| 1 | 1 | | 84R7593 KJE-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Seliger S.B. No. 1190 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to the granting of undergraduate course credit by advanced |
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| 8 | 8 | | placement examination at public institutions of higher education. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Section 51.968, Education Code, is amended by |
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| 11 | 11 | | adding Subsection (c-1) to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | (c-1) In establishing the minimum required score on an |
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| 13 | 13 | | Advanced Placement examination for granting course credit under |
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| 14 | 14 | | Subsection (c), an institution of higher education may not require |
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| 15 | 15 | | a score of more than three unless the institution determines that |
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| 16 | 16 | | there is a compelling academic reason for requiring a higher score |
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| 17 | 17 | | on that examination or to receive credit for a particular course. |
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| 18 | 18 | | SECTION 2. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is |
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| 19 | 19 | | amended by adding Section 61.0518 to read as follows: |
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| 20 | 20 | | Sec. 61.0518. STUDY ON UNDERGRADUATE COURSE CREDIT FOR |
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| 21 | 21 | | ADVANCED PLACEMENT EXAMINATIONS. (a) In this section, "Advanced |
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| 22 | 22 | | Placement examination" has the meaning assigned by Section 51.968. |
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| 23 | 23 | | (b) Biennially, the board shall conduct a study on the |
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| 24 | 24 | | performance of undergraduate students at institutions of higher |
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| 25 | 25 | | education who receive undergraduate course credit for achieving |
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| 26 | 26 | | required scores on one or more Advanced Placement examinations. |
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| 27 | 27 | | (c) The study must compare the academic performance, |
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| 28 | 28 | | retention rates, and graduation rates at institutions of higher |
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| 29 | 29 | | education of students who receive course credit for a score of three |
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| 30 | 30 | | on an Advanced Placement examination and students who receive |
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| 31 | 31 | | course credit for a score of four or five on that examination. |
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| 32 | 32 | | (d) Each institution of higher education shall submit to the |
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| 33 | 33 | | board any data requested by the board as necessary for the board to |
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| 34 | 34 | | carry out its duties under this section. |
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| 35 | 35 | | (e) Not later than January 1 of each odd-numbered year, the |
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| 36 | 36 | | board shall submit to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the |
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| 37 | 37 | | speaker of the house of representatives, and the standing |
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| 38 | 38 | | legislative committees with primary jurisdiction over higher |
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| 39 | 39 | | education a report regarding the results of the study and any |
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| 40 | 40 | | recommendations for legislative or administrative action. |
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| 41 | 41 | | (f) The board shall adopt rules as necessary to implement |
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| 42 | 42 | | this section in a manner that ensures compliance with federal law |
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| 43 | 43 | | regarding confidentiality of student educational information, |
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| 44 | 44 | | including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (20 |
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| 45 | 45 | | U.S.C. Section 1232g). |
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| 46 | 46 | | SECTION 3. (a) Section 51.968(c-1), Education Code, as |
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| 47 | 47 | | added by this Act, applies to entering freshman students at |
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| 48 | 48 | | institutions of higher education beginning with the 2016 fall |
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| 49 | 49 | | semester. |
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| 50 | 50 | | (b) Not later than January 1, 2017, the Texas Higher |
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| 51 | 51 | | Education Coordinating Board shall submit its initial report |
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| 52 | 52 | | required by Section 61.0518(e), Education Code, as added by this |
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| 53 | 53 | | Act. |
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| 54 | 54 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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