January 29, 2001
TO THE ADMINISTRATOR ADDRESSED
Subject:
Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 76.1001, Subchapter AA, Extracurricular
Activities. Update
#1 for the 2000-2001 School Year
House Bill 3573, passed by the
76th Texas Legislature, transferred the authority to
adopt rules for extracurricular activities from the State Board of
Education (SBOE) to the Commissioner of Education.
The statute also authorized the Commissioner of Education to
approve or disapprove University Interscholastic League (UIL) rules
and procedures. Texas Administrative Code, 19 TAC §76.1001,
Subchapter AA became effective
April 9, 2000 and replaced
the previous SBOE rules 19 TAC §76.1.
Attached is a
“side-by-side” chart containing the new rule and explanations of
each part of the rule. Changes
from the prior SBOE rules are boldfaced in the chart and bulleted
below.
- 19 TAC §76.1001
(c) states that local school boards are authorized to adopt
policies that establish the number of times that students might
miss class for extracurricular participation, which is a change
from the previous SBOE “10-Day” rule. Districts are still
required to maintain a record of student absences for
extracurricular activities.
- 19 TAC §76.1001,
Subchapter AA (e) (5) allows extracurricular practices classes
to be longer in duration than the previously allowed 60 minutes
per school day so long as the total amount of extracurricular
practice time does not exceed 300 minutes during the school week
(the same amount that the previous SBOE rule allowed), and so
long as the provisions of 19 TAC §76.1001 (e) (4) are
followed.
- 19 TAC §76.1001
(d) (4) discourages, but does not prohibit, districts
from scheduling extracurricular activities the day or evening
before a statewide administration of the Texas Assessment of
Academic Skills (TAAS). The previous State Board of Education
rule, 19 TAC §76.1(g)(4) stated that “(a) school may not
schedule an extracurricular activity or a public performance to
occur on the day immediately preceding or evening preceding the
day on which the administration of the . . . TAAS is scheduled
for grades 3 through 8 and 10.”
Under
the previous SBOE rule (19 TAC §76.1[g][4]), districts were allowed
to modify their TAAS testing schedule in instances where
extracurricular activities were scheduled during the week of the
statewide administration of the TAAS beyond the control of the local
district, such as UIL basketball playoffs.
Districts needing to modify the published TAAS testing
schedule were required to submit a report describing the
modification of the testing schedule or exception to the rule.
Under the Commissioner’s new rule, districts are no longer
required to submit a report to the Texas Education Agency for the
modification of their testing schedule.
However, if districts desire to modify their testing
schedule, they are now required to contact the Texas
Education Agency Student Assessment Division at 512/463-9536 for prior
approval. TAAS District Coordinators must also contact the
Student Assessment Division if requesting alternate testing dates or
on-site testing.
For
information regarding extracurricular activities and 19 TAC §76.1001,
districts may contact Dr. Ron Bradford in the Division of Field
Services at 512/463-9354.
This
update is being mailed to all superintendents and copied to TAAS
coordinators; however, it is extremely important that you provide
campus level administrators and other staff members responsible for
supervision and sponsorship of extracurricular activities with a
copy as well.
Sincerely,
Virgil (Ed) Flathouse
Associate Commissioner
For further information on this topic, contact Dr. Ron Bradford in the Division of Field Services at (512)463-9354.