Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas House Bill HB2628 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	By: Clardy (Senate Sponsor - Garcia) H.B. No. 2628
2		-	(In the Senate - Received from the House April 27, 2015;
3		-	April 28, 2015, read first time and referred to Committee on Higher
4		-	Education; May 13, 2015, reported favorably by the following vote:
5		-	Yeas 7, Nays 0; May 13, 2015, sent to printer.)
6		-	Click here to see the committee vote
	1	+	H.B. No. 2628
7	2
8	3
9		-	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
10	4		AN ACT
11	5		relating to the development and alignment by the Texas Higher
12	6		Education Coordinating Board of curricula for certain educational
13	7		programs.
14	8		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
15	9		SECTION 1. Section 61.823, Education Code, is amended by
16	10		adding Subsection (e) to read as follows:
17	11		(e) The board, with the assistance of an appropriate
18	12		advisory committee, shall periodically review each field of study
19	13		curriculum to ensure alignment with student interest and academic
20	14		and industry needs.
21	15		SECTION 2. Subchapter S, Chapter 61, Education Code, is
22	16		amended by adding Section 61.8235 to read as follows:
23	17		Sec. 61.8235. CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION PROGRAM OF
24	18		STUDY CURRICULA. (a) The board, with the assistance of
25	19		institutions of higher education, career and technical education
26	20		experts, and college and career readiness experts, shall establish
27	21		alignment between the college and career readiness standards and
28	22		the knowledge, skills, and abilities students are expected to
29	23		demonstrate in career and technical education by establishing
30	24		programs of study that:
31	25		(1) incorporate rigorous college and career readiness
32	26		standards, including career and technical education standards that
33	27		address both academic and technical content;
34	28		(2) support attainment of employability and career
35	29		readiness skills;
36	30		(3) progress in content specificity by beginning with
37	31		all aspects of an industry or career cluster and leading to more
38	32		occupationally specific instruction or by preparing students for
39	33		ongoing postsecondary career preparation;
40	34		(4) incorporate multiple entry and exit points with
41	35		portable demonstrations of technical or career competency, which
42	36		may include credit transfer agreements or industry-recognized
43	37		certifications; and
44	38		(5) culminate in the attainment of:
45	39		(A) an industry-recognized certification,
46	40		credential, or license;
47	41		(B) a registered apprenticeship or
48	42		credit-bearing postsecondary certificate; or
49	43		(C) an associate or baccalaureate degree.
50	44		(b) The board, with the assistance of advisory committees
51	45		composed of representatives of secondary education, postsecondary
52	46		education, business and industry, other state agencies or licensing
53	47		bodies, and other career and technical education experts, shall
54	48		develop career and technical education program of study curricula.
55	49		Each advisory committee shall have at least one representative from
56	50		each identified group. The advisory committees shall identify the
57	51		knowledge, skills, and abilities required to prepare students for
58	52		high-skill, high-wage jobs in high-demand occupations.
59	53		(c) In developing program of study curricula under
60	54		Subsection (b), the board shall pursue a management strategy that
61	55		maximizes efficiency, including a management strategy that
62	56		provides for the decentralization of advisory committees to enable
63	57		concurrent development of curricula for different programs of
64	58		study.
65	59		(d) The board may partner with the Texas Education Agency,
66	60		the Texas Workforce Commission, and other state agencies to develop
67	61		programs of study under this section.
68	62		(e) A program of study established under this section must:
69	63		(1) focus on the current and future needs of employers
70	64		in this state;
71	65		(2) clearly define career pathways with logical entry
72	66		and exit points for students;
73	67		(3) indicate the types of careers and the names of
74	68		certifications or licenses aligned to the program of study;
75	69		(4) provide for students who begin a program of study
76	70		at a public junior college, public state college, or public
77	71		technical institute to transfer to another public junior college,
78	72		public state college, or public technical institute without having
79	73		to repeat classes or incur significant interruption of their
80	74		ability to progress through the program of study;
81	75		(5) be designed to meet the needs of business and
82	76		industry with a high degree of commonality across the state;
83	77		(6) align with the college and career readiness
84	78		standards; and
85	79		(7) be revised on a reoccurring schedule, not to
86	80		exceed once every five years, to ensure the programs of study remain
87	81		current and relevant to the needs of business and industry.
88	82		(f) A student enrolled in a board-established program of
89	83		study who transfers from a public junior college, public state
90	84		college, or public technical institute to another public junior
91	85		college, public state college, or public technical institute that
92	86		offers a similar program, regardless of whether the institution has
93	87		adopted the board-established program of study, shall receive
94	88		academic credit from the institution to which the student
95	89		transferred for each of the courses that the student has
96	90		successfully completed in the program of study curriculum. Unless
97	91		otherwise required by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern
98	92		Association of Colleges and Schools, the student may complete the
99	93		program of study at the institution to which the student
100	94		transferred by completing only the remaining number of semester
101	95		credit hours the student would need to complete the program of study
102	96		at the institution from which the student transferred.
103	97		(g) The board, the Texas Education Agency, and the Texas
104	98		Workforce Commission may adopt rules as necessary for the
105	99		administration of this section.
106	100		SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.
107		-	* * * * *
	101	+	______________________________ ______________________________
	102	+	President of the Senate Speaker of the House
	103	+	I certify that H.B. No. 2628 was passed by the House on April
	104	+	23, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 135, Nays 4, 2 present, not
	105	+	voting.
	106	+	______________________________
	107	+	Chief Clerk of the House
	108	+	I certify that H.B. No. 2628 was passed by the Senate on May
	109	+	20, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.
	110	+	______________________________
	111	+	Secretary of the Senate
	112	+	APPROVED: _____________________
	113	+	Date
	114	+	_____________________
	115	+	Governor