November 2015 Committee of the Full Board Item 9
Discussion of Hutto ISD Proposed Three-Year Graduation Program
November 18, 2015
COMMITTEE OF THE FULL BOARD: DISCUSSION
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION: NO ACTION
SUMMARY: This item provides an opportunity for the board to review and comment on the Hutto Independent School District proposed three-year graduation program, as required by House Bill (HB) 2025, passed by the 84th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, 2015.
STATUTORY AUTHORITY: Texas Education Code (TEC), §28.0255.
TEC, §28.0255, establishes a pilot program for students who wish to obtain a high school diploma after completion of three years of secondary school attendance as an alternative to the traditional four-year period of attendance. TEC, §28.0255(f), requires the school district to submit to the commissioner for approval the district’s proposal regarding the scope of the program and the program curriculum requirements. The school district must also submit the proposed curriculum requirements to the State Board of Education (SBOE) for comment.
BOARD RESPONSE: This item is presented for review and comment.
PREVIOUS BOARD ACTION: None.
FUTURE ACTION EXPECTED: None.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND SIGNIFICANT ISSUES: The 83rd Texas Legislature, Regular Session, 2013, passed HB 1122, adding the TEC, §28.0255(f). HB 1122 permitted the Dallas Independent School District (ISD) to develop and implement a pilot program for students who wish to obtain a high school diploma after completion of three years of secondary school attendance as an alternative to the traditional four-year period of attendance. The 84th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, 2015, passed HB 2025, adding Hutto ISD to the pilot program.
The pilot program must be designed to serve the educational needs of students who do not anticipate immediate enrollment in a four-year college or university after graduation from high school and to include partnerships between the school district and public junior colleges, public technical institutes, public state colleges, and any other public postsecondary institutions that offer academic or technical education or vocational training under a certificate program or an associate degree program to facilitate the prompt enrollment of students in those institutions after high school graduation under the program.
Hutto ISD must specify the curriculum requirements for receiving a high school diploma under the pilot program and those requirements must ensure that a student who graduates under the program possesses sufficient knowledge and skills in English language arts and mathematics to be capable of performing successfully in public junior college-level courses. The district must also submit proposed curriculum requirements to the SBOE for comment and the commissioner of education for approval and may not implement the program before obtaining the commissioner’s approval.
Beginning with the first school year that follows the first school year in which students receive high school diplomas under the pilot program, the commissioner must provide funding for the district’s prekindergarten program on a full-day basis for a number of prekindergarten students equal to twice the number of students who received a high school diploma under the pilot program during the preceding school year.
FISCAL IMPACT: None.
PUBLIC AND STUDENT BENEFIT: Benefits include added flexibility for students in meeting high school graduation requirements and additional opportunities for the district to serve students in full-day prekindergarten.
PROCEDURAL AND REPORTING IMPLICATIONS: None.
LOCALLY MAINTAINED PAPERWORK REQUIREMENTS: None.
PUBLIC COMMENTS: None.
ALTERNATIVES: None.
OTHER COMMENTS AND RELATED ISSUE: None.
Staff Member Responsible:
Monica Martinez, Associate Commissioner
Standards and Programs
Attachments:
I. Statutory Citations (PDF, 21KB)
II. Proposed Three-Year Graduation Program (PDF, 695KB)