|  | 
      
        |  | 
      
        |  | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED | 
      
        |  | AN ACT | 
      
        |  | relating to the intervention in and sanction of a public school that | 
      
        |  | has received an academically unsuccessful performance rating for at | 
      
        |  | least two consecutive school years. | 
      
        |  | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | 
      
        |  | SECTION 1.  The heading to Section 39.107, Education Code, | 
      
        |  | is amended to read as follows: | 
      
        |  | Sec. 39.107.  CAMPUS TURNAROUND PLAN, BOARD OF MANAGERS | 
      
        |  | [ RECONSTITUTION, REPURPOSING], ALTERNATIVE MANAGEMENT, AND | 
      
        |  | CLOSURE. | 
      
        |  | SECTION 2.  Section 39.107, Education Code, is amended by | 
      
        |  | amending Subsections (a), (a-1), (b), (b-1), (b-2), (d), (e), | 
      
        |  | (e-1), (e-2), (f), and (g) and adding Subsections (a-2), (b-3), | 
      
        |  | (b-4), (b-5), (b-6), (b-7), (b-8), (b-9), (e-4), (e-5), (e-6), | 
      
        |  | (g-1), and (g-2) to read as follows: | 
      
        |  | (a)  After a campus has been identified as unacceptable for | 
      
        |  | two consecutive school years, the commissioner shall order the | 
      
        |  | campus to prepare and submit a campus turnaround plan [ the  | 
      
        |  | reconstitution of the campus].  The commissioner shall by rule | 
      
        |  | establish procedures governing the time and manner in which the | 
      
        |  | campus must submit the campus turnaround plan. | 
      
        |  | (a-1)  A [ In reconstituting a campus, a] campus intervention | 
      
        |  | team shall assist the campus in: | 
      
        |  | (1)  developing an updated targeted improvement plan, | 
      
        |  | including a campus turnaround plan to be implemented by the campus; | 
      
        |  | (2)  submitting the updated targeted improvement plan | 
      
        |  | to the board of trustees of the school district for approval and | 
      
        |  | presenting the plan in a public hearing as provided by Section | 
      
        |  | 39.106(e-1); | 
      
        |  | (3)  obtaining approval of the updated plan from the | 
      
        |  | commissioner; and | 
      
        |  | (4)  executing the plan on approval by the | 
      
        |  | commissioner. | 
      
        |  | (a-2)  Before a campus turnaround plan is prepared and | 
      
        |  | submitted for approval to the board of trustees of the school | 
      
        |  | district, the district, in consultation with the campus | 
      
        |  | intervention team, shall: | 
      
        |  | (1)  provide notice to parents, the community, and | 
      
        |  | stakeholders that the campus has received an academically | 
      
        |  | unacceptable performance rating for two consecutive years and will | 
      
        |  | be required to submit a campus turnaround plan; and | 
      
        |  | (2)  request assistance from parents, the community, | 
      
        |  | and stakeholders in developing the campus turnaround plan. | 
      
        |  | (b)  The school district, in consultation with the campus | 
      
        |  | intervention team, shall prepare the campus turnaround plan and | 
      
        |  | allow parents, the community, and stakeholders an opportunity to | 
      
        |  | review the plan before it is submitted for approval to the board of | 
      
        |  | trustees of the school district.  The plan must include details on | 
      
        |  | the method for restructuring, reforming, or reconstituting the | 
      
        |  | campus.  If the district determines that granting a district | 
      
        |  | charter under Section 12.0522 is appropriate for the campus, the | 
      
        |  | campus turnaround plan must provide information on the | 
      
        |  | implementation of the district charter.  The plan must assist the | 
      
        |  | campus in implementing procedures to satisfy all performance | 
      
        |  | standards required under Section 39.054(e) [ decide which educators  | 
      
        |  | may be retained at that campus.  A principal who has been employed  | 
      
        |  | by the campus in that capacity during the full period described by  | 
      
        |  | Subsection (a) may not be retained at that campus unless the campus  | 
      
        |  | intervention team determines that retention of the principal would  | 
      
        |  | be more beneficial to the student achievement and campus stability  | 
      
        |  | than removal]. | 
      
        |  | (b-1)  A campus turnaround plan must include: | 
      
        |  | (1)  a detailed description of the academic programs to | 
      
        |  | be offered at the campus, including instructional methods, length | 
      
        |  | of school day and school year, academic credit and promotion | 
      
        |  | criteria, and programs to serve special student populations; | 
      
        |  | (2)  the term of the charter, if a district charter is | 
      
        |  | to be granted for the campus under Section 12.0522, which may not | 
      
        |  | exceed five years; | 
      
        |  | (3)  written comments from the campus-level committee | 
      
        |  | established under Section 11.251, if applicable, parents, and | 
      
        |  | teachers at the campus; and | 
      
        |  | (4)  a detailed description of the budget, staffing, | 
      
        |  | and financial resources required to implement the plan, including | 
      
        |  | any supplemental resources to be provided by the district or other | 
      
        |  | identified sources [ A teacher of a subject assessed by an  | 
      
        |  | assessment instrument under Section 39.023 may be retained only if  | 
      
        |  | the campus intervention team determines that a pattern exists of  | 
      
        |  | significant academic improvement by students taught by the teacher.   | 
      
        |  | If an educator is not retained, the educator may be assigned to  | 
      
        |  | another position in the district]. | 
      
        |  | (b-2)  A school district may request that a regional | 
      
        |  | education service center provide assistance in the development and | 
      
        |  | implementation of a campus turnaround plan. [ For each year that a  | 
      
        |  | campus is considered to have an unacceptable performance rating, a  | 
      
        |  | campus intervention team shall: | 
      
        |  | [ (1)  assist in updating the targeted improvement plan  | 
      
        |  | to identify and analyze areas of growth and areas that require  | 
      
        |  | improvement; | 
      
        |  | [ (2)  submit the updated plan to: | 
      
        |  | [ (A)  the board of trustees of the school  | 
      
        |  | district; and | 
      
        |  | [ (B)  the parents of campus students; and | 
      
        |  | [ (3)  assist in submitting the updated plan to the  | 
      
        |  | commissioner for approval.] | 
      
        |  | (b-3)  The updated targeted improvement plan submitted to | 
      
        |  | the board of trustees of a school district under Subsection (a-1) | 
      
        |  | must include all plans and details that are required to execute the | 
      
        |  | campus turnaround plan without any additional action or approval by | 
      
        |  | the board of trustees. | 
      
        |  | (b-4)  A campus turnaround plan developed under this section | 
      
        |  | must take effect not later than the school year following the third | 
      
        |  | consecutive school year that the campus has received an | 
      
        |  | academically unacceptable performance rating. | 
      
        |  | (b-5)  Following approval of a campus turnaround plan by the | 
      
        |  | commissioner, the school district, in consultation with the campus | 
      
        |  | intervention team, may take any actions needed to prepare for the | 
      
        |  | implementation of the plan. | 
      
        |  | (b-6)  If a campus for which a campus turnaround plan has | 
      
        |  | been ordered under Subsection (a) receives an academically | 
      
        |  | acceptable performance rating for the school year following the | 
      
        |  | order, the board of trustees may: | 
      
        |  | (1)  implement the campus turnaround plan; | 
      
        |  | (2)  implement a modified version of the campus | 
      
        |  | turnaround plan; or | 
      
        |  | (3)  withdraw the campus turnaround plan. | 
      
        |  | (b-7)  A school district required to implement a campus | 
      
        |  | turnaround plan may modify or withdraw the plan if the campus | 
      
        |  | receives an academically acceptable performance rating for two | 
      
        |  | consecutive school years following the implementation of the plan. | 
      
        |  | (b-8)  Section 12.0522(b) does not apply to a district | 
      
        |  | charter approved by the commissioner under this section.  A | 
      
        |  | district charter approved under this section may be renewed or | 
      
        |  | continue in effect after the campus is no longer subject to an order | 
      
        |  | under Subsection (a). | 
      
        |  | (b-9)  The commissioner shall adopt rules governing the | 
      
        |  | procedures for an open-enrollment charter school campus that is | 
      
        |  | subject to an order issued under Subsection (a).  An | 
      
        |  | open-enrollment charter school must revise the school's charter in | 
      
        |  | accordance with Section 12.114 in the campus turnaround plan. | 
      
        |  | Nothing in this section may be construed to modify any provision of | 
      
        |  | Subchapter D, Chapter 12, relating to the expiration, nonrenewal, | 
      
        |  | revocation, or modification of the governance of an open-enrollment | 
      
        |  | charter school.  The governing board of the open-enrollment charter | 
      
        |  | school shall perform the duties of a board of trustees of a school | 
      
        |  | district under this section. | 
      
        |  | (d)  The commissioner may approve a campus turnaround plan | 
      
        |  | only if the commissioner determines that the campus will satisfy | 
      
        |  | all student performance standards required under Section 39.054(e) | 
      
        |  | not later than the second year the campus receives a performance | 
      
        |  | rating following the implementation of the campus turnaround plan. | 
      
        |  | If the commissioner does not make this determination [ determines  | 
      
        |  | that the campus is not fully implementing the updated targeted  | 
      
        |  | improvement plan or if the students enrolled at the campus fail to  | 
      
        |  | demonstrate substantial improvement in the areas targeted by the  | 
      
        |  | updated plan], the commissioner shall [may] order: | 
      
        |  | (1)  appointment of a board of managers to govern the | 
      
        |  | district as provided by Section 39.112(b) [ repurposing of the  | 
      
        |  | campus under this section]; | 
      
        |  | (2)  alternative management of the campus under this | 
      
        |  | section; or | 
      
        |  | (3)  closure of the campus. | 
      
        |  | (e)  If a campus is considered to have an unacceptable | 
      
        |  | performance rating for three consecutive school years after the | 
      
        |  | campus is ordered to submit a campus turnaround plan | 
      
        |  | [ reconstituted] under Subsection (a), the commissioner, subject to | 
      
        |  | Subsection [ (e-1) or] (e-2), shall order: | 
      
        |  | (1)  appointment of a board of managers to govern the | 
      
        |  | district as provided by Section 39.112(b) [ repurposing of the  | 
      
        |  | campus under this section]; or | 
      
        |  | (2)  [ alternative management of the campus under this  | 
      
        |  | section; or | 
      
        |  | [ (3)]  closure of the campus. | 
      
        |  | (e-1)  If the commissioner orders the closure of a campus | 
      
        |  | under this section, that campus may be repurposed to serve students | 
      
        |  | at that campus location only if the commissioner finds that the | 
      
        |  | repurposed campus offers a distinctly different academic program | 
      
        |  | and serves a majority of grade levels at the repurposed campus not | 
      
        |  | served at the original campus and approves a new campus | 
      
        |  | identification number for the campus.  The majority of students | 
      
        |  | assigned to a campus that has been closed and repurposed may not | 
      
        |  | have attended that campus in the previous school year.  Any student | 
      
        |  | assigned to a campus that has been closed must be allowed to | 
      
        |  | transfer to any other campus in the district that serves that | 
      
        |  | student's grade level and on request must be provided | 
      
        |  | transportation to the other campus.  The commissioner may grant an | 
      
        |  | exemption allowing students assigned to a closed campus to attend | 
      
        |  | the repurposed campus if there is no other campus in the district at | 
      
        |  | which the students may enroll [ The commissioner may waive the  | 
      
        |  | requirement to enter an order under Subsection (e) for not more than  | 
      
        |  | one school year if the commissioner determines that, on the basis of  | 
      
        |  | significant improvement in student performance over the preceding  | 
      
        |  | two school years, the campus is likely to be assigned an acceptable  | 
      
        |  | performance rating for the following school year]. | 
      
        |  | (e-2)  For purposes of this subsection, "parent" has the | 
      
        |  | meaning assigned by Section 12.051.  If the commissioner is | 
      
        |  | presented, in the time and manner specified by commissioner rule, a | 
      
        |  | written petition signed by the parents of a majority of the students | 
      
        |  | enrolled at a campus to which Subsection (e) applies, specifying | 
      
        |  | the action described by Subsection (e)(1) or [ ,] (2)[, or (3)] that | 
      
        |  | the parents request the commissioner to order, the commissioner | 
      
        |  | shall, except as otherwise authorized by this subsection, order the | 
      
        |  | specific action requested.  If the board of trustees of the school | 
      
        |  | district in which the campus is located presents to the | 
      
        |  | commissioner, in the time and manner specified by commissioner | 
      
        |  | rule, a written request that the commissioner order specific action | 
      
        |  | authorized under Subsection (e) other than the specific action | 
      
        |  | requested in the parents' petition and a written explanation of the | 
      
        |  | basis for the board's request, the commissioner may order the | 
      
        |  | action requested by the board of trustees. | 
      
        |  | (e-4)  A board of managers appointed by the commissioner | 
      
        |  | under this section is required to take appropriate actions to | 
      
        |  | resolve the conditions that caused a campus to be subject to an | 
      
        |  | order under Subsection (a), including amending the district's | 
      
        |  | budget, reassigning staff, or relocating academic programs. | 
      
        |  | (e-5)  The commissioner may authorize payment of a board of | 
      
        |  | managers appointed under this section from agency funds. | 
      
        |  | (e-6)  The commissioner may at any time replace a member of a | 
      
        |  | board of managers appointed under this section. | 
      
        |  | (f)  Notwithstanding Section 39.112(e), the commissioner may | 
      
        |  | remove a board of managers appointed to govern a district under this | 
      
        |  | section only if the campus that was the basis for the appointment of | 
      
        |  | the board of managers receives an academically acceptable | 
      
        |  | performance rating for two consecutive school years. [ If the  | 
      
        |  | commissioner orders repurposing of a campus, the school district  | 
      
        |  | shall develop a comprehensive plan for repurposing the campus and  | 
      
        |  | submit the plan to the board of trustees for approval, using the  | 
      
        |  | procedures described by Section 39.106(e-1), and to the  | 
      
        |  | commissioner for approval.  The plan must include a description of a  | 
      
        |  | rigorous and relevant academic program for the campus. The plan may  | 
      
        |  | include various instructional models.  The commissioner may not  | 
      
        |  | approve the repurposing of a campus unless: | 
      
        |  | [ (1)  all students in the assigned attendance zone of  | 
      
        |  | the campus in the school year immediately preceding the repurposing  | 
      
        |  | of the campus are provided with the opportunity to enroll in and are  | 
      
        |  | provided transportation on request to another campus, unless the  | 
      
        |  | commissioner grants an exception because there is no other campus  | 
      
        |  | in the district in which the students may enroll; | 
      
        |  | [ (2)  the principal is not retained at the campus,  | 
      
        |  | unless the commissioner determines that students enrolled at the  | 
      
        |  | campus have demonstrated significant academic improvement; and | 
      
        |  | [ (3)  teachers employed at the campus in the school  | 
      
        |  | year immediately preceding the repurposing of the campus are not  | 
      
        |  | retained at the campus, unless the commissioner or the  | 
      
        |  | commissioner's designee grants an exception, at the request of a  | 
      
        |  | school district, for: | 
      
        |  | [ (A)  a teacher who provides instruction in a  | 
      
        |  | subject other than a subject for which an assessment instrument is  | 
      
        |  | administered under Section 39.023(a) or (c) who demonstrates to the  | 
      
        |  | commissioner satisfactory performance; or | 
      
        |  | [ (B)  a teacher who provides instruction in a  | 
      
        |  | subject for which an assessment instrument is administered under  | 
      
        |  | Section 39.023(a) or (c) if the district demonstrates that the  | 
      
        |  | students of the teacher demonstrated satisfactory performance or  | 
      
        |  | improved academic growth on that assessment instrument.] | 
      
        |  | (g)  Following the removal of a board of managers under | 
      
        |  | Subsection (f), or at the request of a managing entity appointed | 
      
        |  | under Subsection (d) to oversee the implementation of alternative | 
      
        |  | management, the commissioner may appoint a conservator for the | 
      
        |  | district to ensure district-level support for low-performing | 
      
        |  | campuses and to oversee the implementation of the updated targeted | 
      
        |  | improvement plan [ If an educator is not retained under Subsection  | 
      
        |  | (f), the educator may be assigned to another position in the  | 
      
        |  | district]. | 
      
        |  | (g-1)  If the commissioner orders alternative management of | 
      
        |  | a campus under Subsection (d)(2), the school district shall execute | 
      
        |  | a contract with a managing entity for a term not to exceed five | 
      
        |  | years.  The terms of the contract must be approved by the | 
      
        |  | commissioner.  If a campus receives an academically unacceptable | 
      
        |  | performance rating for two consecutive school years after the | 
      
        |  | managing entity assumes management of the campus, the commissioner | 
      
        |  | shall cancel the contract with the managing entity. | 
      
        |  | (g-2)  Subject to Subsection (e), at the end of the contract | 
      
        |  | term with a managing entity or the cancellation of a contract with a | 
      
        |  | managing entity under Subsection (g-1), the board of trustees of | 
      
        |  | the school district shall resume management of the campus. | 
      
        |  | SECTION 3.  Section 39.114, Education Code, is amended to | 
      
        |  | read as follows: | 
      
        |  | Sec. 39.114.  IMMUNITY FROM CIVIL LIABILITY.  An employee, | 
      
        |  | volunteer, or contractor acting on behalf of the commissioner under | 
      
        |  | this subchapter, or a member of a board of managers appointed by the | 
      
        |  | commissioner under this subchapter is immune from civil liability | 
      
        |  | to the same extent as a professional employee of a school district | 
      
        |  | under Section 22.051. | 
      
        |  | SECTION 4.  Section 39.106(f), Education Code, is repealed. | 
      
        |  | SECTION 5.  Not later than December 1, 2018, the Legislative | 
      
        |  | Budget Board shall publish a report evaluating the implementation | 
      
        |  | of Section 39.107, Education Code, as amended by this Act, | 
      
        |  | including an analysis of whether the changes in law made by this Act | 
      
        |  | result in improvements to school performance and student | 
      
        |  | performance. The Legislative Budget Board may contract with another | 
      
        |  | entity for the purpose of producing the evaluation required by this | 
      
        |  | section. | 
      
        |  | SECTION 6.  The commissioner of education shall adopt a | 
      
        |  | transition plan that allows a public school campus that received an | 
      
        |  | academically unacceptable performance rating for three or more | 
      
        |  | consecutive school years before the effective date of this Act: | 
      
        |  | (1)  to continue with the interventions and sanctions | 
      
        |  | that have already been applied to the campus; and | 
      
        |  | (2)  to be closed or for a board of managers to be | 
      
        |  | appointed for the school district if the campus receives an | 
      
        |  | academically unacceptable performance rating for the two school | 
      
        |  | years following the effective date of this Act. | 
      
        |  | SECTION 7.  (a)  Except as provided by Subsection (b) of this | 
      
        |  | section, this Act applies beginning with the 2016-2017 school year. | 
      
        |  | (b)  For a public school campus that receives an academically | 
      
        |  | unacceptable performance rating for a second consecutive year | 
      
        |  | following the 2015-2016 school year, this Act applies beginning | 
      
        |  | with the 2016-2017 school year. | 
      
        |  | SECTION 8.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | 
      
        |  | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | 
      
        |  | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this | 
      
        |  | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | 
      
        |  | Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |