87R644 MP-F

By: Lucio S.B. No. 895

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the requirements for a school district improvement plan.

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

SECTION 1. Section 11.252, Education Code, is amended by amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (a-1) to read as follows:

(a) Each school district shall have a district improvement plan that is developed, evaluated, and revised annually, in accordance with district policy, by the superintendent with the assistance of the district-level committee established under Section 11.251. The purpose of the district improvement plan is to guide district and campus staff in the improvement of student performance for all student groups in order to attain state standards in respect to the achievement indicators adopted under Section 39.053(c). The district improvement plan must include provisions for:

(1) a comprehensive needs assessment addressing:

(A) district student performance on the achievement indicators, and other appropriate measures of performance, that are disaggregated by all student groups served by the district, including categories of ethnicity, socioeconomic status, sex, and populations served by special programs, including students in special education programs under Subchapter A, Chapter 29; and

(B) other appropriate measures of district performance, including school climate as defined by Subsection (a-1);

(2) measurable district performance objectives for all appropriate achievement indicators for all student populations, including students in special education programs under Subchapter A, Chapter 29, and other measures of [student] performance that may be identified through the comprehensive needs assessment;

(3) strategies for improvement of student performance that include:

(A) instructional methods for addressing the needs of student groups not achieving their full potential;

(B) evidence-based practices that address the needs of students for special programs, including:

(i) suicide prevention programs, in accordance with Subchapter G, Chapter 38, which include a parental or guardian notification procedure;

(ii) conflict resolution programs;

(iii) violence prevention programs; and

(iv) dyslexia treatment programs;

(C) dropout reduction;

(D) integration of technology in instructional and administrative programs;

(E) positive behavior interventions and support, including interventions and support that integrate best practices on grief-informed and trauma-informed care;

(F) staff development for professional staff of the district;

(G) career education to assist students in developing the knowledge, skills, and competencies necessary for a broad range of career opportunities;

(H) accelerated education; [and]

(I) implementation of a comprehensive school counseling program under Section 33.005; and

(J) methods for promoting a safe and supportive school climate as defined by Subsection (a-1);

(4) strategies for providing to elementary school, middle school, junior high school, and high school students, those students' teachers and school counselors, and those students' parents information about:

(A) higher education admissions and financial aid opportunities, including state financial aid opportunities such as the TEXAS grant program and the Teach for Texas grant program established under Chapter 56;

(B) the need for students to make informed curriculum choices to be prepared for success beyond high school; and

(C) sources of information on higher education admissions and financial aid;

(5) resources needed to implement identified strategies;

(6) staff responsible for ensuring the accomplishment of each strategy;

(7) timelines for ongoing monitoring of the implementation of each improvement strategy;

(8) formative evaluation criteria for determining periodically whether strategies are resulting in intended improvement of student performance;

(9) the policy under Section 38.0041 addressing sexual abuse and other maltreatment of children; and

(10) the trauma-informed care policy required under Section 38.036.

(a-1) For purposes of Subsection (a), "school climate" means the quality and character of school life, including interpersonal relationships, teaching and learning practices, and organizational structures, as experienced by students enrolled in the school district, parents of those students, and personnel employed by the district.

SECTION 2. 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.