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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to dropout rates in public schools. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Sections 39.051(d) and (e), Education Code, are |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(d) Annually, the commissioner shall define exemplary, |
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recognized, and unacceptable performance for each academic |
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excellence indicator included under Subsections (b)(1) through (7) |
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and shall project the standards for each of those levels of |
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performance for succeeding years. For the indicator under |
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Subsection (b)(8), the commissioner shall define exemplary, |
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recognized, and unacceptable performance based on student |
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performance for the period covering both the current and preceding |
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academic years. In defining exemplary, recognized, and |
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unacceptable performance for the indicators under Subsections |
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(b)(2) and (4), the commissioner: |
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(1) shall define a student who has obtained a high |
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school equivalency certificate or who is attending a course of |
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instruction to prepare for the high school equivalency examination |
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as a dropout; and |
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(2) may not consider as a dropout or as a student who |
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has failed to attend school a student whose failure to attend school |
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results from[:
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[(1)the student's expulsion under Section 37.007; and
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[(2)as applicable:
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[(A) adjudication as having engaged in
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delinquent conduct or conduct indicating a need for supervision, as
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defined by Section 51.03, Family Code; or
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[(B)] conviction of and sentencing for an offense |
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under the Penal Code. |
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(e) Each school district shall cooperate with the agency in |
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determining whether a student is considered a dropout under this |
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section. The agency shall require that a school district provide at |
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least the following documentation regarding a student who dies or |
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who leaves school but is not considered a dropout under this |
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section: |
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(1) for a student who dies, a death certificate; |
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(2) for a student who transfers to another school in |
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this country: |
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(A) a statement signed by the student's parent or |
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guardian confirming that the student has enrolled or will enroll |
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promptly in another school; and |
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(B) a transcript or other written evidence of |
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enrollment from the other school in which the student enrolled; |
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(3) for a student who leaves school to reside in |
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another country, a statement signed by the student's parent or |
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guardian confirming that the student will reside in the other |
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country; and |
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(4) for a student who leaves school to attend a home |
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school, a statement signed by the student's parent or guardian |
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confirming that the student is being educated at home in accordance |
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with applicable law. |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter C, Chapter 39, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 39.0511 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 39.0511. FOUR-YEAR ADJUSTED COHORT HIGH SCHOOL |
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GRADUATION RATE FORMULA. (a) In this section, "high school |
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diploma" does not include a high school equivalency certificate |
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(GED) or a certificate of coursework completion issued under |
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Section 28.025. |
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(b) For purposes of Section 39.051, the high school |
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graduation rate is computed by applying the four-year adjusted |
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cohort formula as follows: |
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Graduation rate = G/(A + B - C) |
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where: |
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"G" is the number of students in a school year who graduate |
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with a high school diploma not later than the conclusion of the |
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fourth year of enrollment in high school, including any enrollment |
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period available to senior students during the summer following the |
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fourth regular school year; |
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"A" is the number of students who entered the ninth grade at |
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the beginning of the first year of the four-year enrollment period |
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described in "G"; |
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"B" is the number of students who subsequently enroll at the |
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same grade level as the students described by "A"; and |
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"C" is the number of students in the group of students |
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described by "A" and "B" who die or transfer to another school, |
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school district, or educational program that grants a high school |
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diploma, provided that each student's death or actual enrollment in |
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the subsequent school, school district, or educational program is |
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documented in accordance with Section 39.051(e). |
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SECTION 3. Section 39.053(a), Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) Each board of trustees shall publish an annual report |
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describing the educational performance of the district and of each |
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campus in the district that includes uniform student performance |
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and descriptive information as determined under rules adopted by |
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the commissioner. The annual report must also include: |
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(1) campus performance objectives established under |
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Section 11.253 and the progress of each campus toward those |
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objectives, which shall be available to the public; |
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(2) the performance rating for the district as |
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provided under Section 39.072(a) and the performance rating of each |
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campus in the district as provided under Section 39.072(c); |
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(3) the district's current special education |
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compliance status with the agency; |
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(4) a statement of the number, rate, and type of |
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violent or criminal incidents that occurred on each district |
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campus, to the extent permitted under the Family Educational Rights |
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and Privacy Act of 1974 (20 U.S.C. Section 1232g); |
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(5) information concerning school violence prevention |
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and violence intervention policies and procedures that the district |
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is using to protect students; [and] |
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(6) the findings that result from evaluations |
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conducted under the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act |
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of 1994 (20 U.S.C. Section 7101 et seq.) and its subsequent |
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amendments; [and] |
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(7) information received under Section 51.403(e) for |
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each high school campus in the district, presented in a form |
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determined by the commissioner; and |
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(8) dropout rates for each high school in the |
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district. |
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SECTION 4. Section 39.055, Education Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (b) to read as follows: |
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(b) The electronic audit system required by Subsection (a) |
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must have the capacity to identify irregularities in a district's |
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dropout records, including irregularities based on an excessive |
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number of students identified by the district as leaving school for |
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a specified reason. Notwithstanding any other provision of this |
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section, the agency shall conduct on-site monitoring of a school |
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district's dropout records if the electronic auditing system |
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identifies an irregularity under this subsection. |
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SECTION 5. This Act applies beginning with the 2007-2008 |
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school year. |
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SECTION 6. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |