Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1480 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	84R9670 JRJ-D
2	2	By: Garcia S.B. No. 1480
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the development and alignment by the Texas Higher
8	8	Education Coordinating Board of curricula for certain educational
9	9	programs.
10	10	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	11	SECTION 1. Section 61.823, Education Code, is amended by
12	12	adding Subsection (e) to read as follows:
13	13	(e) The board, with the assistance of an appropriate
14	14	advisory committee, shall periodically review each field of study
15	15	curriculum to ensure alignment with student interest and academic
16	16	and industry needs.
17	17	SECTION 2. Subchapter S, Chapter 61, Education Code, is
18	18	amended by adding Section 61.8235 to read as follows:
19	19	Sec. 61.8235. CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION PROGRAM OF
20	20	STUDY CURRICULA. (a) The board, with the assistance of
21	21	institutions of higher education, career and technical education
22	22	experts, and college and career readiness experts, shall establish
23	23	alignment between the college and career readiness standards and
24	24	the knowledge, skills, and abilities students are expected to
25	25	demonstrate in career and technical education by establishing
26	26	programs of study that:
27	27	(1) incorporate rigorous college and career readiness
28	28	standards, including career and technical education standards that
29	29	address both academic and technical content;
30	30	(2) support attainment of employability and career
31	31	readiness skills;
32	32	(3) progress in content specificity by beginning with
33	33	all aspects of an industry or career cluster and leading to more
34	34	occupationally specific instruction or by preparing students for
35	35	ongoing postsecondary career preparation;
36	36	(4) incorporate multiple entry and exit points with
37	37	portable demonstrations of technical or career competency, which
38	38	may include credit transfer agreements or industry-recognized
39	39	certifications; and
40	40	(5) culminate in the attainment of:
41	41	(A) an industry-recognized certification,
42	42	credential, or license;
43	43	(B) a registered apprenticeship or
44	44	credit-bearing postsecondary certificate; or
45	45	(C) an associate or baccalaureate degree.
46	46	(b) The board, with the assistance of advisory committees
47	47	composed of representatives of secondary education, postsecondary
48	48	education, business and industry, other state agencies or licensing
49	49	bodies, and other career and technical education experts, shall
50	50	develop career and technical education program of study curricula.
51	51	Each advisory committee shall have at least one representative from
52	52	each identified group. The advisory committees shall identify the
53	53	knowledge, skills, and abilities required to prepare students for
54	54	high-skill, high-wage jobs in high-demand occupations.
55	55	(c) In developing program of study curricula under
56	56	Subsection (b), the board shall pursue a management strategy that
57	57	maximizes efficiency, including a management strategy that
58	58	provides for the decentralization of advisory committees to enable
59	59	concurrent development of curricula for different programs of
60	60	study.
61	61	(d) The board may partner with the Texas Education Agency,
62	62	the Texas Workforce Commission, and other state agencies to develop
63	63	programs of study under this section.
64	64	(e) A program of study established under this section must:
65	65	(1) focus on the current and future needs of employers
66	66	in this state;
67	67	(2) clearly define career pathways with logical entry
68	68	and exit points for students;
69	69	(3) indicate the types of careers and the names of
70	70	certifications or licenses aligned to the program of study;
71	71	(4) provide for students who begin a program of study
72	72	at a public junior college, public state college, or public
73	73	technical institute to transfer to another public junior college,
74	74	public state college, or public technical institute without having
75	75	to repeat classes or incur significant interruption of their
76	76	ability to progress through the program of study;
77	77	(5) be designed to meet the needs of business and
78	78	industry with a high degree of commonality across the state;
79	79	(6) align with the college and career readiness
80	80	standards; and
81	81	(7) be revised on a reoccurring schedule, not to
82	82	exceed once every five years, to ensure the programs of study remain
83	83	current and relevant to the needs of business and industry.
84	84	(f) A student enrolled in a board-established program of
85	85	study who transfers from a public junior college, public state
86	86	college, or public technical institute to another public junior
87	87	college, public state college, or public technical institute that
88	88	offers a similar program, regardless of whether the institution has
89	89	adopted the board-established program of study, shall receive
90	90	academic credit from the institution to which the student
91	91	transferred for each of the courses that the student has
92	92	successfully completed in the program of study curriculum. Unless
93	93	otherwise required by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern
94	94	Association of Colleges and Schools, the student may complete the
95	95	program of study at the institution to which the student
96	96	transferred by completing only the remaining number of semester
97	97	credit hours the student would need to complete the program of study
98	98	at the institution from which the student transferred.
99	99	(g) The board, the Texas Education Agency, and the Texas
100	100	Workforce Commission may adopt rules as necessary for the
101	101	administration of this section.
102	102	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.