Texas 2017 - 85th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB2063 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	2017S0453-1 03/09/17
2	2	By: Kolkhorst S.B. No. 2063
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to eligibility for designation as and to accountability
8	8	for districts of innovation.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Section 12A.001, Education Code, is amended by
11	11	amending Subsections (a) and (b) and adding Subsection (d) to read
12	12	as follows:
13	13	(a) Subject to Subsections [Subsection] (b) and (d), a
14	14	school district may be designated as a district of innovation in
15	15	accordance with this chapter.
16	16	(b) A school district is eligible for designation as a
17	17	district of innovation only if the district's most recent
18	18	performance rating under Section 39.054 reflects at least
19	19	acceptable performance and the district satisfies the eligibility
20	20	standards established by the commissioner under Subsection (d).
21	21	(d) The commissioner shall establish objective eligibility
22	22	and performance standards in addition to those required under
23	23	Subsection (b), including academic performance standards and
24	24	financial accountability standards. The agency shall post the
25	25	eligibility standards established under this subsection on the
26	26	agency's Internet website.
27	27	SECTION 2. Section 12A.003(b), Education Code, is amended
28	28	to read as follows:
29	29	(b) A local innovation plan must:
30	30	(1) provide for a comprehensive educational program
31	31	for the district, which program may include:
32	32	(A) innovative curriculum, instructional
33	33	methods, and provisions regarding community participation, campus
34	34	governance, and parental involvement;
35	35	(B) modifications to the school day or year;
36	36	(C) provisions regarding the district budget and
37	37	sustainable program funding;
38	38	(D) accountability and assessment measures that
39	39	exceed the requirements of state and federal law; and
40	40	(E) any other innovations prescribed by the board
41	41	of trustees; [and]
42	42	(2) identify requirements imposed by this code that
43	43	inhibit the goals of the plan and from which the district should be
44	44	exempted on adoption of the plan, subject to Section 12A.004; and
45	45	(3) establish performance objectives for the district
46	46	under the plan.
47	47	SECTION 3. Sections 12A.005(a) and (c), Education Code, are
48	48	amended to read as follows:
49	49	(a) The board of trustees may not vote on adoption of a
50	50	proposed local innovation plan unless:
51	51	(1) the final version of the proposed plan has been
52	52	available on the district's Internet website for at least 30 days;
53	53	(2) the board of trustees has notified the
54	54	commissioner of the board's intention to vote on adoption of the
55	55	proposed plan; [and]
56	56	(3) the district-level committee established under
57	57	Section 11.251 has held a public meeting to consider the final
58	58	version of the proposed plan and has approved the plan by a majority
59	59	vote of the committee members, provided that the meeting required
60	60	by this subdivision may occur immediately before and on the same
61	61	date as the meeting at which the board intends to vote on adoption
62	62	of the proposed plan; and
63	63	(4) the commissioner has notified the board that the
64	64	district satisfies all eligibility standards adopted by the
65	65	commissioner.
66	66	(c) On adoption of a local innovation plan, the district:
67	67	(1) is designated as a district of innovation under
68	68	this chapter for the term specified in the plan, subject to Section
69	69	12A.006;
70	70	(2) shall begin operation in accordance with the plan;
71	71	[and]
72	72	(3) is exempt from state requirements identified under
73	73	Section 12A.003(b)(2); and
74	74	(4) shall notify the commissioner that the district
75	75	has adopted a local innovation plan.
76	76	SECTION 4. Sections 12A.008(a) and (c), Education Code, are
77	77	amended to read as follows:
78	78	(a) The commissioner may terminate a district's designation
79	79	as a district of innovation if the district [receives for two
80	80	consecutive school years]:
81	81	(1) receives an unacceptable academic performance
82	82	rating under Section 39.054;
83	83	(2) receives an unacceptable financial accountability
84	84	rating under Section 39.082; or
85	85	(3) for two of the preceding three school years, fails
86	86	to satisfy any eligibility standard established by the commissioner
87	87	under Section 12A.001 [an unacceptable academic performance rating
88	88	under Section 39.054 for one of the school years and an unacceptable
89	89	financial accountability rating under Section 39.082 for the other
90	90	school year].
91	91	(c) The commissioner shall terminate a district's
92	92	designation as a district of innovation if the district receives
93	93	for two of the preceding three [consecutive] school years:
94	94	(1) an unacceptable academic performance rating under
95	95	Section 39.054;
96	96	(2) an unacceptable financial accountability rating
97	97	under Section 39.082; or
98	98	(3) any combination of one or more unacceptable
99	99	ratings under Subdivision (1) and one or more unacceptable ratings
100	100	under Subdivision (2).
101	101	SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
102	102	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
103	103	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
104	104	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
105	105	Act takes effect September 1, 2017.