BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 3706

By: Lucio III

Public Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties emphasize the importance of providing a high school student at risk of dropping out with a relevant, tailored education program to adequately prepare the student to join the workforce. H.B. 3706 seeks to address this issue by providing an option for an online dropout recovery program that leads to a high school diploma.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 3706 amends the Education Code to authorize a public school district's community-based dropout recovery education program to be offered at a campus or through the use of an online program that leads to a high school diploma and prepares the student to enter the workforce. The bill limits the application of existing program requirements to a campus-based program and requires an online program to include as a part of its curriculum credentials, certifications, or other course offerings that relate directly to employment opportunities in Texas; to employ as faculty and administrators persons with baccalaureate or advanced degrees; to provide an academic coach and local advocate for each student; to use an individual learning plan to monitor each student's progress; to establish satisfactory requirements for the monthly progress of students according to standards set by the commissioner of education; to provide a monthly report to the student's school district regarding the student's progress; to perform satisfactorily according to performance indicators and accountability standards adopted for alternative education programs by the commissioner; and to comply with state public education law and rules adopted under that law. The bill authorizes a school district, to enable the district to provide an optional flexible school day program, to allow a student to enroll in a dropout recovery program in which courses are conducted online and exempts such an online course from the requirement that a course offered under an optional flexible school day program provide a certain amount of instructional time and be a certain school day length. The bill applies beginning with the 2017-2018 school year.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2017.