84R14438 JRJ-D
By: West S.B. No. 1810
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to authorization by the Texas Higher Education
Coordinating Board for certain public junior colleges to offer
early childhood education baccalaureate degree programs.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 130.0012, Education Code, is amended by
adding Subsections (b-1), (b-2), and (g-1) and amending Subsection
(g) to read as follows:
(b-1) The coordinating board shall authorize a
baccalaureate degree program in early childhood education at each
public junior college located in a county with a population of
greater than one million if:
(1) the county has a demonstrated initial need for at
least 3,000 early childhood educators;
(2) the degree program curriculum is approved by the
independent school districts located in the county that
collectively represent at least 51 percent of the student
population enrolled in kindergarten through 12th grade; and
(3) one of the following:
(A) before November 1, 2015, a regional public
university located in the county or an immediately adjacent county
is unable to obtain the approval of the independent school
districts located in the county that collectively represent at
least 51 percent of the student population enrolled in kindergarten
through 12th grade for a detailed plan to:
(i) expand degree output of early childhood
and elementary certified teachers to collectively meet the
three-year average hiring demands of the independent school
districts located in the county and immediately adjacent counties,
including producing more prekindergarten teachers to support the
planned increases in prekindergarten enrollment for all public
schools;
(ii) implement an early childhood education
curriculum; and
(iii) fund the expansion of current or
development of new early childhood education programs, which does
not include state funding for new facilities; or
(B) before September 1, 2017, a regional public
university that received the approval of independent school
districts as described by Paragraph (A) is unable to demonstrate:
(i) the necessary current student
enrollment to produce sufficient early childhood and elementary
certified teachers within the next four years to meet the existing
hiring demands of the independent school districts located in the
county and immediately adjacent counties based on historical
three-year averages, including producing more prekindergarten
teachers to support the planned increases in prekindergarten
enrollment for all public schools; and
(ii) implementation of an early childhood
education curriculum meeting the expressed needs of the independent
school districts located in the county that collectively represent
at least 51 percent of the student population enrolled in
kindergarten through 12th grade.
(b-2) The coordinating board may not subsequently terminate
authorization to offer an early childhood baccalaureate degree
program granted under Subsection (b-1) on the ground that
implementation of the degree program reduces the workforce need to
a level that is below the minimal threshold specified in Subsection
(b-1)(1).
(g) Except as provided by Subsection (g-1), in [In] its
recommendations to the legislature relating to state funding for
public junior colleges, the coordinating board shall recommend that
a public junior college receive substantially the same state
support for junior-level and senior-level courses offered under
this section as that provided to a general academic teaching
institution for substantially similar courses. In determining the
contact hours attributable to students enrolled in a junior-level
or senior-level course offered under this section used to determine
a public junior college's proportionate share of state
appropriations under Section 130.003, the coordinating board shall
weigh those contact hours as necessary to provide the junior
college the appropriate level of state support to the extent state
funds for those courses are included in the appropriations. This
subsection does not prohibit the legislature from directly
appropriating state funds to support junior-level and senior-level
courses offered under this section.
(g-1) A degree program created under Subsection (b-1) may be
funded only by a public junior college's proportionate share of
state appropriations under Section 130.003, local funds, and
private sources. This subsection does not require the legislature
to appropriate state funds to support a degree program created
under Subsection (b-1).
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.