By: Veasey H.B. No. 1503
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the high school graduation requirements.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 28.025 of the Education Code is amended
to read:
Sec. 28.025. HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA AND CERTIFICATE; ACADEMIC
ACHIEVEMENT RECORD. (a) The State Board of Education by rule
shall determine curriculum requirements for the minimum,
recommended, and advanced high school programs that are consistent
with the required curriculum under Section 28.002.
(b) The recommended and advanced plans shall have at least
three distinct options, including but not limited to:
(1) a science and mathematics option that shall
require four credits in mathematics and four credits in science
from the list of courses approved by the State Board of Education;
(2) a career and technology option that shall require
four credits in English language arts, three credits in
mathematics, three credits in science, two and one-half credits in
social studies and economics, and four credits from a list of career
and technology courses approved by the State Board of Education;
and
(3) a humanities option that includes but is not
limited to English language arts, social studies, languages other
than English, and fine arts from the list of courses approved by the
State Board of Education.
([b]c) A school district shall ensure that each student
enrolls in the courses necessary to complete the curriculum
requirements identified by the State Board of Education under
Subsection (a) for the recommended or advanced high school program
unless the student, the student's parent or other person standing
in parental relation to the student, and a school counselor or
school administrator agree that the student should be permitted to
take courses under the minimum high school program.
([b-1]d) The State Board of Education by rule shall require
that[:]
[(1) except as provided by Subsection (b-2), the
curriculum requirements for the recommended and advanced high
school programs under Subsection (a) include a requirement that
students successfully complete four courses in each subject of the
foundation curriculum under Section 28.002(a)(1);
[(2)] one or more courses offered in the required
curriculum for the recommended and advanced high school programs
include a research writing component.
[(b-2) In adopting rules under Subsection (b-1), the State
Board of Education shall allow a student to comply with the
curriculum requirements for a mathematics course under Subsection
(b-1)(1) taken after the successful completion of an Algebra II
course or science course under Subsection (b-1)(1) taken after the
successful completion of a physics course by successfully
completing an advanced career and technical course designated by
the State Board of Education as containing substantively similar
and rigorous academic content. A student may use the option
provided by this subsection for not more than two courses.]
([c]e) A person may receive a diploma if the person is
eligible for a diploma under Section 28.0251. In other cases, a
student may graduate and receive a diploma only if:
(1) the student successfully completes the curriculum
requirements identified by the State Board of Education under
Subsection (a) and complies with Section 39.025; or
(2) the student successfully completes an
individualized education program developed under Section 29.005.
([d]f) A school district may issue a certificate of
coursework completion to a student who successfully completes the
curriculum requirements identified by the State Board of Education
under Subsection (a) but who fails to comply with Section
39.025. A school district may allow a student who receives a
certificate to participate in a graduation ceremony with students
receiving high school diplomas.
([e]g) Each school district shall report the academic
achievement record of students who have completed a minimum,
recommended, or advanced high school program on transcript forms
adopted by the State Board of Education. The transcript forms
adopted by the board must be designed to clearly differentiate
between each of the high school programs and identify whether a
student received a diploma or a certificate of coursework
completion.
([f]h) A school district shall issue a certificate of
attendance to a student who receives special education services
under Subchapter A, Chapter 29, and who has completed four years of
high school but has not completed the student's individualized
education program. A school district shall allow a student who
receives a certificate to participate in a graduation ceremony with
students receiving high school diplomas. A student may
participate in only one graduation ceremony under this
subsection. This subsection does not preclude a student from
receiving a diploma under Subsection [(c)(2)] (e).
([g]i) If a student, other than a student permitted to take
courses under the minimum high school program as provided by
Subsection ([b]c), is unable to complete the recommended or
advanced high school program solely because necessary courses were
unavailable to the student at the appropriate times in the
student's high school career as a result of course scheduling, lack
of enrollment capacity, or another cause not within the student's
control, the school district shall indicate that fact on the
student's transcript form described by Subsection ([e]g).
SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2009-2010
school year.
SECTION 3. 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, 2009.