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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to initiatives designed to improve performance of public |
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school students enrolled at the sixth, seventh, and eighth grade |
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levels. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 21.041, Education Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsections (e), (f), (f-1), and (f-2) to read as follows: |
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(e) In proposing rules under Subsection (b)(2), the board |
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shall ensure that a person seeking to teach a subject in the |
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foundation curriculum under Section 28.002(a)(1) above the fifth |
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grade level is required to hold a certificate that indicates the |
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person's mastery of the specific subject taught. To achieve this |
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result, the board: |
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(1) shall issue the following classes of certificates: |
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(A) English language arts: Early Childhood-Grade |
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6; |
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(B) English language arts: Grades 6-12; |
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(C) mathematics: Early Childhood-Grade 6; |
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(D) mathematics: Grades 6-12; |
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(E) science: Early Childhood-Grade 6; |
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(F) science: Grades 6-12; |
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(G) social studies: Early Childhood-Grade 6; and |
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(H) social studies: Grades 6-12; and |
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(2) may not issue a generalist certificate that |
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authorizes a person to teach a subject in the foundation curriculum |
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under Section 28.002(a)(1) above the fifth grade level. |
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(f) Subsection (e) applies to initial certificates issued |
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on or after September 1, 2012. Subsection (e) does not affect the |
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validity of a certificate issued before that date or the |
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eligibility of a person holding such a certificate for subsequent |
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renewals of the certificate in accordance with board rules. |
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(f-1) In implementing Subsection (e), the board shall |
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ensure that: |
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(1) the subject area examinations administered to |
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persons seeking Early Childhood-Grade 6 certificates under |
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Subsection (e)(1) in English language arts, mathematics, science, |
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or social studies are sufficiently rigorous to ensure that persons |
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receiving those certificates are prepared to instruct students at a |
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level that enables the students to meet desired student performance |
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standards; |
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(2) the subject area examinations administered to |
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persons seeking Grades 6-12 certificates under Subsection (e)(1) in |
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English language arts, mathematics, science, or social studies are |
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at least as rigorous as the examinations administered before |
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September 1, 2012, to persons seeking Grades 8-12 certificates to |
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teach in those subject areas; and |
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(3) the pedagogy examinations administered to persons |
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seeking certificates under Subsection (e)(1) are revised to ensure |
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rigor and relevance for each elementary, middle or junior high, and |
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high school examination and a person seeking such a certificate is |
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not permitted to take an Early Childhood-Grade 12 pedagogy |
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examination. |
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(f-2) Subsection (f-1) and this subsection expire September |
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1, 2013. |
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SECTION 2. Section 21.4551, Education Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (b-1) to read as follows: |
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(b-1) In addition to the components described by Subsection |
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(b), the commissioner shall ensure that each academy developed and |
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made available under this section includes a component on providing |
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students with writing instruction. |
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SECTION 3. Subchapter A, Chapter 28, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 28.015 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 28.015. HIGH SCHOOL READINESS PILOT PROGRAM. (a) The |
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agency shall develop and implement a high school readiness pilot |
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program under which: |
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(1) a participating school with students enrolled at |
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the sixth, seventh, and eighth grade levels shall enroll all |
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students at those levels in a student advisory class; and |
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(2) a participating high school shall provide annual |
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high school orientation sessions for parents of students who are |
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enrolled at the sixth, seventh, and eighth grade levels in the high |
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school's attendance zone. |
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(b) An application to participate in the program may be |
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submitted by an individual school or by a school district on behalf |
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of multiple schools located in the district. To be eligible to |
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participate in the component of the program described by Subsection |
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(a)(1), a school must: |
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(1) be a school for which the district in which the |
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school is located receives funding under Title I of the Elementary |
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and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. Section 6301 et seq.) |
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or be a school that, as determined by the commissioner, is a |
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low-performing school under Chapter 39 or has a high percentage of |
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students who are at risk of dropping out of school, as defined by |
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Section 29.081(d); and |
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(2) have students enrolled at the seventh and eighth |
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grade levels. |
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(c) The agency shall develop standards and guidelines for |
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the student advisory class. The standards and guidelines must: |
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(1) at a minimum, require that the class provide |
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instruction about: |
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(A) school culture; |
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(B) school procedures; |
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(C) test-taking skills; |
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(D) study skills; |
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(E) positive academic behaviors; |
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(F) civic and community responsibility; and |
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(G) high school and college readiness; |
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(2) permit the class to be offered as an electronic |
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course through the state virtual school network under Chapter 30A; |
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and |
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(3) provide that the class be taught, if practicable, |
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by an educator who does not instruct the enrolled students in other |
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course work. |
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(d) The agency shall develop standards and guidelines for |
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the high school orientation session. An orientation session must: |
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(1) prepare a parent for the transition to high school |
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of the parent's child; |
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(2) allow a parent to meet and interact with high |
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school teachers and administrators; |
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(3) provide a parent with information regarding: |
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(A) high school curriculum, including the |
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curriculum requirements for the minimum, recommended, and advanced |
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high school programs under Section 28.025; and |
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(B) high school options available to the parent's |
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child, including any high school magnet programs, academies, or |
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similar special programs available in the district; |
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(4) address the role of the parent in assisting the |
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parent's child in performing successfully in high school; and |
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(5) provide a parent with a written document that |
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addresses frequently asked questions from parents regarding the |
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transition to high school. |
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SECTION 4. Subchapter C, Chapter 29, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 29.100 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 29.100. EARLY IDENTIFICATION AND INTERVENTION; |
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ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM AND FINANCIAL SANCTIONS. (a) In this |
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section, "compensatory education funding" means amounts to which a |
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school district is entitled under Section 42.152. |
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(b) Each year a school with students enrolled at the sixth, |
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seventh, or eighth grade level shall identify the students at each |
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of those grade levels who are at risk of dropping out of school, as |
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defined by Section 29.081(d), or who are likely to become at risk of |
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dropping out of school, as determined in accordance with rules |
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adopted by the commissioner. |
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(c) Not later than July 1 of each year, a school with |
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students enrolled at a grade level from which students are promoted |
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to high school must provide each high school to which students at |
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the school are promoted with: |
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(1) the names of students entering the high school at |
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the beginning of the next school year that have been identified |
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under Subsection (b); and |
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(2) if applicable, the specific interventions used |
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with each student named under Subdivision (1). |
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(d) Each year a school with students enrolled at the sixth, |
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seventh, or eighth grade level shall determine and report to the |
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agency: |
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(1) the specific interventions that the school will |
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use to address the needs of students at risk of dropping out of |
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school, as defined by Section 29.081(d), who are enrolled at the |
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school at the sixth, seventh, or eighth grade level; |
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(2) the amount of compensatory education funding that |
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will be used to pay the costs of each intervention; and |
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(3) the total amount of compensatory education funding |
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that is allocated to the school by the school district. |
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(e) The commissioner shall develop an accountability system |
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to ensure that compensatory education funding used for the benefit |
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of students enrolled at the sixth, seventh, or eighth grade level |
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who are at risk of dropping out of school, as defined by Section |
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29.081(d), is efficiently spent on effective interventions. In |
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developing the system, the commissioner shall establish: |
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(1) academic progress standards for those students |
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designed to close the achievement gap between those students and |
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students not at risk; and |
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(2) financial sanctions to be imposed against a |
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district if students do not meet the standards established under |
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Subdivision (1). |
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(f) As a form of financial sanction described by Subsection |
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(e)(2), the commissioner shall withhold from a district's |
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compensatory education funding an amount determined by the |
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commissioner, not to exceed in any year an amount equal to 10 |
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percent of the district's total compensatory education funding |
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entitlement for that year attributable to students enrolled at the |
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sixth, seventh, or eighth grade level. |
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(g) The commissioner shall adopt rules necessary to |
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implement this section. |
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SECTION 5. Section 42.152, Education Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (t) to read as follows: |
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(t) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, |
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the commissioner shall withhold a portion of a district's allotment |
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provided under Subsection (a) as required by Section 29.100(f). |
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SECTION 6. The commissioner of education shall implement |
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Section 21.4551(b-1), Education Code, as added by this Act, |
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beginning with reading academies offered on or after January 1, |
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2012. |
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SECTION 7. The Texas Education Agency shall develop |
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standards and guidelines for the student advisory class and high |
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school orientation session in compliance with Section 28.015, |
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Education Code, as added by this Act, as soon as possible after the |
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effective date of this Act. The agency shall fully implement the |
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pilot program required by Section 28.015, Education Code, as added |
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by this Act, not later than the 2012-2013 school year. |
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SECTION 8. Sections 29.100 and 42.152(t), Education Code, |
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as added by this Act, apply beginning with the 2012-2013 school |
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year. |
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SECTION 9. Except as otherwise provided by this Act, this |
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Act applies beginning with the 2011-2012 school year. |
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SECTION 10. This Act takes effect immediately if it |
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receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each |
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house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. |
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If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate |
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effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |