Texas 2009 - 81st Regular

Texas House Bill HB4238 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	81R3360 PAM-D
2	2	By: Branch H.B. No. 4238
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to establishing a state master plan for closing academic
8	8	achievement gaps in public primary and secondary education.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Chapter 39, Education Code, is amended by adding
11	11	Subchapter A to read as follows:
12	12	SUBCHAPTER A. STATE MASTER PLAN FOR CLOSING ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT
13	13	GAPS IN PUBLIC EDUCATION
14	14	Sec. 39.001. SELECT COMMITTEE ON STATE MASTER PLAN.
15	15	(a) The Select Committee on the State Master Plan for Closing the
16	16	Gaps in Public Education is established to develop and adopt a state
17	17	master plan for closing gaps in student participation, student
18	18	success, and overall educational excellence among public schools
19	19	and school districts in this state and between public schools in
20	20	this state and public schools in other states.
21	21	(b) The committee is composed of the following 15 members:
22	22	(1) the presiding officers of the standing committees
23	23	of each house of the legislature with primary jurisdiction over
24	24	public education;
25	25	(2) one member of the senate, appointed by the
26	26	lieutenant governor;
27	27	(3) one member of the house of representatives,
28	28	appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives;
29	29	(4) the commissioner;
30	30	(5) the commissioner of higher education;
31	31	(6) one member of the State Board of Education,
32	32	appointed by the chair of the board;
33	33	(7) one public school teacher, one public school
34	34	principal, and one school district superintendent, each currently
35	35	employed in this state and each appointed jointly by the lieutenant
36	36	governor and the speaker of the house of representatives;
37	37	(8) one person who is currently employed as an
38	38	educator in a public school in this state, other than as a teacher,
39	39	principal, or superintendent, and appointed jointly by the
40	40	lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house of
41	41	representatives;
42	42	(9) one representative from the business community or
43	43	the public, appointed by the lieutenant governor;
44	44	(10) one representative from the business community or
45	45	the public, appointed by the speaker of the house of
46	46	representatives; and
47	47	(11) one representative from the business community
48	48	and one representative from the public, at least one of whom has one
49	49	or more children who currently attend public school in this state,
50	50	appointed by the governor.
51	51	(c) The governor, lieutenant governor, and speaker of the
52	52	house of representatives shall make the appointments required by
53	53	Subsection (b) in a timely manner to permit the committee to comply
54	54	with Section 39.002(a).
55	55	Sec. 39.002. COMMITTEE MEETINGS. (a) Not later than
56	56	October 1, 2009, the committee shall hold an organizational
57	57	meeting.
58	58	(b) The presiding officers described by Section
59	59	39.001(b)(1) serve as co-chairs of the committee.
60	60	(c) Committee meetings shall be held at the joint call of
61	61	the co-chairs.
62	62	Sec. 39.003. COMPENSATION AND REIMBURSEMENT. (a) A member
63	63	of the committee is entitled to reimbursement for actual and
64	64	necessary expenses incurred in performing committee duties.
65	65	(b) A legislative member of the committee is entitled to
66	66	reimbursement from the appropriate fund of the house of the
67	67	legislature in which the member serves.
68	68	(c) A member other than a legislative member is entitled to
69	69	reimbursement from funds appropriated to the committee.
70	70	Sec. 39.004. COMMITTEE STAFF. Staff members of the
71	71	standing committees described by Section 39.001(b)(1) shall serve
72	72	as the staff of the committee.
73	73	Sec. 39.005. OBJECTIVES OF MASTER PLAN. (a) The committee
74	74	shall conduct a comprehensive review of the public primary and
75	75	secondary educational system in this state and develop a master
76	76	plan that includes goals and strategies for closing gaps in:
77	77	(1) student participation;
78	78	(2) student success; and
79	79	(3) overall educational excellence.
80	80	(b) In conducting its review and designing goals and
81	81	strategies, the committee shall study the mission, organizational
82	82	structure, design, processes, and practices of educational systems
83	83	in other states and relevant educational requirements established
84	84	by federal law.
85	85	(c) The master plan developed under this section must:
86	86	(1) include specific goals for:
87	87	(A) improving student achievement;
88	88	(B) reducing academic achievement gaps among
89	89	students in this state and between students in this state and
90	90	students of other states;
91	91	(C) reducing student dropout rates;
92	92	(D) increasing high school completion rates; and
93	93	(E) increasing readiness for postsecondary
94	94	learning and employment; and
95	95	(2) be consistent with:
96	96	(A) each element of the accountability system
97	97	prescribed by this chapter, with special emphasis on:
98	98	(i) the indicators used to determine
99	99	accreditation status;
100	100	(ii) rewards and incentives for campus and
101	101	school district excellence; and
102	102	(iii) the responsibilities of the
103	103	commissioner in assisting and, if necessary, imposing sanctions on
104	104	school districts and campuses that do not meet state performance
105	105	standards; and
106	106	(B) the goals in "Closing the Gaps," the state's
107	107	master plan for higher education.
108	108	(d) The master plan developed under this section must
109	109	specifically address strategies for achieving the goals described
110	110	by Subsection (c)(1) in an educational environment characterized by
111	111	a rapid growth in the number of educationally disadvantaged
112	112	students and of students of limited English proficiency as defined
113	113	by Section 29.052.
114	114	(e) The committee shall conduct public hearings throughout
115	115	this state and solicit testimony concerning the public education
116	116	system from parents of public school students and other interested
117	117	persons. At least one public hearing must be held at a public
118	118	school during a time that public school students are generally able
119	119	to attend the hearing.
120	120	(f) The commissioner shall ensure that, subject to state and
121	121	federal educational privacy laws, the committee has access to any
122	122	documentation and agency personnel the committee requests.
123	123	(g) The Legislative Budget Board, comptroller, state
124	124	auditor, and any other state agency, official, or personnel shall
125	125	cooperate with the committee in carrying out its duties under this
126	126	subchapter.
127	127	Sec. 39.006. MASTER PLAN. (a) Not later than December 1,
128	128	2010, the committee shall:
129	129	(1) adopt a master plan that includes goals and
130	130	strategies prescribed by Section 39.005; and
131	131	(2) prepare a report to the legislature with, as
132	132	necessary, any recommendations for statutory changes consistent
133	133	with the master plan.
134	134	(b) The master plan and report must be approved by a
135	135	majority of the committee members.
136	136	Sec. 39.007. EXPIRATION. This subchapter expires January
137	137	11, 2011.
138	138	SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
139	139	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
140	140	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
141	141	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
142	142	Act takes effect September 1, 2009.