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Texas Statutes (Last Updated: January 4, 2014) |
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EDUCATION CODE |
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Title 2. PUBLIC EDUCATION |
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Subtitle F. CURRICULUM, PROGRAMS, AND SERVICES |
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Chapter 28. COURSES OF STUDY; ADVANCEMENT |
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Subchapter B. ADVANCEMENT, PLACEMENT, CREDIT, AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT RECORD |
Sec. 28.025. HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA AND CERTIFICATE; ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT RECORD
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(a) The State Board of Education by rule shall determine curriculum requirements for the minimum, recommended, and advanced high school programs that are consistent with the required curriculum under Section 28.002. Subject to Subsection (b-1), the State Board of Education shall designate the specific courses in the foundation curriculum required for a student participating in the minimum, recommended, or advanced high school program. Except as provided by Subsection (b-1), the State Board of Education may not designate a specific course or a specific number of credits in the enrichment curriculum as requirements for the recommended program.
(b) A school district shall ensure that each student enrolls in the courses necessary to complete the curriculum requirements identified by the State Board of Education under Subsection (a) for the recommended or advanced high school program unless the student, the student's parent or other person standing in parental relation to the student, and a school counselor or school administrator agree in writing signed by each party that the student should be permitted to take courses under the minimum high school program and the student:
(1) is at least 16 years of age;
(2) has completed two credits required for graduation in each subject of the foundation curriculum under Section 28.002(a)(1); or
(3) has failed to be promoted to the tenth grade one or more times as determined by the school district.
(b-1) The State Board of Education by rule shall require that:
(1) except as provided by Subsection (b-2), the curriculum requirements for the recommended and advanced high school programs under Subsection (a) include a requirement that students successfully complete:
(A) four credits in each subject of the foundation curriculum under Section 28.002(a)(1), including at least one-half credit in government and at least one-half credit in economics to meet the social studies requirement;
(B) for the recommended high school program, two credits in the same language in a language other than English under Section 28.002(a)(2)(A) and, for the advanced high school program, three credits in the same language in a language other than English under Section 28.002(a)(2)(A); and
(C) for the recommended high school program, six elective credits and, for the advanced high school program, five elective credits;
(2) one or more credits offered in the required curriculum for the recommended and advanced high school programs include a research writing component; and
(3) the curriculum requirements for the minimum, recommended, and advanced high school programs under Subsection (a) include a requirement that students successfully complete:
(A) one credit in fine arts under Section 28.002(a)(2)(D); and
(B) except as provided by Subsection (b-11), one credit in physical education under Section 28.002(a)(2)(C).
(b-2) In adopting rules under Subsection (b-1), the State Board of Education shall allow a student to comply with the curriculum requirements for a mathematics course under Subsection (b-1)(1) taken after the successful completion of Algebra I and geometry and either after the successful completion of or concurrently with Algebra II or a science course under Subsection (b-1)(1) taken after the successful completion of biology and chemistry and either after the successful completion of or concurrently with physics by successfully completing an advanced career and technical course designated by the State Board of Education as containing substantively similar and rigorous academic content. A student may use the option provided by this subsection for not more than two courses.
(b-3) In adopting rules to provide students with the option described by Subsection (b-1)(1)(A), the State Board of Education must approve a variety of mathematics and science courses that may be taken after the completion of Algebra II and physics to comply with the recommended program requirements.
(b-4) A school district may offer the curriculum described in Subsection (b-1)(1)(A) in an applied manner. Courses delivered in an applied manner must cover the essential knowledge and skills, and the student shall be administered the applicable end-of-course assessment instrument as provided by Sections 39.023(c) and 39.025.
(b-5) A school district may offer a mathematics or science course to be taken by a student after completion of Algebra II and physics to comply with the recommended program requirements in Subsection (b-1)(1)(A). A course approved under this subsection must be endorsed by an institution of higher education as a course for which the institution would award course credit or as a prerequisite for a course for which the institution would award course credit.
(b-6) Before a student's parent or other person standing in parental relation to the student may agree that the student be permitted to take courses under the minimum high school program as provided by Subsection (b), a school district must provide written notice to the parent or person standing in parental relation explaining the benefits of the recommended high school program. The notice shall be developed by the agency and must:
(1) be printed in English and Spanish; and
(2) require that the student's parent or person standing in parental relation to the student sign a confirmation of receipt and return the confirmation to the student's campus.
(b-7) The State Board of Education, in coordination with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, shall adopt rules to ensure that a student may comply with the curriculum requirements under the minimum, recommended, or advanced high school program for each subject of the foundation curriculum under Section 28.002(a)(1) and for languages other than English under Section 28.002(a)(2)(A) by successfully completing appropriate courses in the core curriculum of an institution of higher education under Section 61.822.
(b-8) A student agreeing to take courses under the minimum high school program as provided by Subsection (b) may, upon request, resume taking courses under the recommended high school program.
(b-9) The agency shall establish a pilot program allowing a student attending school in a county with a population of more than one million and in which more than 75 percent of the population resides in a single municipality to satisfy the fine arts credit required under Subsection (b-1)(3)(A) by participating in a fine arts program not provided by the school district in which the student is enrolled. The fine arts program may be provided on or off a school campus and outside the regular school day. Not later than December 1, 2010, the agency shall provide to the legislature a report regarding the pilot program, including the feasibility of expanding the pilot program statewide.
(b-10) A school district, with the approval of the commissioner, may allow a student to comply with the curriculum requirements for the physical education credit required under Subsection (b-1)(3)(B) by participating in a private or commercially sponsored physical activity program provided on or off a school campus and outside the regular school day.
(b-11) In adopting rules under Subsection (b-1), the State Board of Education shall allow a student who is unable to participate in physical activity due to disability or illness to substitute one credit in English language arts, mathematics, science, or social studies or one academic elective credit for the physical education credit required under Subsection (b-1)(3)(B). A credit allowed to be substituted under this subsection may not also be used by the student to satisfy a graduation requirement other than completion of the physical education credit. The rules must provide that the determination regarding a student's ability to participate in physical activity will be made by:
(1) if the student receives special education services under Subchapter A, Chapter 29, the student's admission, review, and dismissal committee;
(2) if the student does not receive special education services under Subchapter A, Chapter 29, but is covered by Section 504, Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. Section 794), the committee established for the student under that Act; or
(3) if each of the committees described by Subdivisions (1) and (2) is inapplicable, a committee established by the school district of persons with appropriate knowledge regarding the student.
(c) A person may receive a diploma if the person is eligible for a diploma under Section 28.0251. In other cases, a student may graduate and receive a diploma only if:
(1) the student successfully completes the curriculum requirements identified by the State Board of Education under Subsection (a) and complies with Section 39.025; or
(2) the student successfully completes an individualized education program developed under Section 29.005.
(d) A school district may issue a certificate of coursework completion to a student who successfully completes the curriculum requirements identified by the State Board of Education under Subsection (a) but who fails to comply with Section 39.025. A school district may allow a student who receives a certificate to participate in a graduation ceremony with students receiving high school diplomas.
(e) Each school district shall report the academic achievement record of students who have completed a minimum, recommended, or advanced high school program on transcript forms adopted by the State Board of Education. The transcript forms adopted by the board must be designed to clearly differentiate between each of the high school programs and identify whether a student received a diploma or a certificate of coursework completion.
(f) A school district shall issue a certificate of attendance to a student who receives special education services under Subchapter A, Chapter 29, and who has completed four years of high school but has not completed the student's individualized education program. A school district shall allow a student who receives a certificate to participate in a graduation ceremony with students receiving high school diplomas. A student may participate in only one graduation ceremony under this subsection. This subsection does not preclude a student from receiving a diploma under Subsection (c)(2).
(g) If a student, other than a student permitted to take courses under the minimum high school program as provided by Subsection (b), is unable to complete the recommended or advanced high school program solely because necessary courses were unavailable to the student at the appropriate times in the student's high school career as a result of course scheduling, lack of enrollment capacity, or another cause not within the student's control, the school district shall indicate that fact on the student's transcript form described by Subsection (e).
(g-1) Expired.