Texas 2021 - 87th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1888 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	S.B. No. 1888
	1	+	By: Creighton S.B. No. 1888
	2	+	(Parker)
2	3
3	4
	5	+	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
4	6		AN ACT
5	7		relating to the establishment of certain programs to facilitate
6	8		early high school graduation and enrollment at public institutions
7	9		of higher education and to the repeal of the Early High School
8	10		Graduation Scholarship program.
9	11		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	12		SECTION 1. Section 28.0253, Education Code, is amended to
11	13		read as follows:
12	14		Sec. 28.0253. TEXAS FIRST EARLY HIGH SCHOOL COMPLETION
13	15		[PILOT] PROGRAM[: HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMAS FOR STUDENTS WHO
14	16		DEMONSTRATE EARLY READINESS FOR COLLEGE]. (a) In this section:
15	17		(1) "Coordinating board" means the Texas Higher
16	18		Education Coordinating Board.
17	19		(2) "Eligible institution" means an institution of
18	20		higher education that is designated as a research university or
19	21		emerging research university under the coordinating board's
20	22		accountability system.
21	23		(3) "Institution of higher education" has the meaning
22	24		assigned by Section 61.003.
23	25		(4) "Program" means the Texas First Early High School
24	26		Completion Program established under this section.
25	27		[(2) "Research university" means an institution of
26	28		higher education that is designated as a research university under
27	29		the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's accountability
28	30		system.]
29	31		(b) The agency, in coordination with the coordinating
30	32		board, shall establish the Texas First Early High School Completion
31	33		Program to allow public high school students who demonstrate early
32	34		readiness for college to graduate early from high school. The
33	35		purpose of the program, in conjunction with the Texas First
34	36		Scholarship Program established under Subchapter K-1, Chapter 56,
35	37		is to promote efficiency in the state public education system and
36	38		incentivize the enrollment of high performing students at eligible
37	39		institutions.
38	40		(c) The coordinating board, in consultation with the agency
39	41		and eligible institutions, [A research university that chooses to
40	42		participate in the pilot program] shall by rule establish[:
41	43		[(1) not later than September 1 of each year, make
42	44		available on the university's Internet website detailed] standards
43	45		for use in the program regarding:
44	46		(1) [(A)] the specific competencies that demonstrate
45	47		a student's mastery of each subject area for which the coordinating
46	48		board [Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board] and the
47	49		commissioner have adopted college readiness standards;
48	50		(2) [(B)] the specific competencies that demonstrate
49	51		a student's mastery of a language other than English; and
50	52		(3) [(C)] acceptable assessments or other means by
51	53		which a student may demonstrate the student's early readiness for
52	54		college with respect to each subject area and the language
53	55		described by Subdivision (2) [this subdivision], subject to
54	56		Subsection (d) [(c);
55	57		[(2) partner with at least 10 school districts that
56	58		reflect the geographic diversity of this state and the student
57	59		compositions of which reflect the socioeconomic diversity of this
58	60		state; and
59	61		[(3) assist school administrators, school counselors,
60	62		and other educators in each of those school districts in designing
61	63		the specific requirements of and implementing the program in the
62	64		district].
63	65		(d) [(c)] The assessments or other means the coordinating
64	66		board establishes [filed by a research university] under Subsection
65	67		(c)(3) [(b)(1)(C)] must be equivalent to the assessments or other
66	68		means eligible institutions commonly use [the university uses] to
67	69		place students at the institutions [university] in courses that may
68	70		be credited toward a degree requirement.
69	71		(e) [(d)] A [research university that partners with a]
70	72		school district or open-enrollment charter school [under this
71	73		section shall enter into an agreement with the district under which
72	74		the university and district agree that the district will assess a
73	75		student's mastery of the subject areas described by Subsection
74	76		(b)(1) and a language other than English in accordance with the
75	77		standards the university filed under Subsection (b)(1). The
76	78		district] may issue a high school diploma to a student under the
77	79		program if, using the standards established under Subsection (c),
78	80		the student demonstrates mastery of and early readiness for college
79	81		in each of the [those] subject areas described by that subsection
80	82		and in a language other than English, notwithstanding any other
81	83		local or state requirements.
82	84		(f) [(e)] A student who earns [receives] a high school
83	85		diploma through the [pilot] program is considered to have earned a
84	86		distinguished level of achievement under the foundation high school
85	87		program adopted under Section 28.025. The student is not
86	88		guaranteed admission to any institution of higher education or to
87	89		any academic program at an institution of higher education solely
88	90		on the basis of having received the diploma through the program.
89	91		The student may apply for admission to an institution of higher
90	92		education for the first semester or other academic term after the
91	93		semester or other academic term in which the student earns a diploma
92	94		through the [pilot] program.
93	95		(g) On a student's initial enrollment in high school in a
94	96		grade level below grade 12 in a school district or open-enrollment
95	97		charter school, the district or school shall provide to the student
96	98		and the student's parent or guardian information regarding:
97	99		(1) the requirements to earn a high school diploma
98	100		under the program; and
99	101		(2) the Texas First Scholarship Program established
100	102		under Subchapter K-1, Chapter 56.
101	103		(h) The agency and the coordinating board shall jointly
102	104		prepare and post on their respective Internet websites a
103	105		publication that includes the information required to be provided
104	106		under Subsection (g) in a form that enables a school district or
105	107		open-enrollment charter school to reproduce the publication for
106	108		distribution under that subsection.
107	109		[(f) A research university that participates in the pilot
108	110		program shall enter into an agreement with an education research
109	111		center established under Section 1.005 to conduct an evaluation of
110	112		the program with respect to that university and the school
111	113		districts with which the university partners. Not later than
112	114		January 1, 2013, the education research center shall provide a
113	115		written report of the evaluation to the commissioner and the
114	116		commissioner of higher education and make the report available on
115	117		the center's Internet website. The report may include an analysis
116	118		of the effects of the program on the university's admissions review
117	119		process.]
118	120		SECTION 2. Subchapter F, Chapter 48, Education Code, is
119	121		amended by adding Section 48.2642 to read as follows:
120	122		Sec. 48.2642. ADJUSTMENTS FOR TEXAS FIRST EARLY HIGH SCHOOL
121	123		COMPLETION PROGRAM GRADUATES. (a) Notwithstanding any other
122	124		provision of this chapter, the commissioner shall count toward a
123	125		school district's or open-enrollment charter school's average daily
124	126		attendance under Section 48.005 each student who graduates early
125	127		from high school in the district or school under the Texas First
126	128		Early High School Completion Program established under Section
127	129		28.0253 for the period in which the student is enrolled at an
128	130		eligible institution using state credit awarded under the Texas
129	131		First Scholarship Program established under Subchapter K-1,
130	132		Chapter 56, based on a 100 percent attendance rate.
131	133		(b) As soon as practicable after receipt of the report under
132	134		Section 56.226, the commissioner shall reduce the amount of a
133	135		school district's or open-enrollment charter school's entitlement
134	136		under this chapter for the school year by an amount equal to the
135	137		total amount of state credit issued during the preceding school
136	138		year to the district's or school's high school graduates under the
137	139		Texas First Scholarship Program established under Subchapter K-1,
138	140		Chapter 56.
139	141		SECTION 3. Chapter 56, Education Code, is amended by adding
140	142		Subchapter K-1 to read as follows:
141	143		SUBCHAPTER K-1. TEXAS FIRST SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
142	144		Sec. 56.221. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
143	145		(1) "Coordinating board" means the Texas Higher
144	146		Education Coordinating Board.
145	147		(2) "Eligible institution" means an institution of
146	148		higher education, as that term is defined by Section 61.003, that is
147	149		designated as a research university or emerging research university
148	150		under the coordinating board's accountability system.
149	151		(3) "Program" means the Texas First Scholarship
150	152		Program.
151	153		Sec. 56.222. PURPOSE. The purpose of the program, in
152	154		conjunction with the Texas Early High School Completion Program
153	155		established under Section 28.0253, is to promote efficiency in the
154	156		state public education system and incentivize the enrollment of
155	157		high performing students at eligible institutions.
156	158		Sec. 56.223. ELIGIBILITY. To be eligible for an award under
157	159		the program, a student must:
158	160		(1) be a resident of this state as determined by
159	161		coordinating board rules;
160	162		(2) have graduated early from high school under the
161	163		Texas First Early High School Completion Program established under
162	164		Section 28.0253; and
163	165		(3) comply with Section 28.0256.
164	166		Sec. 56.224. ENTITLEMENT; CALCULATION OF AID; EXPIRATION.
165	167		(a) The coordinating board shall award to each eligible student
166	168		state credit in an amount equal to:
167	169		(1) for a student who graduated from high school two or
168	170		more semesters or the equivalent earlier than the student's high
169	171		school cohort, the maximum annual TEXAS grant award determined by
170	172		the coordinating board for the applicable academic year under
171	173		Section 56.307; or
172	174		(2) for a student who graduated from high school less
173	175		than two semesters or the equivalent earlier than the student's
174	176		high school cohort, half of the amount described by Subdivision
175	177		(1).
176	178		(b) The amount of state credit awarded to a student under
177	179		the program may not be considered in the calculation of any state or
178	180		institutional need-based aid awards or the calculation of the
179	181		student's overall financial need, unless the combination of the
180	182		credit and other federal, state, and institutional financial aid
181	183		for which the student would otherwise be eligible exceeds the
182	184		estimated total cost of attendance at the eligible institution at
183	185		which the student is enrolled.
184	186		(c) The coordinating board shall issue to the student a
185	187		certificate indicating the amount of the state credit awarded under
186	188		this section.
187	189		(d) State credit awarded to a student under this section
188	190		expires at the end of the first academic year following the
189	191		student's graduation from high school.
190	192		Sec. 56.225. APPLICATION OF SCHOLARSHIP. On enrollment of
191	193		an eligible student at an eligible institution, the institution
192	194		shall apply to the student's charges for tuition, mandatory fees,
193	195		and other costs of attendance for the enrollment period an amount
194	196		equal to the lesser of:
195	197		(1) the amount of the state credit awarded to the
196	198		student under Section 56.224; or
197	199		(2) the student's actual tuition, mandatory fees, and
198	200		other costs of attendance at the institution.
199	201		Sec. 56.226. PAYMENT OF STATE CREDIT. (a) At least once
200	202		each year, the coordinating board shall submit to the commissioner
201	203		of education a report on state credit awarded under the program
202	204		during the preceding academic year. The report must include:
203	205		(1) the name of each student who used the state credit
204	206		during that academic year;
205	207		(2) the school district or open-enrollment charter
206	208		school from which each student graduated from high school; and
207	209		(3) the amount of the state credit used by each student
208	210		during that academic year.
209	211		(b) As soon as practicable after receipt of the report under
210	212		Subsection (a), the commissioner of education shall transfer to the
211	213		coordinating board an amount of funds equal to the total amount by
212	214		which school district and open-enrollment charter school
213	215		entitlements are reduced under Section 48.2642(b).
214	216		(c) As soon as practicable after receipt of funds
215	217		transferred under Subsection (b), the coordinating board shall
216	218		distribute to each eligible institution an amount of funds equal to
217	219		the amount of state credit applied by the institution under Section
218	220		56.225 during the preceding academic year.
219	221		Sec. 56.227. RULES. The coordinating board may adopt rules
220	222		necessary to implement this subchapter.
221	223		SECTION 4. Subchapter K, Chapter 56, Education Code, is
222	224		repealed.
223	225		SECTION 5. (a) As soon as practicable after the effective
224	226		date of this Act:
225	227		(1) the Texas Education Agency and the Texas Higher
226	228		Education Coordinating Board shall take all actions necessary to
227	229		implement the Texas First Early High School Completion Program
228	230		established under Section 28.0253, Education Code, as amended by
229	231		this Act; and
230	232		(2) the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
231	233		shall adopt rules to administer Subchapter K-1, Chapter 56,
232	234		Education Code, as added by this Act.
233	235		(b) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall
234	236		begin awarding scholarships under Subchapter K-1, Chapter 56,
235	237		Education Code, as added by this Act, beginning with the 2021-2022
236	238		academic year.
237	239		SECTION 6. The Texas Education Agency and the Texas Higher
238	240		Education Coordinating Board are required to implement this Act
239	241		only if the legislature appropriates money specifically for that
240	242		purpose. If the legislature does not appropriate money
241	243		specifically for that purpose, the agency and the coordinating
242	244		board may, but are not required to, implement this Act using other
243	245		appropriations available for that purpose.
244	246		SECTION 7. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
245	247		a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
246	248		provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
247	249		Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
248	250		Act takes effect September 1, 2021.
249		-	______________________________ ______________________________
250		-	President of the Senate Speaker of the House
251		-	I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1888 passed the Senate on
252		-	April 29, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 1.
253		-	______________________________
254		-	Secretary of the Senate
255		-	I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1888 passed the House on
256		-	May 26, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 140, Nays 3, two
257		-	present not voting.
258		-	______________________________
259		-	Chief Clerk of the House
260		-	Approved:
261		-	______________________________
262		-	Date
263		-	______________________________
264		-	Governor