BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	S.B. 2294
	By: Creighton
	Subcommittee on Higher Education
	3/28/2023
	As Filed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Background

• S.B. 1888, 87th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, 2021, added Texas Education Code �28.0253, which established the Texas First Early High School Completion Program to allow public high school students who demonstrate early readiness for college to graduate early from high school.
• The purpose of the Texas First Early High School Completion Program, in conjunction with the Texas First Scholarship Program, is to promote efficiency in the state public education system and incentivize the enrollment of high performing students at eligible institutions within the state of Texas.
• A student who graduates early through the Texas First Early High School Completion Program is considered to have earned a diploma with a distinguished level of achievement under Texas Education Code �28.025. The school must provide each student who earns a program diploma with a designation of distinguished level of achievement on the student's diploma.
• Eligible students may graduate as early as two or more semesters before their projected graduation date if all eligibility requirements are met.
• Existing statute limits Texas First program enrollment to institutions of higher education designated as a research university or emerging research university under the coordinating board's accountability.
• Existing statute does not require the permit of Texas First high school diplomas to eligible students, but rather leaves it to the discretion of public and charter schools.

Proposal

• This proposal is primarily a language change to the existing statute regarding the creation of the Texas First Early High School Completion Program.
• The language changes enacted by this proposal would expand eligibility of Texas First programs to more institutions of higher education. The proposal removes the research university designation eligibility requirements for institutions and expands eligibility to any public technical institute, public junior college, public senior college or university, medical or dental unit, public state college, or other agency of higher education.
• This proposal also requires school districts and charter schools to permit a student to graduate with a Texas First high school diploma if all eligibility requirements are met.

As proposed, S.B. 2294 amends current law relating to the establishment of certain programs to facilitate early high school graduation and enrollment at public institutions of higher education and to the repeal of the Early High School Graduation Scholarship program.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 28.0253, Education Code, as follows:

Sec. 28.0253. New heading: TEXAS FIRST EARLY HIGH SCHOOL COMPLETION PROGRAM.

(a) Redefines "eligible institution."

(b)-(d) Makes no changes to these subsections.

(e) Requires a school district or open-enrollment charter school to permit a student to graduate with a Texas First high school diploma, rather than authorizes a school district or open-enrollment charter school to issue high school diploma to a student under the program, if, using the standards established under Subsection (c) (relating to requiring the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board by rule to establish standards for use in the program regarding certain criteria), the student demonstrates mastery of and early readiness for college in each of the subject areas described by that subsection and in a language other than English, notwithstanding any other local or state requirements.