Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas House Bill HB2444 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	84R10686 PAM-F
2	2	By: Huberty H.B. No. 2444
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to alternative methods for satisfying certain public high
8	8	school graduation requirements, including the use of individual
9	9	graduation committees.
10	10	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	11	SECTION 1. Section 12.104, Education Code, is amended by
12	12	adding Subsection (b-2) to read as follows:
13	13	(b-2) An open-enrollment charter school is subject to the
14	14	requirement to establish an individual graduation committee under
15	15	Section 28.0258. This subsection expires September 1, 2017.
16	16	SECTION 2. Section 28.025, Education Code, is amended by
17	17	adding Subsection (c-6) to read as follows:
18	18	(c-6) Notwithstanding Subsection (c), a person may receive
19	19	a diploma if the person is eligible for a diploma under Section
20	20	28.0258. This subsection expires September 1, 2017.
21	21	SECTION 3. Subchapter B, Chapter 28, Education Code, is
22	22	amended by adding Section 28.0258 to read as follows:
23	23	Sec. 28.0258. HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA AWARDED ON BASIS OF
24	24	INDIVIDUAL GRADUATION COMMITTEE REVIEW. (a) This section applies
25	25	only to an 11th or 12th grade student who has failed to comply with
26	26	the end-of-course assessment instrument performance requirements
27	27	under Section 39.025 in not more than two subjects.
28	28	(b) For each student to whom this section applies, the
29	29	school district that the student attends shall establish an
30	30	individual graduation committee at the end of or after the
31	31	student's 11th grade year to determine whether the student may
32	32	qualify to graduate as provided by this section. A student may not
33	33	qualify to graduate under this section before the student's 12th
34	34	grade year. The committee shall be composed of:
35	35	(1) the principal or principal's designee;
36	36	(2) for each end-of-course assessment instrument on
37	37	which the student failed to perform satisfactorily, the teacher of
38	38	the course;
39	39	(3) the student's school counselor; and
40	40	(4) as applicable:
41	41	(A) the student's parent or person standing in
42	42	parental relation to the student;
43	43	(B) a designated advocate described by
44	44	Subsection (c) if the person described by Paragraph (A) is unable to
45	45	serve; or
46	46	(C) the student, at the student's option, if the
47	47	student is at least 18 years of age or is an emancipated minor.
48	48	(c) The commissioner by rule shall establish a procedure for
49	49	appointing an alternative committee member if a person described by
50	50	Subsection (b) is unable to serve, including appointing a
51	51	designated advocate for the student if the student's parent or
52	52	person standing in parental relation to the student is unable to
53	53	serve. The superintendent of each school district shall establish
54	54	procedures for the convening of an individual graduation committee.
55	55	(c-1) Notwithstanding Subsection (c), for the 2014-2015
56	56	school year, the school district that the student attends shall
57	57	establish procedures for appointing alternative committee members
58	58	as provided by Subsection (c). This subsection expires September
59	59	1, 2015.
60	60	(d) The school district shall notify the appropriate person
61	61	described under Subsection (b)(4) of the time and place for
62	62	convening the individual graduation committee and the purpose of
63	63	the committee. The notice must be:
64	64	(1) provided in person or by regular mail or e-mail;
65	65	(2) clear and easy to understand; and
66	66	(3) written in English, in Spanish, or, to the extent
67	67	practicable, in the native language of the appropriate person
68	68	described by Subsection (b)(4).
69	69	(e) To be eligible to graduate and receive a high school
70	70	diploma under this section, a student must successfully complete
71	71	the curriculum requirements identified by the State Board of
72	72	Education under Section 28.025(a).
73	73	(f) Notwithstanding any other law, a student's individual
74	74	graduation committee established under this section shall
75	75	recommend additional requirements by which the student may qualify
76	76	to graduate, including:
77	77	(1) additional remediation; and
78	78	(2) for each end-of-course assessment instrument on
79	79	which the student failed to perform satisfactorily:
80	80	(A) the completion of a project related to the
81	81	subject area of the course that demonstrates proficiency in the
82	82	subject area; or
83	83	(B) the preparation of a portfolio of work
84	84	samples in the subject area of the course, including work samples
85	85	from the course that demonstrate proficiency in the subject area.
86	86	(g) For purposes of Subsection (f), a student may submit to
87	87	the individual graduation committee coursework previously
88	88	completed to satisfy a recommended additional requirement.
89	89	(h) In determining whether a student for whom an individual
90	90	graduation committee is established is qualified to graduate, the
91	91	committee shall consider:
92	92	(1) the recommendation of the student's teacher in
93	93	each course for which the student failed to perform satisfactorily
94	94	on an end-of-course assessment instrument;
95	95	(2) the student's grade in each course for which the
96	96	student failed to perform satisfactorily on an end-of-course
97	97	assessment instrument;
98	98	(3) the student's score on each end-of-course
99	99	assessment instrument on which the student failed to perform
100	100	satisfactorily;
101	101	(4) the student's performance on any additional
102	102	requirements recommended by the committee under Subsection (f);
103	103	(5) the number of hours of remediation that the
104	104	student has attended, including:
105	105	(A) attendance in a college preparatory course
106	106	required under Section 39.025(b-2), if applicable; or
107	107	(B) attendance in and successful completion of a
108	108	transitional college course in reading or mathematics;
109	109	(6) the student's school attendance rate;
110	110	(7) the student's satisfaction of any of the Texas
111	111	Success Initiative (TSI) college readiness benchmarks prescribed
112	112	by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board;
113	113	(8) the student's successful completion of a dual
114	114	credit course in English, mathematics, science, or social studies;
115	115	(9) the student's successful completion of a high
116	116	school pre-advanced placement, advanced placement, or
117	117	international baccalaureate program course in English,
118	118	mathematics, science, or social studies;
119	119	(10) the student's rating of advanced high on the most
120	120	recent high school administration of the Texas English Language
121	121	Proficiency Assessment System;
122	122	(11) the student's score of 50 or greater on a
123	123	College-Level Examination Program examination;
124	124	(12) the student's score on the ACT, the SAT, or the
125	125	Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery test;
126	126	(13) the student's completion of a sequence of courses
127	127	under a career and technical education program required to attain
128	128	an industry-recognized credential or certificate;
129	129	(14) the student's overall preparedness for
130	130	postsecondary success; and
131	131	(15) any other academic information designated for
132	132	consideration by the board of trustees of the school district.
133	133	(i) After considering the criteria under Subsection (h),
134	134	the individual graduation committee may determine that the student
135	135	is qualified to graduate. Notwithstanding any other law, a student
136	136	for whom an individual graduation committee is established may
137	137	graduate and receive a high school diploma on the basis of the
138	138	committee's decision only if the student successfully completes all
139	139	additional requirements recommended by the committee under
140	140	Subsection (f), the student meets the requirements of Subsection
141	141	(e), and the committee's vote is unanimous. The commissioner by
142	142	rule shall establish a timeline for making a determination under
143	143	this subsection. This subsection does not create a property
144	144	interest in graduation. The decision of a committee is final and
145	145	may not be appealed.
146	146	(i-1) Notwithstanding Subsection (i), for the 2014-2015
147	147	school year, the school district that the student attends shall
148	148	establish a timeline for making a determination under Subsection
149	149	(i). This subsection expires September 1, 2015.
150	150	(j) The commissioner shall adopt rules as necessary to
151	151	implement this section not later than the 2015-2016 school year.
152	152	(k) This section expires September 1, 2017.
153	153	SECTION 4. Section 39.025, Education Code, is amended by
154	154	adding Subsections (a-2) and (a-3) to read as follows:
155	155	(a-2) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), a student who has
156	156	failed to perform satisfactorily on end-of-course assessment
157	157	instruments in the manner provided under this section may receive a
158	158	high school diploma if the student has qualified for graduation
159	159	under Section 28.0258. This subsection expires September 1, 2017.
160	160	(a-3) A student who, after retaking an end-of-course
161	161	assessment instrument for Algebra I or English II, has failed to
162	162	perform satisfactorily as required by Subsection (a), but who
163	163	receives a score of proficient on the Texas Success Initiative
164	164	(TSI) diagnostic assessment for the corresponding subject for which
165	165	the student failed to perform satisfactorily on the end-of-course
166	166	assessment instrument satisfies the requirement concerning the
167	167	Algebra I or English II end-of-course assessment, as applicable.
168	168	This subsection expires September 1, 2017.
169	169	SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
170	170	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
171	171	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
172	172	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
173	173	Act takes effect September 1, 2015.