Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas House Bill HB2209 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	84R10032 KKA-F
2	2	By: VanDeaver H.B. No. 2209
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the Texas High Performance Schools Consortium.
8	8	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
9	9	SECTION 1. Sections 7.0561(b), (c), (d), and (j), Education
10	10	Code, are amended to read as follows:
11	11	(b) The Texas High Performance Schools Consortium is
12	12	established to inform the governor, legislature, State Board of
13	13	Education, and commissioner concerning methods for transforming
14	14	public schools in this state by improving student learning through
15	15	the development of innovative, next-generation learning standards
16	16	and assessment and accountability systems.
17	17	(c) From among school districts and eligible
18	18	open-enrollment charter schools that apply using the form and in
19	19	the time and manner established by commissioner rule, the
20	20	commissioner may select not more than 30 [20] participants for the
21	21	consortium. The districts selected by the commissioner must
22	22	represent a range of district types, sizes, and diverse student
23	23	populations, as determined by the commissioner in accordance with
24	24	commissioner rule. To be eligible to participate in the
25	25	consortium, an open-enrollment charter school must have been
26	26	awarded a [an exemplary] distinction designation under Subchapter
27	27	G, Chapter 39, during the preceding school year.
28	28	(d) The number of students enrolled in consortium
29	29	participants may not be greater than a number equal to 10 [five]
30	30	percent of the total number of students enrolled in public schools
31	31	in this state according to the most recent agency data.
32	32	(j) The [With the assistance of the] school districts and
33	33	open-enrollment charter schools participating in the consortium[,
34	34	the commissioner] shall submit reports concerning the performance
35	35	and progress of the consortium to the governor, [and] the
36	36	legislature, the State Board of Education, and the commissioner not
37	37	later than December 1 of each even-numbered year [, 2012, and not
38	38	later than December 1, 2014]. [The report submitted not later than
39	39	December 1, 2012, must include any recommendation by the
40	40	commissioner concerning legislative authorization for the
41	41	commissioner to waive a prohibition, requirement, or restriction
42	42	that applies to a consortium participant. That report must also
43	43	include a plan for an effective and efficient accountability system
44	44	for consortium participants that balances academic excellence and
45	45	local values to inspire learning and, at the state level,
46	46	contingent on any necessary waiver of federal law, may incorporate
47	47	use of a stratified random sampling of students or other objective
48	48	methodology to hold consortium participants accountable while
49	49	attempting to reduce the number of state assessment instruments
50	50	that are required to be administered to students. The commissioner
51	51	shall seek a federal waiver, to any extent necessary, to prepare for
52	52	implementation of the plan if enacted by the legislature. This
53	53	subsection expires January 1, 2018.]
54	54	SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
55	55	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
56	56	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
57	57	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
58	58	Act takes effect September 1, 2015.