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 Academic / Accountability Academies 2001 will be hosted by the Resource Center in Dallas and Houston for all Texas charters. A continental breakfast and lunch will be provided free of charge. See attached for times, dates, and registration form. The Math Workshops for grades K-2, 3-5 & 6-8 are two-day events. Please RSVP to the Resource Center at 210-348-7890 or fax the attached registration form to 210-348-7899 by Tuesday, July 10th. Babysitting services will not be provided. Please refrain from bringing any children or students to the workshops.
STATE OF THE STATE CHARTER SCHOOL MOVEMENT A document
noting the strengths of the Texas charter school movement including state
standards and assessment instruments, a brief House Bill 6 legislation outline, and
charter school support at the state level is attached.
SPECIAL EDUCATION FORMS The Education Service Center Region X
has produced a general education referral packet and a set of special education
forms. If you would like this information sent to your school please contact
Sara Murphy at the Resource Center at 210-348-7890.
TEA UPDATE
STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS The Texas Education Agency will hold
public meetings to provide information and receive public comments about
agency rule-making resulting from HB 6. These public meetings are part of
the effort to include stakeholder input in the rule-making process. Members
of the public may fax written comments to 512-463-9732. Attendees should
provide three copies of written comments. The meetings will be held in:
- DALLAS Wednesday, July 18, 2001
ESC Region X ( 972-348-1700
400 E. Spring Valley Road
4:00 p.m.- 7:00 p.m.
- AUSTIN Wednesday, July 25, 2001
Texas Education Agency ( 512-463-9575
1701 N. Congress Avenue
4:00 p.m.- 7:00 p.m.
- HOUSTON Tuesday, July 31, 2001
ESC Region IV ( 713-744-8171
7145 W. Tidwell
4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
- EDINBURG Friday, August 3, 2001
ESC Region 1 ( 956-984-6000
1900 W. Schunior
9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon
AGENDA
I. Welcome and Introductions
II. Overview of HB 6
III. Public comments and discussion to include:
- Flat funding
- Bank depository contract submission to TEA
- SBOE rules on adverse action to be repealed and adopted by the
commissioner with changes reflecting that the Administrative
Procedures Act no longer applies
- Charter property purchased or leased with state funds
- Financial, governing, and operational standards
- Standards for purchasing provisions that may be included in a charter
- Notification of legislators and districts of a new application for a charter
- Procedures to prohibit, deny renewal, suspend, or revoke a management contract
- Charter representation on Education Service Center boards
- Cooperative purchasing programs for charters
- Ten-year phase-in of previously funded charters to flat funding
- Time and manner of supplying the SBOE with information identifying governing body members and disclosing any compensation to members
- Mandatory training requirements for members of governing bodies and officers of open enrollment charter schools
- College and university charter rules implementing Subchapter E. College or University Charter School
- Performance indicators to rate districts, campuses, and charters
TEXAS
State of the State Charter School Movement
July 1, 2001
The Texas charter school movement has recently been given an A Rating by Jeanne Allen's Center for
Education Reform (CER), based on a healthy educational environment conducive to "the establishment of
highly successful charter schools." CER is pleased with our "multiple chartering authorities, full legal autonomy,
and no limit on charters." Their rating was based partly on our new Texas House Bill 6 (HB 6), which was passed
in May 2001. The strengths of the Texas charter school movement include:
Strong State Standards, Assessment Instruments, and Progress-based Accountability
- Clearly defined state academic standards: Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS)
- Current statewide assessment instrument: Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS)
- Progress-based accountability instrument, for measuring yearly progress of students, even those several years below grade level: Texas Learning Index (TLI)
- Beginning in the 2002-2003 school year, a new, more rigorous assessment instrument will be administered: Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS)
House Bill 6 legislation will become effective on September 1, 2001
- An unlimited number of charters can be granted to public colleges and universities.
- Reasonable cap of 215 on state-approved open enrollment charters.
- Creation of a new statewide issuer of charter school tax-exempt bonds to finance facilities.
- Charters are given greater access to state grant programs.
- Charter school board members are now put on an equal footing with district trustees in terms
of immunity from liability.
- Progress-based accountability pilot study, which should reveal yearly academic gains made
by charter school students, even those who are several years below grade level.
- Charter school's rights and responsibilities are clarified.
Third largest number of charter schools in the country
- Arizona 416
- California 302
- Texas 189 (165 operational state-approved + 24 locally-approved)
- Michigan 185
Rapidly-expanding charter movement
- At least 218 state and local charter schools will be operational in Texas by September 2001, serving approximately 50,000 students. Texas charters serve a student population that is 78%
minority students, compared to 57% minority students in traditional Texas public schools.
- Interviews with 24 new, Seventh Generation applicants were conducted by the State Board of
Education (SBOE) on June 28-29. New charters will be selected on July 12 -13, 2001.
- The SBOE will approve the Eighth Generation timeline in September 2001. [We are working
with several extremely strong, experienced new Eighth Generation applicants.]
- HB 6 will allow unlimited number of charters to be granted to the 35 state colleges and
universities.
- 24 locally-approved charters have been granted by Independent School Districts (ISDs)
in Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Spring Branch, and Nacogdoches. An unlimited number of
locally-approved charters may also be granted in Texas.
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