| 1 | 1 | | 84R7740 KJE-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Burkett H.B. No. 2415 |
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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 open-enrollment charter schools that provide only |
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| 8 | 8 | | prekindergarten programs. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 12, Education Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended by adding Section 12.1015 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 12.1015. AUTHORIZATION FOR GRANT OF CHARTERS FOR |
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| 13 | 13 | | SCHOOLS PROVIDING ONLY PREKINDERGARTEN PROGRAMS. (a) The |
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| 14 | 14 | | commissioner may grant under Section 12.101 a charter on the |
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| 15 | 15 | | application of an eligible entity for an open-enrollment charter |
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| 16 | 16 | | school intended to provide only prekindergarten programs. |
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| 17 | 17 | | (b) A charter application for an open-enrollment charter |
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| 18 | 18 | | school described by Subsection (a) may not be denied, and the |
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| 19 | 19 | | charter of an open-enrollment charter school described by |
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| 20 | 20 | | Subsection (a) may not be revoked or denied renewal, on the basis |
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| 21 | 21 | | that the school does not provide instruction to students at any |
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| 22 | 22 | | grade level at which students are assessed under Subchapter B, |
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| 23 | 23 | | Chapter 39. |
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| 24 | 24 | | (c) The limit on the number of charters for open-enrollment |
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| 25 | 25 | | charter schools imposed by Section 12.101 does not apply to a |
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| 26 | 26 | | charter granted under this section. |
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| 27 | 27 | | (d) For purposes of the applicability of state and federal |
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| 28 | 28 | | law, an open-enrollment charter school described by Subsection (a) |
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| 29 | 29 | | is considered the same as any other school for which a charter is |
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| 30 | 30 | | granted under Section 12.101. |
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| 31 | 31 | | (e) The commissioner shall adopt rules as necessary to |
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| 32 | 32 | | administer this section. |
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| 33 | 33 | | SECTION 2. Section 12.118(b), Education Code, is amended to |
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| 34 | 34 | | read as follows: |
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| 35 | 35 | | (b) An evaluation under this section must include |
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| 36 | 36 | | consideration of the following items before implementing the |
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| 37 | 37 | | charter and after implementing the charter: |
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| 38 | 38 | | (1) if applicable, students' scores on assessment |
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| 39 | 39 | | instruments administered under Subchapter B, Chapter 39; |
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| 40 | 40 | | (2) student attendance; |
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| 41 | 41 | | (3) students' grades; |
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| 42 | 42 | | (4) incidents involving student discipline; |
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| 43 | 43 | | (5) socioeconomic data on students' families; |
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| 44 | 44 | | (6) parents' satisfaction with their children's |
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| 45 | 45 | | schools; and |
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| 46 | 46 | | (7) students' satisfaction with their schools. |
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| 47 | 47 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 48 | 48 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 49 | 49 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 50 | 50 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 51 | 51 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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