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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to granting charters to public junior colleges for |
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open-enrollment charter schools. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. The heading to Subchapter E, Chapter 12, |
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Education Code, is amended to read as follows: |
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SUBCHAPTER E. COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY OR JUNIOR COLLEGE |
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CHARTER SCHOOL |
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SECTION 2. Sections 12.151, 12.152, 12.154, and 12.155, |
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Education Code, are amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 12.151. DEFINITIONS [DEFINITION]. In this |
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subchapter, "public junior college" and "public senior college or |
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university" have [has] the meanings [meaning] assigned by Section |
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61.003. |
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Sec. 12.152. AUTHORIZATION. (a) In accordance with this |
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subchapter and Subchapter D, the State Board of Education may grant |
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a charter on the application of: |
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(1) a public senior college or university for an |
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open-enrollment charter school to operate on the campus of the |
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public senior college or university or in the same county in which |
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the campus of the public senior college or university is located; or |
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(2) a public junior college for an open-enrollment |
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charter school to operate on the campus of the public junior college |
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or in the same county in which the campus of the public junior |
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college is located. |
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Sec. 12.154. CONTENT. (a) Notwithstanding Section |
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12.110(d), the State Board of Education may grant a charter under |
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this subchapter to a public senior college or university only if the |
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following criteria are satisfied in the public senior college's or |
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university's application, as determined by the State Board of |
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Education: |
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(1) the college or university charter school's |
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educational program must include innovative teaching methods; |
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(2) the college or university charter school's |
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educational program must be implemented under the direct |
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supervision of a member of the teaching or research faculty of the |
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public senior college or university; |
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(3) the faculty member supervising the college or |
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university charter school's educational program must have |
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substantial experience and expertise in education research, |
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teacher education, classroom instruction, or educational |
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administration; |
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(4) the college or university charter school's |
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educational program must be designed to meet specific goals |
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described in the charter, including improving student performance, |
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and each aspect of the program must be directed toward the |
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attainment of the goals; |
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(5) the attainment of the college or university |
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charter school's educational program goals must be measured using |
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specific, objective standards set forth in the charter, including |
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assessment methods and a time frame; and |
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(6) the financial operations of the college or |
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university charter school must be supervised by the business office |
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of the public senior college or university. |
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(b) Notwithstanding Section 12.110(d), the State Board of |
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Education may grant a charter under this subchapter to a public |
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junior college only if the following criteria are satisfied in the |
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public junior college's application, as determined by the State |
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Board of Education: |
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(1) the junior college charter school's educational |
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program must be implemented under the direct supervision of a |
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member of the faculty of the public junior college; |
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(2) the faculty member supervising the junior college |
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charter school's educational program must have substantial |
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experience and expertise in teacher education, classroom |
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instruction, or educational administration; |
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(3) the junior college charter school's educational |
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program must be designed to meet specific goals described in the |
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charter, such as dropout recovery, and each aspect of the program |
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must be directed toward the attainment of the goals; |
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(4) the attainment of the junior college charter |
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school's educational program goals must be measured using specific, |
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objective standards set forth in the charter, including assessment |
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methods and a time frame; and |
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(5) the financial operations of the junior college |
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charter school must be supervised by the business office of the |
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junior college. |
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Sec. 12.155. SCHOOL NAME. The name of a college or |
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university charter school or junior college charter school must |
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include the name of the public senior college or university or |
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public junior college, as applicable, operating the school. |
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SECTION 3. Section 12.156(a), Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) Except as otherwise provided by this subchapter, |
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Subchapter D applies to a college or university charter school or |
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junior college charter school as though the college or university |
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charter school or junior college charter school, as applicable, |
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were granted a charter under that subchapter. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |