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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the Texas High Performance Schools Consortium. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Sections 7.0561(b), (c), (d), and (j), Education |
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Code, are amended to read as follows: |
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(b) The Texas High Performance Schools Consortium is |
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established to inform the governor, legislature, State Board of |
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Education, and commissioner concerning methods for transforming |
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public schools in this state by improving student learning through |
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the development of innovative, next-generation learning standards |
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and assessment and accountability systems. |
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(c) From among school districts and eligible |
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open-enrollment charter schools that apply using the form and in |
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the time and manner established by commissioner rule, the |
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commissioner may select not more than 30 [20] participants for the |
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consortium. The districts selected by the commissioner must |
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represent a range of district types, sizes, and diverse student |
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populations, as determined by the commissioner in accordance with |
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commissioner rule. To be eligible to participate in the |
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consortium, an open-enrollment charter school must have been |
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awarded a [an exemplary] distinction designation under Subchapter |
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G, Chapter 39, during the preceding school year. |
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(d) The number of students enrolled in consortium |
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participants may not be greater than a number equal to 10 [five] |
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percent of the total number of students enrolled in public schools |
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in this state according to the most recent agency data. |
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(j) The [With the assistance of the] school districts and |
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open-enrollment charter schools participating in the consortium[,
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the commissioner] shall submit reports concerning the performance |
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and progress of the consortium to the governor, [and] the |
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legislature, the State Board of Education, and the commissioner not |
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later than December 1 of each even-numbered year[, 2012, and not
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later than December 1, 2014]. [The report submitted not later than
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December 1, 2012, must include any recommendation by the
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commissioner concerning legislative authorization for the
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commissioner to waive a prohibition, requirement, or restriction
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that applies to a consortium participant.
That report must also
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include a plan for an effective and efficient accountability system
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for consortium participants that balances academic excellence and
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local values to inspire learning and, at the state level,
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contingent on any necessary waiver of federal law, may incorporate
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use of a stratified random sampling of students or other objective
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methodology to hold consortium participants accountable while
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attempting to reduce the number of state assessment instruments
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that are required to be administered to students.
The commissioner
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shall seek a federal waiver, to any extent necessary, to prepare for
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implementation of the plan if enacted by the legislature.
This
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subsection expires January 1, 2018.] |
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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, 2015. |
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