BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	S.B. 194
87R3337 CAE-F	By: Powell
	Education
	4/21/2021
	As Filed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

In determining a school district's letter grade, the Texas Education Agency uses various indicators to calculate the rating. While the current formula for student achievement places much weight on testing and college readiness indicators, this domain fails to recognize career readiness outcomes beyond the narrow list of approved industry-based certifications earned by students. S.B. 194 updates this domain in a meaningful way by acknowledging additional career readiness indicators, more specifically, student completion of a career and technical education program of study, an outcome aligned to the new federal guidelines as outlined in the Perkins V authorization.

Unless the legislature acts to incentivize the completion of more career and technical education programs, school districts will be discouraged from funding and offering specialized career training courses and opportunities related to teaching, engineering, and health science careers.

S.B. 194 seeks to strengthen the student achievement domain by adding a career readiness indicator for students who successfully complete a program of study in career and technical education.

As proposed, S.B. 194 amends current law relating to indicators of achievement under the public school accountability system.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 39.053(c), Education Code, as follows:

(c) Requires school districts and campuses to be evaluated based on certain domains of indicators of achievement adopted under Section 39.053 (Performance Indicators: Achievement), including, for evaluating the performance of high school campuses and districts that include such campuses, indicators that account for students who successfully completed a program of study in career and technical education, and indicators that account for high school graduation rates, computed in accordance with standards and definitions adopted in compliance with the Every Student Succeeds Act (20 U.S.C. Section 6301 et seq.) subject to certain exclusions, including those provided by Subsection (g-4) (relating to exclusion of students who have dropped out of certain educational programs).

SECTION 2. Provides that this Act applies beginning with the 2021-2022 school year.

SECTION 3. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2021.