| (a) Notwithstanding any other state or local law, a
school district or open-enrollment charter school shall allow a student
to graduate and receive a high school diploma under the Texas First
Early High School Completion Program if the student meets the criteria
established in paragraphs (1) and (2) of this subsection. A student
who achieves a required score on an assessment to meet the requirement
of any one of paragraphs (1) and (2) of this subsection, shall be
allowed to use that same assessment to meet the requirement of another
section if the student's score meets the required minimum for each
section.
(1) The student has met the following minimum criteria
at the time of graduation:
(A) Earned at least twenty-two (22) high school credits
by any permissible method, including credit by examination;
(B) Earned a final Grade Point Average equivalent to
3.0 on a 4.0 scale;
(C) Earned an overall scaled score in at least the
80th percentile on one or more of the following assessments: ACT,
SAT, PSAT/NMSQT, TSIA/TSIA2, or GED, or alternatively, has a grade
point average in the top ten percent of the student's current class
during the current or semester prior to the counselor's or administrator's
verification under subsection (b) of this section of a student's eligibility
for early graduation under the Program; and
(D) Completed the requirement for the State of Texas
Assessments of Academic Readiness End-of-Course (STAAR EOC) examinations
for English I or II, Algebra I, and Biology by one of the following
methods:
(i) If the student has taken the STAAR EOC for English
I or II, Algebra I, and Biology, the student has achieved the satisfactory
level of performance as defined by the Commissioner of Education;
or
(ii) If the student has not taken the required STAAR
EOC assessment for English I or II, Algebra I, or Biology, the student
has satisfied the STAAR EOC requirement by achieving a passing score
on a substitute assessment for that subject area authorized under
Title 19 Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 101, Subchapter DD, §101.4002(b).
(2) The student has demonstrated the student's mastery
of each subject area of English/Language Arts, Mathematics, Science,
Social Studies, and a language other than English through assessments
or other means eligible institutions commonly use to place students
in courses that may be credited toward degree program requirements.
A student may demonstrate mastery of each subject area, as applicable,
by meeting one or more of the following criteria:
(A) Earning a score on the STAAR EOC assessment that
meets the college readiness standards necessary to be exempt from
application of the Texas Success Initiative as set out in Title 19
Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 4, Subchapter C, §4.54;
(B) Credit earned in a course in the core curriculum
of an institution of higher education in which the student received
at least a C; or
(C) Meeting the standards on the assessments set out
in Figure 1.
Attached Graphic
(b) A counselor or administrator at the public school
of a student who is eligible for early graduation under the Program
must verify that the student meets the requirements in subsection
(a)(1) and (2) of this section using a method established by the Coordinating
Board prior to issuing a diploma to the student under this Program.
A student is responsible for providing the official copy of the assessment
results to their counselor or administrator to verify these requirements.
(c) A school that issues a diploma under the Program
shall require the minimum number of assessments to demonstrate that
the student meets the criteria established in subsection (a)(1) and
(2) of this section and may not require a student to take any other
STAAR End-of-Course assessment to graduate under the Program, except
as required by this section.
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