| 1 | 1 | | 81R2282 CAS-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Olivo H.B. No. 154 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to the requirements for a public high school diploma. |
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| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Sections 28.025(c) and (d), Education Code, are |
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| 10 | 10 | | amended to read as follows: |
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| 11 | 11 | | (c) A person may receive a diploma if the person is eligible |
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| 12 | 12 | | for a diploma under Section 28.0251. In other cases, a student may |
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| 13 | 13 | | graduate and receive a diploma only if: |
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| 14 | 14 | | (1) the student successfully completes the curriculum |
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| 15 | 15 | | requirements identified by the State Board of Education under |
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| 16 | 16 | | Subsection (a) and: |
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| 17 | 17 | | (A) complies with Section 39.025; or |
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| 18 | 18 | | (B) meets the alternative graduation criteria |
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| 19 | 19 | | prescribed under Section 28.0253; or |
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| 20 | 20 | | (2) the student successfully completes an |
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| 21 | 21 | | individualized education program developed under Section 29.005. |
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| 22 | 22 | | (d) A school district may issue a certificate of coursework |
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| 23 | 23 | | completion to a student who successfully completes the curriculum |
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| 24 | 24 | | requirements identified by the State Board of Education under |
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| 25 | 25 | | Subsection (a) but who fails to comply with Section 39.025 or the |
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| 26 | 26 | | alternative graduation criteria under Section 28.0253. A school |
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| 27 | 27 | | district may allow a student who receives a certificate to |
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| 28 | 28 | | participate in a graduation ceremony with students receiving high |
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| 29 | 29 | | school diplomas. |
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| 30 | 30 | | SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 28, Education Code, is |
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| 31 | 31 | | amended by adding Section 28.0253 to read as follows: |
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| 32 | 32 | | Sec. 28.0253. ALTERNATIVE GRADUATION CRITERIA. (a) The |
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| 33 | 33 | | commissioner by rule shall prescribe alternative graduation |
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| 34 | 34 | | criteria that a student may meet to graduate and receive a diploma |
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| 35 | 35 | | without complying with Section 39.025. The alternative graduation |
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| 36 | 36 | | criteria must compensate for a student's failure to achieve in a |
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| 37 | 37 | | subject the cumulative score required under Section 39.025. To the |
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| 38 | 38 | | extent applicable, the alternative graduation criteria must |
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| 39 | 39 | | include a student's: |
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| 40 | 40 | | (1) grade point average beginning in grade 9; |
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| 41 | 41 | | (2) current class ranking; |
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| 42 | 42 | | (3) performance on the assessment instruments |
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| 43 | 43 | | required under Section 39.025 to be administered to the student, |
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| 44 | 44 | | including a consideration of whether extenuating circumstances may |
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| 45 | 45 | | have adversely affected the student's performance; and |
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| 46 | 46 | | (4) overall academic performance beginning in grade 9, |
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| 47 | 47 | | as evaluated by two or more of the student's teachers. |
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| 48 | 48 | | (b) A committee composed of the student's high school |
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| 49 | 49 | | principal or the principal's designee and two certified teachers in |
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| 50 | 50 | | the student's school district who teach at the high school level |
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| 51 | 51 | | shall determine whether a student who has not complied with Section |
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| 52 | 52 | | 39.025 has met the alternative graduation criteria prescribed under |
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| 53 | 53 | | Subsection (a). The commissioner shall adopt rules relating to the |
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| 54 | 54 | | selection and operation of a committee under this subsection. |
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| 55 | 55 | | (c) A committee established under Subsection (b) shall |
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| 56 | 56 | | determine whether a student who has not complied with Section |
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| 57 | 57 | | 39.025 has met the alternative graduation criteria prescribed under |
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| 58 | 58 | | Subsection (a): |
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| 59 | 59 | | (1) on written request of the student's parent or |
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| 60 | 60 | | guardian, not more than one time per school year following the |
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| 61 | 61 | | administration to the student at least once of each assessment |
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| 62 | 62 | | instrument required under Section 39.025 to be administered to the |
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| 63 | 63 | | student; and |
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| 64 | 64 | | (2) when the principal of the student's high school, or |
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| 65 | 65 | | the principal's designee, determines that the student is within one |
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| 66 | 66 | | month of completing each requirement for a high school diploma |
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| 67 | 67 | | other than compliance with Section 39.025. |
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| 68 | 68 | | SECTION 3. (a) Section 28.025, Education Code, as amended |
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| 69 | 69 | | by this Act, and Section 28.0253, Education Code, as added by this |
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| 70 | 70 | | Act, apply beginning with the 2011-2012 school year. |
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| 71 | 71 | | (b) Not later than June 1, 2011, the commissioner of |
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| 72 | 72 | | education shall adopt rules as required by Sections 28.0253(a) and |
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| 73 | 73 | | (b), Education Code, as added by this Act. |
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| 74 | 74 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 75 | 75 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 76 | 76 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 77 | 77 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 78 | 78 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |
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