BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	S.B. 826
	By: Taylor, Larry
	Education
	6/21/2017
	Enrolled

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

S.B. 826 corrects course sequencing that will prevent unintended consequences for high school students by allowing flexibility and personalization of learning. The bill allows students who intend to graduate in a three-year time period to concurrently enroll in English III and IV. S.B. 826 allows students who have failed an English course early in their high school years and are taking courses out of sequence or concurrently to still graduate in four years and will allow students who intended to graduate in a three-year time period to concurrently enroll in Algebra I and Geometry.

Lastly, the bill allows students who have failed math courses early in their high school years and are taking courses out of sequence or concurrently to still graduate in four years. 

S.B. 826 amends current law relating to the sequencing of required English language arts courses and mathematics courses in schools and conforming changes.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

Rulemaking authority previously granted to the State Board of Education is modified in SECTION 1 (Section 28.025, Education Code) of this bill.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Reenacts Section 28.025(b-2), Education Code, as amended by Chapter 211 (H.B. 5) and 214 (H.B. 2201), Acts of the 83rd Legislature, Regular Session, 2013, and amends it, as follows:

(b-2) Requires the State Board of Education (SBOE), in adopting rules under Subsection (b-1) (relating to certain curriculum requirements that SBOE, by rule, will require for the foundation high school program), to:

(1) provide for a student to comply with the curriculum requirements for certain advanced English, mathematics, and science courses by successfully completing a course in the appropriate content area that has been approved as an advanced course by SBOE rule or that is offered as an advanced course for credit without SBOE approval. Deletes existing text requiring that certain advanced English and mathematics courses, for which SBOE is required to adopt rules, be taken only after completing English I, English II, English III, Algebra I, and geometry as appropriate; and

(2) allow a student to comply with the curriculum requirements for the third and fourth mathematics credits under Subsection (b-1)(2) or the third and fourth science credits under Subsection (b-1)(3) by successfully completing certain advanced career and technical courses.

SECTION 2. Provides that this Act applies beginning with the 2017-2018 school year.

SECTION 3. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2017.