By: Rodriguez of Travis, Farney,	H.B. No. 1891
	Turner of Harris, VanDeaver, Aycock

	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
	AN ACT
	relating to Texas community schools.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1.  Chapter 29, Education Code, is amended by adding
	Subchapter N to read as follows:
	SUBCHAPTER N. TEXAS COMMUNITY SCHOOLS
	Sec. 29.551.  DEFINITION. In this subchapter,
	"community-based organization" means a nonprofit corporation or
	association that is located in close proximity to the population
	the organization serves and that supports the academic success of
	students through the provision of health care, mentoring, college
	readiness programs, or job training.
	Sec. 29.552.  TEXAS COMMUNITY SCHOOL. (a) A Texas community
	school is a public elementary, middle, junior high, or high school
	that partners with one or more community-based organizations to
	coordinate academic, social, and health services to reduce barriers
	to learning and improve the quality of education for students in the
	community.
	(b)  A Texas community school offers a variety of programs
	and services, which may include:
	(1)  early childhood education;
	(2)  after-school and summer school academic and
	enrichment programs;
	(3)  college and career preparation;
	(4)  service learning opportunities, such as
	internships and community service programs;
	(5)  leadership and mentoring programs;
	(6)  activities to encourage community and parent
	engagement in students' education;
	(7)  health and social services, including services
	provided by an individual licensed as a social worker under Chapter
	505, Occupations Code, for students and their families; and
	(8)  parenting classes.
	(c)  A Texas community school may not provide
	abortion-related services or referrals to an abortion provider or
	an affiliate of an abortion provider.
	Sec. 29.553.  TRANSITION TO TEXAS COMMUNITY SCHOOL. (a) A
	public elementary, middle, junior high, or high school may
	transition to a Texas community school if the school:
	(1)  establishes a school community partnership team to
	function as the campus-level planning and decision-making
	committee required under Section 11.251, composed of the members
	required under Section 11.251 and additional community
	representatives;
	(2)  conducts a comprehensive on-site needs assessment
	using the guidelines and procedures described by Section 39.106(b);
	(3)  establishes a partnership with a lead
	community-based organization, such as Communities In Schools or an
	education or youth services organization, that has experience in
	developing and implementing a community school plan and that, as
	determined by commissioner rule, supports the academic success of
	students through the provision of health care, mentoring, college
	readiness programs, or job training;
	(4)  develops a community school plan that satisfies
	the requirements for a campus improvement plan under Section
	11.253; and
	(5)  gains approval for the community school plan from:
	(A)  at least 75 percent of campus faculty and
	staff and 75 percent of parents of students enrolled at the school;
	and
	(B)  the board of trustees of the school district
	in which the school is located.
	(b)  A school that transitions to a Texas community school
	under Subsection (a) shall hire a new employee or designate a school
	district employee or an employee of a community-based organization
	with experience in developing and implementing a community school
	plan as the community school coordinator for the school. The
	coordinator's duties include:
	(1)  recruiting community partners and building
	community support for the school;
	(2)  coordinating:
	(A)  the school community partnership team's
	planning and training activities;
	(B)  planning and evaluation efforts between the
	school and community partners;
	(C)  academic and student and family support
	programs; and
	(D)  after-school, summer, and enrichment
	programs for students;
	(3)  encouraging community and parent engagement in the
	school;
	(4)  seeking available resources for implementing
	community school programs and services;
	(5)  conducting an annual needs assessment of the
	school in coordination with the school community partnership team;
	(6)  acting as a liaison between the school, other
	community schools, the school district, and community partners; and
	(7)  developing a plan for sustaining the community
	school plan.
	(c)  A school may not partner with an abortion provider or an
	affiliate of an abortion provider in transitioning to a Texas
	community school under Subsection (a) and may not hire an employee
	of an abortion provider or an affiliate of an abortion provider as
	the community school coordinator for the school under Subsection
	(b).
	(d)  In developing or implementing a community school plan,
	the school may seek assistance from other community schools,
	regional education service centers, or technical assistance
	providers.
	(e)  For purposes of Subsection (d), a technical assistance
	provider is a public or private entity that has experience in
	developing and implementing a community school plan and that
	provides:
	(1)  professional development, training, technical
	assistance, coaching, or quality assurance activities to assist
	schools in transitioning to a Texas community school, sustaining
	the community school plan, or maximizing the effectiveness of that
	plan; or
	(2)  capacity-building training to regional education
	service centers to enable the centers to support a school's
	transition to a Texas community school or assist the school in
	sustaining the school's community school plan.
	Sec. 29.554.  COMMUNITY AND DISTRICT OVERSIGHT. A school
	that transitions to a Texas community school shall:
	(1)  hold a community meeting at least twice each year
	to:
	(A)  inform community stakeholders about the
	school's progress in implementing the community school plan; and
	(B)  seek community input regarding any
	improvements or changes that could be made to the plan; and
	(2)  report annually to the board of trustees of the
	school district in which the school is located regarding the
	school's progress in implementing the plan.
	Sec. 29.555.  LOW-PERFORMING SCHOOLS. (a) A school
	community partnership team formed by a school with performance
	below any standard under Section 39.054(e) functions as the campus
	intervention team for purposes of Section 39.106.
	(b)  A low-performing school transitioning to a Texas
	community school shall receive district-level support to assist the
	school in developing and implementing the community school plan.
	The support must continue for at least two school years after the
	school successfully meets the standards under Section 39.054(e).
	Sec. 29.556.  FUNDING. A Texas community school or a school
	transitioning to a Texas community school may seek and accept
	gifts, grants, donations, and funds from federal and state agencies
	and private sources for purposes related to the school's function
	as a Texas community school.
	Sec. 29.557.  RECOGNITION AS TEXAS COMMUNITY SCHOOL. (a) A
	school that transitions to a Texas community school shall be
	recognized by the state as a Texas community school.
	(b)  The agency shall develop methods for recognizing a
	school as a Texas community school.
	Sec. 29.558.  RULES. The commissioner may adopt rules as
	necessary to implement this subchapter.
	SECTION 2.  Sections 39.106(c) and (f), Education Code, are
	amended to read as follows:
	(c)  On completing the on-site needs assessment under this
	section, the campus intervention team shall, with the involvement
	and advice of the school community partnership team, if applicable,
	recommend actions relating to any area of insufficient performance,
	including:
	(1)  reallocation of resources;
	(2)  technical assistance;
	(3)  changes in school procedures or operations;
	(4)  staff development for instructional and
	administrative staff;
	(5)  intervention for individual administrators or
	teachers;
	(6)  waivers from state statutes or rules;
	(7)  teacher recruitment or retention strategies and
	incentives provided by the district to attract and retain teachers
	with the characteristics included in Subsection (b)(1); [or]
	(8)  transition to a Texas community school under
	Subchapter N, Chapter 29; or
	(9)  other actions the campus intervention team
	considers appropriate.
	(f)  Notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter,
	if the commissioner determines that a campus for which an
	intervention is ordered under Subsection (a) is not fully
	implementing the campus intervention team's recommendations or
	targeted improvement plan or updated plan, the commissioner may:
	(1)  order the reconstitution of the campus as provided
	by Section 39.107; or
	(2)  approve the campus's transition to a Texas
	community school under Subchapter N, Chapter 29, on request from
	the principal of the campus.
	SECTION 3.  Section 39.107, Education Code, is amended by
	amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsections (a-2) and (s) to
	read as follows:
	(a)  Subject to Subsection (a-2), after [After] a campus has
	been identified as unacceptable for two consecutive school years,
	the commissioner shall order the reconstitution of the campus.
	(a-2)  A campus may elect to transition to a Texas community
	school under Subchapter N, Chapter 29, instead of reconstitution
	under this section if:
	(1)  the campus proposes the transition to the
	commissioner not later than two weeks after the date on which the
	commissioner orders reconstitution under Subsection (a);
	(2)  the commissioner determines that adoption of the
	Texas community school model will implement meaningful reform at
	the campus and is an appropriate alternative to reconstitution or
	any other measure available to the commissioner under this
	subchapter; and
	(3)  the campus satisfies the requirements of
	transitioning to a Texas community school under Subchapter N,
	Chapter 29, not later than six months after the date on which the
	commissioner makes the determination described by Subdivision (2).
	(s)  The commissioner may not order the closure of a campus
	under this section without giving the campus the opportunity to
	transition to a Texas community school under Subchapter N, Chapter
	29, and at least two years to implement the campus's community
	school plan unless the commissioner determines that adoption of the
	Texas community school model will not implement meaningful reform
	at the campus and is not an appropriate alternative to the closure
	of the campus.
	SECTION 4.  Section 29.259, Education Code, is transferred
	to Subchapter Z, Chapter 29, Education Code, and redesignated as
	Section 29.923, Education Code, to read as follows:
	Sec. 29.923 [29.259].  ADULT HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA AND
	INDUSTRY CERTIFICATION CHARTER SCHOOL PILOT PROGRAM. (a)  In this
	section, "adult education" means services and instruction provided
	below the college level for adults by a nonprofit entity described
	by Subsection (e).
	(b)  The commissioner shall establish an adult high school
	diploma and industry certification charter school pilot program as
	provided by this section as a strategy for meeting industry needs
	for a sufficiently trained workforce within the state.
	(c)  The agency shall adopt and administer a standardized
	secondary exit-level assessment instrument appropriate for
	assessing adult education program participants who successfully
	complete high school curriculum requirements under a program
	provided under this section.  The commissioner shall determine the
	level of performance considered to be satisfactory on the secondary
	exit-level assessment instrument for receipt of a high school
	diploma by an adult education program participant in a program
	provided under this section.
	(d)  Notwithstanding any other law and in addition to the
	number of charters allowed under Subchapter D, Chapter 12, a
	charter under the pilot program may, on the basis of an application
	submitted, be granted to a single nonprofit entity described by
	Subsection (e) to provide an adult education program for not more
	than 150 individuals described by Subsection (g) to successfully
	complete:
	(1)  a high school program that can lead to a diploma;
	and
	(2)  career and technology education courses that can
	lead to industry certification.
	(e)  A nonprofit entity may be granted a charter under this
	section only if the entity:
	(1)  has a successful history of providing education
	services, including industry certifications and job placement
	services, to adults 18 years of age and older whose educational and
	training opportunities have been limited by educational
	disadvantages, disabilities, homelessness, criminal history, or
	similar circumstances; and
	(2)  agrees to commit at least $1 million to the adult
	education program offered.
	(f)  A nonprofit entity granted a charter under this section
	may partner with a public junior college to provide career and
	technology courses that lead to industry certification.
	(g)  A person who is at least 19 years of age and not more
	than 50 years of age is eligible to enroll in the adult education
	program under this section if the person has not earned a high
	school equivalency certificate and:
	(1)  has failed to complete the curriculum requirements
	for high school graduation; or
	(2)  has failed to perform satisfactorily on an
	assessment instrument required for high school graduation.
	(h)  The nonprofit entity must include in its charter
	application the information required by Subsection (i).
	(i)  A charter granted under this section must:
	(1)  include a description of the adult education
	program to be offered under this section; and
	(2)  establish specific, objective standards for
	receiving a high school diploma, including satisfactory
	performance on the standardized secondary exit-level assessment
	instrument described by Subsection (c).
	(j)  Funding for an adult education program under this
	section is provided based on the following:
	(1)  for participants who are 26 years of age and older,
	an amount per participant from available general revenue funds
	appropriated for the pilot program equal to the statewide average
	amount of state funding per student in weighted average daily
	attendance that would be allocated under the Foundation School
	Program to an open-enrollment charter school under Section 12.106
	were the student under 26 years of age; and
	(2)  for participants who are at least 19 years of age
	and under 26 years of age, an amount per participant through the
	Foundation School Program equal to the amount of state funding per
	student in weighted average daily attendance that would be
	allocated under the Foundation School Program for the student's
	attendance at an open-enrollment charter school in accordance with
	Section 12.106.
	(k)  Sections 12.107 and 12.128 apply as though funds under
	this section were funds under Subchapter D, Chapter 12.
	(l)  Not later than December 1 of each even-numbered year,
	beginning December 1, 2016, the agency shall prepare and deliver to
	the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the house of
	representatives, and presiding officer of each standing
	legislative committee with primary jurisdiction over public
	education or economic development a report that:
	(1)  evaluates any adult education program operated
	under a charter granted under this section; and
	(2)  makes recommendations regarding the abolition,
	continuation, or expansion of the pilot program.
	(m)  The commissioner shall adopt rules necessary to
	administer the pilot program under this section.  In adopting
	rules, the commissioner may modify charter school requirements only
	to the extent necessary for the administration of a charter school
	under this section that provides for adult education.
	SECTION 5.  Section 42.003(a), Education Code, is amended to
	read as follows:
	(a)  A student is entitled to the benefits of the Foundation
	School Program if, on September 1 of the school year, the student:
	(1)  is 5 years of age or older and under 21 years of age
	and has not graduated from high school, or is at least 21 years of
	age and under 26 years of age and has been admitted by a school
	district to complete the requirements for a high school diploma; or
	(2)  is at least 19 years of age and under 26 years of
	age and is enrolled in an adult high school diploma and industry
	certification charter school pilot program under Section 29.923
	[29.259].
	SECTION 6.  (a) The heading to Subchapter H, Chapter 29,
	Education Code, is repealed.
	(b)  Sections 7.021(b)(8), 7.102(c)(17), 29.251, 29.252,
	29.255, 29.256, and 29.257, Education Code, are repealed.
	SECTION 7.  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.