By: Kolkhorst S.B. No. 1566     (King of Hemphill)           A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT   relating to certain powers and duties of the board of trustees of an   independent school district and the governing body of an   open-enrollment charter school.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  Section 11.1511, Education Code, is amended by   adding Subsection (d) to read as follows:          (d)  The board may require a school district's chief business   official or curriculum director or a person holding an equivalent   position to appear at an executive session of the board or to   testify at a public hearing held by the board. A superintendent may   not interfere with an appearance or testimony required by the board   under this subsection.          SECTION 2.  Section 11.1512, Education Code, is amended by   adding Subsections (c-1) and (g) to read as follows:          (c-1)  Except as otherwise provided by this subsection, a   district shall provide a member of the board of trustees with   information, documents, and records requested under Subsection (c)   not later than the 20th business day after the date the district   receives the request. The district may take a reasonable   additional period of time, not to exceed the 30th business day after   the date the district receives the request, to respond to a request   if compliance by the 20th business day would be unduly burdensome   given the amount, age, or location of the requested information.   The district shall inform the trustee of the reason for the delay in   providing the requested information and the date by which the   information will be provided.          (g)  A district shall create a policy on visits to a district   campus or other facility by a member of the board of trustees of the   district.          SECTION 3.  Subchapter D, Chapter 11, Education Code, is   amended by adding Sections 11.1515 and 11.1516 to read as follows:          Sec. 11.1515.  OVERSIGHT OF ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT. The board   of trustees of an independent school district or the governing body   of an open-enrollment charter school shall provide oversight   regarding student academic achievement and strategic leadership   for maximizing student performance.          Sec. 11.1516.  DISTRICT DATA ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT.   (a)  On request by the board of trustees of an independent school   district, the agency shall create an Internet website that members   of the board may use to review campus and district academic   achievement data.  The website must also be made available to   campuses in a similar manner that access is provided to the board.          (b)  The Internet website must:                (1)  include district information, disaggregated by   campus, grade, sex, race, academic quarter or semester, as   applicable, and school year, regarding the following:                      (A)  student academic achievement and growth;                      (B)  teacher and student attendance; and                      (C)  student discipline records; and                (2)  be updated at least once each quarter of the school   year.          (c)  The commissioner shall provide information that permits   a board member to compare the district's academic performance with   the academic performance of other districts of similar size and   racial and economic demographics.          (d)  A district must provide requested information to the   commissioner for the creation of an Internet website under this   section.          (e)  Confidential information received by the commissioner   under this section from a district remains confidential. The   commissioner shall design the Internet website to ensure that:                (1)  public information is made available to the   public; and                 (2)  information submitted by districts noted as   confidential is not made available to the public.          (f)  A request for public information under this section   shall be submitted to the district that provides the agency with the   information. The agency may not release information submitted by a   district that is noted as confidential information.          (g)  The agency may contract with a private entity as   necessary to implement this section.          (h)  The commissioner may adopt rules for the implementation   of this section.          SECTION 4.  Section 11.159, Education Code, is amended by   amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsections (c) and (d) to read   as follows:          (b)  A trustee must complete any training required by the   State Board of Education. The minutes of the last regular meeting   of the board of trustees held before an election of trustees [during   a calendar year] must reflect whether each trustee has met or is   deficient [delinquent] in meeting the training required for the   trustee [to be completed] as of the first anniversary of the date of   the trustee's election or appointment [date of the meeting].  If the   minutes reflect that a trustee is deficient, the district shall   post the minutes on the district's Internet website within 10   business days of the meeting and maintain the posting until the   trustee meets the requirements.          (c)  The State Board of Education shall require a trustee to   complete at least three hours of training every two years on   evaluating student academic performance. The training must be   research-based and designed to support the oversight role of the   board of trustees under Section 11.1515.  A candidate for trustee   may complete the training up to one year before the candidate is   elected. A new trustee shall complete the training within 120 days   after the date of the trustee's election or appointment. A   returning trustee shall complete the training by the second   anniversary of the completion of the trustee's previous training.          (d)  A trustee or candidate for trustee may complete training   required under Subsection (c) at a regional education service   center or through another authorized provider.  A provider must   certify the completion of the training by a trustee or candidate.          SECTION 5.  Subchapter D, Chapter 11, Education Code, is   amended by adding Section 11.182 to read as follows:          Sec. 11.182.  BOARD IMPROVEMENT AND EVALUATION TOOL.   (a)  The commissioner shall develop a board of trustees improvement   and evaluation tool. The evaluation tool must be research-based   and designed to assist a school district in improving board   oversight and academic achievement.          (b)  A board of trustees may determine whether to use the   evaluation tool, except as required by Section 39.102(a).          SECTION 6.  Section 39.102(a), Education Code, is amended to   read as follows:          (a)  If a school district does not satisfy the accreditation   criteria under Section 39.052, the academic performance standards   under Section 39.053 or 39.054, or any financial accountability   standard as determined by commissioner rule, or if considered   appropriate by the commissioner on the basis of a special   accreditation investigation under Section 39.057, the commissioner   shall take any of the following actions to the extent the   commissioner determines necessary:                (1)  issue public notice of the deficiency to the board   of trustees;                (2)  order a hearing conducted by the board of trustees   of the district for the purpose of notifying the public of the   insufficient performance, the improvements in performance expected   by the agency, and the interventions and sanctions that may be   imposed under this section if the performance does not improve;                (3)  order the preparation of a student achievement   improvement plan that addresses each academic achievement   indicator under Section 39.053(c) for which the district's   performance is insufficient, the submission of the plan to the   commissioner for approval, and implementation of the plan;                (4)  order a hearing to be held before the commissioner   or the commissioner's designee at which the president of the board   of trustees of the district and the superintendent shall appear and   explain the district's low performance, lack of improvement, and   plans for improvement;                (5)  arrange a monitoring review of the district;                (6)  appoint an agency monitor to participate in and   report to the agency on the activities of the board of trustees or   the superintendent;                (7)  appoint a conservator to oversee the operations of   the district;                (8)  appoint a management team to direct the operations   of the district in areas of insufficient performance or require the   district to obtain certain services under a contract with another   person;                (9)  if a district has a current accreditation status   of accredited-warned or accredited-probation, fails to satisfy any   standard under Section 39.054(e), or fails to satisfy financial   accountability standards as determined by commissioner rule,   appoint a board of managers to exercise the powers and duties of the   board of trustees;                (10)  if for two consecutive school years, including   the current school year, a district has received an accreditation   status of accredited-warned or accredited-probation, has failed to   satisfy any standard under Section 39.054(e), or has failed to   satisfy financial accountability standards as determined by   commissioner rule, revoke the district's accreditation and:                      (A)  order closure of the district and annex the   district to one or more adjoining districts under Section 13.054;   or                      (B)  in the case of a home-rule school district or   open-enrollment charter school, order closure of all programs   operated under the district's or school's charter; [or]                (11)  if a district has failed to satisfy any standard   under Section 39.054(e) due to the district's dropout rates, impose   sanctions designed to improve high school completion rates,   including:                      (A)  ordering the development of a dropout   prevention plan for approval by the commissioner;                      (B)  restructuring the district or appropriate   school campuses to improve identification of and service to   students who are at risk of dropping out of school, as defined by   Section 29.081;                      (C)  ordering lower student-to-counselor ratios   on school campuses with high dropout rates; and                      (D)  ordering the use of any other intervention   strategy effective in reducing dropout rates, including mentor   programs and flexible class scheduling; or                 (12)  order the use of the board improvement and   evaluation tool as provided by Section 11.182.          SECTION 7.  Section 39.107(b-1), Education Code, is amended   to read as follows:          (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;                (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; and                (5)  a detailed description for developing and   supporting the oversight of academic achievement and student   performance by the board of trustees under Section 11.1515.          SECTION 8.  A person serving on the board of trustees of a   school district on the effective date of this Act must complete the   training required by Section 11.159(c), Education Code, as added by   this Act, not later than September 1, 2018.          SECTION 9.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.