| 1 | 1 | | 81R11383 CS-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Deshotel H.B. No. 3449 |
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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 establishment of a pilot program to provide financial |
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| 8 | 8 | | incentives to students in academically unacceptable public school |
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| 9 | 9 | | campuses. |
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| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter F, Chapter 39, Education Code, is |
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| 12 | 12 | | amended by adding Section 39.117 to read as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | Sec. 39.117. PILOT PROGRAM FOR STUDENTS ENROLLED IN |
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| 14 | 14 | | ACADEMICALLY UNACCEPTABLE CAMPUSES. (a) The commissioner shall |
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| 15 | 15 | | establish a pilot program under which ninth grade students in |
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| 16 | 16 | | selected campuses are provided financial incentives for |
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| 17 | 17 | | performance in certain academic classes. |
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| 18 | 18 | | (b) A campus is eligible to participate in the pilot program |
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| 19 | 19 | | if the campus: |
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| 20 | 20 | | (1) has been designated as academically unacceptable |
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| 21 | 21 | | under Section 39.072; and |
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| 22 | 22 | | (2) applies to the commissioner to participate in the |
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| 23 | 23 | | pilot program. |
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| 24 | 24 | | (c) The commissioner shall select campuses for |
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| 25 | 25 | | participation in the pilot program using a lottery system or |
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| 26 | 26 | | similar random selection process. |
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| 27 | 27 | | (d) At the end of each grading period, each student enrolled |
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| 28 | 28 | | at the ninth grade level at a selected campus is entitled to an |
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| 29 | 29 | | award based on the student's performance in each class in a subject |
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| 30 | 30 | | included in the foundation curriculum under Section 28.002(a)(1). |
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| 31 | 31 | | The amount of the student's award is determined as follows: |
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| 32 | 32 | | (1) $50 for each grade of "A"; |
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| 33 | 33 | | (2) $35 for each grade of "B"; |
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| 34 | 34 | | (3) $20 for each grade of "C"; and |
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| 35 | 35 | | (4) $0 for each grade of "D" or "F". |
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| 36 | 36 | | (e) A student whose performance qualifies for an award under |
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| 37 | 37 | | Subsection (d) shall receive a payment equal to half the amount of |
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| 38 | 38 | | the award on completion of the grading period. The remaining half |
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| 39 | 39 | | of the award shall be provided to the student in the form of savings |
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| 40 | 40 | | bonds on the student's graduation from high school. |
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| 41 | 41 | | (f) A student may earn an award during the ninth grade only. |
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| 42 | 42 | | (g) A school district must provide a student participating |
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| 43 | 43 | | in the pilot program with college and career counseling and |
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| 44 | 44 | | encouragement to prepare for college entrance exams. |
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| 45 | 45 | | (h) Each campus selected to participate in the pilot program |
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| 46 | 46 | | shall designate an employee to serve as project coordinator for the |
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| 47 | 47 | | campus. |
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| 48 | 48 | | (i) The commissioner may adopt rules as necessary for the |
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| 49 | 49 | | administration of the pilot program. |
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| 50 | 50 | | SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with students who |
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| 51 | 51 | | enter the ninth grade in the 2010-2011 school year. |
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| 52 | 52 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 53 | 53 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 54 | 54 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 55 | 55 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 56 | 56 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |
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