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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, Texas is home to 1,035 school districts, each of |
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which is represented by a board of trustees that charts the |
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direction of educational programs and services, establishes |
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operating policies, and ensures the financial viability of the |
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district; although school boards are integral to the state's public |
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education system, they are not subject to accountability by the |
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Texas Education Agency; and |
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WHEREAS, The current accountability system for public |
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education in Texas holds students, teachers, schools, and districts |
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responsible for their performance; and |
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WHEREAS, Students must demonstrate academic ability on |
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standardized statewide tests and end-of-course assessments; |
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classroom teachers are held accountable for the collective |
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performance of their students through a system of appraisals and |
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incentives; and |
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WHEREAS, Individual campuses and districts are held |
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accountable for their overall school or district performance |
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through an accreditation system that rewards excellence and |
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provides interventions for those rated academically unacceptable; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Currently, there is no system in place for |
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evaluating the performance of school boards, those organizations |
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charged with the essential task of ensuring that each student, each |
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classroom teacher, each campus, and each district have the best |
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possible opportunity to succeed; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 82nd Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby request the Texas Education Agency to develop a rating |
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system for the performance of local school boards; and, be it |
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further |
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RESOLVED, That requirements for the rating system include the |
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following provisions: (1) each school board is to receive a rating |
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every two years; (2) the system is to include a measurement to |
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assess the allocation of personnel to low-performing schools; (3) |
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the system is to include a measurement to assess the allocation of |
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financial resources to low-performing schools; and (4) reports of |
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the ratings are to be made available to the Texas Legislature by |
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September of each even-numbered year; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the secretary of state forward an official |
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copy of this resolution to the commissioner of education of the |
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Texas Education Agency. |