By: Giddings, Guillen (Senate Sponsor - West) H.B. No. 1500

(In the Senate - Received from the House May 3, 2017; May 5, 2017, read first time and referred to Committee on Education; May 23, 2017, reported adversely, with favorable Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 9, Nays 0; May 23, 2017, sent to printer.) Click here to see the committee vote

COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 1500 By: West

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the public school accountability system.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 39.053, Education Code, is amended by amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsections (c-4) and (g-3) to read as follows:

(c) School districts and campuses must be evaluated based on five domains of indicators of achievement adopted under this section that include:

(1) in the first domain, the results of:

(A) assessment instruments required under Sections 39.023(a), (c), and (l), including the results of assessment instruments required for graduation retaken by a student, aggregated across grade levels by subject area, including:

(i) for the performance standard determined by the commissioner under Section 39.0241(a), the percentage of students who performed satisfactorily on the assessment instruments, aggregated across grade levels by subject area; and

(ii) for the college readiness performance standard as determined under Section 39.0241, the percentage of students who performed satisfactorily on the assessment instruments, aggregated across grade levels by subject area; and

(B) assessment instruments required under Section 39.023(b), aggregated across grade levels by subject area, including the percentage of students who performed satisfactorily on the assessment instruments, as determined by the performance standard adopted by the agency, aggregated across grade levels by subject area;

(2) in the second domain:

(A) for assessment instruments under Subdivision (1)(A):

(i) for the performance standard determined by the commissioner under Section 39.0241(a), the percentage of students who met the standard for annual improvement on the assessment instruments, as determined by the commissioner by rule or by the method for measuring annual improvement under Section 39.034, aggregated across grade levels by subject area; and

(ii) for the college readiness performance standard as determined under Section 39.0241, the percentage of students who met the standard for annual improvement on the assessment instruments, as determined by the commissioner by rule or by the method for measuring annual improvement under Section 39.034, aggregated across grade levels by subject area; and

(B) for assessment instruments under Subdivision (1)(B), the percentage of students who met the standard for annual improvement on the assessment instruments, as determined by the commissioner by rule or by the method for measuring annual improvement under Section 39.034, aggregated across grade levels by subject area;

(3) in the third domain, the student academic achievement differentials among students from different racial and ethnic groups and socioeconomic backgrounds;

(4) in the fourth domain:

(A) for evaluating the performance of high school campuses and districts that include high school campuses:

(i) dropout rates, including dropout rates and district completion rates for grade levels 9 through 12, computed in accordance with standards and definitions adopted by the National Center for Education Statistics of the United States Department of Education;

(ii) high school graduation rates, computed in accordance with standards and definitions adopted in compliance with the Every Student Succeeds Act [No Child Left Behind Act of 2001] (20 U.S.C. Section 6301 et seq.);

(iii) the percentage of students who successfully completed the curriculum requirements for the distinguished level of achievement under the foundation high school program;

(iv) the percentage of students who successfully completed the curriculum requirements for an endorsement under Section 28.025(c-1);

(v) the percentage of students who completed a coherent sequence of career and technical courses;

(vi) the percentage of students who satisfy the Texas Success Initiative (TSI) college readiness benchmarks prescribed by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board under Section 51.3062(f) on an assessment instrument in reading, writing, or mathematics designated by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board under Section 51.3062(c);

(vii) the percentage of students who earn at least 12 hours of postsecondary credit required for the foundation high school program under Section 28.025 or to earn an endorsement under Section 28.025(c-1);

(viii) the percentage of students who have completed an advanced placement or international baccalaureate course;

(ix) the percentage of students who enlist in the armed forces of the United States; [and]

(x) the percentage of students who earn an industry certification;

(xi) the percentage of students who successfully completed an OnRamps dual enrollment course;

(xii) the percentage of students who have received credit by examination;

(xiii) the percentage of students who have been promoted to higher grade levels than the grade levels to which the students would ordinarily be assigned;

(xiv) the percentage of students who have earned a diploma after not more than three years of high school attendance; and

(xv) the percentage of students who earn an associate degree;

(B) for evaluating the performance of middle and junior high school and elementary school campuses and districts that include those campuses:

(i) student attendance; [and]

(ii) for middle and junior high school campuses:

(a) dropout rates, computed in the manner described by Paragraph (A)(i); [and]

(b) the percentage of students in grades seven and eight who receive instruction in preparing for high school, college, and a career that includes information regarding the creation of a high school personal graduation plan under Section 28.02121, the distinguished level of achievement described by Section 28.025(b-15), each endorsement described by Section 28.025(c-1), college readiness standards, and potential career choices and the education needed to enter those careers; and

(c) the percentage of students in grades seven and eight who complete a pre-advanced placement course or pre-international baccalaureate course; and

(iii) the percentage of students who participate in a University Interscholastic League A+ academic event; and

(C) any additional indicators of student achievement not associated with performance on standardized assessment instruments determined appropriate for consideration by the commissioner in consultation with educators, parents, business and industry representatives, and employers; and

(5) in the fifth domain, three programs or specific categories of performance related to community and student engagement locally selected and evaluated as provided by Section 39.0546.

(c-4) For purposes of evaluating the performance of a district or campus under Subsection (c), the commissioner shall determine a method by which the performance of a student is attributed greater weight for each school year a student has been continuously enrolled in the school district or at the campus, as applicable.

(g-3) The commissioner shall adopt rules for computing the percentage of students participating in a University Interscholastic League A+ academic event under Subsection (c)(4)(B)(iii).

SECTION 2. Section 39.107, Education Code, is amended by adding Subsections (b-10), (b-11), and (b-12) to read as follows:

(b-10) Not later than June 15 of each year, the commissioner shall, in writing, either approve or reject any campus turnaround plan prepared and submitted to the commissioner by a district. If the commissioner rejects a campus turnaround plan, the commissioner must also send the district an outline of the specific concerns regarding the turnaround plan that resulted in the rejection.

(b-11) If the commissioner rejects a campus turnaround plan, the district must create a modified plan with assistance from agency staff and submit the modified plan to the commissioner for approval not later than August 15. The commissioner shall notify the district in writing of the commissioner's decision regarding the modified plan not later than September 1.

(b-12) If the agency assists or offers assistance to a district in modifying a campus turnaround plan following a rejection under Subsection (b-10), the agency may not recommend or require participation by the district in any of the following:

(1) general workshops for the board of trustees of the district;

(2) the use of fidelity instruments as part of the campus turnaround plan; or

(3) any other initiative that does not directly relate to a concern raised in regard to the rejected campus turnaround plan that was identified by the commissioner under Subsection (b-10).

SECTION 3. This Act applies beginning with the 2017-2018 school year.

SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2017.

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