Texas 2009 - 81st Regular

Texas House Bill HB1503 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	By: Veasey H.B. No. 1503
2	2
3	3
4	4	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
5	5	AN ACT
6	6	relating to the high school graduation requirements.
7	7	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
8	8	SECTION 1. Section 28.025 of the Education Code is amended
9	9	to read:
10	10	Sec. 28.025. HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA AND CERTIFICATE; ACADEMIC
11	11	ACHIEVEMENT RECORD. (a) The State Board of Education by rule
12	12	shall determine curriculum requirements for the minimum,
13	13	recommended, and advanced high school programs that are consistent
14	14	with the required curriculum under Section 28.002.
15	15	(b) The recommended and advanced plans shall have at least
16	16	three distinct options, including but not limited to:
17	17	(1) a science and mathematics option that shall
18	18	require four credits in mathematics and four credits in science
19	19	from the list of courses approved by the State Board of Education;
20	20	(2) a career and technology option that shall require
21	21	four credits in English language arts, three credits in
22	22	mathematics, three credits in science, two and one-half credits in
23	23	social studies and economics, and four credits from a list of career
24	24	and technology courses approved by the State Board of Education;
25	25	and
26	26	(3) a humanities option that includes but is not
27	27	limited to English language arts, social studies, languages other
28	28	than English, and fine arts from the list of courses approved by the
29	29	State Board of Education.
30	30	([b]c) A school district shall ensure that each student
31	31	enrolls in the courses necessary to complete the curriculum
32	32	requirements identified by the State Board of Education under
33	33	Subsection (a) for the recommended or advanced high school program
34	34	unless the student, the student's parent or other person standing
35	35	in parental relation to the student, and a school counselor or
36	36	school administrator agree that the student should be permitted to
37	37	take courses under the minimum high school program.
38	38	([b-1]d) The State Board of Education by rule shall require
39	39	that[:]
40	40	[(1) except as provided by Subsection (b-2), the
41	41	curriculum requirements for the recommended and advanced high
42	42	school programs under Subsection (a) include a requirement that
43	43	students successfully complete four courses in each subject of the
44	44	foundation curriculum under Section 28.002(a)(1);
45	45	[(2)] one or more courses offered in the required
46	46	curriculum for the recommended and advanced high school programs
47	47	include a research writing component.
48	48	[(b-2) In adopting rules under Subsection (b-1), the State
49	49	Board of Education shall allow a student to comply with the
50	50	curriculum requirements for a mathematics course under Subsection
51	51	(b-1)(1) taken after the successful completion of an Algebra II
52	52	course or science course under Subsection (b-1)(1) taken after the
53	53	successful completion of a physics course by successfully
54	54	completing an advanced career and technical course designated by
55	55	the State Board of Education as containing substantively similar
56	56	and rigorous academic content. A student may use the option
57	57	provided by this subsection for not more than two courses.]
58	58	([c]e) A person may receive a diploma if the person is
59	59	eligible for a diploma under Section 28.0251. In other cases, a
60	60	student may graduate and receive a diploma only if:
61	61	(1) the student successfully completes the curriculum
62	62	requirements identified by the State Board of Education under
63	63	Subsection (a) and complies with Section 39.025; or
64	64	(2) the student successfully completes an
65	65	individualized education program developed under Section 29.005.
66	66	([d]f) A school district may issue a certificate of
67	67	coursework completion to a student who successfully completes the
68	68	curriculum requirements identified by the State Board of Education
69	69	under Subsection (a) but who fails to comply with Section
70	70	39.025. A school district may allow a student who receives a
71	71	certificate to participate in a graduation ceremony with students
72	72	receiving high school diplomas.
73	73	([e]g) Each school district shall report the academic
74	74	achievement record of students who have completed a minimum,
75	75	recommended, or advanced high school program on transcript forms
76	76	adopted by the State Board of Education. The transcript forms
77	77	adopted by the board must be designed to clearly differentiate
78	78	between each of the high school programs and identify whether a
79	79	student received a diploma or a certificate of coursework
80	80	completion.
81	81	([f]h) A school district shall issue a certificate of
82	82	attendance to a student who receives special education services
83	83	under Subchapter A, Chapter 29, and who has completed four years of
84	84	high school but has not completed the student's individualized
85	85	education program. A school district shall allow a student who
86	86	receives a certificate to participate in a graduation ceremony with
87	87	students receiving high school diplomas. A student may
88	88	participate in only one graduation ceremony under this
89	89	subsection. This subsection does not preclude a student from
90	90	receiving a diploma under Subsection [(c)(2)] (e).
91	91	([g]i) If a student, other than a student permitted to take
92	92	courses under the minimum high school program as provided by
93	93	Subsection ([b]c), is unable to complete the recommended or
94	94	advanced high school program solely because necessary courses were
95	95	unavailable to the student at the appropriate times in the
96	96	student's high school career as a result of course scheduling, lack
97	97	of enrollment capacity, or another cause not within the student's
98	98	control, the school district shall indicate that fact on the
99	99	student's transcript form described by Subsection ([e]g).
100	100	SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2009-2010
101	101	school year.
102	102	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
103	103	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
104	104	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
105	105	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
106	106	Act takes effect September 1, 2009.