85R11583 SRS-D
By: RodrÃguez S.B. No. 1657
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the use of individual graduation committees to satisfy
certain public high school graduation requirements for certain
individuals who are no longer enrolled in school.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 12.104, Education Code, is amended by
adding Subsection (b-3) to read as follows:
(b-3) An open-enrollment charter school is subject to the
requirement to establish an individual graduation committee under
Section 28.02581.
SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 28, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 28.02581 to read as follows:
Sec. 28.02581. HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA AWARDED ON BASIS OF
INDIVIDUAL GRADUATION COMMITTEE REVIEW FOR CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS WHO
ARE NO LONGER ENROLLED STUDENTS. (a) This section applies only to
an individual who:
(1) is no longer enrolled in high school;
(2) is under 26 years of age;
(3) successfully completed the curriculum
requirements for high school graduation applicable to the
individual during the period the individual was enrolled as a
student in high school; and
(4) for not more than two subjects, failed to comply
with any exit-level assessment instrument performance requirements
for assessment instruments administered under Section 39.023(c),
as that section existed before amendment by Chapter 1312 (S.B.
1031), Acts of the 80th Legislature, Regular Session, 2007, and
applicable to the individual during the period the individual was
enrolled as a student in high school.
(b) For each individual to whom this section applies, the
school district that the individual attended during the
individual's 12th grade year as a student, on request by the
individual, shall establish an individual graduation committee to
determine whether the individual may qualify to graduate as
provided by this section. The committee shall be composed of:
(1) the principal or principal's designee;
(2) for each exit-level assessment instrument on which
the individual failed to perform satisfactorily, a teacher in the
applicable subject area;
(3) the department chair or lead teacher supervising
the teacher described by Subdivision (2); and
(4) the individual for whom the committee is
established.
(c) The commissioner by rule shall establish a procedure for
appointing an alternative committee member if a person described by
Subsection (b)(1), (2), or (3) is unable to serve. The
superintendent of each school district shall establish procedures
for the convening of an individual graduation committee.
(d) The school district shall ensure a good faith effort is
made to timely notify the individual for whom the individual
graduation committee is established of the time and place for
convening the committee. The notice must be:
(1) provided in person or by regular mail or e-mail;
and
(2) clear and easy to understand.
(e) Notwithstanding any other law, an individual graduation
committee established under this section shall recommend
additional requirements by which the individual for whom the
committee is established may qualify to graduate, including:
(1) additional remediation; and
(2) for each exit-level assessment instrument on which
the individual failed to perform satisfactorily:
(A) the completion of a project related to the
subject area of the course that demonstrates proficiency in the
subject area; or
(B) the preparation of a portfolio of work
samples in the subject area of the course, including work samples
from the course that demonstrate proficiency in the subject area.
(f) For purposes of Subsection (e), the individual may
submit to the individual graduation committee coursework
previously completed to satisfy a recommended additional
requirement.
(g) In determining whether an individual for whom an
individual graduation committee is established is qualified to
graduate, the committee shall consider:
(1) any recommendation of the teacher of the
individual in a subject area for which the individual failed to
perform satisfactorily on an exit-level assessment instrument;
(2) the individual's grade in each course for which the
individual failed to perform satisfactorily on an exit-level
assessment instrument;
(3) the individual's score on each exit-level
assessment instrument on which the individual failed to perform
satisfactorily;
(4) the individual's performance on any additional
requirements recommended by the committee under Subsection (e);
(5) the number of hours of remediation that the
individual has attended, including attendance in and successful
completion of a transitional college course in reading or
mathematics;
(6) the individual's school attendance rate during the
period the individual was enrolled in high school;
(7) the individual's satisfaction of any of the Texas
Success Initiative (TSI) college readiness benchmarks prescribed
by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board;
(8) the individual's successful completion of a dual
credit course in English, mathematics, science, or social studies;
(9) the individual's successful completion of a high
school pre-advanced placement, advanced placement, or
international baccalaureate program course in English,
mathematics, science, or social studies;
(10) the individual's rating of advanced high on the
high school administration of the Texas English Language
Proficiency Assessment System;
(11) the individual's score of 50 or greater on a
College-Level Examination Program examination;
(12) the individual's score on the ACT, the SAT, or the
Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery test;
(13) the individual's completion of a sequence of high
school courses under a career and technical education program
required to attain an industry-recognized credential or
certificate;
(14) the individual's overall preparedness for
postsecondary success; and
(15) any other academic information designated for
consideration by the board of trustees of the school district.
(h) After considering the criteria under Subsection (g),
the individual graduation committee may determine that the
individual is qualified to graduate. Notwithstanding any other
law, an individual for whom an individual graduation committee is
established may graduate and receive a high school diploma on the
basis of the committee's decision only if the individual
successfully completes all additional requirements recommended by
the committee under Subsection (e) and the committee's vote is
unanimous. The commissioner by rule shall establish a timeline for
making a determination under this subsection. This subsection does
not create a property interest in graduation. The decision of a
committee is final and may not be appealed.
(i) The commissioner shall adopt rules as necessary to
implement this section.
SECTION 3. Section 39.025, Education Code, is amended by
adding Subsection (c-2) to read as follows:
(c-2) A school district may not administer an assessment
instrument required for graduation administered under this section
as this section existed before amendment by Chapter 1312, (S.B.
1031), Acts of the 80th Legislature, Regular Session, 2007.
Notwithstanding any other law, a school district may administer to
a student who is at least 21 years of age and under 26 years of age
and enrolled in high school to complete a high school diploma an
end-of-course assessment instrument listed in Section 39.023(c)
for any subject that was assessed in an assessment instrument
required for graduation that was administered under this section as
it existed before amendment by Chapter 1312, (S.B. 1031), Acts of
the 80th Legislature, Regular Session, 2007, and for which the
student failed to perform satisfactorily.
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2017.