Today, May 11, 2015, Governor Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 149 (by Kel Seliger, Amarillo), that addresses issues involving the first graduating class required to pass the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) end-of-course exams in order to graduate in 2015. The law became effective immediately after the bill signing and Commissioner of Education Michael Williams informed school officials afternoon of proposed emergency commissioner’s rules to implement changes effective for students in this school year’s graduating 12th grade class.
The bill requires a school district to establish an Individual Graduation Committee for any student who has failed to comply with end-of-course test performance requirements for up to two STAAR end-of-course exams, but has completed all of the SBOE identified curriculum requirements to graduate in school year 2014-15 or 2015-16. A student's Individual Graduation Committee must recommend additional requirements that if completed will allow the student to graduate. The bill states what academic information is appropriate for consideration by the committee and states that coursework previously completed in high school may be also included in the portfolio of work samples that are submitted to satisfy recommended additional requirements to graduate.
To access the text for Senate Bill 149, click on the link below.
http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/BillLookup/Text.aspx?LegSess=84R&Bill=SB149
To access the emergency commissioner’s rules proposed to implement Senate Bill 149, click on the link below.
http://tea.texas.gov/About_TEA/Laws_and_Rules/Commissioner_Rules_(TAC)/15_05_Emergency_and_Proposed_Amendment_to_19_TAC_§101_3022/
To access the Texas Education Agency TO THE ADMINISTRATOR ADDRESSED letter on this topic dated May 11, 2015, click on the link below.
http://tea.texas.gov/interiorpage_wide.aspx?id=25769821127