JKM C.S.H.B. 1640 75(R)BILL ANALYSIS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT C.S.H.B. 1640 By: Raymond 4-18-97 Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND Passed by the Legislature in 1995, HB 1863, welfare and workforce reform, included the federal and state adult education programs operated by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) in the consolidation of job training and employment program. However, Senate Bill 1 superseded HB 1863 and continued administration of adult education by TEA. Adult education and job training are often intertwined, and each supports the other. In order to ensure that each program compliments the other, it is important that adult education participants be screened and assessed to ensure they are receiving appropriate instruction. PURPOSE To add a directive for the Texas Education Agency to develop standardized assessment mechanisms for assessing all adult education program participants. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1.Amends Sec. 29.252, Education Code, to add the development and administration of an assessment mechanism for all adult education participants who need instruction leading to a high school diploma or the equivalent. The assessment mechanism must include a basic skills screening instrument and must provide information regarding the student's skills before and progress after participation in the program. SECTION 2.(a) directs TEA to develop the skills screening instrument by September 15, 1997, and implement the use of the instrument not later than January 1, 1998. (b) directs TEA to develop the baseline student skills assessment component by July 1, 1998, and implement use of the baseline student skills assessment component not later than September 1, 1998. (c) directs TEA to develop the student progress assessment component by August 1, 1999, and implement the student progress component not later than September 1, 1999. SECTION 3.Directs TEA to develop a comprehensive management information system to measure th progress of and results achieved by adult education programs by September 1, 1998. The management information system must be compatible with related Texas Workforce Commission systems. SECTION 4.Emergency clause. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE HB 1640 transferred the administration of adult education programs from TEA to the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC). Additionally, HB 1640 directed TWC to develop an assessment for adult education participants, and establish an adult education program administration transition advisory group to advise TWC on transition issues. CSHB 1640 leaves adult education with TEA and directs them to develop the assessment mechanism.