By Dutton H.B. No. 509 75R729 JSA-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to considering high school ratings in undergraduate 1-3 admissions and scholarship awards at a public institution of higher 1-4 education. 1-5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-6 SECTION 1. Chapter 51, Education Code, is amended by adding 1-7 Subchapter S to read as follows: 1-8 SUBCHAPTER S. ADMISSIONS 1-9 Sec. 51.761. DEFINITIONS. The definitions provided by 1-10 Section 61.003 apply to this subchapter. 1-11 Sec. 51.762. CONSIDERATION OF HIGH SCHOOL PERFORMANCE. 1-12 (a) This section applies to each institution of higher education 1-13 that uses a competitive process to determine who is admitted to the 1-14 institution as an undergraduate or who is admitted to an 1-15 undergraduate program at the institution. The institution shall 1-16 include in the criteria for that admissions process reasonable 1-17 consideration of available accountability or performance ratings 1-18 determined by the Texas Education Agency for each high school that 1-19 an applicant attended for which the rating indicates that the high 1-20 school was performing at a low, poor, or other substandard level 1-21 when the student attended it. The institution shall ensure that 1-22 the admissions information for the student considered by the 1-23 persons responsible for making the admissions decisions indicates 1-24 that the student attended such a high school. The institution may 2-1 make an upward adjustment to the student's grade point average or 2-2 award the student any other appropriate preference to recognize the 2-3 student's individual high school performance in the context of the 2-4 high school's substandard performance. 2-5 (b) The Texas Education Agency shall cooperate with the 2-6 appropriate officials of an institution of higher education to 2-7 provide the institution with the information the institution 2-8 requires from the agency to comply with this section. 2-9 SECTION 2. Chapter 56, Education Code, is amended by adding 2-10 Subchapter B to read as follows: 2-11 SUBCHAPTER B. GENERAL RULES GOVERNING SCHOLARSHIPS 2-12 Sec. 56.011. CONSIDERATION OF HIGH SCHOOL PERFORMANCE. 2-13 (a) This section applies to each undergraduate scholarship or 2-14 other financial aid granted by an institution of higher education 2-15 on a competitive basis that includes consideration of an 2-16 applicant's high school performance or other prior academic 2-17 performance. The institution shall include in the criteria for 2-18 granting the scholarship or other financial aid reasonable 2-19 consideration of available accountability or performance ratings 2-20 determined by the Texas Education Agency for each high school that 2-21 an applicant attended for which the rating indicates that the high 2-22 school was performing at a low, poor, or other substandard level 2-23 when the student attended it. The institution shall ensure that 2-24 the information for the applicant considered by the persons 2-25 responsible for making the award indicates that the student 2-26 attended such a high school. The institution may make an upward 2-27 adjustment to the student's grade point average or award the 3-1 student any other appropriate preference to recognize the 3-2 student's individual high school performance in the context of the 3-3 high school's substandard performance. 3-4 (b) The Texas Education Agency shall cooperate with the 3-5 appropriate officials of an institution of higher education to 3-6 provide the institution with the information the institution 3-7 requires from the agency to comply with this section. 3-8 SECTION 3. (a) This Act takes effect September 1, 1997. 3-9 (b) Subchapter S, Chapter 51, Education Code, as added by 3-10 this Act, applies only to admissions decisions made on or after the 3-11 effective date of this Act for students whose initial enrollment in 3-12 the institution or program to which the student is admitted occurs 3-13 on or after January 1, 1998. 3-14 (c) Subchapter B, Chapter 56, Education Code, as added by 3-15 this Act, applies only to a scholarship or other financial aid 3-16 awarded on or after the effective date of this Act. 3-17 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the 3-18 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 3-19 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 3-20 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 3-21 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.