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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to providing information to parents regarding changes in |
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state law affecting public school students. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 26, Education Code, is amended by adding |
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Section 26.015 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 26.015. PARENT INFORMATION REGARDING CHANGES IN STATE |
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LAW. (a) As soon as practicable after a legislative session, the |
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agency shall prepare a document to inform parents of significant |
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changes in state law, including additions to law, made during that |
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legislative session that affect public school students. The |
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document must also include, to the greatest extent practicable, |
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information concerning any administrative rule adopted in |
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association with a change in law and provide information that is as |
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specific as practicable regarding dates on which |
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state-administered assessment instruments will be administered |
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during the school year during which the document will, in |
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accordance with Subsection (e), be distributed. The document may |
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also include information concerning significant changes in law |
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affecting public school students made during the legislative |
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session preceding the session concerning which information is |
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required by this subsection. |
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(b) This section applies to a special legislative session |
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only if the agency determines that there were significant changes |
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in state law made during the special legislative session that |
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affect public school students. |
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(c) The document required under Subsection (a) must: |
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(1) be designed to explain to parents the manner in |
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which state law has changed and the effect of the change on public |
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school students; |
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(2) focus on changes in law as a result of which a |
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parent can act to affect the education of the parent's child; |
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(3) be as specific as necessary to provide a parent |
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with the informational tools needed to affect the education of the |
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parent's child; and |
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(4) be written in language that is easy to understand. |
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(d) The document required under Subsection (a) may be |
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included as part of the student handbook. |
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(e) As early in each school year as practicable, each school |
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district and open-enrollment charter school shall: |
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(1) distribute, at a time the district or charter |
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school distributes other information for parents, the most recent |
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document prepared under this section; and |
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(2) post the document on the district's Internet |
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website. |
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(f) The agency shall prepare the initial document under this |
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section to be distributed by a school district or open-enrollment |
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charter school during the 2012-2013 school year. Notwithstanding |
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Subsection (a), the initial document must inform parents of |
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significant changes in state law that affect public school students |
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made: |
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(1) during the 82nd Regular Session of the |
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legislature; and |
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(2) during the 81st Regular Session of the legislature |
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under the following provisions of this code, including the |
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information described by this subdivision, and under any other law |
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as determined by the agency: |
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(A) Section 28.0211, which: |
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(i) no longer prohibits promotion to the |
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fourth grade of a student who fails to perform satisfactorily on the |
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state-administered third grade reading assessment instrument; |
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(ii) requires accelerated instruction for |
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students who fail to perform satisfactorily on the third, fourth, |
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fifth, sixth, seventh, or eighth grade state-administered |
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assessment instrument; and |
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(iii) requires a school district to assign |
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a student who is promoted despite failure to perform satisfactorily |
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on a state-administered assessment instrument to a teacher in the |
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subject covered by the assessment instrument who meets all state |
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and federal qualifications to teach that subject and grade level; |
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(B) Section 28.025, which requires a student to |
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enroll in the courses necessary to complete the curriculum |
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requirements for the recommended or advanced high school program |
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unless the student, the student's parent or other person standing |
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in parental relation to the student, and a school counselor or |
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school administrator agree in writing that the student be permitted |
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to take courses under the minimum high school program; |
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(C) Section 39.024, which adds a measure of |
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college readiness; |
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(D) Sections 39.025(a), (a-2), and (a-3), which |
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impose the following requirements for a student to receive a high |
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school diploma: |
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(i) requires a student to achieve, in each |
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subject in the foundation curriculum, a satisfactory cumulative |
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score on end-of-course assessment instruments; |
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(ii) requires a student to achieve a |
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minimum score on an end-of-course assessment instrument for the |
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score to count toward the student's cumulative score described by |
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Subparagraph (i); |
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(iii) requires a student to achieve a score |
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that meets or exceeds the score for satisfactory performance, as |
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determined by the commissioner, on English III and Algebra II |
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end-of-course assessment instruments to graduate under the |
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recommended high school program; and |
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(iv) requires a student to achieve a score |
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that meets or exceeds the score indicating college readiness, as |
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determined by the commissioner, on English III and Algebra II |
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end-of-course assessment instruments to graduate under the |
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advanced high school program; |
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(E) Section 39.025(f), which provides transition |
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provisions for assessment and for receipt of a high school diploma, |
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including, for a student entering a grade above the ninth grade |
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during the 2011-2012 school year, a requirement that the student: |
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(i) be administered exit-level assessment |
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instruments rather than end-of-course assessment instruments; and |
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(ii) be required to perform satisfactorily |
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on each exit-level assessment instrument to receive a high school |
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diploma; |
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(F) Section 39.027, which amends provisions for |
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exemptions of and other accommodations for students of limited |
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English proficiency concerning state-administered assessment |
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instruments; |
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(G) Section 39.106, which amends duties imposed |
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on a campus intervention team assigned to a campus that fails to |
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meet certain standards; and |
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(H) Section 39.116, which adds transitional |
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interventions and sanctions during the transition to the new public |
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school accreditation system established by the 81st Regular Session |
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of the legislature. |
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(g) This subsection and Subsection (f) expire September 1, |
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2013. |
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SECTION 2. 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, 2011. |