any standard under Section 39.054(d) [academically unacceptable]
  for two consecutive school years, [including the current school
  year,] the commissioner shall order the reconstitution of the
  campus [and assign a campus intervention team]. In reconstituting
  a [the] campus, a campus intervention team shall assist the campus
  in:
               (1)  developing an updated targeted [a school]
  improvement plan;
               (2)  submitting the updated targeted improvement plan
  to the board of trustees of the school district for approval and
  presenting the plan in a public hearing as provided by Section
  39.105(e-1);
               (3) [(2)]  obtaining approval of the updated plan from
  the commissioner; and
               (4) [(3)]  executing the plan on approval by the
  commissioner.
         (b)  The campus intervention team shall decide which
  educators may be retained at that campus. A principal who has been
  employed by the campus in that capacity during the full [two-year]
  period described by Subsection (a) may not be retained at that
  campus unless the campus intervention team determines that:
               (1)  students enrolled at the campus have demonstrated
  significant academic improvement; or
               (2)  retention is appropriate under Section 39.236.
         (b-1)  A teacher of a subject assessed by an assessment
  instrument under Section 39.023 may be retained only if the campus
  intervention team determines that a pattern exists of significant
  academic improvement by students taught by the teacher. If an
  educator is not retained, the educator may be assigned to another
  position in the district.
         (b-2)  For each year the performance of a campus is below any
  standard under Section 39.054(d) after the second consecutive
  school year the performance of the campus is below any standard
  under Section 39.054(d), a campus intervention team shall:
               (1)  assist in updating the targeted improvement plan
  to identify and analyze areas of growth and areas that require
  improvement;
               (2)  submit the updated plan to the board of trustees of
  the school district; and
               (3)  assist in submitting the updated plan to the
  commissioner for approval.
         (c)  A campus subject to Subsection (a) shall implement the
  updated targeted [school] improvement plan as approved by the
  commissioner. The commissioner may appoint a monitor, conservator,
  management team, or [a] board of managers to the district to ensure
  and oversee district-level support to low-performing campuses and
  the implementation of the updated targeted [school] improvement
  plan. In making appointments under this subsection, the
  commissioner shall consider individuals who have demonstrated
  success in managing campuses with student populations from similar
  demographic groups and with similar educational needs as the
  student population the campus at which the individual appointed
  will serve.
         (d)  If [Notwithstanding any other provision of this
  subchapter, if] the commissioner determines that the [a] campus
  [subject to Subsection (a)] is not fully implementing the updated
  targeted [school] improvement plan or if the students enrolled at
  the campus fail to demonstrate substantial improvement in the areas
  targeted by the updated plan, the commissioner may order:
               (1)  repurposing of the campus under this section;
               (2)  [pursue] alternative management of the campus
  under this section; [Section 39.1327] or
               (3)  [may order] closure of the campus.
         (e)  [If a campus is considered an academically unacceptable
  campus for the subsequent school year after the campus is
  reconstituted under this section, the commissioner shall review the
  progress of the campus and may order closure of the campus or pursue
  alternative management under Section 39.1327.
         [(f)]  If the performance of a campus is below any standard
  under Section 39.054(d) [considered academically unacceptable] for
  three [two] consecutive school years after the campus is
  reconstituted under Subsection (a), the commissioner shall order:
               (1)  repurposing of the campus under this section;
               (2)  alternative management of the campus under this
  section; or
               (3)  closure of the campus [or pursue alternative
  management under Section 39.1327].
         (f)  If the commissioner orders repurposing of a campus, the
  school district shall develop a comprehensive plan for repurposing
  the campus and submit the plan to the board of trustees for
  approval, using the procedures described by Section 39.105(e-1),
  and to the commissioner for approval. The plan must include a
  description of a rigorous and relevant academic program for the
  campus. The plan may include various instructional models. The
  commissioner may not approve the repurposing of a campus unless:
               (1)  all students in the assigned attendance zone of
  the campus in the school year immediately preceding the repurposing
  of the campus are provided with the opportunity to enroll in and are
  provided transportation on request to another school, which may
  include another school on the same campus, unless the commissioner
  grants an exception because there is no other school in the district
  in which the students may enroll;
               (2)  the principal is not retained at the campus,
  unless the commissioner determines that students enrolled at the
  campus have demonstrated significant academic improvement; and
               (3)  at least 75 percent of the teachers employed at the
  campus in the school year immediately preceding the repurposing of
  the campus are not retained at the campus, unless the commissioner
  or the commissioner's designee grants an exception, at the request
  of a school district, for:
                     (A)  a teacher who provides instruction in a
  subject other than a subject for which an assessment instrument is
  administered under Section 39.023(a) or (c) who demonstrates to the
  commissioner satisfactory performance; or
                     (B)  a teacher who provides instruction in a
  subject for which an assessment instrument is administered under
  Section 39.023(a) or (c) if the district demonstrates that the
  students of the teacher demonstrated satisfactory performance or
  improved academic growth on that assessment instrument.
         (g)  If an educator is not retained under Subsection (f), the
  educator may be assigned to another position in the district.
         (h)  If the commissioner orders alternative management under
  this section, the [Sec.   39.1327.     MANAGEMENT OF CERTAIN
  ACADEMICALLY UNACCEPTABLE CAMPUSES. (a)     A campus may be subject
  to this section if the campus has been identified as academically
  unacceptable under Section 39.132 and the commissioner orders
  alternative management under Section 39.1324(d), (e), or (f).
         [(b)  The] commissioner shall solicit proposals from
  qualified [nonprofit] entities to assume management of a campus
  subject to this section or may appoint to assume management of a
  campus subject to this section a school district other than the
  district in which the campus is located that is located in the
  boundaries of the same regional education service center as the
  campus is located. A district appointed under this section shall
  assume management of a campus subject to this section in the same
  manner provided by this section for a qualified [nonprofit] entity
  or in accordance with commissioner rule.
         (i) [(c)]  If the commissioner determines that the basis for
  the unsatisfactory performance of [identifying] a campus for more
  than two consecutive school years [as academically unacceptable] is
  limited to a specific condition that may be remedied with targeted
  technical assistance, the commissioner may[:
               [(1)     provide the campus a one-year waiver under this
  section; and
               [(2)]  require the district to contract for the
  appropriate technical assistance.
         (j) [(d)]  The commissioner may annually solicit proposals
  under this section for the management of a campus subject to this
  section. The commissioner shall notify a qualified [nonprofit]
  entity that has been approved as a provider under this section. The
  district must execute a contract with an approved provider and
  relinquish control of the campus before January 1 of the school
  year.
         (k) [(e)]  To qualify for consideration as a managing entity
  under this section, the entity must submit a proposal that provides
  information relating to the entity's management and leadership team
  that will participate in management of the campus under
  consideration, including information relating to individuals that
  have:
               (1)  documented success in whole school interventions
  that increased the educational and performance levels of students
  in [academically unacceptable] campuses in which the campus
  performance was below any standard under Section 39.054(d);
               (2)  a proven record of effectiveness with programs
  assisting low-performing students;
               (3)  a proven ability to apply research-based school
  intervention strategies;
               (4)  a proven record of financial ability to perform
  under the management contract; and
               (5)  any other experience or qualifications the
  commissioner determines necessary.
         (l) [(f)]  In selecting a managing entity under this
  section, the commissioner shall give preference to a qualified
  [nonprofit] entity that:
               (1)  meets any qualifications under this section; and
               (2)  has documented success in educating students from
  similar demographic groups and with similar educational needs as
  the students who attend the campus that is to be operated by a
  managing entity under this section.
         (m) [(g)]  The school district may negotiate the term of a
  management contract for not more than five years with an option to
  renew the contract. The management contract must include a
  provision describing the district's responsibilities in supporting
  the operation of the campus. The commissioner shall approve the
  contract before the contract is executed and, as appropriate, may
  require the district, as a term of the contract, to support the
  campus in the same manner as the district was required to support
  the campus before the execution of the management contract.
         (n) [(h)]  A management contract under this section shall
  include provisions approved by the commissioner that require the
  managing entity to demonstrate improvement in campus performance,
  including negotiated performance measures. The performance
  measures must be consistent with the priorities of this chapter.
  The commissioner shall evaluate a managing entity's performance on
  the first and second anniversaries of the date of the management
  contract. If the evaluation fails to demonstrate improvement as
  negotiated under the contract by the first anniversary of the date
  of the management contract, the district may terminate the
  management contract, with the commissioner's consent, for
  nonperformance or breach of contract and select another provider
  from an approved list provided by the commissioner. If the
  evaluation fails to demonstrate significant improvement, as
  determined by the commissioner, by the second anniversary of the
  date of the management contract, the district shall terminate the
  management contract and select another provider from an approved
  list provided by the commissioner or resume operation of the campus
  if approved by the commissioner. If the commissioner approves the
  district's operation of the campus, the commissioner shall assign a
  technical assistance team to assist the campus.
         (o) [(i)]  Notwithstanding any other provision of this code,
  the funding for a campus operated by a managing entity must be not
  less than the funding of the other campuses in the district on a per
  student basis so that the managing entity receives at least the same
  funding the campus would otherwise have received.
         (p) [(j)]  Each campus operated by a managing entity under
  this section is subject to this chapter in the same manner as any
  other campus in the district.
         (q) [(k)]  The commissioner may adopt rules necessary to
  implement this section.
         (r) [(l)]  With respect to the management of a campus under
  this section:
               (1)  a managing entity is considered to be a
  governmental body for purposes of Chapters 551 and 552, Government
  Code; and
               (2)  any requirement in Chapter 551 or 552, Government
  Code, that applies to a school district or the board of trustees of
  a school district applies to a managing entity.
         Sec. 39.107 [39.133].  ANNUAL REVIEW. The commissioner
  shall review annually the performance of a district or campus
  subject to this subchapter to determine the appropriate actions to
  be implemented under this subchapter. The commissioner must review
  at least annually the performance of a district for which the
  accreditation status or rating has been lowered due to insufficient
  [unacceptable] student performance and may not raise the
  accreditation status or rating until the district has demonstrated
  improved student performance. If the review reveals a lack of
  improvement, the commissioner shall increase the level of state
  intervention and sanction unless the commissioner finds good cause
  for maintaining the current status.
         Sec. 39.108 [39.1331].  ACQUISITION OF PROFESSIONAL
  SERVICES. In addition to other interventions and sanctions
  authorized under this subchapter [Sections 39.131 and 39.132], the
  commissioner may order a school district or campus to acquire
  professional services at the expense of the district or campus to
  address the applicable financial, assessment, data quality,
  program, performance, or governance deficiency. The
  commissioner's order may require the district or campus to:
               (1)  select or be assigned an external auditor, data
  quality expert, professional authorized to monitor district
  assessment instrument administration, or curriculum or program
  expert; or
               (2)  provide for or participate in the appropriate
  training of district staff or board of trustees members in the case
  of a district, or campus staff, in the case of a campus.
         Sec. 39.109 [39.134].  COSTS PAID BY DISTRICT. The costs of
  providing a monitor, conservator, management team, campus
  intervention team, technical assistance team, managing entity, or
  service provider under this subchapter [Section 39.1327, or service
  provider under Section 39.1331] shall be paid by the district. If
  the district fails or refuses to pay the costs in a timely manner,
  the commissioner may:
               (1)  pay the costs using amounts withheld from any
  funds to which the district is otherwise entitled; or
               (2)  recover the amount of the costs in the manner
  provided for recovery of an overallocation of state funds under
  Section 42.258.
         Sec. 39.110 [39.135].  CONSERVATOR OR MANAGEMENT TEAM.
  (a)  The commissioner shall clearly define the powers and duties of
  a conservator or management team appointed to oversee the
  operations of the district.
         (b)  At least every 90 days, the commissioner shall review
  the need for the conservator or management team and shall remove the
  conservator or management team unless the commissioner determines
  that continued appointment is necessary for effective governance of
  the district or delivery of instructional services.
         (c)  A conservator or management team, if directed by the
  commissioner, shall prepare a plan for the implementation of action
  under Section 39.101(a)(9) [39.131(a)(9)] or (10). The conservator
  or management team:
               (1)  may direct an action to be taken by the principal
  of a campus, the superintendent of the district, or the board of
  trustees of the district;
               (2)  may approve or disapprove any action of the
  principal of a campus, the superintendent of the district, or the
  board of trustees of the district;
               (3)  may not take any action concerning a district
  election, including ordering or canceling an election or altering
  the date of or the polling places for an election;
               (4)  may not change the number of or method of selecting
  the board of trustees;
               (5)  may not set a tax rate for the district; and
               (6)  may not adopt a budget for the district that
  provides for spending a different amount, exclusive of required
  debt service, from that previously adopted by the board of
  trustees.
         Sec. 39.111 [39.136].  BOARD OF MANAGERS. (a)  A board of
  managers may exercise all of the powers and duties assigned to a
  board of trustees of a school district by law, rule, or regulation.
  This subchapter applies to a district governed by a board of
  managers in the same manner that this subchapter applies to any
  other district.
         (b)  If the commissioner appoints a board of managers to
  govern a district, the powers of the board of trustees of the
  district are suspended for the period of the appointment and the
  commissioner shall appoint a district superintendent.
  Notwithstanding any other provision of this code, the board of
  managers may amend the budget of the district.
         (c)  If the commissioner appoints a board of managers to
  govern a campus, the powers of the board of trustees of the district
  in relation to the campus are suspended for the period of the
  appointment and the commissioner shall appoint a campus principal.
  Notwithstanding any other provision of this code, the board of
  managers may submit to the commissioner for approval amendments to
  the budget of the district for the benefit of the campus. If the
  commissioner approves the amendments, the board of trustees of the
  district shall adopt the amendments.
         (d)  A conservator or a member of a management team appointed
  to serve on a board of managers may continue to be compensated as
  determined by the commissioner.
         (e)  At the direction of the commissioner but not later than
  the second anniversary of the date the board of managers of a
  district was appointed, the board of managers shall order an
  election of members of the district board of trustees. The election
  must be held on a uniform election date on which an election of
  district trustees may be held under Section 41.001, Election Code,
  that is at least 180 days after the date the election was ordered.
  On qualification of members for office, the board of trustees
  assumes all of the powers and duties assigned to a board of trustees
  by law, rule, or regulation.
         Sec. 39.112 [39.137].  [SPECIAL] CAMPUS INTERVENTION TEAM.
  A [special] campus intervention team appointed under this
  subchapter may consist of teachers, principals, other educational
  professionals, and superintendents recognized for excellence in
  their roles and appointed by the commissioner to serve as members of
  a team.
         Sec. 39.113 [39.138].  IMMUNITY FROM CIVIL LIABILITY. An
  employee, volunteer, or contractor acting on behalf of the
  commissioner under this subchapter is immune from civil liability
  to the same extent as a professional employee of a school district
  under Section 22.051.
         Sec. 39.114.  CAMPUS NAME CHANGE PROHIBITED. In
  reconstituting, repurposing, or imposing any other intervention or
  sanction on a campus under this subchapter, other than closure, the
  commissioner may not require that the name of the campus be changed.
         Sec. 39.115.  TRANSITIONAL INTERVENTIONS AND SANCTIONS.
  (a)  During the period of transition to the accreditation system
  established under H.B. No. 3, Acts of the 81st Legislature, Regular
  Session, 2009, to be implemented in August 2014, the commissioner
  may suspend assignment of accreditation statuses and performance
  ratings for the 2011-2012 school year and, with respect to the
  college readiness indicators under Section 39.053(c)(1)(B), for
  the 2012-2013 school year.
         (b)  During the 2011-2012 school year and, with respect to
  the college readiness indicators under Section 39.053(c)(1)(B),
  the 2012-2013 school year, the commissioner shall continue to
  implement interventions and sanctions for those districts and
  campuses identified as having unsatisfactory performance in the
  2010-2011 school year in accordance with the performance standards
  applicable during the 2010-2011 school year and may increase or
  decrease the level of interventions and sanctions based on an
  evaluation of the district's or campus's performance.
         (c)  For purposes of determining multiple years of
  unsatisfactory performance and required district and campus
  interventions and sanctions under this subchapter, the performance
  ratings and accreditation statuses issued in the 2010-2011 and
  2012-2013 school years and, with respect to the college readiness
  indicators under Section 39.053(c)(1)(B), the 2010-2011 and
  2013-2014 school years, shall be considered consecutive.
         (d)  This section expires September 1, 2015.
  SUBCHAPTER F [K]. PROCEDURES FOR CHALLENGE OF ACCOUNTABILITY
  DETERMINATION [RATING OR SANCTION]
         Sec. 39.151 [39.301].  REVIEW BY COMMISSIONER:
  ACCOUNTABILITY DETERMINATION [RATINGS]. (a)  The commissioner by
  rule shall provide a process for a school district or
  open-enrollment charter school to challenge an agency decision made
  under this chapter relating to an academic or financial
  accountability rating that affects the district or school.
         (b)  The rules under Subsection (a) must provide for the
  commissioner to appoint a committee to make recommendations to the
  commissioner on a challenge made to an agency decision relating to
  an academic performance rating or determination or financial
  accountability rating. The commissioner may not appoint an agency
  employee as a member of the committee.
         (c)  The commissioner may limit a challenge under this
  section to a written submission of any issue identified by the
  school district or open-enrollment charter school challenging the
  agency decision.
         (d)  The commissioner shall make a final decision under this
  section after considering the recommendation of the committee
  described by Subsection (b). The commissioner's decision may not
  be appealed under Section 7.057 or other law.
         (e)  A school district or open-enrollment charter school may
  not challenge an agency decision relating to an academic or
  financial accountability rating under this chapter in another
  proceeding if the district or school has had an opportunity to
  challenge the decision under this section.
         Sec. 39.152 [39.302].  REVIEW BY STATE OFFICE OF
  ADMINISTRATIVE HEARINGS: SANCTIONS. (a)  A school district or
  open-enrollment charter school that intends to challenge a decision
  by the commissioner under this chapter to close the district or a
  district campus or the charter school or to pursue alternative
  management of a district campus or the charter school must appeal
  the decision under the procedures provided for a contested case
  under Chapter 2001, Government Code.
         (b)  A challenge to a decision under this section is under
  the substantial evidence rule as provided by Subchapter G, Chapter
  2001, Government Code.
         (c)  Notwithstanding other law:
               (1)  the State Office of Administrative Hearings shall
  provide an expedited review of a challenge under this section;
               (2)  the administrative law judge shall issue a final
  order not later than the 30th day after the date on which the
  hearing is finally closed; and
               (3)  the decision of the administrative law judge is
  final and may not be appealed.
  SUBCHAPTER G. DISTINCTION DESIGNATIONS
         Sec. 39.201.  ELIGIBILITY INDICATOR FOR DISTINCTION
  DESIGNATION. (a)  A district or campus is eligible for a
  distinction designation under this subchapter if:
               (1)  the district or campus attains a minimum
  percentage, as determined by the commissioner, of:
                     (A)  students who performed satisfactorily, as
  determined under the college readiness performance standard under
  Section 39.0241, on assessment instruments required under Section
  39.023(a), (b), (c), or (l), aggregated across grade levels by
  subject area; or
                     (B)  students who met the standard for annual
  improvement, as determined by the agency under Section 39.034, on
  assessment instruments required under Section 39.023(a), (b), (c),
  or (l), aggregated across grade levels by subject area, for
  students who did not perform satisfactorily as described by
  Paragraph (A); or
               (2)  the district or campus demonstrates a significant
  increase as compared to the preceding school year, as determined by
  the commissioner, in the percentage of students who performed
  satisfactorily as described by Subdivision (1)(A) or who met the
  standard for annual improvement as described by Subdivision (1)(B).
         (b)  The commissioner shall periodically raise the minimum
  percentage for the eligibility for the distinction designation
  described by Subsection (a)(1) as necessary to reach the goal of
  achieving, by not later than the 2019-2020 school year, student
  performance in this state, disaggregated by race, ethnicity, and
  socioeconomic status, that ranks nationally in the top 10 states in
  terms of college readiness.
         (c)  If college readiness performance standards are adopted
  for science and social studies end-of-course assessment
  instruments under Section 39.024(f), those performance standards
  and assessment instruments apply in determining district or campus
  eligibility under this section.
         Sec. 39.202.  ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE DISTINCTION DESIGNATION
  FOR DISTRICTS AND CAMPUSES. (a)  The commissioner shall award a
  district or campus an academic excellence distinction designation
  if the district or campus attains percentages of students under
  Sections 39.201(a)(1) and (2) higher than the percentages
  determined by the commissioner under Sections 39.201(a)(1) and (2).
         (b)  The commissioner by rule shall establish a recognized
  and exemplary rating for the academic distinction designation under
  this section. In establishing the recognized and exemplary
  ratings, the commissioner shall adopt criteria for the ratings,
  including the percentages of students under Sections 39.201(a)(1)
  and (2). The commissioner may consider the level of increased
  performance from school year to school year as a factor.
         (c)  The commissioner shall investigate types and amounts of
  monetary and nonmonetary awards available to motivate districts and
  campuses to increase the number of students who perform
  satisfactorily, as determined under the college readiness
  performance standard under Section 39.0241. Not later than
  November 30, 2010, the commissioner shall provide a report based on
  the investigation under this subsection to the governor, the
  lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house, and the presiding
  officers of the standing committees with primary jurisdiction over
  public education and appropriations. The report must include
  strategies for increasing student performance in this state to a
  level that ranks in the top 10 states in terms of college readiness.
         Sec. 39.203.  CAMPUS DISTINCTION DESIGNATIONS. (a)  The
  commissioner shall award a campus a distinction designation if the
  campus is ranked in the top 25 percent of campuses eligible under
  Section 39.201 in annual improvement in student achievement, as
  determined under Section 39.034, in English language arts,
  mathematics, science, or social studies.
         (b)  In addition to the distinction designation described by
  Subsection (a), the commissioner shall award a campus a distinction
  designation if the campus demonstrates an ability to significantly
  diminish or eliminate performance differentials between student
  subpopulations and is ranked in the top 25 percent of campuses
  eligible under Section 39.201 under the performance criteria
  described by this subsection. The commissioner shall adopt rules
  related to the distinction designation under this subsection to
  ensure that a campus does not artificially diminish or eliminate
  performance differentials through inhibiting the achievement of
  the highest achieving student subpopulation.
         (c)  In addition to the distinction designations described
  by Subsections (a) and (b), a campus that satisfies the criteria
  developed under Section 39.204 shall be awarded a distinction
  designation by the commissioner for the following programs or the
  following specific categories of performance:
               (1)  academic achievement in English language arts,
  mathematics, science, or social studies;
               (2)  fine arts;
               (3)  physical education;
               (4)  21st Century Workforce Development program; and
               (5)  second language acquisition program.
         (d)  A campus may not be awarded a distinction designation
  under this subchapter unless the campus is eligible under Section
  39.201 and satisfies all performance standards under Section
  39.054(d).
         Sec. 39.204.  CAMPUS DISTINCTION DESIGNATION CRITERIA;
  COMMITTEES. (a)  The commissioner by rule shall establish:
               (1)  standards for considering campuses for
  distinction designations under Section 39.203(c); and
               (2)  methods for awarding distinction designations to
  campuses.
         (b)  In adopting rules under this section, the commissioner
  shall establish a separate committee to develop criteria for each
  distinction designation under Section 39.203(c).
         (c)  Each committee established under this section must
  include:
               (1)  individuals who practice as professionals in the
  content area relevant to the distinction designation, as
  applicable;
               (2)  individuals with subject matter expertise in the
  content area relevant to the distinction designation;
               (3)  educators with subject matter expertise in the
  content area relevant to the distinction designation; and
               (4)  community leaders, including leaders from the
  business community.
         (d)  For each committee, the governor, lieutenant governor,
  and speaker of the house of representatives may each appoint a
  person described by each subdivision of Subsection (c).
         (e)  In developing criteria for distinction designations
  under this section, each committee shall:
               (1)  identify a variety of indicators for measuring
  excellence; and
               (2)  consider categories for distinction designations,
  with criteria relevant to each category, based on:
                     (A)  the level of a program, whether elementary
  school, middle or junior high school, or high school; and
                     (B)  the student enrollment of a campus.
  SUBCHAPTER H [F]. ADDITIONAL REWARDS
         Sec. 39.231 [39.111].  RECOGNITION AND REWARDS. The State
  Board of Education shall develop a plan for recognizing and
  rewarding school districts and campuses that are rated as exemplary
  or recognized under Subchapter G and for developing a network for
  sharing proven successful practices statewide and regionally. The
  reward may be used to provide educators with summer stipends to
  develop curricula based on the cited successful strategies. The
  educators may copyright the curricula they develop.
         Sec. 39.232 [39.112].  EXCELLENCE EXEMPTIONS. (a)  Except
  as provided by Subsection (b), a school campus or district that is
  rated exemplary under Subchapter G is exempt from requirements and
  prohibitions imposed under this code including rules adopted under
  this code.
         (b)  A school campus or district is not exempt under this
  section from:
               (1)  a prohibition on conduct that constitutes a
  criminal offense;
               (2)  requirements imposed by federal law or rule,
  including requirements for special education or bilingual
  education programs; or
               (3)  a requirement, restriction, or prohibition
  relating to:
                     (A)  curriculum essential knowledge and skills
  under Section 28.002 or high school [minimum] graduation
  requirements under Section 28.025;
                     (B)  public school accountability as provided by
  Subchapters B, C, D, E, and J [G];
                     (C)  extracurricular activities under Section
  33.081;
                     (D)  health and safety under Chapter 38;
                     (E)  purchasing [competitive bidding] under
  Subchapter B, Chapter 44;
                     (F)  elementary school class size limits, except
  as provided by Subsection (d) or Section 25.112;
                     (G)  removal of a disruptive student from the
  classroom under Subchapter A, Chapter 37;
                     (H)  at risk programs under Subchapter C, Chapter
  29;
                     (I)  prekindergarten programs under Subchapter E,
  Chapter 29;
                     (J)  rights and benefits of school employees;
                     (K)  special education programs under Subchapter
  A, Chapter 29; or
                     (L)  bilingual education programs under
  Subchapter B, Chapter 29.
         (c)  The agency shall monitor and evaluate deregulation of a
  school campus or district under this section and Section 7.056.
         (d)  The commissioner may exempt an exemplary school campus
  under Subchapter G from elementary class size limits under this
  section if the school campus submits to the commissioner a written
  plan showing steps that will be taken to ensure that the exemption
  from the class size limits will not be harmful to the academic
  achievement of the students on the school campus. The commissioner
  shall review achievement levels annually. The exemption remains in
  effect until the commissioner determines that achievement levels of
  the campus have declined.
         Sec. 39.233 [39.113].  RECOGNITION OF HIGH SCHOOL
  COMPLETION AND SUCCESS AND COLLEGE READINESS PROGRAMS. (a)  The
  agency shall:
               (1)  develop standards for evaluating the success and
  cost-effectiveness of high school completion and success and
  college readiness programs implemented under Section 39.234
  [39.114];
               (2)  provide guidance for school districts and campuses
  in establishing and improving high school completion and success
  and college readiness programs implemented under Section 39.234
  [39.114]; and
               (3)  develop standards for selecting and methods for
  recognizing school districts and campuses that offer exceptional
  high school completion and success and college readiness programs
  under Section 39.234 [39.114].
         (b)  The commissioner may adopt rules for the administration
  of this section.
         Sec. 39.234 [39.114].  HIGH SCHOOL ALLOTMENT. (a)  Except
  as provided by Subsection (b), a school district or campus must use
  funds allocated under Section 42.2516(b)(3) to:
               (1)  implement or administer a college readiness
  program that provides academic support and instruction to prepare
  underachieving students for entrance into an institution of higher
  education;
               (2)  implement or administer a program that encourages
  students to pursue advanced academic opportunities, including
  early college high school programs and dual credit, advanced
  placement, and international baccalaureate courses;
               (3)  implement or administer a program that provides
  opportunities for students to take academically rigorous course
  work, including four years of mathematics and four years of science
  at the high school level;
               (4)  implement or administer a program, including
  online course support and professional development, that aligns the
  curriculum for grades six through 12 with postsecondary curriculum
  and expectations; or
               (5)  implement or administer other high school
  completion and success initiatives in grades six through 12
  approved by the commissioner.
         (b)  A school district may use funds allocated under Section
  42.2516(b)(3) on any instructional program in grades six through 12
  other than an athletic program if:
               (1)  the district's measure of progress toward college
  readiness is determined exceptional by a standard set [district is
  recognized as exceptional] by the commissioner [under the academic
  accountability indicator adopted under Section 39.051(b)(13)]; and
               (2)  the district's completion rates for grades nine
  through 12 [meet or] exceed completion rate standards required by
  the commissioner to achieve a status of accredited under Section
  39.051 [rating of exemplary under Section 39.072].
         (b-1)  Subsection (b) applies beginning with the 2008-2009
  school year. This subsection expires September 1, 2009.
         (c)  An open-enrollment charter school is entitled to an
  allotment under this section in the same manner as a school
  district.
         (d)  The commissioner shall adopt rules to administer this
  section, including rules related to the permissible use of funds
  allocated under this section to an open-enrollment charter school.
         Sec. 39.235 [39.115].  HIGH SCHOOL INNOVATION GRANT
  INITIATIVE. (a)  From funds appropriated for that purpose, the
  commissioner may establish a grant program under which grants are
  awarded to secondary campuses and school districts to support:
               (1)  the implementation of innovative high school
  improvement programs that are based on the best available research
  regarding high school reform, dropout prevention, and preparing
  students for postsecondary coursework or employment;
               (2)  enhancing education practices that have been
  demonstrated by significant evidence of effectiveness; and
               (3)  the alignment of grants and programs to the
  strategic plan adopted under Section 39.407 [39.357].
         (b)  Before awarding a grant under this section, the
  commissioner may require a campus or school district to:
               (1)  obtain local matching funds; or
               (2)  meet other conditions, including developing a
  personal graduation plan under Section 28.0212 for each student
  enrolled at the campus or in a district high school.
         (c)  The commissioner may:
               (1)  accept gifts, grants, or donations from a private
  foundation to implement a grant program under this section; and
               (2)  coordinate gifts, grants, or donations with other
  available funding to implement a grant program under this section.
         (d)  The commissioner may use funds appropriated under this
  section to support technical assistance services for school
  districts and open-enrollment charter schools to implement a high
  school improvement program under this section.
         Sec. 39.236 [39.116].  INITIATIVE FOR RETAINING QUALITY
  EDUCATORS. Notwithstanding Section 39.106(b) [39.1324(b)], a
  school district, to assist in preventing dropouts and disruptions
  that may result from certain mandatory sanctions, may retain at a
  campus a principal who has been employed at the campus as a
  principal during the [two-year] period described by Section
  39.106(a) [39.1324(a)] if the students enrolled at the campus have
  demonstrated a pattern of significant academic improvement.
  SUBCHAPTER I [E].  SUCCESSFUL SCHOOL AWARDS
         Sec. 39.261 [39.091].  CREATION OF SYSTEM. The Texas
  Successful Schools Awards System is created to recognize and reward
  those schools and school districts that demonstrate progress or
  success in achieving the education goals of the state.
         Sec. 39.262 [39.092].  TYPES OF AWARDS. (a)  The governor
  may present a financial award to the schools or districts that the
  commissioner determines have demonstrated the highest levels of
  sustained success or the greatest improvement in achieving the
  education goals. For each student in average daily attendance,
  each of those schools or districts is entitled to an amount set for
  the award for which the school or district is selected by the
  commissioner, subject to any limitation set by the commissioner on
  the total amount that may be awarded to a school or district.
         (b)  The governor may present proclamations or certificates
  to additional schools and districts determined to have met or
  exceeded the education goals.
         (c)  The commissioner may establish additional categories of
  awards and award amounts for a school or district determined to be
  successful under Subsection (a) or (b) that are contingent on the
  school's or district's involvement with paired, lower-performing
  schools.
         Sec. 39.263 [39.093].  AWARDS. (a)  The criteria that the
  commissioner shall use to select successful schools and districts
  must be related to the goals in Section 4.002 and must include
  consideration of performance on the student achievement [academic
  excellence] indicators adopted under Section 39.053(c) and
  consideration of the distinction designation criteria prescribed
  by or developed under Subchapter G [39.051].
         (b)  For purposes of selecting schools and districts under
  Section 39.262(a) [39.092(a)], each school's performance shall be
  compared to state standards and to its previous performance.
         (c) [(b)]  The commissioner shall select annually schools
  and districts qualified to receive successful school awards for
  their performance and report the selections to the governor and the
  State Board of Education.
         (d) [(c)]  The agency shall notify each school district of
  the manner in which the district or a school in the district may
  qualify for a successful school award.
         Sec. 39.264 [39.094].  USE OF AWARDS. (a)  In determining
  the use of a monetary award received under this subchapter, a school
  or district shall give priority to academic enhancement purposes.
  The award may not be used for any purpose related to athletics, and
  it may not be used to substitute for or replace funds already in the
  regular budget for a school or district.
         (b)  The campus-level committee established under Section
  11.253 shall determine the use of the funds awarded to a school
  under this subchapter. The professional staff of the district
  shall determine the use of the funds awarded to the school district
  under this subchapter.
         Sec. 39.265 [39.095].  FUNDING. The award system may be
  funded by donations, grants, or legislative appropriations. The
  commissioner may solicit and receive grants and donations for the
  purpose of making awards under this subchapter. A small portion of
  the award funds may be used by the commissioner to pay for the costs
  associated with sponsoring a ceremony to recognize or present
  awards to schools or districts under this subchapter. The
  donations, grants, or legislative appropriations shall be
  accounted for and distributed by the agency. The awards are subject
  to audit requirements established by the State Board of Education.
         Sec. 39.266 [39.096].  CONFIDENTIALITY. All information
  and reports received by the commissioner under this subchapter from
  schools or school districts deemed confidential under Chapter 552,
  Government Code, are confidential and may not be disclosed in any
  public or private proceeding.
  SUBCHAPTER J.  PARENT AND EDUCATOR REPORTS
         Sec. 39.301.  ADDITIONAL PERFORMANCE INDICATORS:
  REPORTING. (a)  In addition to the indicators adopted under
  Section 39.053, the commissioner shall adopt indicators of the
  quality of learning for the purpose of preparing reports under this
  chapter. The commissioner biennially shall review the indicators
  for the consideration of appropriate revisions.
         (b)  Performance on the indicators adopted under this
  section shall be evaluated in the same manner provided for
  evaluation of the student achievement indicators under Section
  39.053(b).
         (c)  Indicators for reporting purposes must include:
               (1)  the percentage of graduating students who meet the
  course requirements established for the recommended high school
  program by State Board of Education rule;
               (2)  the results of the Scholastic Assessment Test
  (SAT), the American College Test (ACT), articulated postsecondary
  degree programs described by Section 61.852, and certified
  workforce training programs described by Chapter 311, Labor Code;
               (3)  for students who have failed to perform
  satisfactorily, under each performance standard under Section
  39.0241, on an assessment instrument required under Section
  39.023(a) or (c), the numerical progress of those students grouped
  by percentage on subsequent assessment instruments required under
  those sections, aggregated by grade level and subject area;
               (4)  the percentage of students, aggregated by grade
  level, provided accelerated instruction under Section 28.0211(c),
  the results of assessment instruments administered under that
  section, the percentage of students promoted through the grade
  placement committee process under Section 28.0211, the subject of
  the assessment instrument on which each student failed to perform
  satisfactorily under each performance standard under Section
  39.0241, and the performance of those students in the school year
  following that promotion on the assessment instruments required
  under Section 39.023;
               (5)  the percentage of students exempted, by exemption
  category, from the assessment program generally applicable under
  this chapter;
               (6)  the percentage of students of limited English
  proficiency exempted from the administration of an assessment
  instrument under Sections 39.027(a)(3) and (4);
               (7)  the percentage of students in a special education
  program under Subchapter A, Chapter 29, assessed through assessment
  instruments developed or adopted under Section 39.023(b);
               (8)  the measure of progress toward college readiness;
               (9)  the measure of progress toward dual language
  proficiency under Section 39.034(b), for students of limited
  English proficiency, as defined by Section 29.052;
               (10)  the percentage of students who enroll and begin
  instruction at an institution of higher education in the school
  year following high school graduation; and
               (11)  the percentage of students who successfully
  complete the first year of instruction at an institution of higher
  education without needing a developmental education course.
         (d)  Performance on the indicators described by Section
  39.053(c) and Subsections (c)(3), (4), and (9) must be based on
  longitudinal student data that is disaggregated by the bilingual
  education or special language program, if any, in which students of
  limited English proficiency, as defined by Section 29.052, are or
  former students of limited English proficiency were enrolled. If a
  student described by this subsection is not or was not enrolled in
  specialized language instruction, the number and percentage of
  those students shall be provided.
         (e)  Section 39.055 applies in evaluating indicators
  described by Subsection (c).
         Sec. 39.302.  REPORT TO DISTRICT: COMPARISONS FOR ANNUAL
  PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT. (a)  The agency shall report to each
  school district the comparisons of student performance made under
  Section 39.034.
         (b)  To the extent practicable, the agency shall combine the
  report of comparisons with the report of the student's performance
  on assessment instruments under Section 39.023.
         Sec. 39.303.  REPORT TO PARENTS. (a)  The school district a
  student attends shall provide a record of the comparisons made
  under Section 39.034 and provided to the district under Section
  39.302 in a written notice to the student's parent or other person
  standing in parental relationship.
         (b)  For a student who failed to perform satisfactorily as
  determined by the commissioner under Section 39.0241(a) on an
  assessment instrument administered under Section 39.023(a), (c),
  or (l), the school district shall include in the notice specific
  information relating to access to online educational resources at
  the appropriate assessment instrument content level, including
  educational resources described by Section 32.252(b)(2) and
  assessment instruments questions and answers released under
  Section 39.023(e).
         Sec. 39.304.  TEACHER REPORT CARD. Each school district
  shall prepare a report of the comparisons made under Section 39.034
  and provided to the district under Section 39.302 and provide the
  report at the beginning of the school year to each teacher for
  incoming students who were assessed on an assessment instrument
  under Section 39.023.
         Sec. 39.305 [39.052].  CAMPUS REPORT CARD. (a)  Each school
  year, the agency shall prepare and distribute to each school
  district a report card for each campus. The campus report cards
  must be based on the most current data available disaggregated by
  student groups. Campus performance must be compared to previous
  campus and district performance, current district performance, and
  state established standards[, and comparable campus group
  performance].
         (b)  The report card shall include the following
  information:
               (1)  where applicable, the student achievement
  indicators described by Section 39.053(c) and the reporting
  indicators described by Sections 39.301(c)(1) through (4)
  [academic excellence indicators adopted under Sections
  39.051(b)(1) through (10)];
               (2)  average class size by grade level and subject;
               (3)  the administrative and instructional costs per
  student, computed in a manner consistent with Section 44.0071; and
               (4)  the district's instructional expenditures ratio
  and instructional employees ratio computed under Section 44.0071,
  and the statewide average of those ratios, as determined by the
  commissioner.
         (c)  The commissioner shall adopt rules requiring
  dissemination of the information required under Subsection (b)(4)
  and appropriate class size and student performance portions of
  campus report cards annually to the parent, guardian, conservator,
  or other person having lawful control of each student at the campus.
  On written request, the school district shall provide a copy of a
  campus report card to any other party.
         Sec. 39.306 [39.053].  PERFORMANCE REPORT. (a)  Each board
  of trustees shall publish an annual report describing the
  educational performance of the district and of each campus in the
  district that includes uniform student performance and descriptive
  information as determined under rules adopted by the commissioner.
  The annual report must also include:
               (1)  campus performance objectives established under
  Section 11.253 and the progress of each campus toward those
  objectives, which shall be available to the public;
               (2)  information indicating the district's
  accreditation status and identifying each district campus awarded a
  distinction designation under Subchapter G or considered a
  low-performing campus under Subchapter E [the performance rating
  for the district as provided under Section 39.072(a) and the
  performance rating of each campus in the district as provided under
  Section 39.072(c)];
               (3)  the district's current special education
  compliance status with the agency;
               (4)  a statement of the number, rate, and type of
  violent or criminal incidents that occurred on each district
  campus, to the extent permitted under the Family Educational Rights
  and Privacy Act of 1974 (20 U.S.C. Section 1232g);
               (5)  information concerning school violence prevention
  and violence intervention policies and procedures that the district
  is using to protect students; [and]
               (6)  the findings that result from evaluations
  conducted under the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act
  of 1994 (20 U.S.C. Section 7101 et seq.) [and its subsequent
  amendments]; and
               (7)  information received under Section 51.403(e) for
  each high school campus in the district, presented in a form
  determined by the commissioner.
         (b)  Supplemental information to be included in the reports
  shall be determined by the board of trustees. Performance
  information in the annual reports on the indicators described by
  Sections 39.053 and 39.301 [established under Section 39.051] and
  descriptive information required by this section shall be provided
  by the agency.
         (c)  The board of trustees shall hold a hearing for public
  discussion of the report. The board of trustees shall give notice
  of the hearing to property owners in the district and parents of and
  other persons standing in parental relation to[, guardians,
  conservators, and other persons having lawful control of] a
  district student. The notification must include notice to a
  newspaper of general circulation in the district and notice to
  electronic media serving the district. After the hearing the
  report shall be widely disseminated within the district in a manner
  to be determined under rules adopted by the commissioner.
         (d)  The report must also include a comparison provided by
  the agency of:
               (1)  the performance of each campus to its previous
  performance and to state-established standards; and
               (2)  the performance of each district to its previous
  performance and to state-established standards[; and
               [(3)     the performance of each campus or district to
  comparable improvement].
         (e)  The report may include the following information:
               (1)  student information, including total enrollment,
  enrollment by ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and grade groupings
  and retention rates;
               (2)  financial information, including revenues and
  expenditures;
               (3)  staff information, including number and type of
  staff by sex [gender], ethnicity, years of experience, and highest
  degree held, teacher and administrator salaries, and teacher
  turnover;
               (4)  program information, including student enrollment
  by program, teachers by program, and instructional operating
  expenditures by program; and
               (5)  the number of students placed in a disciplinary
  alternative education program under Chapter 37.
         (f)  The commissioner [State Board of Education] by rule
  shall authorize the combination of this report with other reports
  and financial statements and shall restrict the number and length
  of reports that school districts, school district employees, and
  school campuses are required to prepare.
         (g)  The report must include a statement of the amount, if
  any, of the school district's unencumbered surplus fund balance as
  of the last day of the preceding fiscal year and the percentage of
  the preceding year's budget that the surplus represents.
         Sec. 39.307 [39.054].  USES OF PERFORMANCE REPORT.  The
  information required to be reported under Section 39.306 [39.053]
  shall be:
               (1)  the subject of public hearings or meetings
  required under Sections 11.252, 11.253, and 39.306 [39.053];
               (2)  a primary consideration in school district and
  campus planning; and
               (3)  a primary consideration of:
                     (A)  the State Board of Education in the
  evaluation of the performance of the commissioner;
                     (B)  the commissioner in the evaluation of the
  performance of the directors of the regional education service
  centers;
                     (C)  the board of trustees of a school district in
  the evaluation of the performance of the superintendent of the
  district; and
                     (D)  the superintendent in the evaluation of the
  performance of the district's campus principals.
         Sec. 39.308 [39.055].  ANNUAL AUDIT OF DROPOUT RECORDS;
  REPORT. (a)  The commissioner shall develop a process for auditing
  school district dropout records electronically. The commissioner
  shall also develop a system and standards for review of the audit or
  use systems already available at the agency. The system must be
  designed to identify districts that are at high risk of having
  inaccurate dropout records and that, as a result, require on-site
  monitoring of dropout records.
         (b)  If the electronic audit of a school district's dropout
  records indicates that a district is not at high risk of having
  inaccurate dropout records, the district may not be subject to
  on-site monitoring under this subsection.
         (c)  If the risk-based system indicates that a school
  district is at high risk of having inaccurate dropout records, the
  district is entitled to an opportunity to respond to the
  commissioner's determination before on-site monitoring may be
  conducted. The district must respond not later than the 30th day
  after the date the commissioner notifies the district of the
  commissioner's determination. If the district's response does not
  change the commissioner's determination that the district is at
  high risk of having inaccurate dropout records or if the district
  does not respond in a timely manner, the commissioner shall order
  agency staff to conduct on-site monitoring of the district's
  dropout records.
         (d) [(e)]  The commissioner shall notify the board of
  trustees of a school district of any objection the commissioner has
  to the district's dropout data, any violation of sound accounting
  practices or of a law or rule revealed by the data, or any
  recommendation by the commissioner concerning the data. If the
  data reflect that a penal law has been violated, the commissioner
  shall notify the county attorney, district attorney, or criminal
  district attorney, as appropriate, and the attorney general.
         (e)  The commissioner is entitled to access to all district
  records the commissioner considers necessary or appropriate for the
  review, analysis, or approval of district dropout data.
  SUBCHAPTER K [H]. REPORTS BY TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY
         Sec. 39.331 [39.181].  GENERAL REQUIREMENTS. (a)  Each
  report required by this subchapter must:
               (1)  unless otherwise specified, contain summary
  information and analysis only, with an indication that the agency
  will provide the data underlying the report on request;
               (2)  specify a person at the agency who may be contacted
  for additional information regarding the report and provide the
  person's telephone number; and
               (3)  identify other sources of related information,
  indicating the level of detail and format of information that may be
  obtained, including the availability of any information on the
  Texas Education Network.
         (b)  Each component of a report required by this subchapter
  must:
               (1)  identify the substantive goal underlying the
  information required to be reported;
               (2)  analyze the progress made and longitudinal trends
  in achieving the underlying substantive goal;
               (3)  offer recommendations for improved progress in
  achieving the underlying substantive goal; and
               (4)  identify the relationship of the information
  required to be reported to state education goals.
         (c)  Unless otherwise provided, each report required by this
  subchapter is due not later than December 1 of each even-numbered
  year.
         (d)  Subsections (a) and (b) apply to any report required by
  statute that the agency or the State Board of Education must prepare
  and deliver to the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the
  house of representatives, or legislature.
         (e)  Unless otherwise provided by law, any report required by
  statute that the agency or the State Board of Education must prepare
  and deliver to the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the
  house of representatives, or legislature may be combined, at the
  discretion of the commissioner, with a report required by this
  subchapter.
         Sec. 39.332 [39.182].  COMPREHENSIVE ANNUAL REPORT.
  (a)  Not later than December 1 of each year, the agency shall
  prepare and deliver to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the
  speaker of the house of representatives, each member of the
  legislature, the Legislative Budget Board, and the clerks of the
  standing committees of the senate and house of representatives with
  primary jurisdiction over the public school system a comprehensive
  report covering the preceding school year and containing the
  information described by Subsection (b).[:]
         (b)(1)  The report must contain an evaluation of the
  achievements of the state educational program in relation to the
  statutory goals for the public education system under Section
  4.002.[;]
               (2)  The report must contain an evaluation of the
  status of education in the state as reflected by:
                     (A)  the student achievement [academic
  excellence] indicators described by [adopted under] Section 39.053
  [39.051]; and
                     (B)  the reporting indicators described by
  Section 39.301.
               (3)  The report must contain a summary compilation of
  overall student performance on academic skills assessment
  instruments required by Section 39.023 with the number and
  percentage of students exempted from the administration of those
  instruments and the basis of the exemptions, aggregated by grade
  level, subject area, campus, and district, with appropriate
  interpretations and analysis, and disaggregated by race,
  ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status.[;]
               (4)  The report must contain a summary compilation of
  overall performance of students placed in a disciplinary
  alternative education program established under Section 37.008 on
  academic skills assessment instruments required by Section 39.023
  with the number of those students exempted from the administration
  of those instruments and the basis of the exemptions, aggregated by
  district, grade level, and subject area, with appropriate
  interpretations and analysis, and disaggregated by race,
  ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status.[;]
               (5)  The report must contain a summary compilation of
  overall performance of students at risk of dropping out of school,
  as defined by Section 29.081(d), on academic skills assessment
  instruments required by Section 39.023 with the number of those
  students exempted from the administration of those instruments and
  the basis of the exemptions, aggregated by district, grade level,
  and subject area, with appropriate interpretations and analysis,
  and disaggregated by race, ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic
  status.[;]
               (6)  The report must contain an evaluation of the
  correlation between student grades and student performance on
  academic skills assessment instruments required by Section
  39.023.[;]
               (7)  The report must contain a statement of the dropout
  rate of students in grade levels 7 through 12, expressed in the
  aggregate and by grade level, and a statement of the completion
  rates of students for grade levels 9 through 12.[;]
               (8)  The report must contain a statement of:
                     (A)  the completion rate of students who enter
  grade level 9 and graduate not more than four years later;
                     (B)  the completion rate of students who enter
  grade level 9 and graduate, including students who require more
  than four years to graduate;
                     (C)  the completion rate of students who enter
  grade level 9 and not more than four years later receive a high
  school equivalency certificate;
                     (D)  the completion rate of students who enter
  grade level 9 and receive a high school equivalency certificate,
  including students who require more than four years to receive a
  certificate; and
                     (E)  the number and percentage of all students who
  have not been accounted for under Paragraph (A), (B), (C), or
  (D).[;]
               (9)  The report must contain a statement of the
  projected cross-sectional and longitudinal dropout rates for grade
  levels 9 through 12 for the next five years, assuming no state
  action is taken to reduce the dropout rate.[;]
               (10)  The report must contain a description of a
  systematic, measurable plan for reducing the projected
  cross-sectional and longitudinal dropout rates to five percent or
  less for the 1997-1998 school year.[;]
               (11)  The report must contain a summary of the
  information required by Section 29.083 regarding grade level
  retention of students and information concerning:
                     (A)  the number and percentage of students
  retained; and
                     (B)  the performance of retained students on
  assessment instruments required under Section 39.023(a).[;]
               (12)  The report must contain information, aggregated
  by district type and disaggregated by race, ethnicity, gender, and
  socioeconomic status, on:
                     (A)  the number of students placed in a
  disciplinary alternative education program established under
  Section 37.008;
                     (B)  the average length of a student's placement
  in a disciplinary alternative education program established under
  Section 37.008;
                     (C)  the academic performance of students on
  assessment instruments required under Section 39.023(a) during the
  year preceding and during the year following placement in a
  disciplinary alternative education program; and
                     (D)  the dropout rates of students who have been
  placed in a disciplinary alternative education program established
  under Section 37.008.[;]
               (13)  The report must contain a list of each school
  district or campus that does not satisfy performance standards,
  with an explanation of the actions taken by the commissioner to
  improve student performance in the district or campus and an
  evaluation of the results of those actions.[;]
               (14)  The report must contain an evaluation of the
  status of the curriculum taught in public schools, with
  recommendations for legislative changes necessary to improve or
  modify the curriculum required by Section 28.002.[;]
               (15)  The report must contain a description of all
  funds received by and each activity and expenditure of the
  agency.[;]
               (16)  The report must contain a summary and analysis of
  the instructional expenditures ratios and instructional employees
  ratios of school districts computed under Section 44.0071.[;]
               (17)  The report must contain a summary of the effect of
  deregulation, including exemptions and waivers granted under
  Section 7.056 or 39.232. [39.112;]
               (18)  The report must contain a statement of the total
  number and length of reports that school districts and school
  district employees must submit to the agency, identifying which
  reports are required by federal statute or rule, state statute, or
  agency rule, and a summary of the agency's efforts to reduce overall
  reporting requirements.[;]
               (19)  The report must contain a list of each school
  district that is not in compliance with state special education
  requirements, including:
                     (A)  the period for which the district has not
  been in compliance;
                     (B)  the manner in which the agency considered the
  district's failure to comply in determining the district's
  accreditation status; and
                     (C)  an explanation of the actions taken by the
  commissioner to ensure compliance and an evaluation of the results
  of those actions.[;]
               (20)  The report must contain a comparison of the
  performance of open-enrollment charter schools and school
  districts on the student achievement [academic excellence]
  indicators described by Section 39.053(c), the reporting
  indicators described by Section 39.301(c), [specified in Section
  39.051(b)] and the accountability measures adopted under Section
  39.053(i) [39.051(g)], with a separately aggregated comparison of
  the performance of open-enrollment charter schools predominantly
  serving students at risk of dropping out of school, as described
  [defined] by Section 29.081(d), with the performance of school
  districts.[;]
               (21)  The report must contain a summary of the
  information required by Section 38.0141 regarding student health
  and physical activity from each school district.[;]
               (22)  The report must contain a summary compilation of
  overall student performance under the assessment system developed
  to evaluate the longitudinal academic progress as required by
  Section 39.027(e), disaggregated by bilingual education or special
  language program instructional model, if any.[; and]
               (23)  The report must contain any additional
  information considered important by the commissioner or the State
  Board of Education.
         (c) [(b)]  In reporting the information required by
  Subsection (b)(3) or (4) [(a)(3) or (4)], the agency may separately
  aggregate the performance data of students enrolled in a special
  education program under Subchapter A, Chapter 29.
         (d) [(b-1)]  In reporting the information required by
  Subsections (b)(3), (5), and (7) [(a)(3), (5), and (7)], the agency
  shall separately aggregate the longitudinal performance data of all
  students identified as students of limited English proficiency, as
  defined by Section 29.052, or former students of limited English
  proficiency, disaggregated by bilingual education or special
  language program instructional model, if any, in which the students
  are or were enrolled.
         (e) [(c)]  Each report must contain the most recent data
  available.
         Sec. 39.333 [39.183].  REGIONAL AND DISTRICT LEVEL REPORT.
  The agency shall prepare and deliver to the governor, the
  lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives,
  each member of the legislature, the Legislative Budget Board, and
  the clerks of the standing committees of the senate and house of
  representatives with primary jurisdiction over the public school
  system a regional and district level report covering the preceding
  two school years and containing:
               (1)  a summary of school district compliance with the
  student/teacher ratios and class-size limitations prescribed by
  Sections 25.111 and 25.112, including:
                     (A)  the number of campuses and classes at each
  campus granted an exception from Section 25.112; and
                     (B)  for [the performance rating under Subchapter
  D of] each campus granted an exception from Section 25.112, a
  statement of whether the campus has been awarded a distinction
  designation under Subchapter G or has been identified as a
  low-performing campus under Subchapter E;
               (2)  a summary of the exemptions and waivers granted to
  campuses and school districts under Section 7.056 or 39.232
  [39.112] and a review of the effectiveness of each campus or
  district following deregulation;
               (3)  an evaluation of the performance of the system of
  regional education service centers based on the indicators adopted
  under Section 8.101 and client satisfaction with services provided
  under Subchapter B, Chapter 8;
               (4)  an evaluation of accelerated instruction programs
  offered under Section 28.006, including an assessment of the
  quality of such programs and the performance of students enrolled
  in such programs; and
               (5)  the number of classes at each campus that are
  currently being taught by individuals who are not certified in the
  content areas of their respective classes.
         Sec. 39.334 [39.184].  TECHNOLOGY REPORT. The agency shall
  prepare and deliver to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the
  speaker of the house of representatives, each member of the
  legislature, the Legislative Budget Board, and the clerks of the
  standing committees of the senate and house of representatives with
  primary jurisdiction over the public school system a technology
  report covering the preceding two school years and containing
  information on the status of the implementation of and revisions to
  the long-range technology plan required by Section 32.001,
  including the equity of the distribution and use of technology in
  public schools.
         Sec. 39.335 [39.185].  INTERIM REPORT. Not later than
  December 1 of each odd-numbered year, the agency shall prepare and
  deliver to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of
  the house of representatives, each member of the legislature, the
  Legislative Budget Board, and the clerks of the standing committees
  of the senate and house of representatives with primary
  jurisdiction over the public school system an interim report
  containing, for the previous school year, the information required
  by Section 39.333(2) [39.183(2)].
  SUBCHAPTER L [J]. NOTICE OF PERFORMANCE
         Sec. 39.361 [39.251].  NOTICE IN STUDENT GRADE REPORT. The
  first written notice of a student's performance that a school
  district gives during a school year as required by Section
  28.022(a)(2) must include [the following information]:
               (1)  a statement of whether the campus at which the
  student is enrolled has been awarded a distinction designation
  under Subchapter G or has been identified as a low-performing
  campus under Subchapter E [the most recent performance rating of
  the campus at which the student is enrolled, as determined under
  Section 39.072]; and
               (2)  an explanation of the significance of the
  information provided under Subdivision (1) [a definition and
  explanation of each performance rating described by Section
  39.072(a)].
         Sec. 39.362 [39.252].  NOTICE ON DISTRICT WEBSITE. Not
  later than the 10th day after the first day of instruction of each
  school year, a school district that maintains an Internet website
  shall make the following information available to the public on the
  website:
               (1)  the information contained in the most recent
  campus report card for each campus in the district[, as determined]
  under Section 39.305 [39.052];
               (2)  the information contained in the most recent
  performance report for the district[, as determined] under Section
  39.306 [39.053];
               (3)  the most recent accreditation status [performance
  rating] of the district[, as determined] under Section 39.052
  [39.072]; and
               (4)  a definition and explanation of each accreditation
  status under [performance rating described by] Section 39.051,
  based on commissioner rule adopted under that section [39.072(a)].
  SUBCHAPTER M [L]. HIGH SCHOOL COMPLETION AND SUCCESS INITIATIVE
         Sec. 39.401 [39.351].  DEFINITION. In this subchapter,
  "council" means the High School Completion and Success Initiative
  Council.
         Sec. 39.402 [39.352].  HIGH SCHOOL COMPLETION AND SUCCESS
  INITIATIVE COUNCIL. (a)  The High School Completion and Success
  Initiative Council is established to identify strategic priorities
  for and make recommendations to improve the effectiveness,
  coordination, and alignment of high school completion and college
  and workforce readiness efforts.
         (b)  The council is composed of:
               (1)  the commissioner of education;
               (2)  the commissioner of higher education; and
               (3)  seven members appointed by the commissioner of
  education.
         (c)  In making appointments required by Subsection (b)(3),
  the commissioner of education shall appoint:
               (1)  three members from a list of nominations provided
  by the governor;
               (2)  two members from a list of nominations provided by
  the lieutenant governor; and
               (3)  two members from a list of nominations provided by
  the speaker of the house of representatives.
         (d)  In making nominations under Subsection (c), the
  governor, lieutenant governor, and speaker of the house of
  representatives shall nominate persons who have distinguished
  experience in:
               (1)  developing and implementing high school reform
  strategies; and
               (2)  promoting college and workforce readiness.
         Sec. 39.403 [39.353].  TERMS. Members of the council
  appointed under Section 39.402(b)(3) [39.352(b)(3)] serve terms of
  two years and may be reappointed for additional terms.
         Sec. 39.404 [39.354].  PRESIDING OFFICER. The commissioner
  of education serves as the presiding officer of the council.
         Sec. 39.405 [39.355].  COMPENSATION AND REIMBURSEMENT. A
  member of the council is not entitled to compensation for service on
  the council but is entitled to reimbursement for actual and
  necessary expenses incurred in performing council duties.
         Sec. 39.406 [39.356].  COUNCIL STAFF AND FUNDING.
  (a)  Except as otherwise provided, staff members of the agency,
  with the assistance of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating
  Board, shall provide administrative support for the council.
         (b)  Funding for the administrative and operational expenses
  of the council shall be provided by appropriation to the agency for
  that purpose and by gifts, grants, and donations solicited and
  accepted by the agency for that purpose.
         Sec. 39.407 [39.357].  STRATEGIC PLAN. (a)  The council
  shall adopt a strategic plan under this subchapter to:
               (1)  specify strategies to identify, support, and
  expand programs to improve high school completion rates and college
  and workforce readiness;
               (2)  establish specific goals with which to measure the
  success of the strategies identified under Subdivision (1) in
  improving high school completion rates and college and workforce
  readiness;
               (3)  identify strategies for alignment and
  coordination of federal and other funding sources that may be
  pursued for high school reform, dropout prevention, and preparation
  of students for postsecondary coursework or employment; and
               (4)  identify key objectives for appropriate research
  and program evaluation conducted as provided by this subchapter.
         (b)  The commissioner of education and the commissioner of
  higher education shall adopt rules as necessary to administer the
  strategic plan adopted by the council under this section.
         (c)  The commissioner of education or the commissioner of
  higher education may not, in a manner inconsistent with the
  strategic plan, spend money, award a grant, or enter into a contract
  in connection with a program relating to high school success and
  completion.
         Sec. 39.408 [39.358].  ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR CERTAIN
  GRANT PROGRAMS. A school district or campus is eligible to
  participate in programs under Sections 21.4541, 29.095, 29.096,
  29.097, and 29.098 if the district or campus exhibited during each
  of the three preceding school years characteristics that strongly
  correlate with high dropout rates.
         Sec. 39.409 [39.359].  PRIVATE FOUNDATION PARTNERSHIPS.
  (a)  The commissioner of education or the commissioner of higher
  education, as appropriate, and the council may coordinate with
  private foundations that have made a substantial investment in the
  improvement of high schools in this state to maximize the impact of
  public and private investments.
         (b)  A private foundation is not required to obtain the
  approval of the appropriate commissioner or the council under
  Subsection (a) before allocating resources to a school in this
  state.
         Sec. 39.410 [39.360].  GRANT PROGRAM EVALUATION. (a)  The
  commissioner of education shall annually set aside not more than
  five percent of the funds appropriated for high school completion
  and success to contract for the evaluation of programs supported by
  grants approved under this subchapter. In awarding a contract
  under this subsection, the commissioner shall consider centers for
  education research established under Section 1.005.
         (b)  A person who receives a grant approved under this
  subchapter must consent to an evaluation under this section as a
  condition of receiving the grant.
         (c)  The commissioner shall ensure that an evaluation
  conducted under this section includes an assessment of whether
  student achievement has improved.  Results of the evaluation shall
  be provided through the online clearinghouse of information
  relating to the best practices of campuses and school districts
  established under Section 7.009.
         Sec. 39.411 [39.361].  COUNCIL RECOMMENDATIONS. (a)  Based
  on the strategic plan adopted under this subchapter [section], the
  council shall make recommendations to the commissioner of education
  or the commissioner of higher education, as applicable, for the use
  of federal and state funds appropriated or received for high school
  reform, college readiness, and dropout prevention, including
  grants awarded under Sections 21.4511, 21.4541, 29.095-29.098,
  29.917, 29.919, and 39.235 [39.115].
         (b)  The council shall include recommendations under this
  section for:
               (1)  key elements of program design;
               (2)  criteria for awarding grants and evaluating
  programs;
               (3)  program funding priorities; and
               (4)  program evaluation as provided by this subchapter.
         (c)  The commissioner of education or the commissioner of
  higher education, as applicable, shall consider the council's
  recommendations and based on those recommendations may award grants
  to school districts, open-enrollment charter schools, institutions
  of higher education, regional education service centers, and
  nonprofit organizations to meet the goals of the council's
  strategic plan.
         (d)  The commissioner of education or the commissioner of
  higher education, as applicable:
               (1)  is not required under this section to allocate
  funds to a program or initiative recommended by the council; and
               (2)  may not initiate a program funded under this
  section that does not conform to the recommended use of funds as
  provided under Subsections (a) and (b).
         Sec. 39.412 [39.362].  FUNDING PROVIDED TO SCHOOL
  DISTRICTS. From funds appropriated, the commissioner of education
  may provide funding to school districts to permit a school district
  to obtain technical assistance in preparing a grant proposal for a
  grant program administered under this subchapter.
         Sec. 39.413 [39.363].  FUNDING FOR CERTAIN PROGRAMS.
  (a)  From funds appropriated, the Texas Higher Education
  Coordinating Board shall allocate $8.75 million each year to
  establish mathematics, science, and technology teacher preparation
  academies under Section 21.462 and implement and administer the
  program under Section 29.098.
         (b)  The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall
  establish mathematics, science, and technology teacher preparation
  academies under Section 21.462 and implement and administer the
  program under Section 29.098 in a manner consistent with the goals
  of this subchapter and the goals in "Closing the Gaps," the state's
  master plan for higher education.
         Sec. 39.414 [39.364].  PRIVATE FUNDING. The commissioner of
  education or the commissioner of higher education, as appropriate,
  may accept gifts, grants, or donations to fund a grant administered
  under this subchapter.
         Sec. 39.415 [39.365].  REPORTS. (a)  Not later than
  December 1 of each even-numbered year, the agency shall prepare and
  deliver a report to the legislature that recommends any statutory
  changes the council considers appropriate to promote high school
  completion and college and workforce readiness.
         (b)  Not later than March 1 and September 1 of each year, the
  commissioner of education shall prepare and deliver a progress
  report to the presiding officers of the standing committees of each
  house of the legislature with primary jurisdiction over public
  education, the Legislative Budget Board, and the Governor's Office
  of Policy and Planning on:
               (1)  the implementation of Sections 7.031, 21.4511,
  21.4541, 21.462, 28.008(d-1), 28.0212(d), 29.095-29.098, 29.911,
  29.917-29.919, and 39.235 [39.115] and this subchapter;
               (2)  the programs supported by grants approved under
  this subchapter; and
               (3)  the alignment of grants and programs to the
  strategic plan adopted under Section 39.407 [39.357].
         Sec. 39.416 [39.366].  RULES. The commissioner of education
  and the commissioner of higher education shall adopt rules as
  necessary to administer this subchapter and any programs under the
  authority of the commissioner of education or the commissioner of
  higher education and the council under this subchapter.
         SECTION 57.  Subsection (b), Section 42.002, Education Code,
  is amended to read as follows:
         (b)  The Foundation School Program consists of:
               (1)  two tiers that in combination provide for:
                     (A)  sufficient financing for all school
  districts to provide a basic program of education that is rated
  accredited [academically acceptable or higher] under Section
  39.052 [39.072] and meets other applicable legal standards; and
                     (B)  substantially equal access to funds to
  provide an enriched program; and
               (2)  a facilities component as provided by Chapter 46.
         SECTION 58.  Section 51.3062, Education Code, is amended by
  adding Subsections (i-1) and (q-1) to read as follows:
         (i-1)  The commissioner of higher education may by rule
  require an institution of higher education to adopt uniform
  standards for the placement of a student under this section.
         (q-1)  A student who has completed a recommended or advanced
  high school program as determined under Section 28.025 and
  demonstrated the performance standard for college readiness as
  provided by Section 39.024 on the Algebra II and English III
  end-of-course assessment instruments is exempt from the
  requirements of this section with respect to those content areas.
  The commissioner of higher education by rule shall establish the
  period for which an exemption under this subsection is valid.
         SECTION 59.  Section 51.807, Education Code, as amended by
  Chapters 941 (H.B. 3826) and 1369 (H.B. 3851), Acts of the 80th
  Legislature, Regular Session, 2007, is reenacted to read as
  follows:
         Sec. 51.807.  RULEMAKING. (a)  The Texas Higher Education
  Coordinating Board may adopt rules relating to the operation of
  admissions programs under this subchapter, including rules
  relating to the identification of eligible students.
         (b)  The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, after
  consulting with the Texas Education Agency, by rule shall establish
  standards for determining for purposes of this subchapter:
               (1)  whether a private high school is accredited by a
  generally recognized accrediting organization; and
               (2)  whether a person completed a high school
  curriculum that is equivalent in content and rigor to the
  curriculum requirements established under Section 28.025 for the
  recommended or advanced high school program.
         SECTION 60.  Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by
  adding Subchapter T-1 to read as follows:
  SUBCHAPTER T-1. CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION
         Sec. 61.861.  DEVELOPMENT OF MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE COURSES
  FOR HIGH-DEMAND OCCUPATIONS. (a)  The commissioner of higher
  education and the commissioner of education, in consultation with
  the comptroller and the Texas Workforce Commission, may award a
  grant in an amount not to exceed $1 million to an institution of
  higher education to develop advanced mathematics and science
  courses to prepare high school students for employment in a
  high-demand occupation. The commissioner of higher education, the
  commissioner of education, the comptroller, and the Texas Workforce
  Commission shall jointly determine what is considered a high-demand
  occupation for purposes of this subchapter.
         (b)  An institution of higher education shall work in
  partnership with at least one independent school district and a
  business entity in developing a course for purposes of this
  section.
         (c)  A course developed for purposes of this section must:
               (1)  provide content that enables a student to develop
  the relevant and critical skills needed to be prepared for
  employment or additional training in a high-demand occupation;
               (2)  incorporate college and career readiness skills as
  part of the curriculum;
               (3)  be offered for dual credit; and
               (4)  satisfy a mathematics or science requirement under
  the recommended or advanced high school program as determined under
  Section 28.025.
         (d)  An institution of higher education shall periodically
  review and revise the curriculum for a course developed for
  purposes of this section to accommodate changes in industry
  standards for the high-demand occupation.
         Sec. 61.862.  GRANT APPLICATION CRITERIA. The commissioner
  of higher education and the commissioner of education, in
  consultation with the comptroller and the Texas Workforce
  Commission, shall establish application criteria for a grant under
  this subchapter and in making an award shall give priority to
  courses that:
               (1)  will prepare students for high-demand, high-wage,
  and high-skill occupations and further postsecondary study;
               (2)  may be transferred as college credit to multiple
  institutions of higher education; and
               (3)  are developed as part of a sequence of courses that
  includes statewide availability of the instructional materials and
  training for the courses at a nominal cost to public educational
  institutions in this state.
         Sec. 61.863.  USE OF FUNDS. An institution of higher
  education may use funds awarded under this section to develop, in
  connection with a course described by Section 61.861:
               (1)  curriculum;
               (2)  assessments;
               (3)  instructional materials, including
  technology-based supplemental materials; or
               (4)  professional development programs for secondary
  grade-level teachers teaching a course described by Section 61.861.
         Sec. 61.864.  REVIEW OF COURSES. Courses developed for
  which a grant is awarded under this subchapter shall be reviewed by
  the commissioner of higher education and the commissioner of
  education, in consultation with the comptroller and the Texas
  Workforce Commission, once every four years to determine whether
  the course:
               (1)  is being used by public educational institutions
  in this state;
               (2)  prepares high school students with the skills
  necessary for employment in the high-demand occupation and further
  postsecondary study; and
               (3)  satisfies a mathematics or science requirement for
  the recommended or advanced high school program as determined under
  Section 28.025.
         Sec. 61.865.  MATCHING CONTRIBUTION REQUIRED. An
  institution of higher education awarded a grant under this
  subchapter must obtain from one or more business entities in the
  industry for which students taking courses developed under Section
  61.861 are training, in a total amount equal to the amount of the
  state grant:
               (1)  gifts, grants, or donations of funds; or
               (2)  contributions of property that may be used in
  providing the courses.
         Sec. 61.866.  LIMITATION ON TOTAL AMOUNT OF GRANTS. In any
  state fiscal biennium, the total amount of grants awarded under
  this subchapter may not exceed $10 million.
         Sec. 61.867.  FUNDING OF GRANTS. The commissioner of higher
  education shall administer this section using available
  appropriations and gifts, grants, and donations made for the
  purposes of this subchapter.
         SECTION 61.  Subsection (c), Section 302.006, Labor Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         (c)  To be eligible to receive a scholarship awarded under
  this section, a person must:
               (1)  be employed in a child-care facility, as defined
  by Section 42.002, Human Resources Code;
               (2)  intend to obtain a credential, certificate, or
  degree specified in Subsection (b);
               (3)  agree to work for at least 18 additional months in
  a child-care facility, as defined by Section 42.002, Human
  Resources Code, that accepts federal Child Care Development Fund
  subsidies and that, at the time the person begins to fulfill the
  work requirement imposed by this subdivision, is located:
                     (A)  within the attendance zone of a public school
  campus considered low-performing under Section 39.102 [39.132],
  Education Code; or
                     (B)  in an economically disadvantaged community,
  as determined by the commission; and
               (4)  satisfy any other requirements adopted by the
  commission.
         SECTION 62.  The following provisions of the Education Code
  are repealed:
               (1)  Subsections (e), (f), and (g), Section 39.034; and
               (2)  Section 44.011.
         SECTION 63.  (a)  Not later than December 1, 2010, the Texas
  Education Agency shall prepare and deliver to the governor, the
  lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives,
  each member of the legislature, the clerks of the standing
  committees of the senate and the house of representatives with
  primary jurisdiction over public education, and the Legislative
  Budget Board a transition plan containing the information described
  by Subsections (b) and (c) of this section.
         (b)  The transition plan referred to in Subsection (a) of
  this section must contain a detailed description of the process the
  commissioner of education will use to develop and implement this
  Act, including:
               (1)  the timeline;
               (2)  the means by which public school educators who are
  representative of this state and other stakeholders, including
  parents of public primary and secondary school students, and
  business and community leaders, will be included in the process to
  develop and implement this Act, in accordance with Subdivision
  (11), Subsection (b), Section 7.055, Education Code;
               (3)  the resources required to implement this Act,
  including resources that may be required by districts and campuses;
               (4)  the scope and sequence of tasks that must be
  accomplished to implement this Act; and
               (5)  the use of the standard rulemaking process to
  adopt any procedures necessary to implement this Act.
         (c)  Except as provided by this subsection, the transition
  plan referred to in Subsection (a) of this section must provide for
  the implementation during the 2011-2012 school year of changes made
  by this Act to the accreditation and academic accountability
  system. The assignment of accreditation statuses and any other
  academic accountability designations under this Act must be
  implemented beginning with the 2012-2013 school year.
         (d)  In conjunction with the transition plan prepared and
  delivered under this section, the commissioner of education shall
  provide for an equivalence of a performance rating, accreditation
  status, distinction designation, or performance indicator, as
  applicable, for each statutory performance rating or performance
  indicator that is superseded by this Act.
         SECTION 64.  To the extent of any conflict, the reenactment
  by this Act of Section 51.807, Education Code, prevails over
  another Act of the 81st Legislature, Regular Session, 2009,
  relating to nonsubstantive additions to and corrections in enacted
  codes.
         SECTION 65.  (a)  Except as provided by Subsections (b) and
  (c) of this section, this Act applies beginning with the 2009-2010
  school year.
         (b)  Subsection (c-3), Section 28.002, Education Code, as
  added by this Act, applies beginning with the 2011-2012 school
  year.
         (c)  Subchapter E, Chapter 39, Education Code, as amended by
  this Act, applies as provided by the transition plan adopted by the
  commissioner of education under Section 39.115, Education Code, as
  added by this Act.
         SECTION 66.  Notwithstanding any other provision of this
  Act, the commissioner of education may immediately apply any
  provisions related to interventions and sanctions under Subchapter
  E, Chapter 39, Education Code, as amended by this Act, to
  interventions and sanctions under Subchapter G, Chapter 39,
  Education Code, as that law existed prior to amendment by this Act.
         SECTION 67.  This Act does not make an appropriation. This
  Act takes effect only if a specific appropriation for the
  implementation of the Act is provided in a general appropriations
  act of the 81st Legislature.
         SECTION 68.  Except as provided by Section 67 of this Act,
  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, 2009, except as provided by Section 67 of this
  Act.
 
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