| 1 | 1 | | 87R8544 CXP-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Turner of Dallas H.B. No. 4403 |
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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 an agreement between a school district and public |
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| 8 | 8 | | institution of higher education to provide a dual credit program to |
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| 9 | 9 | | high school students enrolled in the district. |
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| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Section 28.009(b-2), Education Code, as amended |
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| 12 | 12 | | by Chapters 264 (S.B. 1276) and 901 (H.B. 3650), Acts of the 86th |
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| 13 | 13 | | Legislature, Regular Session, 2019, is reenacted and amended to |
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| 14 | 14 | | read as follows: |
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| 15 | 15 | | (b-2) Any agreement, including a memorandum of |
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| 16 | 16 | | understanding or articulation agreement, between a school district |
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| 17 | 17 | | and public institution of higher education to provide a dual credit |
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| 18 | 18 | | program described by Subsection (b-1) must: |
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| 19 | 19 | | (1) include specific program goals aligned with the |
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| 20 | 20 | | statewide goals developed under Subsection (b-1); |
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| 21 | 21 | | (2) establish common advising strategies and |
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| 22 | 22 | | terminology related to dual credit and college readiness; |
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| 23 | 23 | | (3) provide for the alignment of endorsements |
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| 24 | 24 | | described by Section 28.025(c-1) offered by the district, and dual |
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| 25 | 25 | | credit courses offered under the agreement that apply towards those |
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| 26 | 26 | | endorsements, with postsecondary pathways and credentials at the |
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| 27 | 27 | | institution and industry certifications; |
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| 28 | 28 | | (4) identify tools, including tools developed by the |
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| 29 | 29 | | agency, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, or the Texas |
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| 30 | 30 | | Workforce Commission, to assist school counselors, students, and |
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| 31 | 31 | | families in selecting endorsements offered by the district and dual |
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| 32 | 32 | | credit courses offered under the agreement; |
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| 33 | 33 | | (5) establish, or provide a procedure for |
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| 34 | 34 | | establishing, the course credits that may be earned under the |
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| 35 | 35 | | agreement, including by developing a course equivalency crosswalk |
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| 36 | 36 | | or other method for equating high school courses with college |
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| 37 | 37 | | courses and identifying the number of credits that may be earned for |
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| 38 | 38 | | each course completed through the program; |
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| 39 | 39 | | (6) describe the academic supports and, if applicable, |
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| 40 | 40 | | guidance that will be provided to students participating in the |
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| 41 | 41 | | program; |
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| 42 | 42 | | (7) establish the district's and the institution's |
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| 43 | 43 | | respective roles and responsibilities in providing the program and |
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| 44 | 44 | | ensuring the quality and instructional rigor of the program; |
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| 45 | 45 | | (8) state the sources of funding for courses offered |
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| 46 | 46 | | under the program, including, at a minimum, the sources of funding |
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| 47 | 47 | | for tuition, transportation, and any required fees or textbooks for |
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| 48 | 48 | | students participating in the program; |
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| 49 | 49 | | (9) require the district and the institution to |
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| 50 | 50 | | consider the use of free or low-cost open educational resources in |
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| 51 | 51 | | courses offered under the program; [and] |
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| 52 | 52 | | (10) [(7)] be posted each year on the district's and |
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| 53 | 53 | | the institution's respective Internet websites; and |
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| 54 | 54 | | (11) designate at least one employee of the district |
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| 55 | 55 | | or institution as responsible for providing academic advising to a |
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| 56 | 56 | | student who enrolls in a dual credit course under the program before |
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| 57 | 57 | | the student begins the course. |
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| 58 | 58 | | SECTION 2. Section 28.009(b-2), Education Code, as |
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| 59 | 59 | | reenacted and amended by this Act, applies only to an agreement to |
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| 60 | 60 | | provide a dual credit program entered into or renewed on or after |
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| 61 | 61 | | September 1, 2021. An agreement to provide a dual credit program |
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| 62 | 62 | | entered into or renewed before September 1, 2021, is governed by the |
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| 63 | 63 | | law as it existed at the time the agreement was entered into or |
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| 64 | 64 | | renewed, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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| 65 | 65 | | SECTION 3. To the extent of any conflict, this Act prevails |
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| 66 | 66 | | over another Act of the 87th Legislature, Regular Session, 2021, |
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| 67 | 67 | | relating to nonsubstantive additions to and corrections in enacted |
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| 68 | 68 | | codes. |
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| 69 | 69 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 70 | 70 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 71 | 71 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 72 | 72 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 73 | 73 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |
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