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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the requirements for a school district improvement |
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plan. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 11.252, Education Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (a-1) to read as |
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follows: |
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(a) Each school district shall have a district improvement |
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plan that is developed, evaluated, and revised annually, in |
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accordance with district policy, by the superintendent with the |
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assistance of the district-level committee established under |
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Section 11.251. The purpose of the district improvement plan is to |
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guide district and campus staff in the improvement of student |
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performance for all student groups in order to attain state |
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standards in respect to the achievement indicators adopted under |
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Section 39.053(c). The district improvement plan must include |
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provisions for: |
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(1) a comprehensive needs assessment addressing: |
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(A) district student performance on the |
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achievement indicators, and other appropriate measures of |
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performance, that are disaggregated by all student groups served by |
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the district, including categories of ethnicity, socioeconomic |
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status, sex, and populations served by special programs, including |
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students in special education programs under Subchapter A, Chapter |
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29; and |
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(B) other appropriate measures of district |
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performance, including school climate as defined by Subsection |
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(a-1); |
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(2) measurable district performance objectives for |
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all appropriate achievement indicators for all student |
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populations, including students in special education programs |
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under Subchapter A, Chapter 29, and other measures of [student] |
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performance that may be identified through the comprehensive needs |
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assessment; |
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(3) strategies for improvement of student performance |
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that include: |
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(A) instructional methods for addressing the |
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needs of student groups not achieving their full potential; |
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(B) evidence-based practices that address the |
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needs of students for special programs, including: |
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(i) suicide prevention programs, in |
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accordance with Subchapter G, Chapter 38, which include a parental |
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or guardian notification procedure; |
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(ii) conflict resolution programs; |
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(iii) violence prevention programs; and |
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(iv) dyslexia treatment programs; |
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(C) dropout reduction; |
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(D) integration of technology in instructional |
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and administrative programs; |
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(E) positive behavior interventions and support, |
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including interventions and support that integrate best practices |
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on grief-informed and trauma-informed care; |
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(F) staff development for professional staff of |
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the district; |
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(G) career education to assist students in |
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developing the knowledge, skills, and competencies necessary for a |
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broad range of career opportunities; |
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(H) accelerated education; [and] |
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(I) implementation of a comprehensive school |
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counseling program under Section 33.005; and |
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(J) methods for promoting a safe and supportive |
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school climate as defined by Subsection (a-1); |
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(4) strategies for providing to elementary school, |
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middle school, junior high school, and high school students, those |
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students' teachers and school counselors, and those students' |
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parents information about: |
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(A) higher education admissions and financial |
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aid opportunities, including state financial aid opportunities |
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such as the TEXAS grant program and the Teach for Texas grant |
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program established under Chapter 56; |
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(B) the need for students to make informed |
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curriculum choices to be prepared for success beyond high school; |
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and |
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(C) sources of information on higher education |
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admissions and financial aid; |
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(5) resources needed to implement identified |
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strategies; |
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(6) staff responsible for ensuring the accomplishment |
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of each strategy; |
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(7) timelines for ongoing monitoring of the |
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implementation of each improvement strategy; |
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(8) formative evaluation criteria for determining |
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periodically whether strategies are resulting in intended |
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improvement of student performance; |
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(9) the policy under Section 38.0041 addressing sexual |
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abuse and other maltreatment of children; and |
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(10) the trauma-informed care policy required under |
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Section 38.036. |
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(a-1) For purposes of Subsection (a), "school climate" |
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means the quality and character of school life, including |
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interpersonal relationships, teaching and learning practices, and |
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organizational structures, as experienced by students enrolled in |
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the school district, parents of those students, and personnel |
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employed by the district. |
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SECTION 2. 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, 2021. |