81R24833 CBE-D
By: Farrar H.R. No. 1438
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Texas has been nationally recognized for its
leadership in creating an exceptional student-tracking system; and
WHEREAS, Research has shed light on the state's low
graduation rate, however, and concerns have arisen about the
methodologies used for determining and computing dropout rates; and
WHEREAS, The future of Texas demands that we not only take
action to address the quality of our public schools, but also work
to ensure that our students are provided with a solid educational
foundation that makes them college- and career-ready; and
WHEREAS, Progress cannot be made until members of the Texas
Legislature, and all concerned Texans, know the exact magnitude of
the problem at hand; and
WHEREAS, True transparency in graduation and dropout rates is
of paramount importance in order to address the dropout problem and
to measure the effectiveness of our interventions; now, therefore,
be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas
Legislature hereby urge the Texas Education Agency to implement the
U.S. Department of Education's final regulations, 34 C.F.R. Section
200.19, which describes other academic indicators that may be used
to demonstrate adequate yearly progress; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That, under the regulations, the agency must (1)
include adoption of a four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate
that compares the number of graduates to first-time ninth graders
four years prior, adjusting for transfers in, transfers out, and
students who have emigrated or died; (2) not remove students from
the cohort for the following reasons: systematic errors or
underreporting, expulsion, earned GED credentials, and unconfirmed
transfers in the case of withdrawals with the intent to attend
homeschooling, to enroll in another Texas public or private school,
or to enroll in an educational setting outside of Texas; and (3)
receive official written documentation for a student who has
transferred out so that the transfer can be verified through audits
or monitoring; documentation is limited to: records from the
receiving school, an approved application for homeschooling or
distance education, evidence of a transfer that is recorded in the
state's data system, or a letter from an official in the receiving
school acknowledging the student's enrollment; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That the chief clerk forward an official copy of
this resolution to the commissioner of education.