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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Texas has been nationally recognized for its |
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leadership in creating an exceptional student-tracking system; and |
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WHEREAS, Research has shed light on the state's low |
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graduation rate, however, and concerns have arisen about the |
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methodologies used for determining and computing dropout rates; and |
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WHEREAS, The future of Texas demands that we not only take |
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action to address the quality of our public schools, but also work |
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to ensure that our students are provided with a solid educational |
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foundation that makes them college- and career-ready; and |
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WHEREAS, Progress cannot be made until members of the Texas |
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Legislature, and all concerned Texans, know the exact magnitude of |
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the problem at hand; and |
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WHEREAS, True transparency in graduation and dropout rates is |
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of paramount importance in order to address the dropout problem and |
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to measure the effectiveness of our interventions; now, therefore, |
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be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas |
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Legislature hereby urge the Texas Education Agency to implement the |
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U.S. Department of Education's final regulations, 34 C.F.R. Section |
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200.19, which describes other academic indicators that may be used |
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to demonstrate adequate yearly progress; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That, under the regulations, the agency must (1) |
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include adoption of a four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate |
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that compares the number of graduates to first-time ninth graders |
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four years prior, adjusting for transfers in, transfers out, and |
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students who have emigrated or died; (2) not remove students from |
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the cohort for the following reasons: systematic errors or |
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underreporting, expulsion, earned GED credentials, and unconfirmed |
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transfers in the case of withdrawals with the intent to attend |
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homeschooling, to enroll in another Texas public or private school, |
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or to enroll in an educational setting outside of Texas; and (3) |
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receive official written documentation for a student who has |
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transferred out so that the transfer can be verified through audits |
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or monitoring; documentation is limited to: records from the |
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receiving school, an approved application for homeschooling or |
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distance education, evidence of a transfer that is recorded in the |
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state's data system, or a letter from an official in the receiving |
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school acknowledging the student's enrollment; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the chief clerk forward an official copy of |
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this resolution to the commissioner of education. |