Texas 2009 - 81st Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1561 Compare Versions

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1	1	By: Shapiro S.B. No. 1561
2	2	(In the Senate - Filed March 9, 2009; March 17, 2009, read
3	3	first time and referred to Committee on Higher Education;
4	4	May 14, 2009, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
5	5	Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 5, Nays 0; May 14, 2009,
6	6	sent to printer.)
7	7	COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1561 By: Averitt
8	8
9	9
10	10	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
11	11	AN ACT
12	12	relating to developing a developmental education plan for students
13	13	entering public institutions of higher education.
14	14	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
15	15	SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is
16	16	amended by adding Section 61.07611 to read as follows:
17	17	Sec. 61.07611. DEVELOPMENTAL EDUCATION PLAN; REPORT.
18	18	(a) To serve students who require developmental education in an
19	19	effective and cost-effective manner, the board shall develop a
20	20	statewide plan for developmental education to be provided under
21	21	Section 51.3062 that:
22	22	(1) assigns primary responsibility for developmental
23	23	education to public junior colleges and public technical
24	24	institutes; and
25	25	(2) provides for using technology, to the greatest
26	26	extent practicable consistent with best practices, to provide
27	27	developmental education to students.
28	28	(b) In developing the developmental education plan, the
29	29	board shall:
30	30	(1) research issues related to developmental
31	31	education;
32	32	(2) study and develop best practices for successful
33	33	developmental education programs, including through use of pilot
34	34	programs; and
35	35	(3) assess various methods of providing developmental
36	36	education to students to determine which methods, if any, should be
37	37	implemented on a statewide basis.
38	38	(c) Developmental education under the plan must include:
39	39	(1) technological delivery of developmental education
40	40	courses that allows students to complete course work;
41	41	(2) diagnostic assessments to determine a student's
42	42	specific educational needs to allow for appropriate developmental
43	43	instruction;
44	44	(3) modular developmental education course materials;
45	45	(4) employment of tutors and instructional aides to
46	46	supplement developmental education course instruction as needed
47	47	for particular students;
48	48	(5) an internal monitoring mechanism to identify a
49	49	student's area of academic difficulty;
50	50	(6) periodic updates of developmental education
51	51	course materials; and
52	52	(7) assessments after completion of a developmental
53	53	education course to determine a student's readiness to enroll in
54	54	freshman-level academic courses.
55	55	(d) The developmental education plan must provide for:
56	56	(1) ongoing training for developmental education
57	57	program faculty members, tutors, and instructional aides at the
58	58	institutions or other locations where those persons provide
59	59	instruction; and
60	60	(2) ongoing research and improvement of appropriate
61	61	developmental education programs, including participation by a
62	62	group of institution of higher education faculty members selected
63	63	by the board, to:
64	64	(A) monitor results of the programs;
65	65	(B) identify successful and unsuccessful program
66	66	components; and
67	67	(C) identify possible solutions to program
68	68	problems.
69	69	(e) Not later than December 1, 2010, the board shall submit
70	70	to the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the house of
71	71	representatives, and the presiding officer of each legislative
72	72	standing committee with primary jurisdiction over higher education
73	73	a report concerning the initial development of the developmental
74	74	education plan under this section, including any recommendations
75	75	for redesign or reassignment among institutions of higher education
76	76	of existing programs or implementation of new programs and, if
77	77	appropriate, recommendations for legislation. This subsection
78	78	expires January 1, 2011.
79	79	SECTION 2. This Act does not make an appropriation. A
80	80	provision in this Act that creates a new governmental program,
81	81	creates a new entitlement, or imposes a new duty on a governmental
82	82	entity is not mandatory during a fiscal period for which the
83	83	legislature has not made a specific appropriation to implement the
84	84	provision.
85	85	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
86	86	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
87	87	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
88	88	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
89	89	Act takes effect September 1, 2009.
90	90	* * * * *