By: Shapiro S.B. No. 1561
(In the Senate - Filed March 9, 2009; March 17, 2009, read
first time and referred to Committee on Higher Education;
May 14, 2009, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 5, Nays 0; May 14, 2009,
sent to printer.)
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1561 By: Averitt
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to developing a developmental education plan for students
entering public institutions of higher education.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 61.07611 to read as follows:
Sec. 61.07611. DEVELOPMENTAL EDUCATION PLAN; REPORT.
(a) To serve students who require developmental education in an
effective and cost-effective manner, the board shall develop a
statewide plan for developmental education to be provided under
Section 51.3062 that:
(1) assigns primary responsibility for developmental
education to public junior colleges and public technical
institutes; and
(2) provides for using technology, to the greatest
extent practicable consistent with best practices, to provide
developmental education to students.
(b) In developing the developmental education plan, the
board shall:
(1) research issues related to developmental
education;
(2) study and develop best practices for successful
developmental education programs, including through use of pilot
programs; and
(3) assess various methods of providing developmental
education to students to determine which methods, if any, should be
implemented on a statewide basis.
(c) Developmental education under the plan must include:
(1) technological delivery of developmental education
courses that allows students to complete course work;
(2) diagnostic assessments to determine a student's
specific educational needs to allow for appropriate developmental
instruction;
(3) modular developmental education course materials;
(4) employment of tutors and instructional aides to
supplement developmental education course instruction as needed
for particular students;
(5) an internal monitoring mechanism to identify a
student's area of academic difficulty;
(6) periodic updates of developmental education
course materials; and
(7) assessments after completion of a developmental
education course to determine a student's readiness to enroll in
freshman-level academic courses.
(d) The developmental education plan must provide for:
(1) ongoing training for developmental education
program faculty members, tutors, and instructional aides at the
institutions or other locations where those persons provide
instruction; and
(2) ongoing research and improvement of appropriate
developmental education programs, including participation by a
group of institution of higher education faculty members selected
by the board, to:
(A) monitor results of the programs;
(B) identify successful and unsuccessful program
components; and
(C) identify possible solutions to program
problems.
(e) Not later than December 1, 2010, the board shall submit
to the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the house of
representatives, and the presiding officer of each legislative
standing committee with primary jurisdiction over higher education
a report concerning the initial development of the developmental
education plan under this section, including any recommendations
for redesign or reassignment among institutions of higher education
of existing programs or implementation of new programs and, if
appropriate, recommendations for legislation. This subsection
expires January 1, 2011.
SECTION 2. This Act does not make an appropriation. A
provision in this Act that creates a new governmental program,
creates a new entitlement, or imposes a new duty on a governmental
entity is not mandatory during a fiscal period for which the
legislature has not made a specific appropriation to implement the
provision.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2009.
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