Signed by Governor Greg Abbott

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to concur with senate amendments and pass a bill that establishes requirements for accelerated instruction for students who fail to pass state assessments.

Highlights:

• Specifies if a student who fails to perform satisfactorily on an assessment instrument fails in the subsequent school year to perform satisfactorily on an assessment instrument in the same subject, the superintendent of the district, or the superintendent's designee, will meet with the student's accelerated learning committee to (Sec. 2.f-4):

• Identify the reason the student did not perform satisfactorily; and

• Determine, in order to ensure the student performs satisfactorily on the assessment instrument at the next administration of the assessment instrument, whether:

• The educational plan developed for the student must be modified to provide the necessary accelerated instruction for that student; and

• Any additional resources are required for that student.

• Requires a school district in which the student attends school to provide to the student accelerated instruction in the applicable subject area each time a student fails to perform satisfactorily on an assessment instrument (Sec. 3.a).

• Authorizes a school district or open-enrollment charter school that receives grant funds under this law to use funds to (Sec. 4.e):

• Financially support or train or otherwise prepare educators and other staff;

• Pay for agreements with other entities to provide pre-kindergarten services; or

• Pay for accelerated instruction.

• Authorizes the commissioner to mandate a school district or open-enrollment charter school to comply with all requirements of the strong foundations grant program at a campus that (Sec. 8.a):

• Includes students at any grade level from prekindergarten through 5th grade;

• Is assigned an overall performance rating of D or F; and

• Is in the bottom 5 percent of campuses in the state based on student performance on the grade 3 reading assessment during the previous school year, as determined by the commissioner.

• Exempts a student who has demonstrated the performance standard for college readiness on the postsecondary readiness assessment instruments for Algebra II and English III from the requirements of this subchapter with respect to those content areas (Sec. 9.d).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to amend and pass a bill that establishes requirements for accelerated instruction for students who fail to pass state assessments.

Highlights:

• Specifies if a student who fails to perform satisfactorily on an assessment instrument fails in the subsequent school year to perform satisfactorily on an assessment instrument in the same subject, the superintendent of the district, or the superintendent's designee, will meet with the student's accelerated learning committee to (Sec. 2.f-4):

• Identify the reason the student did not perform satisfactorily; and

• Determine, in order to ensure the student performs satisfactorily on the assessment instrument at the next administration of the assessment instrument, whether:

• The educational plan developed for the student must be modified to provide the necessary accelerated instruction for that student; and

• Any additional resources are required for that student.

• Requires a school district in which the student attends school to provide to the student accelerated instruction in the applicable subject area each time a student fails to perform satisfactorily on an assessment instrument (Sec. 3.a).

• Authorizes a school district or open-enrollment charter school that receives grant funds under this law to use funds to (Sec. 4.e):

• Financially support or train or otherwise prepare educators and other staff;

• Pay for agreements with other entities to provide pre-kindergarten services; or

• Pay for accelerated instruction.

• Authorizes the commissioner to mandate a school district or open-enrollment charter school to comply with all requirements of the strong foundations grant program at a campus that (Sec. 8.a):

• Includes students at any grade level from prekindergarten through 5th grade;

• Is assigned an overall performance rating of D or F; and

• Is in the bottom 5 percent of campuses in the state based on student performance on the grade 3 reading assessment during the previous school year, as determined by the commissioner.

• Exempts a student who has demonstrated the performance standard for college readiness on the postsecondary readiness assessment instruments for Algebra II and English III from the requirements of this subchapter with respect to those content areas (Sec. 9.d).

Full Bill Text