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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to initiatives designed to improve performance of public |
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school students, including initiatives specifically for students |
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enrolled at the sixth, seventh, and eighth grade levels. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 21.041, Education Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsections (e), (f), (f-1), and (f-2) to read as follows: |
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(e) In proposing rules under Subsection (b)(2), the board |
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shall ensure that a person seeking to teach a subject in the |
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foundation curriculum under Section 28.002(a)(1) at the seventh |
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grade level or above is required to hold a certificate that |
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indicates the person's mastery of the specific subject taught. To |
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achieve this result, the board shall not issue a generalist |
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certificate that authorizes a person to teach a subject in the |
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foundation curriculum under Section 28.002(a)(1) at the seventh |
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grade level or above. |
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(f) Subsection (e) applies to initial certificates issued |
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on or after September 1, 2012. Subsection (e) does not affect the |
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validity of a certificate issued before that date or the |
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eligibility of a person holding such a certificate for subsequent |
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renewals of the certificate in accordance with board rules. |
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(f-1) In implementing Subsection (e), the board shall |
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ensure that the subject area examinations administered to persons |
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seeking certificates at the seventh grade level and above in |
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English language arts, mathematics, science, or social studies are |
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at least as rigorous as the examinations administered before |
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September 1, 2013, to persons seeking Grades 8-12 certificates to |
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teach in those subject areas. |
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(f-2) Subsection (f-1) and this subsection expire September |
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1, 2013. |
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SECTION 2. Section 21.4551, Education Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (b-1) to read as follows: |
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(b-1) In addition to the components described by Subsection |
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(b), the commissioner shall ensure that each academy developed and |
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made available under this section includes a component on providing |
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students with writing instruction. |
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SECTION 3. Subchapter A, Chapter 28, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 28.015 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 28.015. HIGH SCHOOL READINESS PILOT PROGRAM. (a) The |
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agency shall develop and implement a high school readiness pilot |
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program under which: |
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(1) a participating school with students enrolled at |
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the sixth, seventh, and eighth grade levels shall enroll all |
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students at those levels in a student advisory class; and |
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(2) a participating high school shall provide annual |
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high school orientation sessions for parents of students who are |
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enrolled at the sixth, seventh, and eighth grade levels in the high |
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school's attendance zone. |
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(b) An application to participate in the program may be |
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submitted by an individual school or by a school district on behalf |
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of multiple schools located in the district. To be eligible to |
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participate in the component of the program described by Subsection |
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(a)(1), a school must: |
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(1) be a school for which the district in which the |
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school is located receives funding under Title I of the Elementary |
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and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. Section 6301 et seq.) |
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or be a school that, as determined by the commissioner, is a |
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low-performing school under Chapter 39 or has a high percentage of |
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students who are at risk of dropping out of school, as defined by |
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Section 29.081(d); and |
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(2) have students enrolled at the seventh and eighth |
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grade levels. |
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(c) The agency shall develop standards and guidelines for |
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the student advisory class. The standards and guidelines must: |
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(1) at a minimum, require that the class provide |
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instruction about: |
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(A) school culture; |
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(B) school procedures; |
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(C) test-taking skills; |
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(D) study skills; |
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(E) positive academic behaviors; |
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(F) civic and community responsibility; and |
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(G) high school and college readiness; |
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(2) permit the class to be offered as an electronic |
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course through the state virtual school network under Chapter 30A; |
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and |
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(3) provide that the class be taught, if practicable, |
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by an educator who does not instruct the enrolled students in other |
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course work. |
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(d) The agency shall develop standards and guidelines for |
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the high school orientation session. An orientation session must: |
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(1) prepare a parent for the transition to high school |
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of the parent's child; |
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(2) allow a parent to meet and interact with high |
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school teachers and administrators; |
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(3) provide a parent with information regarding: |
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(A) high school curriculum, including the |
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curriculum requirements for the minimum, recommended, and advanced |
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high school programs under Section 28.025; and |
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(B) high school options available to the parent's |
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child, including any high school magnet programs, academies, or |
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similar special programs available in the district; |
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(4) address the role of the parent in assisting the |
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parent's child in performing successfully in high school; and |
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(5) provide a parent with a written document that |
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addresses frequently asked questions from parents regarding the |
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transition to high school. |
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SECTION 4. Subsection (d), Section 29.081, Education Code, |
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is amended to read as follows: |
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(d) For purposes of this section, "student at risk of |
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dropping out of school" includes each student who is under 21 years |
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of age and who: |
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(1) was not advanced from one grade level to the next |
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for one or more school years; |
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(2) if the student is in grade 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, or |
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12, did not maintain an average equivalent to 70 on a scale of 100 in |
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two or more subjects in the foundation curriculum during a semester |
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in the preceding or current school year or is not maintaining such |
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an average in two or more subjects in the foundation curriculum in |
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the current semester; |
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(3) did not perform satisfactorily on an assessment |
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instrument administered to the student under Subchapter B, Chapter |
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39, and who has not in the previous or current school year |
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subsequently performed on that instrument or another appropriate |
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instrument at a level equal to at least 110 percent of the level of |
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satisfactory performance on that instrument; |
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(4) if the student is in prekindergarten, |
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kindergarten, or grade 1, 2, or 3, did not perform satisfactorily on |
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a readiness test or assessment instrument administered during the |
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current school year; |
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(5) is pregnant or is a parent; |
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(6) has been placed in an alternative education |
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program in accordance with Section 37.006 during the preceding or |
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current school year; |
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(7) has been expelled in accordance with Section |
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37.007 during the preceding or current school year; |
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(8) is currently on parole, probation, deferred |
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prosecution, or other conditional release; |
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(9) was previously reported through the Public |
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Education Information Management System (PEIMS) to have dropped out |
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of school; |
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(10) is a student of limited English proficiency, as |
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defined by Section 29.052; |
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(11) is in the custody or care of the Department of |
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Protective and Regulatory Services or has, during the current |
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school year, been referred to the department by a school official, |
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officer of the juvenile court, or law enforcement official; |
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(12) is homeless, as defined by 42 U.S.C. Section |
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11302, and its subsequent amendments; or |
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(13) resided in the preceding school year or resides |
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in the current school year in a residential placement facility in |
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the district, including a detention facility, substance abuse |
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treatment facility, emergency shelter, psychiatric hospital, |
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halfway house, or foster group home. |
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SECTION 5. Subchapter C, Chapter 29, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 29.100 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 29.100. EARLY IDENTIFICATION AND INTERVENTION. |
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(a) Each year a school with students enrolled at the sixth, |
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seventh, or eighth grade level shall: |
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(1) identify the students at each of those grade |
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levels who are at risk of dropping out of school, as defined by |
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Section 29.081(d), or who are likely to become at risk of dropping |
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out of school, as determined in accordance with rules adopted by the |
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commissioner; and |
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(2) determine the specific interventions that the |
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school will use to address the needs of students at each of those |
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grade levels who are at risk of dropping out of school, as defined |
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by Section 29.081(d). |
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(b) Not later than July 1 of each year, a school with |
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students enrolled at a grade level from which students are promoted |
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to high school must provide each high school to which students at |
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the school are promoted with: |
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(1) the names of students entering the high school at |
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the beginning of the next school year that have been identified |
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under Subsection (a)(1); and |
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(2) if applicable, the specific interventions used |
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with each student named under Subdivision (1). |
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(c) The commissioner shall adopt rules necessary to |
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implement this section. |
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SECTION 6. Subsection (c-1), Section 42.152, Education |
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Code, is amended to read as follows: |
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(c-1) Notwithstanding Subsection (c), funds allocated under |
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this section may be used to fund in proportion to the percentage of |
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students served by the program that meet the criteria in Section |
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29.081(d) or (g): |
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(1) an accelerated reading instruction program under |
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Section 28.006(g); [or] |
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(2) a program for treatment of students who have |
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dyslexia or a related disorder as required by Section 38.003; or |
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(3) an extended learning time program grounded in |
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practices that are proven effective in improving student retention |
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and performance and in preparing students for future college and |
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career readiness. |
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SECTION 7. The commissioner of education shall implement |
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Subsection (b-1), Section 21.4551, Education Code, as added by this |
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Act, beginning with reading academies offered on or after January |
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1, 2012. |
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SECTION 8. The Texas Education Agency shall develop |
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standards and guidelines for the student advisory class and high |
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school orientation session in compliance with Section 28.015, |
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Education Code, as added by this Act, as soon as possible after the |
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effective date of this Act. The agency shall fully implement the |
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pilot program required by Section 28.015, Education Code, as added |
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by this Act, not later than the 2012-2013 school year. |
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SECTION 9. Section 29.100, Education Code, as added by this |
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Act, applies beginning with the 2012-2013 school year. |
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SECTION 10. Except as otherwise provided by this Act, this |
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Act applies beginning with the 2011-2012 school year. |
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SECTION 11. This Act takes effect immediately if it |
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receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each |
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house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. |
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If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate |
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effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |