BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 2403

By: Springer

Public Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

In Texas, a gifted and talented student is a student who performs at or shows the potential for performing at a remarkably high level of accomplishment when compared to others of the same age, experience, or environment and who meets additional qualifications as set out by state law. While each public school district is required by state law to participate in and submit public education information, including student demographic and academic performance, personnel, financial, and organizational information, using the Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS), this system does not house information on whether districts are using data from an entire grade level to identify students eligible for the district's gifted and talented program. S.B. 2403 seeks to increase transparency with regard to districts' gifted and talented programs by requiring school districts to list this information in their PEIMS report along with other comparative statistics reported by the district.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

S.B. 2403 amends the Education Code to require each public school district to include the following information in the district's PEIMS report:

·         the name and contact information of the district administrator responsible for ensuring that the district is in compliance with statutory provisions relating to educational programs for gifted and talented students;

·         whether the district uses data from an entire grade level to identify gifted and talented students; and

·         if applicable, the grade levels for which the district identifies gifted and talented students.

The bill requires the comparison provided by the Texas Education Agency of the educational performance of each district and campus to its previous performance and to state-established standards that is included in each district's annual educational performance report to include a comparison of college, career, and military readiness achievement between students served in a program for gifted and talented students and students served in other programs. The bill applies beginning with the 2023-2024 school year.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2023.