Texas 2021 - 87th Regular

Texas House Bill HB3991 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	87R10393 ANG-F
2	2	By: VanDeaver H.B. No. 3991
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to measures to assist small and rural school districts in
8	8	implementing a collegiate model and expanding broadband access,
9	9	including the establishment of the Rural Schools and Communities
10	10	Technical Assistance Center and a grant program.
11	11	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12	12	SECTION 1. Chapter 30, Education Code, is amended by adding
13	13	Subchapter F to read as follows:
14	14	SUBCHAPTER F. RURAL SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
15	15	CENTER
16	16	Sec. 30.401. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "center"
17	17	means the Rural Schools and Communities Technical Assistance
18	18	Center.
19	19	Sec. 30.402. ESTABLISHMENT; PURPOSE. The Rural Schools and
20	20	Communities Technical Assistance Center is established to assist
21	21	small and rural school districts with the implementation and
22	22	expansion of the Collegiate Edu-Nation P-20 System Model for 21st
23	23	Century School Transformation in cooperation with the agency and to
24	24	further ensure better economic and life opportunities by
25	25	facilitating the expansion of broadband development in rural
26	26	communities.
27	27	Sec. 30.403. DUTIES OF CENTER. (a) The center shall
28	28	facilitate the tri-agency alignment for rural students by
29	29	collaborating with the agency, the Texas Higher Education
30	30	Coordinating Board, and the Texas Workforce Commission.
31	31	(b) The center shall assist participating school districts
32	32	in implementing the Collegiate Edu-Nation P-20 System Model for
33	33	21st-Century School Transformation to:
34	34	(1) combat generational poverty by fostering high
35	35	aspirations and expectations among students, families, and
36	36	communities for college and career success, with an emphasis on
37	37	workforce shortage areas;
38	38	(2) support attainment of the state's master plan for
39	39	higher education developed under Section 61.051; and
40	40	(3) support implementation of the Pathways in
41	41	Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) programs in
42	42	participating school districts under Subchapter N, Chapter 29.
43	43	Sec. 30.404. SELECTION OF CENTER. The commissioner shall
44	44	select a nonprofit organization to serve as the center and support
45	45	school districts awarded a planning or implementation grant under
46	46	this subchapter. The selected nonprofit organization must have:
47	47	(1) an individual on staff who has previously
48	48	implemented a collegiate model in a rural school district; and
49	49	(2) a demonstrated history of:
50	50	(A) successfully managing rural schools; and
51	51	(B) supporting multiple rural school districts
52	52	in implementing a collegiate model.
53	53	Sec. 30.405. PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION GRANTS. (a) The
54	54	commissioner shall annually award planning grants to rural or small
55	55	school districts, as determined by commissioner rule, to plan for
56	56	the implementation of a collegiate model.
57	57	(b) The agency shall evaluate each district that receives a
58	58	planning grant under Subsection (a). If the agency determines that
59	59	the district successfully completed planning activities, the
60	60	commissioner shall award the district a one-year grant to implement
61	61	a collegiate model.
62	62	(c) The agency shall evaluate each district that receives an
63	63	implementation grant under Subsection (b). If the agency
64	64	determines that the district successfully completed implementation
65	65	activities in the first year of implementation, the commissioner
66	66	shall award the district an additional one-year implementation
67	67	grant.
68	68	Sec. 30.406. EXPECTED OUTCOMES. (a) By the conclusion of
69	69	the second year of implementation of a collegiate model using a
70	70	grant awarded under Section 30.405(c), the school district must:
71	71	(1) have implemented:
72	72	(A) a dual credit program or a joint high school
73	73	and college credit program;
74	74	(B) a Pathways in Technology Early College High
75	75	School (P-TECH) program under Subchapter N, Chapter 29;
76	76	(C) a research-based college readiness program
77	77	for grades 7 through 12;
78	78	(D) student college and career coaching;
79	79	(E) a common instructional framework and monthly
80	80	instructional review and improvement cycles;
81	81	(F) project-based learning experiences in a
82	82	majority of courses offered by the district;
83	83	(G) career and technical education programs;
84	84	(H) work-based learning opportunities, including
85	85	paid student apprenticeships in science, technology, engineering,
86	86	or mathematics workforce shortage areas;
87	87	(I) formal industry partnerships specific to
88	88	local workforce needs as identified by regional offices of the
89	89	Texas Workforce Commission;
90	90	(J) research-based, nationally norm-referenced
91	91	formative assessments; or
92	92	(K) access to a personal laptop or other
93	93	electronic device for each student; and
94	94	(2) demonstrate progress toward the goal of 90 percent
95	95	of graduating students concurrently earning a high school diploma,
96	96	associate degree, or industry-recognized certification by ensuring
97	97	that at least 30 percent of high school students enrolled in the
98	98	district are enrolled in college courses.
99	99	(b) If a school district that received a grant under Section
100	100	30.405(c) does not achieve the expected outcomes under Subsection
101	101	(a), the center shall work with the district to develop and
102	102	implement an intervention plan to support the district in achieving
103	103	those outcomes.
104	104	Sec. 30.407. SUPPORT OF RURAL BROADBAND INITIATIVES. Each
105	105	school district that receives a grant under Section 30.405 shall
106	106	work closely with relevant state agencies to assist in expanding
107	107	access, adoption, and use of broadband in rural areas to benefit
108	108	educational opportunities and economic development.
109	109	SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.