Texas House Bill HB3907

Texas 2013 - 83rd Regular

Caption

Relating to consideration of certain graduates and dropouts in evaluation of school districts, campuses, and open-enrollment charter schools for accountability purposes.

Impact

The bill alters how dropout and completion rates are computed by excluding students who fall into particular categories, such as those court-ordered to attend high school equivalency programs, those previously reported as dropouts who reenroll, and those incarcerated. This could lead to increased graduation rates reported by schools, which may improve their rankings in the accountability evaluations. The bill takes effect beginning with the 2013-2014 school year, signaling an immediate shift in how educational performance is measured across districts.

Summary

House Bill 3907 is designed to amend the Education Code of Texas to specifically exclude certain categories of students from calculations related to dropout and completion rates in the evaluation of school districts, campuses, and open-enrollment charter schools. The bill aims to provide a more accurate picture of school performance for accountability purposes, which is particularly relevant as schools are assessed under federal mandates like the No Child Left Behind Act. By refining the criteria for what constitutes a dropout or a graduate, the bill seeks to maintain higher accountability standards while addressing the complexities of student enrollment patterns.

Contention

There are notable points of contention surrounding HB 3907. Critics may argue that by excluding certain students, the bill creates a misleading representation of a school's effectiveness. Concerns have been raised that this exclusion could downplay the challenges faced by schools with higher numbers of at-risk students. Supporters, on the other hand, argue that the revised metrics will ultimately reflect a school's true performance and better focus resources on improving educational outcomes for all students.