82R1664 CAS-D
 
  By: Zaffirini S.B. No. 50
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to regulatory authority for courses taken by public high
  school students for both high school and college credit.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 28.002, Education Code, is amended by
  adding Subsection (c-2) to read as follows:
         (c-2)  Notwithstanding Subsection (c), the State Board of
  Education may not identify the essential knowledge and skills of a
  course in a subject of the required curriculum for which a student
  may be awarded both high school and college credit.
         SECTION 2.  Section 30A.104, Education Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 30A.104.  COURSE ELIGIBILITY IN GENERAL.  A course
  offered through the state virtual school network must:
               (1)  be in a specific subject that is part of the
  required curriculum under Section 28.002(a);
               (2)  be aligned with the essential knowledge and skills
  identified under Section 28.002(c) for a grade level at or above
  grade level three, except in the case of a dual credit course for
  which the essential knowledge and skills are not identified as
  provided by Section 28.002(c-2); and
               (3)  be the equivalent in instructional rigor and scope
  to a course that is provided in a traditional classroom setting
  during:
                     (A)  a semester of 90 instructional days; and
                     (B)  a school day that meets the minimum length of
  a school day required under Section 25.082.
         SECTION 3.  Section 30A.111(c), Education Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (c)  The commissioner of higher education by rule shall
  establish qualifications and professional development requirements
  applicable to college instructors providing instruction in dual
  credit courses through the state virtual school network that allow
  a student to earn high school credit and college credit or other
  credit.
         SECTION 4.  Section 39.023, Education Code, is amended by
  adding Subsection (c-7) and amending Subsection (i) to read as
  follows:
         (c-7)  Subsection (c) does not apply to a course for which a
  student may be awarded both high school and college credit.
         (i)  The provisions of this section, except Subsections
  (c-7) and [Subsection] (d), are subject to modification by rules
  adopted under Section 39.022. Each assessment instrument adopted
  under those rules and each assessment instrument required under
  Subsection (d) must be reliable and valid and must meet any
  applicable federal requirements for measurement of student
  progress.
         SECTION 5.  Sections 39.025(a), (a-2), and (a-3), Education
  Code, are amended to read as follows:
         (a)  The commissioner shall adopt rules requiring a student
  participating in the recommended or advanced high school program to
  be administered each end-of-course assessment instrument listed in
  Section 39.023(c), except as provided by Section 39.023(c-7), and
  requiring a student participating in the minimum high school
  program to be administered an end-of-course assessment instrument
  listed in Section 39.023(c) only for a course in which the student
  is enrolled and for which an end-of-course assessment instrument is
  administered.  A student is required to achieve, in each subject in
  the foundation curriculum under Section 28.002(a)(1), a cumulative
  score that is at least equal to the product of the number of
  end-of-course assessment instruments administered to the student
  in that subject and a scale score that indicates satisfactory
  performance, as determined by the commissioner under Section
  39.0241(a).  A student must achieve a minimum score as determined
  by the commissioner to be within a reasonable range of the scale
  score under Section 39.0241(a) on an end-of-course assessment
  instrument for the score to count towards the student's cumulative
  score.  For purposes of this subsection, a student's cumulative
  score is determined using the student's highest score on each
  end-of-course assessment instrument administered to the
  student.  A student may not receive a high school diploma until the
  student has performed satisfactorily on the end-of-course
  assessment instruments in the manner provided under this
  subsection.  This subsection does not require a student to
  demonstrate readiness to enroll in an institution of higher
  education.
         (a-2)  In addition to the cumulative score requirements
  under Subsection (a), except to the extent that under Section
  39.023(c-7) a student is not required to take an end-of-course
  assessment instrument for a particular course, a student must
  achieve a score that meets or exceeds:
               (1)  the score determined by the commissioner under
  Section 39.0241(a) for English III and Algebra II end-of-course
  assessment instruments, to graduate under the recommended high
  school program; or
               (2)  [.
         [(a-3)  In addition to the cumulative score requirements
  under Subsection (a), a student must achieve a score that meets or
  exceeds] the score determined by the commissioner under Section
  39.0241(a-1) on English III and Algebra II end-of-course assessment
  instruments, [in order] to graduate under the advanced high school
  program.
         SECTION 6.  Section 39.023(o), Education Code, is repealed.
         SECTION 7.  This Act applies to a course offered for both
  high school and college credit beginning with the 2011-2012 school
  year.
         SECTION 8.  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, 2011.