Source: http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter097/ch097ee.html
Timestamp: 2019-04-24 18:36:34+00:00

Document:
(C) individuals who have knowledge or expertise in the field of education.
(2) Board of trustees--The definition of this term includes a governing body of a charter holder as defined by TEC, §12.1012.
(3) Campus--An organizational unit operated by the school district that is eligible to receive a campus performance rating in the state accountability rating system under §97.1001 of this title (relating to Accountability Rating System), including a rating of Not Rated or Not Rated: Data Integrity Issues. The definition of this term includes a charter school campus as defined by §100.1001(3)(C) of this title (relating to Definitions).
(4) Campus turnaround--A comprehensive change in an academically unacceptable campus that produces significant and sustainable gains in achievement within two years. For the purposes of this chapter, the term "academically unacceptable" performance means a rating of Academically Unacceptable, AEA: Academically Unacceptable, Improvement Required, or Unacceptable Performance or as otherwise indicated in the applicable year's academic accountability manual.
(5) Charter school--This term has the meaning assigned by §100.1001(3) of this title. References to a charter school in TEC, Chapters 39 and 39A, and rules adopted under it, shall mean either the board of trustees or the school district, as appropriate.
(6) Charter school site--This term has the meaning assigned by §100.1001(3)(D) of this title.
(7) District coordinator of school improvement (DCSI)--An employee of a school district in a leadership position in school improvement, in curriculum and instruction, or in another position with responsibility for student performance.
(8) Newspaper of general circulation--A newspaper, as defined in Texas Government Code, §2051.044, that has more than a minimum number of subscribers among a particular geographic region, that has a diverse subscribership, and that publishes some news items of general interest to the community.
(9) Person--This term has the meaning assigned by the Code Construction Act, Government Code, §311.005(2), and includes a school district.
(10) Professional service provider (PSP)-- An approved service provider who has been vetted through an application or a request for qualifications (RFQ) process to provide on-site technical assistance for underperforming schools and districts either by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) or the TEA's technical assistance provider.
(11) Root cause--The education-related factors resulting in a campus's low performance and lack of progress.
(12) School district and district--The definition of these terms includes a charter operator, which is the same as a charter holder as defined by TEC, §12.1012.
Statutory Authority: The provisions of this §97.1051 issued under the Texas Education Code, §§39.051, 39.057, 39.102, 39A.001-39A.007, 39A.051-39A.063, 39A.101-39A.115, 39A.151-39A.161, 39A.201-39A.209, 39A.251-39A.260, 39A.301, and 39A.901-39A.907.
Source: The provisions of this §97.1051 adopted to be effective January 6, 2008, 33 TexReg 150; amended to be effective November 23, 2008, 33 TexReg 9462; amended to be effective July 28, 2010, 35 TexReg 6523; amended to be effective February 5, 2015, 40 TexReg 437; amended to be effective November 17, 2016, 41 TexReg 9012; amended to be effective January 28, 2018, 43 TexReg 452.
(5) improve the Texas public school system by eliminating poor academic, fiscal, and compliance performance by districts and campuses on the standards listed in §97.1059 of this title.
(2) when determining accreditation sanctions under this subchapter, the commissioner shall consider the entire ratings history of the district and its campuses to the extent it is material.
(c) The provisions of TEC, Chapters 39 and 39A, and this subchapter apply in the same manner to an open-enrollment charter school as to a district.
Statutory Authority: The provisions of this §97.1053 issued under the Texas Education Code, §§39.051, 39.057, 39.102, 39A.001-39A.007, 39A.051-39A.063, 39A.101-39A.115, 39A.151-39A.161, 39A.201-39A.209, 39A.251-39A.260, 39A.301, and 39A.901-39A.907.
Source: The provisions of this §97.1053 adopted to be effective January 6, 2008, 33 TexReg 150; amended to be effective November 23, 2008, 33 TexReg 9462; amended to be effective July 28, 2010, 35 TexReg 6523; amended to be effective February 5, 2015, 40 TexReg 437; amended to be effective January 28, 2018, 43 TexReg 452.
(1) Each year, the commissioner of education shall assign to each school district an accreditation status under Texas Education Code (TEC), §39.052(b) and (c). Each district shall be assigned a status defined as follows.
(ii) is not currently assigned an accreditation status of Accredited-Warned or Accredited-Probation.
(B) Accredited-Warned. Accredited-Warned means the district exhibits deficiencies in performance, as specified in subsection (b) of this section, that, if not addressed, will lead to probation or revocation of its accreditation status.
(C) Accredited-Probation. Accredited-Probation means the district exhibits deficiencies in performance, as specified in subsection (c) of this section, that must be addressed to avoid revocation of its accreditation status.
(D) Not Accredited-Revoked. Not Accredited-Revoked means the TEA does not recognize the district as a Texas public school because the district's performance has failed to meet standards adopted by the commissioner under TEC, §39.052(b) and (c), and specified in subsection (d) of this section.
(2) The commissioner shall assign the accreditation status, as defined by this section, based on the performance of each school district. This section shall be construed and applied to achieve the purposes of TEC, §39.051 and §39.052, which are specified in §97.1053(a) of this title (relating to Purpose).
(B) encourage other districts to improve their performance so as to retain their accreditation.
(4) Unless revised as a result of investigative activities by the commissioner as authorized under TEC, Chapter 39 or 39A, or other law, an accreditation status remains in effect until replaced by an accreditation status assigned for the next school year. An accreditation status shall be revised within the school year when circumstances require such revision in order to achieve the purposes specified in §97.1053(a) of this title.
(C) applicable to the accreditation status under review.
(6) An accreditation status may be withheld pending completion of on-site or other investigative activities in order to achieve the purposes specified in §97.1053(a) of this title.
(7) The commissioner may withhold the assignment of an accreditation status to an open-enrollment charter school that is subject to TEC, §12.115(c) or §12.1141(d), or has otherwise surrendered its charter.
(8) An accreditation status may be raised or lowered based on the district's performance or may be lowered based on the performance of one or more campuses in the district that is below a standard required under this chapter or other applicable law.
(9) For purposes of determining multiple years of academically unacceptable or insufficient performance, the academic accountability ratings issued for the 2010-2011 school year and for the 2012-2013 school year are consecutive. An accreditation status assigned for the 2012-2013 school year shall be based on assigned academic accountability ratings for the applicable prior school years, as determined under subsections (b)-(d) of this section.
(10) If a lowered accreditation status is assigned and a sanction is imposed, the subsequent issuance of a new accreditation status does not affect the commissioner's authority to proceed with the previously imposed sanction.
(11) Accreditation statuses are consecutive if they are not separated by an accreditation period in which the TEA assigned accreditation statuses to districts and charter schools generally. For example, if TEA does not assign accreditation statuses to districts and charter schools generally for the 2012-2013 school year, then the accreditation statuses issued for the 2011-2012 school year and for the 2013-2014 school year are consecutive.
(b) Determination of Accredited-Warned status.
(D) for one school year, a combination of ratings referenced in both subparagraphs (A) and (B) of this paragraph.
(ii) the district otherwise exhibits serious or persistent deficiencies that, if not addressed, may lead to probation or revocation of the district's accreditation.
(3) Notwithstanding paragraph (2) of this subsection, a district shall be assigned Accredited-Warned status if the commissioner determines this action is reasonably necessary to achieve the purposes of TEC, §39.051 and §39.052.
(c) Determination of Accredited-Probation status.
(D) for two consecutive school years, a combination of ratings referenced in both subparagraphs (A) and (B) of this paragraph.
(ii) the district otherwise exhibits serious or persistent deficiencies that, if not addressed, may lead to revocation of the district's accreditation.
(3) Notwithstanding paragraph (2) of this subsection, a district shall be assigned Accredited-Probation status if the commissioner determines this action is reasonably necessary to achieve the purposes of TEC, §39.051 and §39.052.
(d) Determination of Not Accredited-Revoked status; Revocation of accreditation.
(D) for three consecutive school years, a combination of ratings referenced in both subparagraphs (A) and (B) of this paragraph.
(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1) of this subsection, the commissioner may abate the assignment of a Not Accredited-Revoked status, issue another accreditation status, or elect to appoint a board of managers to govern the district in lieu of revoking the district's accreditation if the commissioner determines that revocation of the district's accreditation is not reasonably necessary to achieve the purposes of TEC, §39.051 and §39.052.
(3) Notwithstanding this section, if the commissioner appoints a board of managers under paragraph (2) of this subsection or as a result of a special accreditation investigation, the commissioner shall assign the district accreditation statuses during the period of the appointment of the board of managers as follows.
(A) In the school year following the appointment of the board of managers, the commissioner shall assign the district an accreditation status of Accredited.
(B) In the school years following the issuance of the accreditation rating under subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, the commissioner shall assign the accreditation status as provided by subsections (a)-(d) of this section. However, the commissioner shall not consider any academic rating that was issued for a school year in which the district was operated, in whole or in part, by the suspended board of trustees. The commissioner shall also not consider any financial accountability rating that was issued based on financial data from a fiscal year in which the district was operated, in whole or in part, by the suspended board of trustees. Notwithstanding this provision, the commissioner may consider academic or financial ratings attributable to performance that occurred in a school year in which the district was operated, in whole or in part, by the suspended board of trustees if the commissioner, in his sole discretion, determines such consideration is necessary to achieve the purposes of TEC, §39.051 and §39.052.
(C) For any district subject to this paragraph, the commissioner may lower the district's accreditation rating to Not Accredited-Revoked at any time if the commissioner determines that the district is not making acceptable progress to correct its academic or financial performance and that closure and annexation is necessary to achieve the purposes of TEC, §39.051 and §39.052, unless the district has earned an Accredited status absent the application of subparagraph (A) or (B) of this paragraph.
(D) For purposes of this subsection, the period of appointment of the board of managers includes any school year in which any member of the board of managers serves, including the school year during which the appointment of the board of managers expires.
(ii) the district otherwise exhibits serious or persistent deficiencies that require revocation of the district's accreditation.
(5) Notwithstanding paragraph (2) of this subsection, a district's accreditation shall be revoked if the commissioner determines this action is reasonably necessary to achieve the purposes of TEC, §39.051 and §39.052.
(6) The commissioner's decision to revoke a district's accreditation may be reviewed under Chapter 157, Subchapter EE, of this title (relating to Informal Review, Formal Review, and Review by State Office of Administrative Hearings). If, after review, the decision is sustained, the commissioner shall appoint a management team or board of managers to bring to closure the district's operation of the public school.
(7) Issuance of an accreditation status of Not Accredited-Revoked does not invalidate a diploma awarded, course credit earned, or grade promotion granted by a school district before the effective date of the annexation of the district.
(3) shall lower the status assigned and/or impose additional accreditation sanctions as necessary to achieve compliance with the statutes and rules specified in TEC, §39.052(b)(2).
(f) Required notification of Accredited-Warned, Accredited-Probation, or Not Accredited-Revoked status.
(1) A district assigned an accreditation status of Accredited-Warned, Accredited-Probation, or Not Accredited-Revoked shall notify the parents of students enrolled in the district and property owners in the district as specified by this subsection.
(2) The district's notice must contain information about the accreditation status, the implications of such status, and the steps the district is taking to address the areas of deficiency identified by the commissioner. The district's notice shall use the format and language determined by the commissioner.
(D) not later than 30 calendar days after the status is assigned, be presented as a discussion item in a public meeting of the board of trustees conducted at a time and location that allows parents of students enrolled in the district and property owners in the district to attend and provide public comment.
(D) copies of the notice required by paragraph (3)(D) of this subsection and copies of the board of trustees meeting notice and minutes for the board meeting in which the notice was presented and publicly discussed.
Statutory Authority: The provisions of this §97.1055 issued under the Texas Education Code, §§39.051, 39.052, 39.056-39.058, 39.0823, and 39.102-39.115.
Source: The provisions of this §97.1055 adopted to be effective January 6, 2008, 33 TexReg 150; amended to be effective November 23, 2008, 33 TexReg 9462; amended to be effective July 28, 2010, 35 TexReg 6523; amended to be effective February 5, 2015, 40 TexReg 437; amended to be effective November 17, 2016, 41 TexReg 9012; amended to be effective October 18, 2018, 43 TexReg 6833.
§97.1057. Interventions and Sanctions; Lowered Rating or Accreditation Status.
(a) The provisions of Texas Education Code (TEC), Chapters 39 and 39A, and this subchapter shall be construed and applied to achieve the purposes of accreditation sanctions, which are specified in §97.1053 of this title (relating to Purpose).
(b) If the commissioner of education finds that a district or campus does not satisfy the accreditation criteria under TEC, §39.051 and §39.052, the academic performance standards under TEC, §39.054, or any financial accountability standard as determined by the commissioner, the commissioner may lower the district's accreditation status, academic accountability rating, or financial accountability rating, as applicable, and take appropriate action under this subchapter.
(c) Regardless of whether the commissioner lowers a district's status or rating under subsection (b) of this section, the commissioner may take action under TEC, Chapters 39 and 39A, or this section if the commissioner determines that the action is necessary to improve any area of performance by the district or campus.
(d) Regardless of whether a district has satisfied the accreditation criteria, if for two consecutive school years, including the current school year, a district has had a conservator or management team assigned, the commissioner may appoint a board of managers, a majority of whom must be residents of the district, to exercise the powers and duties of the board of trustees. For purposes of this subsection, a school year begins on the first day of instruction and includes any portion of the school year.
(e) Subject to subsections (h)-(k) of this section, once the commissioner takes action under this subchapter, the commissioner may impose on the district or campus any other sanction under TEC, Chapter 39 or 39A, or this subchapter, singly or in combination, to the extent the commissioner determines is reasonably required to achieve the purposes specified in §97.1053 of this title.
(4) inability to implement effective change to improve the performance of students in the district or at the campus.
(g) In determining whether to impose a particular sanction under TEC, Chapters 39 and 39A, or this subchapter based on resource allocation practices as authorized by TEC, §39.0821 and §39.057(a)(12), (d), and (e), the commissioner shall consider the factors specified in §97.1053 of this title.
(h) The commissioner shall notify the school district or open-enrollment charter school in writing of a sanction imposed under this subchapter or §100.1023 of this title (relating to Intervention Based on Charter Violations). The notice must state the basis for finding that the district or open-enrollment charter school does not satisfy the applicable criteria as indicated in this subchapter or §100.1023 of this title. The finding(s) may be made in the notice or in a final investigative report or based on a final investigative report.
(i) If a finding is made for the first time in the notice required by subsection (h) of this section, the Texas Education Agency shall comply with Chapter 157, Subchapter EE, Division 1, of this title (relating to Informal Review) with respect to the new finding.
(j) A determination under this section must be made in writing and may be included in a written notice under subsection (h) of this section. The determination may be made in the notice or in a final investigative report or based on a final investigative report. A determination under this section may be based on a report on the progress of a prior action under this subchapter.
(k) The commissioner shall annually review a sanction imposed under subsection (h) of this section and shall increase the sanction, as required by TEC, §39A.901. The commissioner shall quarterly review the need for a conservator or a management team imposed under this subchapter, as required by TEC, §39A.003. If reviews are required under both TEC, §39A.901 and §39A.003, a quarterly review under TEC, §39A.003, may satisfy the annual review under TEC, §39A.901. An annual or quarterly review is not subject to the requirements of this section.
Statutory Authority: The provisions of this §97.1057 issued under the Texas Education Code, §§39.051, 39.057, 39.102, 39A.001-39A.007, 39A.051-39A.063, 39A.101-39A.115, 39A.151-39A.161, 39A.201-39A.209, 39A.251-39A.260, 39A.301, and 39A.901-39A.907.
Source: The provisions of this §97.1057 adopted to be effective January 6, 2008, 33 TexReg 150; amended to be effective July 28, 2010, 35 TexReg 6523; amended to be effective February 5, 2015, 40 TexReg 437; amended to be effective January 28, 2018, 43 TexReg 452.
§97.1059. Standards for All Accreditation Sanction Determinations.
(a) The commissioner of education shall impose district and campus accreditation sanctions under this subchapter individually or in combination as the commissioner determines necessary to achieve the purposes identified in §97.1053 of this title (relating to Purpose).
(H) other information related to subparagraphs (A)-(G) of this paragraph.
(4) any substantial or imminent harm presented by the deficiencies of the district or campus to the welfare of its students or to the public interest.
(c) If the commissioner identifies a district and one or more of its campuses for accreditation sanction under subsection (a) of this section, the commissioner may elect to combine activities to be undertaken at the district and campus levels as needed to achieve the purposes of each sanction.
(d) When making any campus-level determination under this subchapter, the commissioner shall also consider the district-level performance of the district on applicable academic, fiscal, and compliance standards.
(e) The commissioner must review at least annually the performance of a district for which the accreditation status or academic accountability rating has been lowered due to insufficient student performance and may not raise the accreditation status or rating until the district has demonstrated improved student performance. If the review reveals a lack of improvement, the commissioner shall increase the level of state intervention and sanction unless the commissioner finds good cause for maintaining the current status.
Statutory Authority: The provisions of this §97.1059 issued under the Texas Education Code, §§39.051, 39.057, 39.102, 39A.001-39A.007, 39A.051-39A.063, 39A.101-39A.115, 39A.151-39A.161, 39A.201-39A.209, 39A.251-39A.260, 39A.301, and 39A.901-39A.907.
Source: The provisions of this §97.1059 adopted to be effective January 6, 2008, 33 TexReg 150; amended to be effective July 28, 2010, 35 TexReg 6523; amended to be effective February 5, 2015, 40 TexReg 437; amended to be effective November 17, 2016, 41 TexReg 9012; amended to be effective January 28, 2018, 43 TexReg 452.
§97.1061. Interventions and Sanctions for Campuses.
(a) If a campus's performance is below any standard under Texas Education Code (TEC), §39.054(e), the campus shall engage in the Texas Accountability Intervention System (TAIS) continuous improvement process.
(b) The commissioner shall assign members to a campus intervention team (CIT) as outlined in §97.1063 of this title (relating to Campus Intervention Team) and TEC, §39.106.
(c) The campus shall establish a campus leadership team (CLT) that includes the campus principal and other campus leaders responsible for the development, implementation, and monitoring of the targeted improvement plan.
(2) conduct a needs assessment based on the results of the data analysis, as follows.
(A) The needs assessment shall include a root cause analysis.
(3) assist in the creation of a targeted improvement plan, as follows.
(A) Input must be gathered from the principal; campus-level committee established under TEC, §11.251; parents; and community members, prior to the development of the targeted improvement plan, using the following steps.
(i) The campus must hold a public meeting at the campus. The campus shall take reasonable steps to conduct the meeting at a time and in a manner that would allow a majority of stakeholders to attend and participate. The campus may hold more than one meeting if necessary.
(ii) The public must be notified of the meeting 15 days prior to the meeting by way of the district and campus website, local newspapers or other media that reach the general public, and the parent liaison, if present on the campus.
(iii) All input provided by family and community members should be considered in the development of the final targeted improvement plan submitted to the Texas Education Agency (TEA).
(B) The completed targeted improvement plan must be presented at a public hearing and approved by the board of trustees.
(B) data demonstrating the results of interventions from the targeted improvement plan.
(e) If a campus is assigned an unacceptable rating under TEC, §39.054(e), for a second consecutive year, the campus must engage in the processes outlined in subsections (a), (b), (c), and (d) of this section, and the campus must develop a campus turnaround plan to be approved by the commissioner as described in §97.1064 of this title (relating to Campus Turnaround Plan).
(f) If a campus is assigned an unacceptable rating under TEC, §39.054(e), for a third or fourth consecutive year, the campus must engage in the processes outlined in subsections (a), (b), (c), and (d) of this section, and the campus must implement the commissioner-approved campus turnaround plan as described in §97.1064 of this title (relating to Campus Turnaround Plan).
(g) If a campus is assigned an unacceptable rating under TEC, §39.054(e), for a fifth consecutive year, the commissioner shall order the appointment of a board of managers to govern the district or closure of the campus.
(2) the campus that developed a turnaround plan may modify that plan as described in §97.1064 of this title.
(i) Based on a campus's progress toward improvement, the commissioner may order a hearing if a campus's performance is below any standard under TEC, §39.054(e).
(j) Interventions and sanctions listed under this section begin upon release of preliminary ratings and may be adjusted based on final accountability ratings.
Statutory Authority: The provisions of this §97.1061 issued under the Texas Education Code, §§39.052, 39.056, 39.104, 39.106, 39.107, 39.109, and 39.112.
Source: The provisions of this §97.1061 adopted to be effective November 17, 2016, 41 TexReg 9012.
§97.1062. Applicability of Intervention Pause under District Partnerships or Mathematics Innovation Zones.
(a) A campus under this section does not include a campus of an open-enrollment charter school unless specifically indicated when applying an intervention pause under Texas Education Code (TEC), §11.174. A campus under this section includes a campus of an open-enrollment charter school when applying an intervention pause under TEC, §28.020.
(b) A campus shall not qualify for an intervention pause pursuant to TEC, §11.174(f), unless during the school year prior to the operation of a partnership as provided by §97.1077(a) of this title (relating to School Year Under Contract to Operate a District Campus), the campus received an unacceptable performance rating, except as provided by §97.1077(e) of this title.
(c) A campus that qualifies for an intervention pause pursuant to TEC, §28.020(c), starting with the school year for which the campus received an unacceptable performance rating that followed a school year for which the campus received an acceptable rating, will be subject to any intervention arising from the first unacceptable performance rating and, subject to the campus remaining eligible for the intervention pause, will be provided a one-year intervention pause for interventions that arise from a second consecutive year of unacceptable performance ratings.
(d) The Texas Education Agency (TEA) will not withdraw or postpone issuing any orders or determinations required or authorized that arise due to the performance rating from the school year prior to the school year in which the campus qualifies for the intervention pause, and any order or determination will resume upon expiration of the intervention pause under subsection (e) of this section.
(2) designation as a mathematics innovation zone under TEC, §28.020, and applicable rules.
(f) Any intervention or sanction not covered by subsection (e) of this section shall continue.
(g) If a campus ceases to qualify for the intervention pause at any point during a school year, the TEA will resume previously ordered interventions and sanctions, order interventions and sanctions based on the rating from that school year, and count that rating for purposes of consecutive years of performance.
(h) The TEA will not pursue interventions under TEC, §§39A.101-39A.109 and 39A.111, for a campus eligible for an intervention pause if one of the school years eligible for an intervention pause results in an acceptable or higher overall rating.
(i) If, after the expiration of the intervention pause, a campus receives an unacceptable rating, the TEA will apply the requisite interventions that apply to the consecutive year that corresponds to the campus's actual number of consecutive years of unacceptable performance minus the number of intervention pause years and, if applicable, accounting for the modification under subsection (c) of this section.
(j) If a campus qualifies for an intervention pause for a school year after the conclusion of the school year in which an order is authorized under TEC, §39A.111, the intervention under TEC, §39A.111, will not pause.
(k) A campus that receives an intervention pause will still receive an accountability rating for that school year.
(l) Performance of students at a campus that receives an intervention pause shall be considered in the accountability rating of the school district or the open-enrollment charter school, and the application of an intervention pause to a campus shall not pause or alter any intervention applicable to the school district, open-enrollment charter school, or other campuses.
(m) A determination under this section that arises from the application of TEC, §28.020, is final and may not be appealed.
(n) The provisions of this subsection expire on September 1, 2023. A partial school year that results in an intervention pause under §97.1077(b) or (c) of this title constitutes one full year of a pause.
Statutory Authority: The provisions of this §97.1062 issued under the Texas Education Code, §§11.174, 28.020, 39.001, and 39A.115.
Source: The provisions of this §97.1062 adopted to be effective November 18, 2018, 43 TexReg 7459.
(a) The campus intervention team (CIT) shall perform the duties outlined in Texas Education Code (TEC), §39.106 and §39.107, and oversee the activities outlined in §97.1061(a) of this title (relating to Interventions and Sanctions for Campuses) and §97.1064 of this title (relating to Campus Turnaround Plan).
(2) a district coordinator of school improvement (DCSI). The DCSI must submit qualifications to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) for approval.
(c) The CIT shall perform the duties referenced in subsection (a) of this section in collaboration with the campus leadership team (CLT) as outlined in §97.1061(a) of this title and §97.1064 of this title.
(d) CIT members as defined in subsection (b) of this section and the campus principal shall attend TEA-sponsored trainings on interventions and sanctions.
Statutory Authority: The provisions of this §97.1063 issued under the Texas Education Code, §§39.052, 39.056, 39.104, 39.106, 39.107, 39.109, and 39.112.
Source: The provisions of this §97.1063 adopted to be effective November 17, 2016, 41 TexReg 9012.
(a) If a campus is assigned an unacceptable rating under Texas Education Code (TEC), §39.054(e), for two consecutive years, the campus must develop a campus turnaround plan to be approved by the commissioner of education in accordance with TEC, §39.107.
(b) A charter campus subject to this section must revise its charter in accordance with §100.1033 of this title (relating to Charter Amendment). The governing board of the charter performs the function of the board of trustees for this section.
(c) The district may request assistance from a regional education service center or partner with an institution of higher education in developing and implementing a campus turnaround plan.
(d) Within 60 days of receiving a campus's preliminary accountability rating the district must notify parents, community members, and stakeholders that the campus received an unacceptable rating for two consecutive years and request assistance in developing the campus turnaround plan.
(1) The district shall notify stakeholders of their ability to review the completed plan on the district website at least 30 days before the final plan is submitted to the board of trustees as described in TEC, §39.107(b-3).
(2) All input provided by family, community members, and stakeholders must be considered in the development of the final campus turnaround plan submitted to the Texas Education Agency (TEA).
(4) the term of the charter, if a district charter is to be granted for the campus under TEC, §12.0522.
(g) Upon approval of the board of trustees, the district must submit the campus turnaround plan electronically to the TEA by March 1 unless otherwise specified.
(h) A campus may implement, modify, or withdraw its campus turnaround plan with board approval if the campus receives an academically acceptable rating for the school year following the development of the campus turnaround plan.
Statutory Authority: The provisions of this §97.1064 issued under the Texas Education Code, §§39.052, 39.056, 39.104, 39.106, 39.107, 39.109, and 39.112.
Source: The provisions of this §97.1064 adopted to be effective November 17, 2016, 41 TexReg 9012.
§97.1065. Commissioner Determinations for Decisions Preceding Alternative Management, Campus Closure, or Board of Managers.
(2) closure of a campus or appoint a board of managers to govern the district if the campus is assigned an unacceptable performance rating under the state academic accountability system for three consecutive school years after the campus is ordered to submit a campus turnaround plan as outlined in §97.1064 of this title.
(b) Review. An action ordered under subsection (a) of this section is subject to the applicable review procedures provided in Chapter 157 of this title (relating to Hearings and Appeals).
(c) Other actions permitted. In combination with action under this section, the commissioner may impose on the district or campus any other sanction under Texas Education Code (TEC), Chapter 39 or 39A, or this subchapter, singly or in combination, to the extent the commissioner determines is reasonably required to achieve the purposes specified in §97.1053 of this title (relating to Purpose). In particular, the commissioner may assign a monitor, conservator, management team, or board of managers in order to ensure and oversee district-level support to low-performing campuses and the implementation of the updated targeted improvement plan and the campus turnaround plan.
(d) Petition allowed. In accordance with TEC, §39A.112, for a campus subject to an order of closure or appointment of a board of managers to govern the district under subsection (a) of this section, if a written petition, signed by the parents of a majority of the students enrolled at the campus and specifying the action requested under subsection (a) of this section, is presented to the commissioner in accordance with this section and related procedures adopted by the Texas Education Agency (TEA), the commissioner shall, except as otherwise authorized by this section, order the specific action requested. If the board of trustees of the school district in which the campus is located presents to the commissioner, in accordance with this section and related procedures adopted by the TEA, a written request that the commissioner order a specific action under subsection (a) of this section other than the action requested by the parents in a valid petition, along with a written explanation of the basis for the board's request, the commissioner may order the action requested by the board of trustees.
(C) if determined to be a valid petition, submitted by the district superintendent to the commissioner no later than December 1.
(2) Only a written petition determined to be valid in accordance with this section and TEA procedures may be submitted to the commissioner. At a minimum, the following criteria must be met for a petition to be determined valid.
(A) The petition must include all information required by the TEA as reflected in TEA model forms and related procedures and must be submitted to the district superintendent in accordance with the deadline established in paragraph (1)(A) of this subsection.
(B) The petition must clearly state the sanction action under subsection (a)(2) of this section being requested by the parents.
(C) In accordance with this subparagraph, the parent(s) of more than 50% of the students enrolled at the campus must provide the handwritten or typed name and an original signature on the petition.
(i) For the purposes of the petition, a parent means the parent who is indicated on the student registration form at the campus.
(ii) A student will be considered enrolled at the campus for the purposes of the petition if the student is enrolled and in membership at the campus on a TEA-determined enrollment snapshot date, as reflected in TEA procedures.
(iii) For the purposes of determining whether parents of more than 50% of the students enrolled at the campus have signed the petition, only one parent signature per enrolled student can be counted by the district in its calculation assuring validity of the petition.
(iv) A signature is valid if the person signed the petition on or after the date on which a preliminary rating indicating four or more consecutive years of unacceptable performance at the campus was issued.
(B) submitted to the commissioner no later than December 15 in accordance with procedures established by the TEA.
(4) If a valid parent petition under paragraph (1) of this subsection or board of trustees submission under paragraph (3) of this subsection requests that the commissioner order campus closure, the district must submit, no later than January 30, a comprehensive plan for campus closure that meets the requirements of the TEC, §39A.113, and §97.1066 of this title (relating to Campus Closure).
(5) Following the submission to the TEA of a valid petition and any subsequent board request under this section, the commissioner will order, no later than February 15, a sanction in compliance with the TEC, §39A.111, and this section. The sanction shall be implemented for the current year or, if necessary, for the subsequent school year regardless of the state academic accountability rating assigned to the campus in that school year.
(6) Notwithstanding this subsection, in the case of a charter school granted under the TEC, Chapter 12, Subchapter D or E, the commissioner shall retain authority under the TEC and Chapter 100, Subchapter AA, Division 2, of this title (relating to Commissioner Action and Intervention) to take any adverse action allowed by statute and rule and to approve or disapprove any proposed change in campus or charter structure resulting from a petition or board request under this subsection.
(e) Targeted technical assistance. In addition to the grounds specified in TEC, §39A.114, if the commissioner determines that the basis for the unsatisfactory performance of a campus for more than two consecutive school years is limited to a specific condition that may be remedied with targeted technical assistance, the commissioner may require the district to contract for the appropriate technical assistance, including, but not limited to, the district's regional education service center and/or an institution of higher education.
Statutory Authority: The provisions of this §97.1065 issued under the Texas Education Code, §§39.051, 39.057, 39.102, 39A.001-39A.007, 39A.051-39A.063, 39A.101-39A.115, 39A.151-39A.161, 39A.201-39A.209, 39A.251-39A.260, 39A.301, and 39A.901-39A.907.
Source: The provisions of this §97.1065 adopted to be effective January 6, 2008, 33 TexReg 150; amended to be effective July 28, 2010, 35 TexReg 6523; amended to be effective July 17, 2012, 37 TexReg 5268; amended to be effective February 5, 2015, 40 TexReg 437; amended to be effective November 17, 2016, 41 TexReg 9012; amended to be effective January 28, 2018, 43 TexReg 452.
(a) Closure ordered under §97.1065 of this title (relating to Commissioner Determinations for Decisions Preceding Alternative Management, Campus Closure, or Board of Managers) will take effect at a date determined by the commissioner of education.
(3) offers a distinctly different academic program.
(c) Any student assigned to the closed campus must be allowed to attend any other campus in the district.
(d) The commissioner may grant an exemption allowing students assigned to a closed campus to attend the repurposed campus if there is no other campus in the district at which the students may enroll.
Statutory Authority: The provisions of this §97.1066 issued under the Texas Education Code, §§39.052, 39.056, 39.104, 39.106, 39.107, 39.109, and 39.112.
Source: The provisions of this §97.1066 adopted to be effective November 17, 2016, 41 TexReg 9012.
§97.1067. Alternative Management of Campuses.
(2) relinquish control over the campus to a service provider approved under §97.1069 of this title (relating to Providers of Alternative Campus Management).
(8) be approved in writing by the commissioner.
(c) The service provider may perform the duties and responsibilities of a principal, and in addition may make requests and recommendations to the district concerning all aspects of campus administration, including personnel and budget decisions.
(1) If a request is denied or a recommendation is not implemented by the district, the service provider shall report to the TEA both its request or recommendation and the district's action in response.
(2) The commissioner may implement additional sanctions under this subchapter and consider such reports under TEC, §39.108 and §39.107(n), as well as §97.1065(b) of this title.
(7) similar operational expenses of the campus.
(e) A campus operated by a service provider under this section remains a campus of the district. Educators and staff assigned to work at the campus are district employees for all purposes. The campus is not subject to TEC, §11.253.
(2) for the school year immediately following resumption of operations, the campus is assigned an unacceptable performance rating under the state academic accountability system.
(g) A district subject to this section shall comply fully with TEA requests for information for the purpose of evaluating implementation of the contract, student performance, and management of the campus.
(h) A district that violates the terms of its contract under this section is subject to further sanctions under this subchapter.
Statutory Authority: The provisions of this §97.1067 issued under the Texas Education Code, §§39.051, 39.052, 39.056-39.058, 39.0823, and 39.102-39.115.
Source: The provisions of this §97.1067 adopted to be effective January 6, 2008, 33 TexReg 150; amended to be effective July 28, 2010, 35 TexReg 6523; amended to be effective July 17, 2012, 37 TexReg 5268; amended to be effective November 17, 2016, 41 TexReg 9012.
§97.1069. Providers of Alternative Campus Management.
(a) Each school year, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) will issue a request for qualifications (RFQ) to solicit proposals from qualified non-profit management entities to assume the management of campuses identified for sanction under §97.1067 of this title (relating to Alternative Management of Campuses). The commissioner of education may solicit proposals from qualified for-profit entities to assume management of a campus subject to this section if a non-profit entity has not responded to the RFQ.
(1) To be approved as a provider of alternative campus management services, a non-profit entity must meet the requirements of Texas Education Code (TEC), §39.107, and any additional qualifications and procedural requirements specified by the TEA in the RFQ.
(2) The commissioner may appoint a school district in the same education service center region as the campus to provide alternative management services under this section. A district appointed under this subsection shall assume management of the campus in the same manner as a non-profit entity.
(b) Contact information for each approved provider of alternative campus management services will be posted to the TEA website. The TEA will notify approved providers before posting the providers' information to the website.
(c) In addition to any action by the district on the contract, a service provider failing to comply with the terms of a contract under this section, or to perform services as specified in the RFQ, shall be removed from the TEA list of approved service providers.
(d) A service provider shall comply fully and promptly with TEA requests for information for the purpose of evaluating implementation of the contract, student performance, and management of the campus.
Statutory Authority: The provisions of this §97.1069 issued under the Texas Education Code, §§39.051, 39.052, 39.056-39.058, 39.0823, and 39.102-39.115.
Source: The provisions of this §97.1069 adopted to be effective January 6, 2008, 33 TexReg 150; amended to be effective July 28, 2010, 35 TexReg 6523.
§97.1070. Increasing Intensity of Interventions and Sanctions.
(a) If a school district, open-enrollment charter school, or campus thereof does not exhibit improvement in student performance, the commissioner of education may increase the intensity of intervention and sanction that would otherwise be required by statute or rule, including ordering campus closure, school district annexation, or appointment of a board of managers for the school district or open-enrollment charter school.
(b) For purposes of this section, improvement means an increase in the scaled score for the overall academic performance rating under Texas Education Code (TEC), Chapter 39.
(3) the commissioner determines that increasing the intensity of intervention and sanction would better fulfill the purposes of accreditation statuses and accreditation sanctions established under §97.1053(a) of this title (relating to Purpose).
(d) The commissioner may determine that good cause exists to maintain the current level of intervention or sanction. Exercising authority under this section constitutes a determination that no good cause exists to maintain the current status. The commissioner may base the determination that no good cause exists to maintain the current status on any information available to the commissioner and may make the determination at any time.
Statutory Authority: The provisions of this §97.1070 issued under the Texas Education Code, §§39A.251, 39A.252, and 39A.901.
Source: The provisions of this §97.1070 adopted to be effective December 5, 2018, 43 TexReg 7761.
§97.1071. Special Program Performance; Intervention Stages.
(4) the length of time the performance standard has been in place and the length of time the district has exhibited deficiencies under the standard.
(c) The standards used to assign districts to specific intervention stages under this section are established annually by the commissioner and communicated to all school districts.
(e) The commissioner shall notify each district selected for intervention under this section via the Intervention Stage and Activity Manager (ISAM) on the TEA secure website.
(B) sending a "To the Administrator Addressed" letter via electronic mail or first-class mail.
(B) accessing the ISAM system as directed to retrieve intervention instructions and information.
(f) Intervention actions taken under this section are intended to assist the district in raising its performance and/or achieving compliance under §97.1005 of this title and do not preclude or substitute for a sanction under another provision of this subchapter.
(1) The level of intervention selected under this section does not reflect any decision on, or consideration of, the need for other sanctions.
(2) A decision to impose other sanctions shall be based on the accreditation and compliance performance of the district, as determined under §97.1057 of this title (relating to Interventions and Sanctions; Lowered Rating or Accreditation Status) and this subchapter, and not on the level of intervention chosen under this section.
(8) lowering of the district's accreditation status, academic accountability rating, and/or financial accountability rating.
(h) As a system safeguard, the TEA will conduct desk review or on-site data verification activities through a random or other means of selection to verify system effectiveness and/or district implementation of monitoring requirements, including, but not limited to, accuracy of data reporting, implementation of intervention activities, implementation of plans for improvement or correction, and accuracy of findings made through the performance-based monitoring system process.
Statutory Authority: The provisions of this §97.1071 issued under the Texas Education Code, §§39.051, 39.052, 39.056-39.058, 39.0823, and 39.102-39.115.
Source: The provisions of this §97.1071 adopted to be effective January 6, 2008, 33 TexReg 150; amended to be effective July 28, 2010, 35 TexReg 6523; amended to be effective February 5, 2015, 40 TexReg 437.
§97.1072. Residential Facility Monitoring; Determinations, Investigations, and Sanctions.
(a) Students with disabilities residing in residential facilities (RFs) are a unique and vulnerable population that often has limited access to family members who can advocate for their educational needs. Accordingly, the commissioner of education hereby establishes the Residential Facility Monitoring (RFM) system, through which the Texas Education Agency (TEA) will meet its federal and state special education monitoring obligations under 34 Code of Federal Regulations §300.149 and §300.600 and Texas Education Code (TEC), §29.010, for this population. The definition of an RF for purposes of the RFM system will be included in the Residential Facility Monitoring (RFM) Manual provided in subsection (f) of this section. Districts serving students with disabilities residing in RFs located within the districts' geographic boundaries and/or jurisdictions will be subject to the RFM system. These districts are referred to as RF districts.
(b) RF districts shall report data, as directed by the TEA, in a data collection system accessible through the TEA secure website.
(5) the length of time since the district was last subject to RFM activities.
(f) The specific criteria, standards, and procedures for implementing the RFM system are described in the Residential Facility Monitoring (RFM) Manual, dated August 2011, provided in this subsection. The specific criteria, standards, and procedures used in the RFM manual adopted for use prior to 2011 remain in effect for all purposes with respect to the applicable period of adoption.
(g) RFM activities under this section are intended to assist the RF district in achieving compliance with federal and state special education requirements and do not preclude or substitute for a sanction under another provision of this subchapter.
(1) The TEA will implement sanctions authorized under TEC, Chapter 39, or this subchapter as necessary to promote timely and complete correction of identified noncompliance.
(2) A decision to impose sanctions shall be based on the accreditation and compliance performance of the district, as determined under §89.1076 of this title, §97.1057 of this title (relating to Interventions and Sanctions; Lowered Rating or Accreditation Status), and this subchapter.
(10) lowering of the district's accreditation status.
(i) As a system safeguard, the TEA will conduct desk review or on-site verification activities through random or other means of selection to verify system effectiveness and/or district implementation of RFM requirements, including, but not limited to, accuracy of data reported through the data collection system accessible through the TEA secure website and other data reporting, timely and sufficient implementation of monitoring and intervention activities, implementation of corrective action plans, and continued district compliance after completion of a corrective action plan.
Statutory Authority: The provisions of this §97.1072 issued under the Texas Education Code, §§29.010, 39.052, 39.056-39.058, 39.0823, and 39.102-39.115, and 34 Code of Federal Regulations §300.149 and §300.600.
Source: The provisions of this §97.1072 adopted to be effective December 22, 2010, 35 TexReg 11231; amended to be effective August 2, 2011, 36 TexReg 4800; amended to be effective February 5, 2015, 40 TexReg 437.
§97.1073. Appointment of Monitor, Conservator, or Board of Managers.
(a) The commissioner of education shall appoint a monitor, conservator, management team, or board of managers whenever such action is required, as determined by this section. Action under any other section of this subchapter is not a prerequisite to acting under this section.
(D) stronger intervention is not required to prevent substantial or imminent harm to the welfare of the district's students or to the public interest.
(5) such intervention is needed to prevent substantial or imminent harm to the welfare of the district's students or to the public interest.
(d) The decision whether to appoint a conservator or management team under subsection (c) of this section may be based on logistical concerns, including the competencies required and the volume of work involved. The addition of a conservator to form a management team or the addition of additional members to the management team is not a new sanction and does not entitle the district to an additional review.
(8) a failure in governance results in an inability to carry out the powers and duties of the board of trustees as outlined in TEC, §11.151 and §11.1511.
(f) Not later than the second anniversary date of the appointment of the board of managers, the commissioner shall notify the board of managers and the board of trustees of the date on which the appointment of the board of managers will expire.
(g) A board of managers shall, during the period of the appointment, order the election of members of the board of trustees of the district in accordance with applicable provisions of law. Except as provided by this subsection, the members of the board of trustees do not assume any powers or duties after the election until the appointment of the board of managers expires.
(1) An individual elected to the board of trustees at an election ordered under this subsection assumes and may exercise all powers and duties of that office at the first official board meeting where the replacement of the member of the board of managers with the elected board of trustees member occurs and after satisfying all legal and procedural prerequisites to take office.
(2) Any member of the board of trustees elected during the appointment of the board of managers who has not yet assumed the powers and duties of a member of the board of trustees will not be considered for purposes of constitution of a quorum.
(3) A board of managers shall order elections for trustees with three-year terms to be held annually in accordance with TEC, §11.059(b). Following each of the last three years of the period of appointment, one-third of the members of the board of managers shall be replaced by the number of members of the school district board of trustees who were elected at an election ordered under this paragraph that constitutes, as closely as possible, one-third of the membership of the board of trustees.
(4) A board of managers shall order elections for trustees with four-year terms to be held biennially in accordance with TEC, §11.059(c). Following each of the last three years of the period of appointment, one-third of the members of the board of managers shall be replaced by the number of members of the school district board of trustees who were elected at an election ordered under this paragraph that constitutes, as closely as possible, one-third of the membership of the board of trustees.
(5) Upon the appointment of a board of managers to a school district, the commissioner will designate the sequence in which the board of managers' member groups and eligible board of trustees' member groups, the number of which constitutes, as closely as possible, one-third of the membership of the board of trustees, will be replaced by an equal number of elected board of trustees members. The commissioner may modify the composition or number of members constituting those groups at any time during the period of the appointment.
(6) The commissioner may at any time remove and/or replace a member of the board of managers and may expand or reduce the number of the board of manager members at any time during the appointment of the board of managers.
(7) On the expiration of the appointment of the board of managers, the board of trustees assumes all of the powers and duties assigned to a board of trustees of the school district.
(8) The commissioner may designate the sequence in which an eligible trustee of the board of trustees will replace a member of the board of managers. If the commissioner makes such designation, a trustee replacing a manager would complete the remainder of his or her elected term upon placement to the transitioning board. In the absence of a designation by the commissioner, the trustees elected in an election following each of the last three years of the board of managers' appointment, as determined by the commissioner, shall replace the designated members of the board of managers, except as follows.
(A) In the event that the number of trustees elected in the first election exceeds one-third of the total board of trustees membership, the board of managers shall determine by lot which of those trustees shall be selected to initially replace members of the board of managers and assume positions on the board.
(B) Any remaining trustees elected at the first election ordered under this paragraph shall replace an equivalent number of members of the board of managers and assume positions on the board in the following year, together with any trustees elected in the second election ordered by the board of managers under this paragraph.
(C) In the event that the total number of previously elected trustees who have not yet assumed positions on the board exceeds one-third of the total board of trustees membership, the trustees elected at the first election ordered under this paragraph shall receive priority in the order of placement on the board, followed by trustees elected at the second election, who shall be selected by lot by the board of managers.
(D) Any trustees elected in the third election ordered by the board of managers under this paragraph shall replace an equivalent number of members of the board of managers and assume positions on the board following the last year of the period of the board of managers' appointment.
(h) The training in effective leadership strategies required under TEC, §39A.205, shall be provided by TEA-approved authorized providers of school board training to each individual appointed by the commissioner to a board of managers, including board of trustees members appointed under subsection (g)(4) of this section, and, following the expiration of the appointment of the board of managers, to the board of trustees of the school district.
(i) A board of trustees member appointed under subsection (g)(4) of this section must complete the training required in subsection (h) of this section prior to or within 10 days of the appointment. Failure to do so may result in the removal of the board of trustees member from the board of managers.
Statutory Authority: The provisions of this §97.1073 issued under the Texas Education Code, §§39.051, 39.057, 39.102, 39A.001-39A.007, 39A.051-39A.063, 39A.101-39A.115, 39A.151-39A.161, 39A.201-39A.209, 39A.251-39A.260, 39A.301, and 39A.901-39A.907.
Source: The provisions of this §97.1073 adopted to be effective January 6, 2008, 33 TexReg 150; amended to be effective July 28, 2010, 35 TexReg 6523; amended to be effective February 5, 2015, 40 TexReg 437; amended to be effective February 29, 2016, 41 TexReg 1442; amended to be effective January 28, 2018, 43 TexReg 452; amended to be effective February 4, 2019, 44 TexReg 477.
§97.1075. Contracting to Partner to Operate a Campus under Texas Education Code, §11.174.
(a) Applicability. This section applies only to an independent school district that intends to contract to partner to operate a campus and receive benefits under Texas Education Code (TEC), §11.174 and §42.2511.
(b) Definitions. For purposes of this division, the following words and terms shall have the following meaning, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
(1) Operating partner--Either a state-authorized open-enrollment charter school or an eligible entity as defined by TEC, §12.101(a).
(2) Open-enrollment charter holder--This term has the meaning assigned in TEC, §12.1012(1).
(3) Governing body of a charter holder--This term has the meaning assigned in TEC, §12.1012(2).
(4) Governing body of a charter school--This term has the meaning assigned in TEC, §12.1012(3).
(5) Contract to partner to operate a campus--This term means the partner must operate the campus in accordance with subsection (c) of this section under a performance contract as outlined in subsection (d) of this section.
(6) Campus--This term has the meaning assigned in §97.1051(3) of this title (relating to Definitions).
(c) Conferred authority. In order to qualify as operating a district campus under TEC, §11.174, the district must confer, at a minimum, the following enhanced authorities to the operating partner.
(A) The operating partner must have authority to employ and manage the campus chief operating officer, including initial and final non-delegable authority to hire, supervise, manage, assign, evaluate, develop, advance, compensate, continue employment, and establish any other terms of employment.
(B) The operating partner must have authority over the employees of the operating partner, including initial and final non-delegable authority for the operating partner to employ and/or manage all of the operating partner's own administrators, educators, contractors, or other staff. Such authority includes the authority to hire, supervise, manage, assign, evaluate, develop, advance, compensate, continue employment, and establish any other terms of employment.
(C) The operating partner must have authority over the assignment of all district employees to the campus, including initial and final authority to approve the assignment of all district employees or contractors to the campus, as well as initial and final authority to supervise, manage, and rescind the assignment of any district employee or district contractor from the campus.
(D) The operating partner must directly manage the instructional staff described in subparagraphs (B) and (C) of this paragraph who provide services to at least a majority of the students.
(E) initial and final authority to adopt and implement the campus budget. The governing body of the operating partner shall approve the campus budget in a meeting held under the Texas Open Meetings Act, Texas Government Code, Chapter 551. Notwithstanding such budget authority, the operating partner's expenditures must comply with applicable restrictions on the use of state and federal funds.
(11) a description of the consequence(s) in the instance that either the district or the operating partner breaches the contract. The contract may not be contingent on any rating issued by the TEA to the campus prior to the operation of the campus by the operating partner.
(e) Contract notification to the TEA. In order to qualify as an eligible partnership under TEC, §11.174, notification of contracts related to TEC, §11.174(a)(1), must meet the deadlines published by the TEA staff.
(f) Contract amendments. Eligible partnerships under TEC, §11.174, must notify the TEA of amendments to performance contracts related to TEC, §11.174(a)(1) and (2).
(g) Monitoring. The commissioner of education shall continue to evaluate and assign overall and domain performance ratings under TEC, §39.054, to the campus. In order to qualify for ongoing benefits, subsequent to initial eligibility validation or approval, the eligible partnership campus must comply with all information requests or monitoring visits deemed necessary by the TEA staff to monitor the ongoing eligibility of the partnership.
(h) Continued eligibility. To receive benefits under TEC, §11.174(f) and (g) and §42.2511, the district must continuously meet the requirements in subsections (c)-(g) of this section.
(i) Decision finality. A decision of the commissioner made under this section is a final administrative decision and is not subject to appeal under TEC, §7.057.
Statutory Authority: The provisions of this §97.1075 issued under the Texas Education Code, §11.174 and §42.2511.
Source: The provisions of this §97.1075 adopted to be effective April 4, 2018, 43 TexReg 1993.
§97.1077. School Year Under Contract to Operate a District Campus.
(2) the campus was operated under the partnership from the first to the last day of the school year of the campus.
(3) the campus is operated under the partnership agreement during a portion of the 2017-2018 school year.
(3) the campus is operated under the partnership agreement during a portion of the 2018-2019 school year.
(2) all the days for which the instructional workforce of the campus that provides educational services for students under paragraph (1) of this subsection was employed.
(e) While the performance of a campus operated under a partnership for less than a school year as described by subsections (a)(2) and (d) of this section may not qualify for an exemption from applicable sanctions or actions under TEC, §11.174(f), it may be used to meet the threshold necessary to receive the exemption for the following two school years of operation under a partnership.
(f) Upon request of the commissioner of education, a school district shall provide information to substantiate a school year for the campus.
Statutory Authority: The provisions of this §97.1077 issued under the Texas Education Code, §11.174.
Source: The provisions of this §97.1077 adopted to be effective April 4, 2018, 43 TexReg 2006.
§97.1079. Determination Processes and Criteria for Eligible Entity Approval under Texas Education Code, §11.174.
(a) Applicability. This section applies only to independent school districts that intend to contract to partner to operate a campus and receive benefits under Texas Education Code (TEC), §11.174(a)(2).
(1) Eligible entity--This term has the meaning assigned in TEC, §12.101(a).
(2) Campus--This term has the meaning assigned in §97.1051(3) of this title (relating to Definitions).
(3) Applicant--This term refers to an independent school district seeking approval to receive benefits for an eligible entity to contract to partner to operate a campus.
(4) Proposed operating partner--This term refers to the eligible entity seeking approval in coordination with an independent school district to contract to partner to operate a campus.
(c) Institutions of higher education. This subsection applies to entities meeting the definition of an institution of higher education as described in TEC, §61.003.
(1) For applicants seeking eligibility approval of an institution of higher education, which has been granted a charter in accordance with TEC, Chapter 12, Subchapter E, as the proposed operating partner, the commissioner of education will treat the institution of higher education as an open-enrollment charter school under TEC, §11.174(a)(1).
(2) The commissioner may approve an eligibility approval request under this section if the commissioner determines that the approval of the eligibility approval request will improve student outcomes at the campus.
(d) Private or independent institutions of higher education that are not described in subsection (c) of this section, non-profits, and governmental entities. This subsection applies to entities meeting the definitions described in TEC, §12.101(a)(2), (3), and (4).
(C) eligibility approval criteria, including the minimum score necessary for approval.
(2) The Texas Education Agency (TEA) shall review eligibility approval requests submitted under this section. If the TEA determines that an eligibility approval request is not complete and/or the applicant does not meet the eligibility criteria in TEC, §11.174, the TEA shall notify the applicant and allow ten business days for the applicant to submit any missing or explanatory documents.
(A) If, after giving the applicant the opportunity to provide supplementary documents, the TEA determines that the eligibility approval request remains incomplete and/or the eligibility requirements of TEC, §11.174, have not been met, the eligibility approval request will be denied.
(B) If the documents are not timely submitted, the TEA shall remove the eligibility approval request without further processing. The TEA shall establish procedures and schedules for returning eligibility approval requests without further processing.
(C) Failure of the TEA to identify any deficiency or notify an applicant thereof does not constitute a waiver of the requirement and does not bind the commissioner.
(D) A decision made by the TEA to deny, remove, or return an eligibility approval request is a final administrative decision of the TEA and may not be appealed under TEC, §7.057.
(3) Upon written notice to the TEA, an applicant may withdraw an eligibility approval request.
(4) Applicants with complete eligibility approval requests shall be reviewed by an external eligibility approval request review panel selected by the commissioner. The panel shall review eligibility approval requests in accordance with the procedures and criteria established in the eligibility approval request form. Review panel members shall not discuss eligibility approval requests with anyone except TEA staff. Review panel members shall not accept meals, entertainment, gifts, or gratuities in any form from any person or organization with an interest in the results of an eligibility approval request review. Members of the review panel shall disclose to the TEA immediately the discovery of any past or present relationship with an applicant, including any current or prospective employee, agent, officer, or director of the eligible entity, an affiliated entity, or other party with an interest in the approval of the eligibility approval request.
(5) No recommendation, ranking, or other type of endorsement by a member or members of the review panel is binding on the commissioner.
(E) any other information or documentation that cannot be released in accordance with Texas Government Code, Chapter 552.
(7) TEA staff may interview applicants whose eligibility approval requests received the minimum score established in the eligibility approval request form, may specify individuals required to attend the interview, and may require the submission of additional information and documentation prior or subsequent to an interview.
(8) The commissioner will consider criteria that include the following when determining whether to approve an applicant.
(iv) an assurance that the operating partner has the staff capacity, including at least one full-time equivalent employee, necessary to oversee the operation of the campus.
(ii) evidence or an assurance that the operating partner has or will have dedicated staff capacity to operate or oversee the operation of a campus.
(C) Notwithstanding this subsection, the commissioner will treat a campus granted a charter under TEC, Chapter 12, Subchapter C, as an open-enrollment charter school under TEC, §17.174(a)(1), if the Subchapter C charter was granted by a high-quality district authorizer. A high-quality district authorizer is a district that has successfully completed a state-approved professional development program in high-quality authorizing and has operated at least four Subchapter C campuses that are eligible for benefits under TEC, §11.174, in the prior year with at least 75% of those campuses performing at or above an agency-identified threshold for each campus's School Progress Domain.
(e) Decision finality. Notwithstanding any other provisions, the commissioner may approve an eligibility approval request under this section if the commissioner determines that the approval of the eligibility approval request will improve student outcomes at the campus. The approval or denial of the eligibility approval request is a final administrative decision by the commissioner and not subject to appeal under TEC, §7.057.
Statutory Authority: The provisions of this §97.1079 issued under the Texas Education Code, §11.174 and §42.2511.
Source: The provisions of this §97.1079 adopted to be effective April 4, 2018, 43 TexReg 1993.

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 §12
 §12
 §39
 §39
 §39
 §39
 §39
 §39
 §39
 §39
 §39
 §39
 §39
 §39
 §39
 §97
 §97

§97
 §97
 §39
 §39
 §39
 §97
 §39
 §39
 §97
 §100
 §100
 §39
 §39
 §39
 §39
 §39
 §39
 §97
 §97

§97
 §97
 §97
 §97

§97
 §39
 §97
 §39
 §11
 §39
 §97
 §39
 §97
 §39
 §97
 §39
 §97
 §97

§97
 §11
 §28
 §11
 §97
 §97
 §28
 §28
 §39
 §39
 §28
 §97
 §97
 §97
 §39
 §39
 §97
 §97
 §97
 §97
 §97
 §97
 §39
 §39
 §100
 §39
 §12
 §97
 §97

§97
 §97
 §97
 §39
 §39
 §97
 §39
 §39
 §97
 §97
 §97
 §97
 §97

§97
 §97
 §39
 §39
 §97
 §11
 §97
 §97

§97
 §97
 §39
 §97
 §97

§97
 §97
 §97
 §97

§97
 §97
 §97
 §97
 §97

§97
 §300
 §300
 §29
 §89
 §97
 §97
 §300
 §300
 §97

§97
 §11
 §11
 §11
 §11
 §39
 §97
 §97

§97
 §11
 §11
 §42
 §12
 §12
 §12
 §12
 §97
 §11
 §11
 §11
 §11
 §11
 §39
 §11
 §42
 §7
 §97
 §11
 §42
 §97

§97
 §11
 §97
 §11
 §97

§97
 §11
 §11
 §12
 §97
 §61
 §11
 §12
 §11
 §11
 §7
 §17
 §11
 §7
 §97
 §11
 §42
 §97