Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas House Bill HB3508 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	By: Rodriguez of Travis H.B. No. 3508
2	2
3	3
4	4	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
5	5	AN ACT
6	6	relating to a college readiness memorandum of understanding between
7	7	a school district and an institution of higher education.
8	8	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
9	9	SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 28, Education Code, is
10	10	amended to read as follows:
11	11	Sec. 28.014. COLLEGE PREPARATORY COURSES COLLEGE READINESS
12	12	PARTNERSHIP. (a) Each school district shall partner with at least
13	13	one institution of higher education to:
14	14	(1) provide for joint professional development
15	15	opportunities for school counselors and academic advisors to
16	16	promote collaboration and support the creation of common practices
17	17	and terminology relating to college readiness;
18	18	(2) identify a common method of determining college
19	19	readiness;
20	20	(3) identify the pathways between the endorsements under
21	21	Section 28.025(c-1) that are available to students in the school
22	22	district and degree programs and fields of study relating to those
23	23	endorsements that are available at the institution of higher
24	24	education;
25	25	(4) develop tools based on the pathways identified under
26	26	Subdivision (3) for school counselors and academic advisors to
27	27	assist students in selecting a suitable program of study; and
28	28	(5) identify opportunities to increase the cost efficiency
29	29	of related programs in areas that include the following:
30	30	(A) technology;
31	31	(B) facilities and equipment;
32	32	(C) dual credit course staffing and certification; and
33	33	(D) transportation.
34	34	(6) develop and provide courses in college preparatory
35	35	mathematics and English language arts. The courses must be
36	36	designed:
37	37	(A) for students at the 12th grade level whose
38	38	performance on:
39	39	(i) an end-of-course assessment instrument
40	40	required under Section 39.023(c) does not meet college readiness
41	41	standards; or
42	42	(ii) coursework, a college entrance examination,
43	43	or an assessment instrument designated under Section 51.3062(c)
44	44	indicates that the student is not ready to perform entry-level
45	45	college coursework; and
46	46	(B) to prepare students for success in entry-level
47	47	college courses.
48	48	(2) A course developed under this section must be provided:
49	49	(A) on the campus of the high school offering the
50	50	course; or
51	51	(B) through distance learning or as an online course
52	52	provided through an institution of higher education with which the
53	53	school district partners as provided by Subsection (a).
54	54	(3) Appropriate faculty of each high school offering
55	55	courses under this section and appropriate faculty of each
56	56	institution of higher education with which the school district
57	57	partners shall meet regularly as necessary to ensure that each
58	58	course is aligned with college readiness expectations. The
59	59	commissioner of education, in coordination with the commissioner of
60	60	higher education, may adopt rules to administer this subsection.
61	61	(4) Each school district shall provide a notice to each
62	62	district student to whom Subsection (a) applies and the student's
63	63	parent or guardian regarding the benefits of enrolling in a course
64	64	under this section.
65	65	(5) A student who successfully completes an English
66	66	language arts course developed under this section may use the
67	67	credit earned in the course toward satisfying the advanced English
68	68	language arts curriculum requirement for the foundation high school
69	69	program under Section 28.025(b-1)(1). A student who successfully
70	70	completes a mathematics course developed under this section may
71	71	use the credit earned in the course toward satisfying an advanced
72	72	mathematics curriculum requirement under Section 28.025 after
73	73	completion of the mathematics curriculum requirements for the
74	74	foundation high school program under Section 28.025(b-1)(2).
75	75	(6) A course provided under this section may be offered for
76	76	dual credit at the discretion of the institution of higher
77	77	education with which a school district partners under this section.
78	78	(7) Each school district, in consultation with each
79	79	institution of higher education with which the district partners,
80	80	shall develop or purchase instructional materials for a course
81	81	developed under this section consistent with Chapter 31. The
82	82	instructional materials must include technology resources that
83	83	enhance the effectiveness of the course and draw on established
84	84	best practices.
85	85	(8) To the extent applicable, a district shall draw from
86	86	curricula and instructional materials developed under Section
87	87	28.008 in developing a course and related instructional materials
88	88	under this section. A course developed under this section and the
89	89	related instructional materials shall be made available to students
90	90	not later than the 2014-2015 school year. This subsection expires
91	91	September 1, 2015.
92	92	(b) A school district and institution of higher education
93	93	shall annually review and update a partnership agreement under this
94	94	section
95	95	SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2015-2016
96	96	school year.
97	97	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
98	98	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
99	99	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
100	100	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
101	101	Act takes effect September 1, 2015.