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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to evaluation of public schools. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 39.053, Education Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsection (c-3) to read as |
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follows: |
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(c) School districts and campuses must be evaluated based on |
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five domains of indicators of achievement adopted under this |
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section that include: |
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(1) in the first domain, the results of: |
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(A) assessment instruments required under |
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Sections 39.023(a), (c), and (l), including the results of |
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assessment instruments required for graduation retaken by a |
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student, aggregated across grade levels by subject area, including: |
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(i) for the performance standard determined |
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by the commissioner under Section 39.0241(a), the percentage of |
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students who performed satisfactorily on the assessment |
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instruments, aggregated across grade levels by subject area; and |
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(ii) for the college readiness performance |
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standard as determined under Section 39.0241, the percentage of |
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students who performed satisfactorily on the assessment |
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instruments, aggregated across grade levels by subject area; and |
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(B) assessment instruments required under |
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Section 39.023(b), aggregated across grade levels by subject area, |
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including the percentage of students who performed satisfactorily |
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on the assessment instruments, as determined by the performance |
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standard adopted by the agency, aggregated across grade levels by |
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subject area; |
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(2) in the second domain: |
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(A) for assessment instruments under Subdivision |
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(1)(A): |
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(i) for the performance standard determined |
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by the commissioner under Section 39.0241(a), the percentage of |
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students who met the standard for annual improvement on the |
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assessment instruments, as determined by the commissioner by rule |
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or by the method for measuring annual improvement under Section |
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39.034, aggregated across grade levels by subject area; and |
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(ii) for the college readiness performance |
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standard as determined under Section 39.0241, the percentage of |
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students who met the standard for annual improvement on the |
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assessment instruments, as determined by the commissioner by rule |
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or by the method for measuring annual improvement under Section |
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39.034, aggregated across grade levels by subject area; and |
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(B) for assessment instruments under Subdivision |
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(1)(B), the percentage of students who met the standard for annual |
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improvement on the assessment instruments, as determined by the |
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commissioner by rule or by the method for measuring annual |
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improvement under Section 39.034, aggregated across grade levels by |
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subject area; |
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(3) in the third domain, the student academic |
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achievement differentials among students from different racial and |
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ethnic groups and socioeconomic backgrounds, other than academic |
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achievement differentials based on the results of assessment |
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instruments under Subdivision (1) or (2); |
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(4) in the fourth domain: |
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(A) for evaluating the performance of high school |
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campuses and districts that include high school campuses: |
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(i) dropout rates, including dropout rates |
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and district completion rates for grade levels 9 through 12, |
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computed in accordance with standards and definitions adopted by |
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the National Center for Education Statistics of the United States |
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Department of Education; |
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(ii) high school graduation rates, computed |
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in accordance with standards and definitions adopted in compliance |
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with the Every Student Succeeds Act [No Child Left Behind Act of
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2001] (20 U.S.C. Section 6301 et seq.); |
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(iii) the percentage of students who |
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successfully completed the curriculum requirements for the |
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distinguished level of achievement under the foundation high school |
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program; |
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(iv) the percentage of students who |
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successfully completed the curriculum requirements for an |
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endorsement under Section 28.025(c-1); |
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(v) the percentage of students who |
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completed a coherent sequence of career and technical courses; |
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(vi) the percentage of students who satisfy |
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the Texas Success Initiative (TSI) college readiness benchmarks |
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prescribed by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board under |
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Section 51.3062(f) on an assessment instrument in reading, writing, |
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or mathematics designated by the Texas Higher Education |
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Coordinating Board under Section 51.3062(c); |
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(vii) the percentage of students who earn |
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at least 12 hours of postsecondary credit required for the |
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foundation high school program under Section 28.025 or to earn an |
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endorsement under Section 28.025(c-1); |
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(viii) the percentage of students who have |
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completed an advanced placement course; |
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(ix) the percentage of students who enlist |
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in the armed forces of the United States; and |
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(x) the percentage of students who earn an |
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industry certification; |
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(B) for evaluating the performance of middle and |
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junior high school and elementary school campuses and districts |
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that include those campuses: |
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(i) student attendance; and |
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(ii) for middle and junior high school |
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campuses: |
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(a) dropout rates, computed in the |
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manner described by Paragraph (A)(i); and |
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(b) the percentage of students in |
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grades seven and eight who receive instruction in preparing for |
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high school, college, and a career that includes information |
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regarding the creation of a high school personal graduation plan |
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under Section 28.02121, the distinguished level of achievement |
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described by Section 28.025(b-15), each endorsement described by |
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Section 28.025(c-1), college readiness standards, and potential |
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career choices and the education needed to enter those careers; and |
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(C) any additional indicators of student |
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achievement not associated with performance on standardized |
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assessment instruments determined appropriate for consideration by |
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the commissioner in consultation with educators, parents, business |
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and industry representatives, and employers; and |
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(5) in the fifth domain, three programs or specific |
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categories of performance related to community and student |
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engagement locally selected and evaluated as provided by Section |
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39.0546. |
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(c-3) For purposes of evaluating the performance of middle |
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and junior high school and elementary school campuses and school |
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districts that include those campuses under the student attendance |
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indicator under Subsection (c)(4)(B)(i) and assigning a |
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performance rating under Section 39.054, the commissioner may not |
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consider only excessive absences as the performance standard for |
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evaluation. |
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SECTION 2. Effective September 1, 2017, Sections 39.054(a), |
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(a-1), (a-2), and (a-3), Education Code, as effective September 1, |
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2017, are amended to read as follows: |
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(a) The commissioner shall adopt rules to evaluate school |
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district and campus performance and assign each district and campus |
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a [an overall] performance rating of A, B, C, D, or F. [In addition
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to the overall performance rating, the commissioner shall assign
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each district and campus a separate domain performance rating of A,
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B, C, D, or F for each domain under Sections 39.053(c)(1)-(4).] A |
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[An overall or domain] performance rating of A reflects exemplary |
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performance. A [An overall or domain] performance rating of B |
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reflects recognized performance. A [An overall or domain] |
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performance rating of C reflects acceptable performance. A [An
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overall or domain] performance rating of D or F reflects |
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unacceptable performance. A district may not receive a [an overall
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or domain] performance rating of A if the district includes any |
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campus with a [corresponding overall or domain] performance rating |
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of D or F. A reference in law to an acceptable rating or acceptable |
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performance includes a [an overall or domain] performance rating of |
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A, B, or C or exemplary, recognized, or acceptable performance. |
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(a-1) For purposes of assigning a [an overall] performance |
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rating under Subsection (a), the commissioner shall attribute: |
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(1) [55 percent of the performance evaluation to the
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achievement indicators] for each of the first, second, and third |
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domains under Sections 39.053(c)(1)-(3), 20 percent of the |
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performance evaluation to the achievement indicators in each |
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domain; |
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(2) for middle and junior high school and elementary |
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campuses and districts that include only those campuses, 20 [35] |
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percent of the performance evaluation to the applicable achievement |
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indicators for the fourth domain under Section 39.053(c)(4); |
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(3) for high school campuses and districts that |
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include those campuses, 20[:
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[(A)
10 percent of the performance evaluation to
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the high school graduation rate achievement indicator described by
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Section 39.053(c)(4)(A)(ii); and
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[(B) 25] percent of the performance evaluation to |
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the [remaining] applicable achievement indicators for the fourth |
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domain under Section 39.053(c)(4); and |
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(4) 20 [10] percent of the performance evaluation to |
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the locally selected and evaluated achievement indicators provided |
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for under the fifth domain under Section 39.053(c)(5). |
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(a-2) The commissioner by rule shall adopt procedures to |
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ensure that a repeated performance rating of D or F or unacceptable |
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[in one domain], particularly performance that is not significantly |
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improving, is reflected in the [overall] performance rating of a |
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district or campus [and is not compensated for by a performance
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rating of A, B, or C in another domain]. |
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(a-3) Not later than August 15 of each year, the performance |
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rating [ratings] of each district and campus shall be made publicly |
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available as provided by rules adopted under this section. If a |
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district or campus received a [an overall or domain] performance |
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rating of D or F for the preceding school year, the commissioner |
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shall notify the district of a subsequent such designation on or |
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before June 15. |
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SECTION 3. Section 39.054, Education Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (b) to read as follows: |
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(b) For purposes of assigning school districts and campuses |
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a performance rating under Subsection (a), the commissioner shall |
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ensure that the method used to evaluate performance: |
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(1) is not implemented in a manner that provides for a |
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specific designated distribution of ratings to districts and |
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campuses under which a designated percentage of districts or |
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campuses receive an A rating or an F rating; and |
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(2) is implemented in a manner that provides the |
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mathematical possibility that all districts and campuses receive an |
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A rating. |
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SECTION 4. Subchapter C, Chapter 39, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 39.0542 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 39.0542. EXPLANATORY MATERIALS FOR ACCOUNTABILITY |
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RATING SYSTEM. (a) Not later than October 1 of each school year, |
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the commissioner shall provide each school district a document in a |
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simple, accessible format that explains the accountability |
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performance measures, methods, and procedures that will be applied |
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for that school year in assigning each school district and campus a |
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performance rating under Section 39.054. |
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(b) The document provided under Subsection (a) must be |
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provided in a format that a school district is able to easily |
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distribute to parents of students enrolled in the district and |
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other interested members of the public. |
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SECTION 5. Section 39.0546, Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 39.0546. PERFORMANCE IN COMMUNITY AND STUDENT |
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ENGAGEMENT AS COMPONENT OF [OVERALL] DISTRICT AND CAMPUS RATING. |
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(a) For purposes of including the local evaluation of districts |
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and campuses under Section 39.053(c)(5) and assigning a performance |
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[an overall] rating under Section 39.054, before the beginning of |
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each school year: |
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(1) each school district shall: |
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(A) select and report to the agency three |
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programs or categories under Section 39.0545(b)(1)[, as added by
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Chapter 211 (H.B. 5), Acts of the 83rd Legislature, Regular
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Session, 2013,] under which the district will evaluate district |
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performance; |
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(B) submit to the agency the criteria the |
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district will use to evaluate district performance and assign the |
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district a performance rating; and |
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(C) make the information described by Paragraphs |
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(A) and (B) available on the district's Internet website; and |
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(2) each campus shall: |
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(A) select and report to the agency three |
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programs or categories under Section 39.0545(b)(1)[, as added by
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Chapter 211 (H.B. 5), Acts of the 83rd Legislature, Regular
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Session, 2013,] under which the campus will evaluate campus |
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performance; |
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(B) submit to the agency the criteria the campus |
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will use to evaluate campus performance and assign the campus a |
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performance rating; and |
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(C) make the information described by Paragraphs |
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(A) and (B) available on the Internet website of the campus. |
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(b) Based on the evaluation under this section, each school |
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district shall assign the district and each campus shall assign the |
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campus a performance rating of A, B, C, D, or F[, for both overall
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performance and] for each program or category evaluated. A [An
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overall or a] program or category performance rating of A reflects |
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exemplary performance. A [An overall or a] program or category |
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performance rating of B reflects recognized performance. A [An
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overall or a] program or category performance rating of C reflects |
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acceptable performance. A [An overall or a] program or category |
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performance rating of D or F reflects unacceptable performance. |
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(c) On or before the date determined by the commissioner by |
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rule, each school district and campus shall report each performance |
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rating to the agency for the purpose of including the rating in |
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evaluating school district and campus performance and assigning a |
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performance [an overall] rating under Section 39.054. |
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SECTION 6. Subchapter C, Chapter 39, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 39.0549 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 39.0549. EVALUATION OF CERTAIN SCHOOL DISTRICTS WITH |
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CERTAIN RAPIDLY GROWING POPULATIONS. (a) This section applies |
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only to a school district that experiences an increase in student |
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enrollment from one school year to the next, at least 15 percent of |
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which is comprised exclusively of students of limited English |
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proficiency, as defined by Section 29.052. |
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(b) The commissioner by rule shall develop an alternative |
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method for evaluating and assigning a performance rating to school |
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districts subject to this section and campuses in those districts. |
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(c) Methods the commissioner may use for alternative |
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evaluation as authorized by this section include, for purposes of |
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assigning a performance rating under Section 39.054: |
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(1) excluding the achievement indicators under |
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Section 39.053(c)(1); or |
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(2) excluding the achievement indicators under |
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Section 39.053(c)(1) or (2), whichever set of indicators has the |
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most negative impact on the performance rating of the district or |
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campus. |
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SECTION 7. Section 39.301(d), Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(d) Performance on the indicators described by Section |
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39.053(c)(4) [39.053(c)] and Subsections (c)(3), (4), and (9) must |
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be based on longitudinal student data that is disaggregated by the |
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bilingual education or special language program, if any, in which |
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students of limited English proficiency, as defined by Section |
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29.052, are or former students of limited English proficiency were |
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enrolled. If a student described by this subsection is not or was |
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not enrolled in specialized language instruction, the number and |
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percentage of those students shall be provided. |
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SECTION 8. If there is a conflict between the changes in law |
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made by this Act and a federal law or regulation, the commissioner |
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of education shall seek a waiver from the application of the |
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conflicting federal law or regulation. In seeking a waiver, the |
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commissioner shall submit all relevant data for considering the |
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waiver application. |
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SECTION 9. This Act applies beginning with the 2017-2018 |
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school year. |
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SECTION 10. Except as otherwise provided by this Act, this |
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Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of |
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all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, |
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Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the |
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vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect |
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September 1, 2017. |