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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to measures to ensure public school transparency and |
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accountability, including school district board of trustees |
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meeting requirements, posting of certain information on a public |
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school's Internet website, the creation of a grievance portal, and |
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the inclusion of a transparency and accountability domain in the |
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public school accountability system. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 11.0621, Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 11.0621. MEETINGS. (a) The minutes, certified |
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agenda, or recording, as applicable, of a regular or special |
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meeting of the board of trustees must reflect each member's |
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attendance at or absence from the meeting. The minutes or tape |
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recording of an open meeting must be accessible to the public in |
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accordance with Section 551.022, Government Code. |
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(b) The board of trustees of a school district shall: |
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(1) conduct all business of the board in a public and |
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open manner unless the board is addressing sensitive personnel |
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issues or a matter required to be kept confidential by law; |
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(2) allow public comment at the beginning of each |
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regular board meeting; and |
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(3) address any issue raised during the public comment |
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period under Subdivision (2) during the same board meeting in which |
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the issue was raised. |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter D, Chapter 11, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 11.1519 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 11.1519. POSTING OF DISTRICT RULES, POLICIES, AND |
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PROCEDURES. (a) A school district shall post on the district's |
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Internet website in a manner easily accessible to the public each |
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rule, policy, and procedure applicable to students or staff adopted |
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by the district. |
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(b) A school district must update the district's Internet |
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website not later than the 30th day after the date on which the |
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district adopts or modifies a rule, policy, or procedure applicable |
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to students or staff. |
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SECTION 3. Subchapter D, Chapter 12, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 12.142 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 12.142. POSTING OF SCHOOL RULES, POLICIES, AND |
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PROCEDURES. (a) An open-enrollment charter school shall post on |
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the school's Internet website in a manner easily accessible to the |
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public each rule, policy, and procedure applicable to students or |
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staff adopted by the school. |
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(b) An open-enrollment charter school must update the |
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school's Internet website not later than the 30th day after the date |
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on which the school adopts or modifies a rule, policy, or procedure |
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applicable to students or staff. |
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SECTION 4. Chapter 26, Education Code, is amended by adding |
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Section 26.0115 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 26.0115. GRIEVANCE PORTAL. The agency shall develop |
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an Internet portal through which a person may file a grievance |
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concerning a school district or open-enrollment charter school. |
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The portal must allow for a person to easily: |
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(1) file a grievance and forward the grievance to the |
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appropriate district or school; |
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(2) track a grievance that has been filed through the |
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portal; |
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(3) access a copy of the resolution of the grievance; |
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and |
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(4) if the grievance is not resolved to the person's |
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satisfaction by the district or school, file an appeal with the |
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commissioner in accordance with Section 7.057. |
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SECTION 5. Subchapter C, Chapter 31, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 31.107 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 31.107. POSTING OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS. A school |
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district or open-enrollment charter school shall post on the |
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district's or school's Internet website in an easily accessible |
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manner the list of instructional materials used by the district or |
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school for each grade level. |
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SECTION 6. Subchapter B, Chapter 33, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 33.028 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 33.028. POSTING OF LIBRARY CATALOG. A school district |
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or open-enrollment charter school shall post on the district's or |
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school's Internet website in an easily accessible manner the |
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catalog of available library materials at each school library in |
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the district or school. |
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SECTION 7. Section 39.053(c), Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(c) School districts and campuses must be evaluated based on |
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four [three] domains of indicators of achievement adopted under |
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this section that include: |
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(1) in the student achievement domain, indicators of |
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student achievement that must include: |
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(A) for evaluating the performance of districts |
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and campuses generally: |
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(i) an indicator that accounts for the |
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results of assessment instruments required under Sections |
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39.023(a), (c), and (l), as applicable for the district and campus, |
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including the results of assessment instruments required for |
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graduation retaken by a student, aggregated across grade levels by |
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subject area, including: |
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(a) for the performance standard |
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determined by the commissioner under Section 39.0241(a), the |
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percentage of students who performed satisfactorily on the |
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assessment instruments, aggregated across grade levels by subject |
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area; and |
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(b) for the college readiness |
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performance standard as determined under Section 39.0241, the |
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percentage of students who performed satisfactorily on the |
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assessment instruments, aggregated across grade levels by subject |
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area; and |
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(ii) an indicator that accounts for the |
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results of assessment instruments required under Section |
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39.023(b), as applicable for the district and campus, including the |
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percentage of students who performed satisfactorily on the |
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assessment instruments, as determined by the performance standard |
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adopted by the agency, aggregated across grade levels by subject |
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area; and |
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(B) for evaluating the performance of high school |
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campuses and districts that include high school campuses, |
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indicators that account for: |
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(i) students who satisfy the Texas Success |
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Initiative (TSI) college readiness benchmarks prescribed by the |
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Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board under Section 51.334 on |
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an assessment instrument in reading or mathematics designated by |
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the coordinating board under that section; |
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(ii) students who satisfy relevant |
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performance standards on advanced placement tests or similar |
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assessments; |
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(iii) students who earn dual course credits |
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in the dual credit courses; |
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(iv) students who enlist in the armed |
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forces of the United States or the Texas National Guard; |
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(v) students who earn industry |
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certifications; |
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(vi) students admitted into postsecondary |
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industry certification programs that require as a prerequisite for |
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entrance successful performance at the secondary level; |
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(vii) students whose successful completion |
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of a course or courses under Section 28.014 indicates the student's |
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preparation to enroll and succeed, without remediation, in an |
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entry-level general education course for a baccalaureate degree or |
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associate degree; |
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(viii) students who successfully met |
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standards on a composite of indicators that through research |
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indicates the student's preparation to enroll and succeed, without |
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remediation, in an entry-level general education course for a |
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baccalaureate degree or associate degree; |
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(ix) high school graduation rates, computed |
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in accordance with standards and definitions adopted in compliance |
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with the Every Student Succeeds Act (20 U.S.C. Section 6301 et seq.) |
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subject to the exclusions provided by Subsections (g), (g-1), |
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(g-2), (g-3), and (g-4); |
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(x) students who successfully completed an |
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OnRamps dual enrollment course; |
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(xi) students who successfully completed a |
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practicum or internship approved by the State Board of Education; |
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(xii) students who are awarded an associate |
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degree; and |
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(xiii) students who successfully completed |
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a program of study in career and technical education; |
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(2) in the school progress domain, indicators for |
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effectiveness in promoting student learning, which must include: |
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(A) for assessment instruments, including |
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assessment instruments under Subdivisions (1)(A)(i) and (ii), the |
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percentage of students who met the standard for improvement, as |
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determined by the commissioner; and |
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(B) for evaluating relative performance, the |
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performance of districts and campuses compared to similar districts |
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or campuses; [and] |
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(3) in the closing the gaps domain, the use of |
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disaggregated data to demonstrate the differentials among students |
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from different racial and ethnic groups, socioeconomic |
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backgrounds, and other factors, including: |
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(A) students formerly receiving special |
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education services; |
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(B) students continuously enrolled; and |
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(C) students who are mobile; and |
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(4) in the transparency and accountability domain, |
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indicators for effectiveness in promoting transparency and |
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accountability with respect to district or campus operations. |
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SECTION 8. Section 39.301(d), Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(d) Performance on the indicators described by Sections |
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39.053(c)(1), (2), and (3) [Section 39.053(c)] and Subsections |
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(c)(3), (4), and (9) of this section must be based on longitudinal |
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student data that is disaggregated by the bilingual education or |
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special language program, if any, in which emergent bilingual |
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students, as defined by Section 29.052, are or former emergent |
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bilingual students were enrolled. If a student described by this |
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subsection is not or was not enrolled in specialized language |
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instruction, the number and percentage of those students shall be |
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provided. |
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SECTION 9. This Act applies beginning with the 2025-2026 |
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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, 2025. |