Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB2051 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	84R14300 PAM-F
2	2	By: Bettencourt S.B. No. 2051
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the study of public education performance.
8	8	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
9	9	SECTION 1. Subtitle B, Title 2, Education Code, is amended
10	10	by adding Chapter 9 to read as follows:
11	11	CHAPTER 9. CENTER FOR PERFORMANCE INFORMATION FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION
12	12	Sec. 9.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
13	13	(1) "Board" means the Center for Performance
14	14	Information for Public Education Board.
15	15	(2) "Center" means the Center for Performance
16	16	Information for Public Education.
17	17	Sec. 9.002. CENTER FOR PERFORMANCE INFORMATION FOR PUBLIC
18	18	EDUCATION. (a) The Center for Performance Information for Public
19	19	Education is created as an independent policy center.
20	20	(b) The center shall represent business, finance, public
21	21	policy, education, and other interests considered appropriate by
22	22	the center.
23	23	(c) In performing the duties provided by this chapter, the
24	24	center shall:
25	25	(1) work directly with the governor, lieutenant
26	26	governor, speaker of the house of representatives, and members of
27	27	the legislature; and
28	28	(2) work with the agency and other state agencies,
29	29	regional education service centers, school districts, and
30	30	open-enrollment charter schools.
31	31	Sec. 9.003. CENTER DUTIES. (a) The center shall promote
32	32	the use of successful methods to increase performance at the school
33	33	district and campus levels.
34	34	(b) The center shall evaluate and rank the performance of
35	35	each school district, campus, and open-enrollment charter school
36	36	and provide a progress report and recommendations each year to:
37	37	(1) the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the
38	38	house of representatives, Legislative Budget Board, commissioner,
39	39	and State Board of Education; and
40	40	(2) districts, campuses, and open-enrollment charter
41	41	schools.
42	42	(c) The center may assist the legislature with policy
43	43	studies related to the center's duties. The center may participate
44	44	in collaborative studies with a foundation or organization inside
45	45	or outside this state related to the center's duties.
46	46	(d) The center shall seek information, data, and best
47	47	practices from state, regional, and national sources to use in
48	48	performing the center's duties provided by this chapter.
49	49	(e) The center may contract with independent experts,
50	50	academic scholars, and other appropriate professionals in
51	51	performing the center's duties provided by this chapter.
52	52	Sec. 9.004. BOARD. (a) The Center for Performance
53	53	Information for Public Education Board is created as the primary
54	54	policy-making body of the center.
55	55	(b) The board is composed of three members. The governor,
56	56	lieutenant governor, and speaker of the house of representatives
57	57	shall each appoint one member. The board members appointed under
58	58	this section must include individuals in the private sector who
59	59	have an interest in improving performance in public education and
60	60	significant experience in organizational management, finance, or
61	61	business. A board member may not:
62	62	(1) be a member of the board of trustees or an employee
63	63	of a school district or a member of the governing body or an
64	64	employee of or a charter holder of a charter for an open-enrollment
65	65	charter school; or
66	66	(2) have a financial relationship with a vendor or
67	67	contractor who provides goods or services to any part of the public
68	68	education system of this state.
69	69	(c) Board members serve four-year terms.
70	70	(d) Board members shall annually elect one member as the
71	71	presiding officer.
72	72	(e) A board member may not receive a salary for services as a
73	73	board member but shall be reimbursed for expenses incurred in
74	74	attending board meetings.
75	75	Sec. 9.005. BOARD DUTIES. (a) The board shall study the
76	76	elements of an effective and efficient system of public free
77	77	schools and make recommendations to:
78	78	(1) improve the performance of the public education
79	79	system to meet the demands of the current century;
80	80	(2) improve the state's ability to compete
81	81	educationally and economically with other states and countries; and
82	82	(3) provide the public with information on public
83	83	education performance.
84	84	(b) The board shall provide a report of the board's study
85	85	and recommendations under Subsection (a) to:
86	86	(1) the Legislative Budget Board at least once each
87	87	year; and
88	88	(2) the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the
89	89	house of representatives, legislature, commissioner, and State
90	90	Board of Education before the convening of each regular legislative
91	91	session.
92	92	Sec. 9.006. SUPPORT FOR PERFORMANCE OF DUTIES. (a) State
93	93	agencies, regional education service centers, school districts,
94	94	and open-enrollment charter schools shall fully cooperate with and
95	95	assist the center at the board's request.
96	96	(b) Data and information necessary to perform the center's
97	97	duties under this chapter shall be provided at the board's request
98	98	in a timely manner and at minimal cost. The board and center shall
99	99	require confidentiality and other security measures for student
100	100	data and information consistent with the Family Educational Rights
101	101	and Privacy Act of 1974 (20 U.S.C. Section 1232g).
102	102	Sec. 9.007. FUNDING. The center may be funded by donations,
103	103	grants, and legislative appropriations.
104	104	SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
105	105	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
106	106	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
107	107	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
108	108	Act takes effect September 1, 2015.