NINETEENTH CONGRESS                  )
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES    )
First Regular session                           )
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
RECEIVED
DATE:
CT03
TIME..iiap    .i)
Introduced b
resentative Rufus 8.
I House Bill NOE  jdi 0
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Article 15, Section  1  of the  1987 Philippine Constitution provides:
"The State shall protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality
education   at  all   levels   and   shall  take   appropriate   steps  to   make   such
education accessible to all."
Recent  studies  have  shown  that  the  quality  and   rigor  of  the  secondary  school
program of study is the most effective predictor of success in post-secondary education.
Unfortunately,  most high school  institutions in the country are ill-equipped to provide
relevant and quality education.
Students will have to complete the extra education to qualify for university.
Hence, this bill seeks to structure reforms in secondary education in order to provide
students with effective schools that -
a)   have high academic and behavioral standards for their students;
b)   clearly  communicate  standards  and   provide  students  with  the  necessary
support and opportunities to meet those standards;
c)   connect students to adults in meaningful ways;
d)   connect students to possible futures in college and the workforce; and
e)   provide families with useful information about how their children are doing and
about their futures.


NINETEENTH CONGRESS                  )
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES    )
First Regular session                           )
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Introduced by Representative Rufus a. Rodriguez
House Bill No.  EH0
AN ACT
INTRODUCING  EDUCATIONAL  REFORMS  AND  SUPPORTING  THE  PLANNING  AND
IMPLEMENTATION OF EDUCATIONAL REFORMS IN SECONDARY INSTITUTIONS
Be it ep?ct.ed  by the Senate and  House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled:
SECTION 1. SAch 77.I/e, -This Act shall be known as the "H/.gA-Schoo/ Reform Act."
SEC. 2. Purposes. - The purposes of this Act are to -
1)   support  the  planning  and  implementation  of  educational  reforms  in  high  schools,
particularly  in  urban  and  rural  high  schools  that  educate  students  from  low-income
families,  in order to help students at risk of failing to meet challenging  standards,  by
strengthening  curriculum  and   instruction,   offering  extended   learning  opportunities
and providing professional development opportunities to school staff,
2)   support the further development of educational reforms, designed specifically for high
schools, that -
a.    help students meet challenging standards; and
b.    increase connections between students and adults and provide safe learning
environments.
3)   create  positive incentives for serious change in  high schools,  by offering  rewards to
participating  schools that achieve significant improvements  in   student achievement;
and
4)   increase the national  knowledge base on effective high school reforms by identifying
the  most effective  approaches  and  disseminating  information  on  those  approaches
so that they can be adopted nationally.
SEC.  3.  Comprehensi.ve  Reforms  Program.  -  The  Secretary  of  Education,  hereinafter
referred  to  as  the  Secretary  through  the  use  of  appropriated  funds,  shall  develop  and
innovate   a   comprehensive   reforms   program   to   be   applied   to   all   secondary   schools
nationwide,   that   shall   critically   assess   and   evaluate   existing   curricula,   programs   and
activities,  ensuring  that  the  same  are  in  conformity  with  the  principles  and  components
provided in Section 4.
SEC. 4. Principles and Components of Educational Reforms -
(a)  Prr`nci.p/es.  -  Each  high  school,  through  the  supervision  of the  Secretary,  shall
ensure that the reforms to be adopted are designed so that each assisted high school -
(1 ) is a place where students receive individual attention and support, through
such  strategies as  creating  smaller learning  environments,  such as "schools
within schools" and career academies and providing students with counselors
and mentors;
(2)  provides  all  students  in  the  school  with  challenging  coursework,  aligned
with content and  performance standards, through such strategies as the use
of  technology  to  enhance  academic  instruction  and  the  establishment  or


expansion  of  international  baccalaureate  programs  or  advanced  placement
programs;
(3) is a place where students are motivated to learn, through such strategies
as applied  learning and  linking the arts,  music and  cultural opportunities with
the school, both during and after the normal school day;
(4)   enables   students   to   receive   an   education   that   is   continuous   and
integrated,  through such strategies as partnerships with  institutions of higher
education;
(5)  helps students achieve their educational  and  career goals,  through  such
strategies  as  integrated  academic  and  vocational  instruction  that  connects
students with career opportunities; and
(6)  functions  as  a  center  for  the  community,  through  such  strategies  as
increasing   the    involvement   of   parents,    employers   and    others    in   the
community.
(b)  Requi.red  Components.  -  ln  order  to  institutionalize  the  principles  described  in
subsection  (a),  the  Secretary of Education  shall  appropriate funds  to  implement  research-
based   educational   reform   strategies  for  eventual   implementation   throughout  the  entire
school that -
1.               in  the  case  of a  school  with  a  school  wide  program,  build  on
and improve the school wide reform program;
2.              address the  needs of students who are at risk of failing  to  be
promoted to the next grade or to graduate, including -
a)   covering material that students need to master in order
to pass mandated entrance exams; and
b)   strengthening  curriculum,  instruction  and  assessments
and by offering extended learning opportunities such as
after school, weekend and summer programs;
make  full  and  effective  use  of  the  resources  that  the  school
receives under other programs of the department;
4.              make  use  of outside  experts  in  high  school  reform,  unless  it
can  be  shown  to  the  satisfaction  of the  Secretary,  that the  school's
reform   strategy   can   be   implemented   effectively   without   outside
assistance;
5.               include   professional   development   of  school   staff,   including
development  of  the  skills  needed  to  use  student  achievement  and
other  outcome  data  to  refine  and   improve  the  educational  reform
strategy; and
provide for collecting data on, and evaluating, the reforms and
for reporting to the Secretary on the results of those evaluations.
SE!C. 5, Additional Activities -
(1)  The  Secretary  may  select  a  random  sample  of  schools  to  participate  in  an
incentive-based   experiment,   under  which   the   Secretary   makes   incentive   payments   to
teachers  and  administrators  in  the  grantee  schools  if,  after  three  (3)  years  of  program
participation, their students demonstrate significant gains in student educational outcomes.
(2) The Secretary may -
(a)  recognize  high  schools  and  high  school  reforms  that  show  outstanding
results;
(b) disseminate information on those schools and reforms;
(c)   carry  out  other  activities   to   encourage  the   spread   and   adoption   of
successful high school reform strategies;


(d)  facilitate  the  creation  of  networks  among  participating  schools  and  local
educational  agencies,  which  may  include  schools  and  local  educational  agencies
interested in meeting the purpose of this part; and
(e) pay the costs of the peer review of applications under this part.
(3) The Secretary may reserve funds to evaluate activities carried out under this  Act.
SEC 6. Fund/.ng, - For the purpose of carrying out this Act, the appropriation of such amount
as may be necessary is hereby authorized.
SEC   7.   SaparabJ.//.fy   C/ause.   -   If   any   provision   or   part   hereof,   is   held   invalid   or
unconstitutional,  the  remainder  of  the  law  or  the  provision  not  otherwise  affected  shall
remain valid and subsisting.
SEC.  8.  Repea//-ng  C/ause.  -  Any  law,  presidential  decree  or  issuance,  executive  order,
letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to or inconsistent with the
provision of this Act is hereby repealed, modified or amended accordingly.
SEC. 9. Effecti'vi.fy C/ause. -This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication
in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.
Approved,