Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas House Bill HB3278 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	84R10940 KJE-D
2	2	By: Gonzales H.B. No. 3278
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to measures to support public school student academic
8	8	achievement and career preparation, including measures to improve
9	9	and support dual-credit courses.
10	10	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	11	SECTION 1. Section 28.009(b), Education Code, is amended to
12	12	read as follows:
13	13	(b) The agency shall coordinate with the Texas Higher
14	14	Education Coordinating Board as necessary in administering this
15	15	section. The commissioner may adopt rules as necessary concerning
16	16	the duties under this section of a school district. The Texas Higher
17	17	Education Coordinating Board may adopt rules as necessary
18	18	concerning the duties under this section of a public institution of
19	19	higher education. A rule may not limit the number of dual credit
20	20	courses or hours in which a student may enroll while in high school
21	21	or limit the number of dual credit courses or hours in which a
22	22	student may enroll each semester or academic year.
23	23	SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 28, Education Code, is
24	24	amended by adding Section 28.016 to read as follows:
25	25	Sec. 28.016. INSTRUCTION IN HIGH SCHOOL, COLLEGE, AND
26	26	CAREER PREPARATION. (a) Each school district shall provide
27	27	instruction to students in grades seven and eight in preparing for
28	28	high school, college, and a career.
29	29	(b) The instruction must include information regarding:
30	30	(1) the creation of a high school personal graduation
31	31	plan under Section 28.02121;
32	32	(2) the distinguished level of achievement described
33	33	by Section 28.025(b-15);
34	34	(3) each endorsement described by Section
35	35	28.025(c-1);
36	36	(4) college readiness standards; and
37	37	(5) potential career choices and the education needed
38	38	to enter those careers.
39	39	(c) A school district may provide the instruction as a part
40	40	of any existing course or may establish a new course through which
41	41	to provide the instruction.
42	42	SECTION 3. Section 130.008, Education Code, is amended by
43	43	adding Subsections (g) and (h) to read as follows:
44	44	(g) A course offered for joint high school and junior
45	45	college credit under this section must be taught by a qualified
46	46	instructor approved or selected by the public junior college. For
47	47	purposes of this subsection, an instructor is qualified if the
48	48	instructor holds:
49	49	(1) a doctoral or master's degree in the discipline
50	50	that is the subject of the course; or
51	51	(2) a master's degree in another discipline with a
52	52	concentration that required completion of a minimum of 18 graduate
53	53	semester hours in the discipline that is the subject of the course.
54	54	(h) Not later than the 60th day after receipt, a public
55	55	junior college shall approve or reject an application for approval
56	56	to teach a course at a high school that is submitted by an
57	57	instructor employed by the school district, organization, or other
58	58	person that operates the high school with which the junior college
59	59	entered into an agreement under this section to offer the course.
60	60	SECTION 4. Section 303.003(b-2), Labor Code, is amended to
61	61	read as follows:
62	62	(b-2) In addition to the purposes described by Subsections
63	63	(b) and (b-1), in each state fiscal biennium, an amount of money
64	64	from the skills development fund not to exceed five percent of the
65	65	amount of general revenue appropriated to the skills development
66	66	fund for that biennium may be used as provided by this
67	67	subsection. Funds available to the commission from other sources
68	68	may also be used as provided by this subsection. Funds may be
69	69	awarded under this subsection to a lower-division institution of
70	70	higher education to be used under an agreement with a school
71	71	district, or to a school district to be used under an agreement with
72	72	a lower-division institution of higher education, to support
73	73	courses offered for joint high school and college-level credit or
74	74	offered under a college credit career or technical education
75	75	program that leads to an industry-recognized license, credential,
76	76	or certificate. Appropriate uses of funds awarded under this
77	77	subsection include purchasing or repairing necessary equipment for
78	78	a course and developing a course curriculum. A course or program
79	79	supported under this subsection must:
80	80	(1) have the endorsement of, or a letter of support
81	81	from, at least one employer in this state; and
82	82	(2) be targeted to address the needs of high-demand
83	83	fields or occupations, as identified by the applicable local
84	84	workforce development board.
85	85	SECTION 5. Section 28.016, Education Code, as added by this
86	86	Act, applies beginning with the 2015-2016 school year.
87	87	SECTION 6. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
88	88	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
89	89	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
90	90	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
91	91	Act takes effect September 1, 2015.