Texas 2017 - 85th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1211 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	85R5756 KKA-F
2	2	By: Taylor of Galveston S.B. No. 1211
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to designation of mathematics innovation zones by the
8	8	commissioner of education and to the establishment of pay for
9	9	success programs to provide necessary funding.
10	10	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	11	SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 28, Education Code, is
12	12	amended by adding Section 28.020 to read as follows:
13	13	Sec. 28.020. MATHEMATICS INNOVATION ZONES. (a) The
14	14	commissioner may:
15	15	(1) on application of a school district or
16	16	open-enrollment charter school, designate a campus of the district
17	17	or school as a mathematics innovation zone; and
18	18	(2) from funds appropriated or donated for purposes of
19	19	this section, award a grant to support implementation of innovative
20	20	mathematics instruction at the campus in accordance with this
21	21	section.
22	22	(b) A campus designated as a mathematics innovation zone
23	23	must:
24	24	(1) implement with fidelity an innovative mathematics
25	25	instructional program approved by the commissioner for purposes of
26	26	this section that addresses the essential knowledge and skills of
27	27	the mathematics curriculum required by Section 28.002;
28	28	(2) comply with objectives, metrics, and other
29	29	mathematics innovation zone requirements imposed by the
30	30	commissioner through rules adopted under Subsection (g); and
31	31	(3) provide all data relating to the mathematics
32	32	innovation zone requested by the agency.
33	33	(c) A campus designated as a mathematics innovation zone is
34	34	not subject to interventions under the state accountability system
35	35	described by Section 39.107(a) or (e) for the first two years of the
36	36	designation, provided that the campus implements the instructional
37	37	program with fidelity and complies with each mathematics innovation
38	38	zone requirement to the satisfaction of the commissioner. The
39	39	period that a campus is exempt from interventions as provided by
40	40	this subsection is not:
41	41	(1) included in calculating consecutive school years
42	42	under Section 39.107(a) or (e); or
43	43	(2) considered a break in consecutive school years of
44	44	unacceptable ratings for purposes of determining the need for
45	45	intervention under Section 39.107(a) or (e).
46	46	(d) The commissioner may revoke designation of a campus as a
47	47	mathematics innovation zone and suspend associated grant funding if
48	48	the commissioner determines that the campus has failed to implement
49	49	the instructional program with fidelity or comply with any
50	50	requirement imposed under this section.
51	51	(e) A school district or open-enrollment charter school may
52	52	use a pay for success program approved by the commissioner under
53	53	Section 44.904 to pay costs associated with designation of a campus
54	54	as a mathematics innovation zone.
55	55	(f) The commissioner may accept gifts, grants, or donations
56	56	from any public or private source for purposes of this section.
57	57	(g) The commissioner may adopt rules as necessary to
58	58	administer this section.
59	59	(h) A decision or determination by the commissioner under
60	60	this section is final and may not be appealed.
61	61	SECTION 2. Subchapter Z, Chapter 44, Education Code, is
62	62	amended by adding Section 44.904 to read as follows:
63	63	Sec. 44.904. PAY FOR SUCCESS PROGRAMS. (a) In this
64	64	section, "pay for success program" means a program involving
65	65	private financing under which payments are dependent on achievement
66	66	of measurable outcomes.
67	67	(b) The commissioner may:
68	68	(1) structure and approve pay for success programs for
69	69	use by a school district or open-enrollment charter school;
70	70	(2) evaluate and approve the following participants in
71	71	a pay for success program:
72	72	(A) a private investor;
73	73	(B) an education service provider; and
74	74	(C) a third-party evaluator; and
75	75	(3) require an approved participant to comply with the
76	76	objectives, metrics, and other pay for success program requirements
77	77	prescribed by the commissioner.
78	78	(c) In evaluating a potential participant under Subsection
79	79	(b)(2), the commissioner may:
80	80	(1) verify the availability and liquidity of the
81	81	investment funds of a private investor;
82	82	(2) evaluate the credentials and effectiveness of an
83	83	education service provider; and
84	84	(3) evaluate the credentials and independence of a
85	85	third-party evaluator.
86	86	(d) Notwithstanding any other law, a school district or
87	87	open-enrollment charter school that uses a pay for success program
88	88	approved by the commissioner is not subject to state procurement
89	89	requirements that would otherwise apply to the activity funded
90	90	through the program.
91	91	(e) The commissioner, the agency, and agency employees are
92	92	immune from liability for actions associated with the structuring,
93	93	approval, or implementation of a pay for success program.
94	94	(f) The commissioner may adopt rules as necessary to
95	95	implement this section.
96	96	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.