The following information came from the TEA website: http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/taa/comm070609.html
With the passage of House Bill (HB) 3, new graduation requirements will take effect on September 1, 2009. These new requirements supersede the graduation requirements in 19 Texas Administrative Code (TAC) Chapter 74.
Recommended High School Program (RHSP) and Distinguished Achievement Program (DAP)
For the recommended (RHSP) and advanced (DAP) high school programs, the total number of credits required for graduation and the requirement of 4 credits in the 4 foundation areas of mathematics, English language arts, science, and social studies/economics did not change. HB 3 changes include:
- providing more flexibility in the enrichment areas of the RHSP by increasing the number of elective credits to 6, requiring 1 credit of physical education, 2 credits of a language other than English (LOTE), and 1 credit of fine arts; and
- providing more flexibility in the enrichment areas in the DAP by increasing the number of elective credits to 5, requiring 1 credit of physical education, 3 credits of LOTE, and 1 credit of fine arts.
Permission to graduate under the minimum high school program must be agreed to in writing and signed by the student, student’s parent (or other person standing in parental relation to the student), and a school counselor or school administrator.
Under HB 3, to graduate under the minimum high school program, students must:
- be at least 16 years of age;
- have completed 2 credits required for graduation in each subject of the foundation curriculum; or
- have failed to be promoted to the 10th grade one or more times as determined by the school district.
Local districts may continue to adopt additional graduation requirements that go beyond the state requirements for graduation.
Typically, new graduation requirements take effect with the incoming freshman class. However, the flexibility in the new HB 3 graduation requirements impacts all high school students beginning with the 2009-2010 school year. All students are able to graduate under the HB 3 high school graduation requirements beginning in the 2009-10 school year, unless the district has adopted additional local requirements.
How is your district preparing to implement HB 3? Let us know your thoughts.
Upcoming Texas ASCD Events:
August 20th, 2009
Teachers Change Your Bait
Martha Kaufeldt
Aubrey ISD
CLOSED - DISTRICT EXCLUSIVE TRAINING
September 1st & 2nd, 2009
Reading Strategies for Secondary Math Tutorials and TAKS Retesting
Beatrice Moore Luchin
Palo Duro High School, Amarillo ISD
CLOSED - SCHOOL EXCLUSIVE TRAINING
September 15th & 16th, 2009
Understanding By Design
Judith Hilton
Palo Duro High School, Amarillo ISD
CLOSED - SCHOOL EXCLUSIVE TRAINING
September 16th & 17th, 2009
Five Keys to Reading Success
Tim Rasinski
Northside ISD
September 22nd & 23rd, 2009
Boot Camp for Curriculum Administrators
John Crain
Hays CISD
September 28th, 2009
Reading Strategies for Secondary Math Tutorials and TAKS Retesting
Beatrice Moore Luchin
Palo Duro High School, Amarillo ISD
CLOSED - SCHOOL EXCLUSIVE TRAINING
October 1st & 2nd, 2009
Mapping Active Literacy
Heidi Hayes Jacobs
Cypress-Fairbanks ISD
October 15th, 2009
Understanding By Design - Follow-up
Judith Hilton
Palo Duro High School, Amarillo ISD
CLOSED - SCHOOL EXCLUSIVE TRAINING
October 25th - 27th, 2009
Texas ASCD Annual Conference
Embassy Suites - Frisco (Dallas Metroplex area)
October 27th & 28th, 2009
Curriculum Leadership Academy
Third Session of Three
Embassy Suites - Frisco (Dallas Metroplex area)
November 2nd -3rd, 2009
Using Graphic Organizers and Assessment Tools to Make Mathematics Content More Accessible to Struggling Students
Beatrice Moore Luchin
Session One of Three
Galena Park ISD (Houston area)
November 9th - 11th, 2009
Traditional Block Scheduling
Dr. J. Allen Queen
Eagle Pass ISD
CLOSED - DISTRICT EXCLUSIVE TRAINING
November 11th & 12th, 2009
Maximizing Student Success
Tim Westerberg
El Paso, TX
November 13th, 2009
Jumping Hurdles & Raising the Bar Toward Achieving Excellence in Science
Gloria Chatelain and Courtney Williams
El Paso, TX
November 18th & 19th, 2009
New Essential Curriculum for 21st Century Learners
Heidi Hayes Jacobs
Frisco ISD
November 19th, 2009
Understanding By Design - Follow-up
Judith Hilton
Palo Duro High School, Amarillo ISD
CLOSED - SCHOOL EXCLUSIVE TRAINING
December 8th -9th, 2009
Boot Camp for Curriculum Administrators
John Crain
Allen ISD
January 14th, 2010
Understanding By Design - Follow-up
Judith Hilton
Palo Duro High School, Amarillo ISD
CLOSED - SCHOOL EXCLUSIVE TRAINING
January 28th - 29th, 2010
Using Graphic Organizers and Assessment Tools to Make Mathematics Content More Accessible to Struggling Students
Beatrice Moore Luchin
Session Two of Three
Galena Park ISD (Houston area)
February 17th - 18th, 2010
Connecting Content and Kids: Understanding By Design and Differentiated Instruction
Jay McTighe
TBD
March 11th, 2010
Understanding By Design - Follow-up
Judith Hilton
Palo Duro High School, Amarillo ISD
CLOSED - SCHOOL EXCLUSIVE TRAINING
May 6th, 2010
Using Graphic Organizers and Assessment Tools to Make Mathematics Content More Accessible to Struggling Students
Beatrice Moore Luchin
Session Three of Three
Galena Park ISD (Houston area)
6 comments:
The passing of House Bill 3 was the dumbest thing these idiot legislatures have ever done. How can Texas students expect to be competitive in the US or global market with the removal of any technology requirement. The Texas Legislature has made the Texas Education System a huge joke! This is what happens when the legislatures put the desires of the lobbyists above the best interests of the state.
I totally agree with the previous statement. HB3 makes no sense at all, especially when understanding technology and its applications will be the key for Americans to keep up with a highly educated foreign population. As an educator, I wonder how many teachers were consulted by the legislature for input about this bill.
the one and only class that students had to have to graduate was so basic that is outdated. Most of kids taking the basic class could teach the class. This requirement was added years ago when most homes didn't have even one computer. Kids now grow up with them. They are educated on basic computer skills as early as kindergartne. Kuddos to the legislature for realizng this requirement was outdated!
This looks like an opportunity for schools to let go of most of the Technology Teachers. Schools will be able to save lots of money by eliminating these salaries. It's so wonderful to realize that I may now lose my job because of HB3. I couldn't imagine doing anything but teaching. Now I have to think about having to start all over again. Good thing I got engaged to a woman with two kids. I'm sure the unemployment checks will hold us over well. Way to go TEXAS!!!
"Most of kids taking the basic class could teach the class. This requirement was added years ago when most homes didn't have even one computer. Kids now grow up with them" Person who posted this is an idiot and us using the same logic that the legislatures used to justify passing HB3. Kids also grow up with books so why should they take reading or English, they grow up with calculators, so why take math? It has been my experience, not assuming anything, that MOST students know games and how to do some things on the computer, but their knowledge is very limited... and almost NO marketable skills. How many kids know what a spreadsheet is, how to build a web page, and what a database is? The truth students need training in these fields if they are to be marketable and have the skills to survive in today’s world.
I teach Health education in the state of Texas, and I don't see how the state could make this class optional. I gave my students a pre-test prior to teaching our sex education unit, and the average for all of my classes was a 75. Many of the kids did not even know what the term "menstruation" meant. STDs and obesity are rampant in young people, so kids need to get the correct facts in these areas. There are so many important topics in Health class. This class should be mandatory.
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