bill adding school safety to school ratings

The text as introduced · 974 words

89R5607 BCH-D

By: Hughes
S.B. No. 900

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the inclusion of a school safety domain for evaluating

districts and campuses under the public school accountability

system.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Sections 39.053(a-1) and (c), Education Code,

are amended to read as follows:

(a-1) The indicators adopted by the commissioner under

Subsection (a) must measure and evaluate school districts and

campuses with respect to:

(1) improving student preparedness for success in:

(A) subsequent grade levels; and

(B) entering the workforce, the military, or

postsecondary education;

(2) reducing, with the goal of eliminating, student

academic achievement differentials among students from different

racial and ethnic groups and socioeconomic backgrounds; [ and ]

(3) providing a safe learning environment; and

(4) informing parents and the community regarding

campus and district performance.

(c) School districts and campuses must be evaluated based on

four [ three ] domains of indicators of achievement adopted under

this section that include:

(1) in the student achievement domain, indicators of

student achievement that must include:

(A) for evaluating the performance of districts

and campuses generally:

(i) an indicator that accounts for the

results of assessment instruments required under Sections

39.023(a), (c), and (l), as applicable for the district and campus,

including the results of assessment instruments required for

graduation retaken by a student, aggregated across grade levels by

subject area, including:

(a) for the performance standard

determined by the commissioner under Section 39.0241(a), the

percentage of students who performed satisfactorily on the

assessment instruments, aggregated across grade levels by subject

area; and

(b) for the college readiness

performance standard as determined under Section 39.0241, the

percentage of students who performed satisfactorily on the

assessment instruments, aggregated across grade levels by subject

area; and

(ii) an indicator that accounts for the

results of assessment instruments required under Section

39.023(b), as applicable for the district and campus, including the

percentage of students who performed satisfactorily on the

assessment instruments, as determined by the performance standard

adopted by the agency, aggregated across grade levels by subject

area; and

(B) for evaluating the performance of high school

campuses and districts that include high school campuses,

indicators that account for:

(i) students who satisfy the Texas Success

Initiative (TSI) college readiness benchmarks prescribed by the

Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board under Section 51.334 on

an assessment instrument in reading or mathematics designated by

the coordinating board under that section;

(ii) students who satisfy relevant

performance standards on advanced placement tests or similar

assessments;

(iii) students who earn dual course credits

in the dual credit courses;

(iv) students who enlist in the armed

forces of the United States or the Texas National Guard;

(v) students who earn industry

certifications;

(vi) students admitted into postsecondary

industry certification programs that require as a prerequisite for

entrance successful performance at the secondary level;

(vii) students whose successful completion

of a course or courses under Section 28.014 indicates the student's

preparation to enroll and succeed, without remediation, in an

entry-level general education course for a baccalaureate degree or

associate degree;

(viii) students who successfully met

standards on a composite of indicators that through research

indicates the student's preparation to enroll and succeed, without

remediation, in an entry-level general education course for a

baccalaureate degree or associate degree;

(ix) high school graduation rates, computed

in accordance with standards and definitions adopted in compliance

with the Every Student Succeeds Act (20 U.S.C. Section 6301 et seq.)

subject to the exclusions provided by Subsections (g), (g-1),

(g-2), (g-3), and (g-4);

(x) students who successfully completed an

OnRamps dual enrollment course;

(xi) students who successfully completed a

practicum or internship approved by the State Board of Education;

(xii) students who are awarded an associate

degree; and

(xiii) students who successfully completed

a program of study in career and technical education;

(2) in the school progress domain, indicators for

effectiveness in promoting student learning, which must include:

(A) for assessment instruments, including

assessment instruments under Subdivisions (1)(A)(i) and (ii), the

percentage of students who met the standard for improvement, as

determined by the commissioner; and

(B) for evaluating relative performance, the

performance of districts and campuses compared to similar districts

or campuses; [ and ]

(3) in the closing the gaps domain, the use of

disaggregated data to demonstrate the differentials among students

from different racial and ethnic groups, socioeconomic

backgrounds, and other factors, including:

(A) students formerly receiving special

education services;

(B) students continuously enrolled; and

(C) students who are mobile ; and

(4) in the school safety domain, indicators for

effectiveness in promoting a safe learning environment, including:

(A) the security of school facilities;

(B) training of faculty and staff to improve

school safety;

(C) instruction to students to improve school

safety; and

(D) the integration of local, state, and federal

resources into school safety programs .

SECTION 2. Section 39.301(d), Education Code, is amended to

read as follows:

(d) Performance on the indicators described by Sections

39.053(c)(1), (2), and (3) [ Section 39.053(c) ] and Subsections

(c)(3), (4), and (9) of this section must be based on longitudinal

student data that is disaggregated by the bilingual education or

special language program, if any, in which emergent bilingual

students, as defined by Section 29.052, are or former emergent

bilingual students were enrolled. If a student described by this

subsection is not or was not enrolled in specialized language

instruction, the number and percentage of those students shall be

provided.

SECTION 3. This Act applies beginning with the 2025-2026

school year.

SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives

a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as

provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this

Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this

Act takes effect September 1, 2025.