| 6 | 4 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 5 | | relating to developmental education programs under the Texas |
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| 8 | 6 | | Success Initiative for public institutions of higher education. |
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| 9 | 7 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 8 | | SECTION 1. Section 51.3062, Education Code, is amended by |
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| 11 | 9 | | amending Subsections (a-1), (i), (i-4), (l), (t), and (t-1) and |
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| 12 | 10 | | adding Subsection (f-1) to read as follows: |
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| 13 | 11 | | (a-1) In this section: |
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| 14 | 12 | | (1) "Basic academic skills education" means |
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| 15 | 13 | | non-course competency-based developmental education programs and |
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| 16 | 14 | | interventions designed for students whose performance falls |
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| 17 | 15 | | significantly below college readiness standards. |
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| 18 | 16 | | (2) "Program[, "program] evaluation" means a |
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| 19 | 17 | | systematic method of collecting, analyzing, and using information |
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| 20 | 18 | | to answer questions about developmental education courses, |
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| 21 | 19 | | interventions, and policies, particularly about their |
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| 22 | 20 | | effectiveness and cost-efficiency. |
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| 23 | 21 | | (f-1) For each assessment instrument designated by the |
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| 24 | 22 | | board for use under this section, the board shall prescribe a score |
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| 25 | 23 | | below which a student is eligible for basic academic skills |
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| 26 | 24 | | education. |
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| 27 | 25 | | (i) The institution of higher education may refer a student |
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| 28 | 26 | | to developmental coursework, including basic academic skills |
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| 29 | 27 | | education, as considered necessary by the institution to address a |
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| 30 | 28 | | student's deficiencies in the student's readiness to perform |
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| 31 | 29 | | freshman-level academic coursework, except that the institution |
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| 32 | 30 | | may not require enrollment in developmental coursework with respect |
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| 33 | 31 | | to a student previously determined under Subsection (q-1) or |
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| 34 | 32 | | determined by any institution of higher education to have met |
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| 35 | 33 | | college-readiness standards. An institution that requires a |
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| 36 | 34 | | student to enroll in developmental coursework must offer a range of |
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| 37 | 35 | | developmental coursework, including online coursework, or |
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| 38 | 36 | | instructional support that includes the integration of technology |
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| 39 | 37 | | to efficiently address the particular developmental needs of the |
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| 40 | 38 | | student. |
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| 41 | 39 | | (i-4) The board, in consultation with institutions of |
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| 42 | 40 | | higher education, shall develop and provide professional |
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| 43 | 41 | | development programs, including instruction in differentiated |
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| 44 | 42 | | instruction methods designed to address students' diverse learning |
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| 45 | 43 | | needs, to faculty and staff who provide developmental coursework, |
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| 46 | 44 | | including basic academic skills education, to students. |
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| 47 | 45 | | (l) The legislature shall appropriate money for approved |
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| 48 | 46 | | non-degree-credit developmental courses, including basic academic |
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| 49 | 47 | | skills education, except that legislative appropriations may not be |
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| 50 | 48 | | used for developmental coursework taken by a student in excess of: |
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| 51 | 49 | | (1) 18 semester credit hours, for a general academic |
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| 52 | 50 | | teaching institution; and |
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| 53 | 51 | | (2) 27 semester credit hours, for a public junior |
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| 54 | 52 | | college, public technical institute, or public state college. |
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| 55 | 53 | | (t) To allow a student to complete any necessary |
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| 56 | 54 | | developmental coursework in the most efficient and cost-effective |
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| 57 | 55 | | manner, the board shall encourage institutions of higher education |
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| 58 | 56 | | to offer various types of developmental coursework that address |
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| 59 | 57 | | various levels of deficiency in readiness to perform college |
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| 60 | 58 | | coursework for which course credit may be earned, as determined on |
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| 61 | 59 | | the basis of assessments as described by Subsection (f). The types |
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| 62 | 60 | | of developmental coursework may include: |
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| 63 | 61 | | (1) course-based programs; |
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| 64 | 62 | | (2) non-course-based programs, such as advising |
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| 65 | 63 | | programs; |
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| 66 | 64 | | (3) module format programs; |
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| 67 | 65 | | (4) competency-based education programs; [and] |
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| 68 | 66 | | (5) basic academic skills education, if applicable to |
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| 69 | 67 | | the student; and |
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| 70 | 68 | | (6) programs under which the student is pairing or |
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| 71 | 69 | | taking concurrently a developmental education course and another |
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| 72 | 70 | | course in the same subject area for which course credit may be |
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| 73 | 71 | | earned. |
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| 74 | 72 | | (t-1) The board may adopt rules as necessary to implement |
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| 75 | 73 | | this section [Subsection (t)]. |
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| 76 | 74 | | SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies |
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| 77 | 75 | | beginning with the 2016-2017 academic year. |
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| 78 | 76 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 79 | 77 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 80 | 78 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 81 | 79 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 82 | 80 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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