81R1551 JRJ-D

By: Solomons H.B. No. 1153

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to expanding the public high school curriculum to promote personal financial literacy.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 28.0021, Education Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 28.0021. PERSONAL FINANCIAL LITERACY. (a) The Texas essential knowledge and skills and Section 28.025 shall require instruction in personal financial literacy offered in the ninth or tenth grade in one or more courses required for high school graduation.

(b) School districts and open-enrollment charter schools shall incorporate instruction in personal financial literacy into any course meeting a requirement for a mathematics or [an] economics credit under Section 28.025, using materials approved by the board. The materials must include instruction on:

(1) the types of bank accounts available to consumers and the benefits of maintaining a bank account;

(2) balancing a check book;

(3) determining credit scores and the manner in which credit scores are used;

(4) issues associated with the use of debit and credit cards, including avoiding and eliminating credit card debt;

(5) understanding the rights and responsibilities of renting or buying a home;

(6) managing money to make the transition from renting a home to home ownership;

(7) starting a small business;

(8) being a prudent investor in the stock market and using other investment options;

(9) beginning a savings program;

(10) bankruptcy; and

(11) the types of loans available to consumers, including mortgage loans and motor vehicle loans, and becoming a low-risk borrower.

(c) [School districts and open-enrollment charter schools shall comply with Subsection (b) beginning with the 2006-2007 school year.] The board shall adopt essential knowledge and skills for a course including the requirements of Subsection (b) [(a)] not later than the 2010-2011 [2008-2009] school year. This subsection expires September 1, 2011 [and Subsection (b) expire September 1, 2009].

(d) School districts and open-enrollment charter schools shall offer an intensive one-week course that incorporates the instruction in personal financial literacy required by this section. The course must be offered to students who drop out of school and who have not otherwise completed a course under this section.

SECTION 2. Section 39.023(c), Education Code, is amended to read as follows:

(c) The agency shall also adopt end-of-course assessment instruments for secondary-level courses in Algebra I, Algebra II, geometry, a course that includes instruction in personal financial literacy, biology, chemistry, physics, English I, English II, English III, world geography, world history, and United States history. The Algebra I, Algebra II, and geometry end-of-course assessment instruments and any end-of-course assessment instrument for a course that includes instruction in personal financial literacy must be administered with the aid of technology. A school district shall comply with State Board of Education rules regarding administration of the assessment instruments listed in this subsection and shall adopt a policy that requires a student's performance on an end-of-course assessment instrument for a course listed in this subsection in which the student is enrolled to account for 15 percent of the student's final grade for the course. If a student retakes an end-of-course assessment instrument for a course listed in this subsection, as provided by Section 39.025, a school district is not required to use the student's performance on the subsequent administration or administrations of the assessment instrument to determine the student's final grade for the course. If a student is in a special education program under Subchapter A, Chapter 29, the student's admission, review, and dismissal committee shall determine whether any allowable modification is necessary in administering to the student an assessment instrument required under this subsection or whether the student should be exempted under Section 39.027(a)(2). The State Board of Education shall administer the assessment instruments. The State Board of Education shall adopt a schedule for the administration of end-of-course assessment instruments that complies with the requirements of Subsection (c-3).

SECTION 3. Section 39.025(f), Education Code, is amended to read as follows:

(f) The commissioner shall by rule adopt a transition plan to implement the amendments made by S.B. No. 1031, Acts of the 80th Legislature, Regular Session, 2007, to this section and Sections 39.023(a) and (c) and 39.051(b)(5) and by _.B. No. __, Acts of the 81st Legislature, Regular Session, 2009, to Section 39.023(c). 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 campus and district ratings under Subchapter D the assessment instruments required by Section 39.023(a) or (c), as that section existed before amendment by S.B. No. 1031, Acts of the 80th Legislature, Regular Session, 2007; and

(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 4. Section 39.051(d), Education Code, is amended to read as follows:

(d) Annually, the commissioner shall define exemplary, recognized, and unacceptable performance for each academic excellence indicator included under Subsections (b)(1) through (7) and shall project the standards for each of those levels of performance for succeeding years. For the indicator 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. In defining exemplary, recognized, and unacceptable performance for the 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:

(1) a student whose failure to attend school results from:

(A) [(1)] the student's expulsion under Section 37.007; and

(B) [(2)] as applicable:

(i) [(A)] adjudication as having engaged in delinquent conduct or conduct indicating a need for supervision, as defined by Section 51.03, Family Code; or

(ii) [(B)] conviction of and sentencing for an offense under the Penal Code; or

(2) a student who completes a course offered under Section 28.0021(d).

SECTION 5. The change in law made by Section 28.0021(a), Education Code, as amended by this Act, applies beginning with students entering the ninth grade during the 2009-2010 school year. Students who entered the ninth grade before the 2009-2010 school year are governed by the law in effect at the time the students entered the ninth grade, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.

SECTION 6. This Act applies beginning with the 2009-2010 school year.

SECTION 7. 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.