87R9597 CXP-F

By: Talarico H.B. No. 4091

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to a student experience study for public school students.

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

SECTION 1. Section 4.001(b), Education Code, is amended to read as follows:

(b) The objectives of public education are:

OBJECTIVE 1: Parents will be full partners with educators in the education of their children.

OBJECTIVE 2: Students will be encouraged and challenged to meet their full educational potential.

OBJECTIVE 3: Through enhanced dropout prevention efforts, all students will remain in school until they obtain a high school diploma.

OBJECTIVE 4: A well-balanced and appropriate curriculum will be provided to all students. Through that curriculum, students will be prepared to succeed in a variety of postsecondary activities, including employment and enrollment in institutions of higher education.

OBJECTIVE 5: Educators will prepare students to be thoughtful, active citizens who have an appreciation for the basic values of our state and national heritage and who can understand and productively function in a free enterprise society.

OBJECTIVE 6: Qualified and highly effective personnel will be recruited, developed, and retained.

OBJECTIVE 7: The state's students will demonstrate exemplary performance in comparison to national and international standards.

OBJECTIVE 8: School campuses will maintain a safe and disciplined environment conducive to student learning.

OBJECTIVE 9: Educators will keep abreast of the development of creative and innovative techniques in instruction and administration using those techniques as appropriate to improve student learning.

OBJECTIVE 10: Technology will be implemented and used to increase the effectiveness of student learning, instructional management, staff development, and administration.

OBJECTIVE 11: The State Board of Education, the agency, and the commissioner shall assist school districts and charter schools in providing career and technology education to students.

OBJECTIVE 12: Students will be partners with educators and administrators in the design, delivery, and success of the students' education.

SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 7, Education Code, is amended by adding Sections 7.041 and 7.042 to read as follows:

Sec. 7.041. STUDENT EXPERIENCE STUDY. (a) Not less than once every two years, the agency shall commission a statewide study of student experience that must:

(1) evaluate student experience relating to:

(A) teacher effectiveness;

(B) campus culture and climate;

(C) postgraduate readiness;

(D) mental health;

(E) partnership and agency in decision-making;

(F) safety;

(G) discipline; and

(H) rigor and effectiveness;

(2) report information disaggregated by every student subpopulation identified by the agency that includes more than 25 students;

(3) use multiple modes of gathering quantitative and qualitative data, including surveys, one-on-one interviews, and focus groups;

(4) involve students in the planning and implementation of the study; and

(5) include a representative sample set of suitable size and diversity in terms of geography, income, race, learning differences, and language abilities.

(b) Using the results of the statewide student experience survey commissioned under Subsection (a), the agency shall:

(1) identify and track progress toward statewide student experience goals;

(2) provide recommendations to the legislature regarding allocation of educational resources;

(3) provide analysis of the effects of prior state legislative enactments applicable to student experience; and

(4) provide coaching opportunities to school districts whose students participate in the study.

(c) The results of the statewide student experience study commissioned under Subsection (a) may not be used for purposes of determining compensation for teachers.

(d) Not later than December 1 of each even-numbered year, the agency shall submit a report that includes the results of the latest statewide experience study commissioned under Subsection (a) and any associated recommendations to:

(1) the governor and each member of the legislature; and

(2) the superintendent and the president of the board of trustees of each school district in this state.

Sec. 7.042. STUDENT PARTNERSHIP IN EDUCATION. The agency shall:

(1) ensure decision-makers at state and local levels are equipped to partner with students in the design, delivery, and success of the students' education;

(2) direct the board of trustees of each school district to establish and monitor progress toward at least one goal relating to student experience;

(3) develop or adopt and disseminate tools for school districts to assess the extent to which they are partnering with students in the design, delivery, and success of students' education;

(4) develop and provide training to school district leaders, educators, and students regarding the facilitation of partnerships between students and adults in the school administration and measures for determining the success of student education; and

(5) develop and provide training for boards of trustees of school districts regarding methods to use students as partners in the process of governing the boards' districts.

SECTION 3. Not later than December 1, 2022, the Texas Education Agency shall submit the first report that includes the results of the statewide student experience study and any associated recommendations as required by Section 7.041, Education Code, as added by this Act.

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, 2021.