| 1 | 1 | | 87R1453 JES-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Schwertner S.B. No. 473 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to the curriculum requirements for public high school |
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| 8 | 8 | | students. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Sections 28.025(b-1) and (b-9), Education Code, |
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| 11 | 11 | | are amended to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | (b-1) The State Board of Education by rule shall require |
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| 13 | 13 | | that the curriculum requirements for the foundation high school |
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| 14 | 14 | | program under Subsection (a) include a requirement that students |
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| 15 | 15 | | successfully complete: |
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| 16 | 16 | | (1) four credits in English language arts under |
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| 17 | 17 | | Section 28.002(a)(1)(A), including one credit in English I, one |
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| 18 | 18 | | credit in English II, one credit in English III, and one credit in |
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| 19 | 19 | | an advanced English course authorized under Subsection (b-2); |
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| 20 | 20 | | (2) three credits in mathematics under Section |
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| 21 | 21 | | 28.002(a)(1)(B), including one credit in Algebra I, one credit in |
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| 22 | 22 | | geometry, and one credit in any advanced mathematics course |
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| 23 | 23 | | authorized under Subsection (b-2); |
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| 24 | 24 | | (3) three credits in science under Section |
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| 25 | 25 | | 28.002(a)(1)(C), including one credit in biology, one credit in any |
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| 26 | 26 | | advanced science course authorized under Subsection (b-2), and one |
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| 27 | 27 | | credit in integrated physics and chemistry or in an additional |
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| 28 | 28 | | advanced science course authorized under Subsection (b-2); |
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| 29 | 29 | | (4) three credits in social studies under Section |
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| 30 | 30 | | 28.002(a)(1)(D), including one credit in United States history, at |
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| 31 | 31 | | least one-half credit in government and at least one-half credit in |
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| 32 | 32 | | economics, and one credit in world geography or world history; |
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| 33 | 33 | | (5) except as provided under Subsections (b-12), |
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| 34 | 34 | | (b-13), and (b-14), two credits in the same language in a language |
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| 35 | 35 | | other than English under Section 28.002(a)(2)(A); |
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| 36 | 36 | | (6) five elective credits; |
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| 37 | 37 | | (7) one credit in: |
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| 38 | 38 | | (A) fine arts under Section 28.002(a)(2)(D); or |
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| 39 | 39 | | (B) career and technology education under |
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| 40 | 40 | | Section 28.002(a)(2)(E); and |
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| 41 | 41 | | (8) except as provided by Subsection (b-11), one |
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| 42 | 42 | | credit in physical education under Section 28.002(a)(2)(C). |
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| 43 | 43 | | (b-9) A school district, with the approval of the |
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| 44 | 44 | | commissioner, may allow a student to satisfy the fine arts credit |
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| 45 | 45 | | [required] under Subsection (b-1)(7)(A) [(b-1)(7)] by |
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| 46 | 46 | | participating in a community-based fine arts program not provided |
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| 47 | 47 | | by the school district in which the student is enrolled. The fine |
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| 48 | 48 | | arts program must provide instruction in the essential knowledge |
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| 49 | 49 | | and skills identified for fine arts by the State Board of Education |
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| 50 | 50 | | under Section 28.002(c). The fine arts program may be provided on or |
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| 51 | 51 | | off a school campus and outside the regular school day. |
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| 52 | 52 | | SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2021-2022 |
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| 53 | 53 | | school year. |
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| 54 | 54 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 55 | 55 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 56 | 56 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 57 | 57 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 58 | 58 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |
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