HBA-MPM S.B. 576 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 576
By: Armbrister
Public Education
5/12/1999
Engrossed



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, the Texas Education Agency and school districts report campus
and district-wide class size averages.  Such averages may not provide the
public with an accurate accounting of actual class size among grade levels,
subject areas, and programs.  S.B. 576 requires school districts to report
the actual number of students enrolled per class by grade level, subject,
or special program to the Texas Education Agency, and for that information
to be included on the campus report card delivered to parents. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Subchapter D, Chapter 25, Education Code, by adding
Sections 25.113 and 25.114, as follows: 

Sec. 25.113.  REPORT TO AGENCY CONCERNING CLASS SIZE.  Requires each school
district (district) to report to the Texas Education Agency (agency) the
number of students enrolled in each class at the kindergarten level through
grade 12, by grade level, subject, and special programs, as applicable. 

Sec. 25.114.  NOTICE TO PARENTS CONCERNING CLASS SIZE.  Requires each
district to give to a parent written notice of the number of students
enrolled in each class or subject in which the parent's child is enrolled
as part of notice of the student's performance required under Section
28.022(a)(2) (Notice to Parent of Unsatisfactory Performance), Education
Code, which requires the board of trustees of each district to adopt a
policy that requires the district, at least once every 12 weeks, to give
written notice to a parent of a student's performance in each class or
subject. 

SECTION 2.  Amends Sections 39.052(b) and (c), Education Code, to require
report cards to make conforming changes. 

SECTION 3.  Makes application of this Act prospective to the 1999-2000
school year. 

SECTION 4.  Emergency clause.
  Effective date: upon passage.