| 1 | 1 | | 88R1181 JES-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Hinojosa H.B. No. 1781 |
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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 evaluation under the state accountability system of |
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| 8 | 8 | | school district campuses that enroll certain students who receive |
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| 9 | 9 | | special education services. |
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| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 39, Education Code, is |
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| 12 | 12 | | amended by adding Section 39.0547 to read as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | Sec. 39.0547. EVALUATING SPECIALIZED SUPPORT CAMPUSES. (a) |
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| 14 | 14 | | In this section, "specialized support campus" means a school |
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| 15 | 15 | | district campus that: |
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| 16 | 16 | | (1) has a campus identification number; |
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| 17 | 17 | | (2) serves students enrolled in any grade level at |
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| 18 | 18 | | which state assessment instruments are administered; and |
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| 19 | 19 | | (3) has a student enrollment in which: |
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| 20 | 20 | | (A) at least 90 percent of students receive |
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| 21 | 21 | | special education services under Subchapter A, Chapter 29; and |
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| 22 | 22 | | (B) a significant percentage of the students |
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| 23 | 23 | | required to take an assessment instrument under Section 39.023: |
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| 24 | 24 | | (i) take an alternative assessment |
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| 25 | 25 | | instrument under Section 39.023(b) or (b-1); and |
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| 26 | 26 | | (ii) are unable to provide an authentic |
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| 27 | 27 | | academic response on that assessment instrument. |
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| 28 | 28 | | (b) The commissioner, in consultation with administrators |
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| 29 | 29 | | of specialized support campuses, teachers at specialized support |
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| 30 | 30 | | campuses, parents and guardians of students enrolled at specialized |
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| 31 | 31 | | support campuses, and other stakeholders, by rule shall establish |
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| 32 | 32 | | appropriate accountability guidelines under this chapter for use by |
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| 33 | 33 | | a specialized support campus in developing an alternative |
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| 34 | 34 | | accountability plan under Subsection (c) based on the specific |
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| 35 | 35 | | student population served by the campus. The commissioner shall |
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| 36 | 36 | | provide for public notice and comment in adopting rules under this |
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| 37 | 37 | | subsection. |
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| 38 | 38 | | (c) A specialized support campus may develop and submit to |
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| 39 | 39 | | the commissioner for approval an alternative accountability plan |
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| 40 | 40 | | tailored to the student population served by the campus, based on |
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| 41 | 41 | | the guidelines established under Subsection (b). The commissioner |
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| 42 | 42 | | may approve the alternative accountability plan only if the plan: |
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| 43 | 43 | | (1) follows the guidelines established under |
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| 44 | 44 | | Subsection (b); and |
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| 45 | 45 | | (2) complies with applicable federal law. |
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| 46 | 46 | | (d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this code, if the |
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| 47 | 47 | | commissioner approves an alternative accountability plan developed |
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| 48 | 48 | | by a specialized support campus under Subsection (c), the |
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| 49 | 49 | | commissioner shall determine, report, and consider the performance |
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| 50 | 50 | | of students enrolled at the campus using that plan. |
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| 51 | 51 | | (e) Not later than December 1, 2026, the commissioner shall |
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| 52 | 52 | | submit to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the |
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| 53 | 53 | | house of representatives, and the standing legislative committees |
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| 54 | 54 | | with primary jurisdiction over public education a report on the |
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| 55 | 55 | | effectiveness of this section in evaluating specialized support |
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| 56 | 56 | | campuses and any recommendations for legislative or other action. |
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| 57 | 57 | | (f) This section expires September 1, 2027. |
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| 58 | 58 | | SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2023-2024 |
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| 59 | 59 | | school year. |
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| 60 | 60 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 61 | 61 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 62 | 62 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 63 | 63 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 64 | 64 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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