Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst released a final round of interim charges this week, notifying Senate committee members of additional topics they should review prior to the start of the 2015 legislative session. Among the latest round of interim charges, the following pertain to public education: New Charges to the Senate Education Committee

• SCHOOL CHOICE. Conduct a comprehensive review of school choice programs in other states and examine the impact of education tax credits and taxpayer savings grants on the state budget.
• SENATE BILL 2. Monitor the implementation of SB 2, relating to certain charter schools.
• HOUSE BILL 462. Monitor the implementation of HB 462, related to the prohibition on developing or adopting common core standards.
• RIGHTS OF PARENTS. Review Chapter 26, Education Code (Parental Rights and Responsibilities) and determine if any statutory changes are necessary to strengthen the rights of parents.
• PERFORMANCE STANDARDS. Review Chapter 8, Education Code (Regional Education Service Centers), specifically the purpose and the performance standards and indicators developed by the Commissioner.

• FAILURE TO ATTEND SCHOOL. Study and make recommendations on the feasibility of removing failure to attend school (Section 25.094, Texas Education Code) as a Class C misdemeanor offense and determine the feasibility of adjudicating juvenile truancy as a civil offense.