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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a pilot program for a three-year high school diploma |
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plan and cost-neutral expansion of full-day prekindergarten |
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programs. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 28, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 28.0255 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 28.0255. PILOT PROGRAM: THREE-YEAR HIGH SCHOOL |
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DIPLOMA PLAN. (a) In this section, "certificate program," "public |
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junior college," "public state college," and "public technical |
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institute" have the meanings assigned by Section 61.003. |
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(b) This section applies only to a school district: |
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(1) with an enrollment of more than 150,000 students; |
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and |
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(2) located primarily in a county that has a |
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population of 2.2 million or more and that is adjacent to a county |
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with a population of more than 600,000. |
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(c) A school district to which this section applies may |
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develop and implement a pilot program for students who wish to |
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obtain a high school diploma after completion of three years of |
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secondary school attendance as an alternative to the traditional |
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four-year period of attendance. The program must: |
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(1) be designed to serve the educational needs of |
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students who do not anticipate immediate enrollment in a four-year |
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college or university after graduation from high school; and |
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(2) include partnerships between the school district |
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and public junior colleges, public technical institutes, public |
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state colleges, and any other public postsecondary institutions in |
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this state offering academic or technical education or vocational |
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training under a certificate program or an associate degree program |
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to facilitate the prompt enrollment of students in those |
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institutions after high school graduation under the program. |
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(d) Participation by a student in the program must be |
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voluntary, with approval of the student's parent. A student who |
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agrees to participate in the program may, on request, discontinue |
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participation and resume taking courses under the minimum, |
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recommended, or advanced high school program. |
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(e) Notwithstanding Section 28.025, the school district |
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shall specify the curriculum requirements for receiving a high |
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school diploma under the program. The curriculum requirements must |
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ensure that a student who graduates under the program possesses |
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sufficient knowledge and skills in English language arts and |
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mathematics to be capable of performing successfully in public |
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junior college-level courses. |
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(f) The school district shall submit the proposed |
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curriculum requirements to the State Board of Education for comment |
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and the commissioner for approval. The district may not implement |
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the program before obtaining the commissioner's approval of the |
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proposed curriculum requirements. |
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(g) A student is entitled to a high school diploma if the |
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student: |
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(1) successfully complies with the curriculum |
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requirements specified under Subsection (e); and |
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(2) performs satisfactorily, as determined by the |
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commissioner under Subsection (h), on end-of-course assessment |
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instruments listed under Section 39.023(c) for courses in which the |
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student was enrolled. |
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(h) For purposes of Subsection (g)(2), the commissioner |
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shall determine the level of satisfactory performance on applicable |
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end-of-course assessment instruments administered to a student. |
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(i) The school district shall report the academic |
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achievement record of students who have completed the program on a |
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transcript that clearly identifies the program and distinguishes |
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the program from the minimum, recommended, and advanced high school |
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programs. |
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(j) A student who has received a diploma under the program |
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is exempt from the compulsory school attendance requirements under |
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Section 25.085. |
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(k) To the extent this section conflicts with any other |
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provision of this code or rule adopted under this code, this section |
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prevails. |
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(l) This section expires September 1, 2023. |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter E, Chapter 42, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 42.2526 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 42.2526. ADJUSTMENT FOR DISTRICT OPERATING PILOT |
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PROGRAM. (a) This section applies only to a school district |
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operating a pilot program authorized by Section 28.0255. |
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(b) Beginning with the first school year that follows the |
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first school year in which students receive high school diplomas |
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under the pilot program authorized by Section 28.0255 and |
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continuing for every subsequent school year that the district |
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operates the pilot program, the commissioner shall provide funding |
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for the district's prekindergarten program under Section 29.153 on |
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a full-day basis for a number of prekindergarten students equal to |
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twice the number of students who received a high school diploma |
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under the pilot program authorized by Section 28.0255 during the |
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preceding school year. |
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(c) This section expires September 1, 2023. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |