BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1555

By: Thompson

Public Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

A large Texas school district recently launched an initiative to improve student academic achievement in certain district schools. One of the initiative's points of emphasis is increased instructional time, added at the beginning of the school year, to provide students additional time to prepare for statewide standardized tests in the spring.  However, given the current prohibition on school districts from starting student instruction earlier than the fourth Monday in August, legislative action is required to allow a district to extend the school year.  H.B. 1555 seeks to make changes relating to the first day of instruction in certain school districts that provide additional days of instruction financed with local funds.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 1555 amends the Education Code to authorize a school district to begin instruction for students for a school year on or after the first Monday in August at a campus or at not more than 20 percent of the campuses in the district if the following conditions are met: the district has a student enrollment of 190,000 or more; the district at the beginning of the school year provides, financed with local funds, days of instruction for students at the campus or at each of the multiple campuses, in addition to the required minimum number of days of instruction; the campus or each of the multiple campuses are undergoing comprehensive reform, as determined by the district board of trustees; and a majority of the students at the campus or at each of the multiple campuses are educationally disadvantaged. The bill makes conforming changes.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2011.