SB 149 What Does it Mean to Districts and Campuses? Sandi Whitley Program Coordinator of Effective Teaching Practices April 30, 2015 Please run this PowerPoint as a slideshow from the beginning so you can hear the audio commentary, which is an integral part of this presentation.

What exactly is the purpose of SB 149? This year’s seniors are the first cohort to graduate under the end-of-course requirements. For the school year, close to 30,000 seniors are in danger of not graduating due to not passing one or more end-of-course assessments. Only applies to the end-of-course requirements for graduation- Does not impact graduation plan or endorsements.

What does SB 149 do? Provides for an Individual Graduation Committee (IGC) to determine if a student may graduate even if that student has not passed one or two required end-of-course assessments Looks similar to SSI committees for 5 th and 8 th grade ELAR and math

So, what does the Individual Graduation Committee look like? Composed of the following: The principal, or principal designee The teacher of the course for each end-of-course assessment on which the student failed to perform satisfactorily The department chair or lead teacher supervising the teacher The student’s parent or parental relation, or a designated advocate if the parent or parental relation is unable to serve The student, if 18 years or older, or an emancipated minor For this school year only, the district shall establish procedures for appointing alternative committee members. For future school years, these procedures will be established by the Commissioner of Education.

What else do we need to know about these committee meetings? The school district must provide a translator, if available. The school district must make a good faith effort to timely notify committee participants of the time and place for convening the meeting, as well as the purpose of the meeting. This notice may be provided in person, by regular mail, or by . The notice must be clear and easy to understand. The notice must be written in English, in Spanish, or to the extent practicable, in the native language of the committee members.

So, can any senior graduate under SB 149? No. Students must also satisfy the following requirements: Complete all coursework required by the district Satisfy any other local requirements of the district If a student needs to pass more than two (2) end-of-course assessments, that student may not graduate under SB 149.

Now I’m confused… does the campus have to convene an IGC for EVERY student? No, only students that need to pass one or two end-of-course assessments. Students that have passed all five required EOCs will graduate according to existing rules.

So, is there any other way to not have to convene the IGC? If a student performs satisfactorily on the TSI in English after retaking the English I or English II EOC, the end-of-course requirement for English I and English II will be satisfied. If a student performs satisfactorily on the TSI in Mathematics after retaking the Algebra I EOC, the end-of-course requirement for Algebra I will be satisfied.

How does the committee decide if a student should graduate under SB 149? The committee may consider the following: Projects related to the subject area of the course that demonstrates proficiency in that course A portfolio of work samples in the subject area of the course, including work samples from the course, that demonstrates proficiency in that course Coursework previously completed Teacher recommendation The student’s grade in the course The student’s score on the end-of-course assessment The student’s performance on any additional requirements recommended by the committee The number of hours of remediation, including: Attendance in a college preparatory course Attendance in, and successful completion of a transitional course in reading or math The student’s school attendance rate The student’s satisfaction of any of the TSI college readiness benchmarks Successful completion of a dual credit course Successful completion of a Pre-AP, AP, IB course in English, math, science or social studies Advanced High rating on TELPAS A score of 50 or greater on a College-Level Examination Program examination Score on ACT, SAT, or ASVAB Successful completion of a sequence of CTE courses required to attain an industry-recognized credential or certificate Student’s overall preparedness for college Any other academic information designated for consideration by the school board

Ok… so now what? The committee decides if the student has met all requirements as established by the committee. If the committee is unanimous in their recommendation for graduation, the student may graduate. The decision must be unanimous and may not be appealed. If there is one (or more) dissenter, the student may NOT graduate under SB 149, and the decision may NOT be appealed. The only recourse for the student is to continue to try to pass the EOCs.

So, SB 149 says a lot, but what doesn’t it say? Does not say how many areas must be addressed by the committee Does not say who all may qualify as a principal designee Does not say the teacher must be (or has been) the teacher of that student Does not say who can serve in the teacher supervisory role if there is not a department head or lead teacher Does not say what transcripts will look like Does not explain how this data will be reported in PEIMS (only that it must be reported)

What else do we need to know? Students will still take any EOCs they have not yet passed during the May 4-8 testing window. These assessments impact accountability. Each district shall report through PEIMS the number of students for which an IGC is established who are awarded a diploma based on the decision of the IGC. The school district shall report the information required no later than Dec. 1, TEA will make this information available on the agency’s website.

What resources are available? On the Region 10 website at Sample Timeline Graduation Flowchart IGC Flowchart IGC Form Sample Text for Parent Letter (English and Spanish) Region 13 website at www4.esc13.net/cc/senate-bill-149/www4.esc13.net/cc/senate-bill-149/

Sample Timeline

Graduation Flowchart

IGC Flowchart

IGC Form

Sample Text for Parent Letter

Sample Text for Parent Letter- Spanish