By: Clardy (Senate Sponsor - Zaffirini) H.B. No. 1054
(In the Senate - Received from the House April 20, 2015;
May 4, 2015, read first time and referred to Committee on Higher
Education; May 21, 2015, reported favorably by the following vote:
Yeas 6, Nays 0; May 21, 2015, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
COMMITTEE VOTE
YeaNayAbsentPNV
SeligerX
WestX
BettencourtX
BurtonX
MenéndezX
PerryX
WatsonX
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to developmental education programs under the Texas
Success Initiative for public institutions of higher education.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 51.3062, Education Code, is amended by
amending Subsections (a-1), (i), (i-4), (l), (t), and (t-1) and
adding Subsection (f-1) to read as follows:
(a-1) In this section:
(1) "Basic academic skills education" means
non-course competency-based developmental education programs and
interventions designed for students whose performance falls
significantly below college readiness standards.
(2) "Program[, "program] evaluation" means a
systematic method of collecting, analyzing, and using information
to answer questions about developmental education courses,
interventions, and policies, particularly about their
effectiveness and cost-efficiency.
(f-1) For each assessment instrument designated by the
board for use under this section, the board shall prescribe a score
below which a student is eligible for basic academic skills
education.
(i) The institution of higher education may refer a student
to developmental coursework, including basic academic skills
education, as considered necessary by the institution to address a
student's deficiencies in the student's readiness to perform
freshman-level academic coursework, except that the institution
may not require enrollment in developmental coursework with respect
to a student previously determined under Subsection (q-1) or
determined by any institution of higher education to have met
college-readiness standards. An institution that requires a
student to enroll in developmental coursework must offer a range of
developmental coursework, including online coursework, or
instructional support that includes the integration of technology
to efficiently address the particular developmental needs of the
student.
(i-4) The board, in consultation with institutions of
higher education, shall develop and provide professional
development programs, including instruction in differentiated
instruction methods designed to address students' diverse learning
needs, to faculty and staff who provide developmental coursework,
including basic academic skills education, to students.
(l) The legislature shall appropriate money for approved
non-degree-credit developmental courses, including basic academic
skills education, except that legislative appropriations may not be
used for developmental coursework taken by a student in excess of:
(1) 18 semester credit hours, for a general academic
teaching institution; and
(2) 27 semester credit hours, for a public junior
college, public technical institute, or public state college.
(t) To allow a student to complete any necessary
developmental coursework in the most efficient and cost-effective
manner, the board shall encourage institutions of higher education
to offer various types of developmental coursework that address
various levels of deficiency in readiness to perform college
coursework for which course credit may be earned, as determined on
the basis of assessments as described by Subsection (f). The types
of developmental coursework may include:
(1) course-based programs;
(2) non-course-based programs, such as advising
programs;
(3) module format programs;
(4) competency-based education programs; [and]
(5) basic academic skills education, if applicable to
the student; and
(6) programs under which the student is pairing or
taking concurrently a developmental education course and another
course in the same subject area for which course credit may be
earned.
(t-1) The board may adopt rules as necessary to implement
this section [Subsection (t)].
SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies
beginning with the 2016-2017 academic year.
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, 2015.
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