Texas 2021 - 87th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1702 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	87R11349 CXP-F
2	2	By: Blanco S.B. No. 1702
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to course requirements for public high school students and
8	8	a requirement to collect and report information regarding
9	9	endorsements earned by public school students.
10	10	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	11	SECTION 1. Section 28.002(c), Education Code, is amended to
12	12	read as follows:
13	13	(c) The State Board of Education, with the direct
14	14	participation of educators, parents, business and industry
15	15	representatives, and employers shall by rule identify the essential
16	16	knowledge and skills of each subject of the required curriculum
17	17	that all students should be able to demonstrate and that will be
18	18	used in evaluating instructional materials under Chapter 31 and
19	19	addressed on the assessment instruments required under Subchapter
20	20	B, Chapter 39. As a condition of accreditation, the board shall
21	21	require each district to provide instruction in the essential
22	22	knowledge and skills at appropriate grade levels and to require
23	23	[make available to] each high school student in the district to
24	24	complete an Algebra II course.
25	25	SECTION 2. Sections 28.025(b), (b-1), and (b-2), Education
26	26	Code, are amended to read as follows:
27	27	(b) A school district shall ensure that each student, on
28	28	entering ninth grade, indicates in writing an endorsement under
29	29	Subsection (c-1) that the student intends to earn. A district shall
30	30	permit a student to choose, at any time, to earn an endorsement
31	31	other than the endorsement the student previously indicated. A
32	32	student may graduate under the foundation high school program
33	33	without earning an endorsement if, after the student's sophomore
34	34	year:
35	35	(1) the student and the student's parent or person
36	36	standing in parental relation to the student are advised by a school
37	37	counselor of the specific benefits of graduating from high school
38	38	with one or more endorsements and are provided the information
39	39	regarding those endorsements collected under Section 28.02561; and
40	40	(2) the student's parent or person standing in
41	41	parental relation to the student files with a school counselor
42	42	written permission, on a form adopted by the agency, allowing the
43	43	student to graduate under the foundation high school program
44	44	without earning an endorsement.
45	45	(b-1) The State Board of Education by rule shall require
46	46	that the curriculum requirements for the foundation high school
47	47	program under Subsection (a) include a requirement that students
48	48	successfully complete:
49	49	(1) four credits in English language arts under
50	50	Section 28.002(a)(1)(A), including one credit in English I, one
51	51	credit in English II, one credit in English III, and one credit in
52	52	an advanced English course authorized under Subsection (b-2);
53	53	(2) three credits in mathematics under Section
54	54	28.002(a)(1)(B), including one credit in Algebra I, one credit in
55	55	geometry, and one credit in Algebra II [any advanced mathematics
56	56	course authorized under Subsection (b-2)];
57	57	(3) three credits in science under Section
58	58	28.002(a)(1)(C), including one credit in biology, one credit in any
59	59	advanced science course authorized under Subsection (b-2), and one
60	60	credit in integrated physics and chemistry or in an additional
61	61	advanced science course authorized under Subsection (b-2);
62	62	(4) three credits in social studies under Section
63	63	28.002(a)(1)(D), including one credit in United States history, at
64	64	least one-half credit in government and at least one-half credit in
65	65	economics, and one credit in world geography or world history;
66	66	(5) except as provided under Subsections (b-12),
67	67	(b-13), and (b-14), two credits in the same language in a language
68	68	other than English under Section 28.002(a)(2)(A);
69	69	(6) five elective credits;
70	70	(7) one credit in fine arts under Section
71	71	28.002(a)(2)(D); and
72	72	(8) except as provided by Subsection (b-11), one
73	73	credit in physical education under Section 28.002(a)(2)(C).
74	74	(b-2) In adopting rules under Subsection (b-1), the State
75	75	Board of Education shall:
76	76	(1) provide for a student to comply with the
77	77	curriculum requirements for an advanced English course under
78	78	Subsection (b-1)(1), for an advanced mathematics course under
79	79	Subsection (b-1)(2), and for any advanced science course under
80	80	Subsection (b-1)(3) by successfully completing a course in the
81	81	appropriate content area that has been approved as an advanced
82	82	course by board rule or that is offered as an advanced course for
83	83	credit without board approval as provided by Section 28.002(g-1);
84	84	and
85	85	(2) allow a student to comply with the curriculum
86	86	requirements for the [third and fourth mathematics credits under
87	87	Subsection (b-1)(2) or the] third and fourth science credits under
88	88	Subsection (b-1)(3) by successfully completing an advanced career
89	89	and technical course designated by the State Board of Education as
90	90	containing substantively similar and rigorous academic content.
91	91	SECTION 3. Subchapter B, Chapter 28, Education Code, is
92	92	amended by adding Section 28.02561 to read as follows:
93	93	Sec. 28.02561. COLLECTION OF INFORMATION REGARDING
94	94	ENDORSEMENTS. (a) The agency shall require each school district
95	95	to collect and submit to the agency the following information
96	96	regarding district graduates who earned an endorsement under
97	97	Section 28.025(c-1):
98	98	(1) the endorsement earned under that section;
99	99	(2) whether the graduate enrolled in postsecondary
100	100	education;
101	101	(3) the graduate's college major or workforce
102	102	certificate or credential; and
103	103	(4) the graduate's employment status.
104	104	(b) The information collected under Subsection (a) shall be
105	105	disaggregated by endorsement category and provided to a student and
106	106	the student's parent or person standing in parental relation to the
107	107	student under Subsection 28.025(b).
108	108	SECTION 4. (a) Section 28.025(b-1), Education Code, as
109	109	amended by this Act, applies only to students entering the ninth
110	110	grade during the 2021-2022 school year or a later school year. For
111	111	students entering a grade above ninth grade during the 2021-2022
112	112	school year, Section 28.025(b-1), Education Code, as that section
113	113	existed before amendment by this Act, applies, and that section is
114	114	continued in effect for that purpose.
115	115	(b) Section 28.025(b), Education Code, as amended by this
116	116	Act, applies only to students entering the ninth grade during the
117	117	2022-2023 school year or a later school year. For students entering
118	118	a grade above ninth grade during the 2022-2023 school year, Section
119	119	28.025(b), Education Code, as that section existed before amendment
120	120	by this Act, applies, and that section is continued in effect for
121	121	that purpose.
122	122	SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
123	123	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
124	124	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
125	125	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
126	126	Act takes effect September 1, 2021.