By Bivins S.B. No. 1817
77R13146 CAS-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to a plan to increase enrollment of public school students
1-3 in institutions of higher education.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 29, Education Code, is
1-6 amended by adding Section 29.903 to read as follows:
1-7 Sec. 29.903. PLAN TO INCREASE ENROLLMENT IN INSTITUTIONS OF
1-8 HIGHER EDUCATION. (a) This section applies only to a school
1-9 district with one or more high schools that:
1-10 (1) during the preceding five years, have had an
1-11 average of at least 26 students in the high school graduating
1-12 class; and
1-13 (2) for any two consecutive years during the preceding
1-14 five years, have been among the lowest 10 percent of high schools
1-15 in this state in the percentage of students graduating from the
1-16 high school and enrolling for the following academic year in an
1-17 institution of higher education.
1-18 (b) The agency and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating
1-19 Board shall collaborate in identifying each school district to
1-20 which this section applies. Not later than May 1 of each year:
1-21 (1) the agency shall notify a district to which this
1-22 section applies of the applicability of this section to the
1-23 district unless the district is operating under a plan required by
1-24 this section; and
2-1 (2) the coordinating board shall notify each public
2-2 institution of higher education in this state in closest geographic
2-3 proximity to a district to which this section applies of the
2-4 applicability of this section to the district unless the district
2-5 is operating under a plan required by this section.
2-6 (c) Except as otherwise provided by this subsection or
2-7 Subsection (h), not later than August 1 of the year in which a
2-8 school district receives notice under Subsection (b), the district
2-9 shall enter into an agreement with the public institution of higher
2-10 education in this state in closest geographic proximity to the
2-11 district to develop a plan to increase the percentage of the
2-12 district's graduating seniors who enroll in an institution of
2-13 higher education for the academic year following graduation. The
2-14 public institution of higher education in this state in closest
2-15 geographic proximity to the district shall enter into an agreement
2-16 under this subsection unless that institution of higher education
2-17 or the district recruits another public institution of higher
2-18 education in this state to enter into that agreement. A district
2-19 and the public institution of higher education entering into the
2-20 agreement with the district may also enter into an agreement with
2-21 one or more other public institutions of higher education in this
2-22 state to participate in developing the plan.
2-23 (d) A plan developed under this section:
2-24 (1) must establish clear, achievable goals for
2-25 increasing the percentage of the school district's graduating
2-26 seniors, particularly the graduating seniors attending a high
2-27 school described by Subsection (a), who enroll in an institution of
3-1 higher education for the academic year following graduation;
3-2 (2) must establish an accurate method of measuring
3-3 progress toward the goals established under Subdivision (1) that
3-4 may include the percentage of district high school students and the
3-5 percentage of students attending a district high school described
3-6 by Subsection (a) who:
3-7 (A) are enrolled in a course for which a student
3-8 may earn college credit, such as an advanced placement or
3-9 international baccalaureate course or a course offered through
3-10 concurrent enrollment in high school and at an institution of
3-11 higher education;
3-12 (B) are enrolled in courses that meet the
3-13 curriculum requirements for the recommended or advanced high school
3-14 program as determined under Section 28.025;
3-15 (C) have submitted a free application for
3-16 federal student aid (FAFSA);
3-17 (D) are exempt under Section 51.306(l) or (m)
3-18 from administration of a test instrument under Section 51.306 or
3-19 have performed successfully on a test instrument under Section
3-20 51.306;
3-21 (E) graduate from high school;
3-22 (F) graduate from an institution of higher
3-23 education; and
3-24 (G) have taken college entrance examinations and
3-25 the average score of those students on the examinations;
3-26 (3) must cover a period of at least five years; and
3-27 (4) may be directed at district students at any level
4-1 of primary or secondary education.
4-2 (e) A school district shall file the plan with the
4-3 commissioner of education and the commissioner of higher education.
4-4 (f) A school district must implement the plan at the
4-5 beginning of the school year following the school year during which
4-6 the district receives notice under Subsection (b).
4-7 (g) A school district may revise the plan as necessary in
4-8 response to achieving or failing to achieve goals under the plan.
4-9 (h) A school district that is identified as a school
4-10 district to which this section applies is not required to develop
4-11 or implement a plan under this section if the district demonstrates
4-12 to the satisfaction of the commissioner that this section applies
4-13 to the district only if students graduating from a district high
4-14 school described by Subsection (a) who enroll in a private or
4-15 out-of-state institution of higher education are not counted as
4-16 students enrolled in an institution of higher education.
4-17 SECTION 2. Notwithstanding Section 29.903, Education Code,
4-18 as added by this Act, the Texas Education Agency and the Texas
4-19 Higher Education Coordinating Board shall identify initial school
4-20 districts to which that section applies and provide notice to the
4-21 districts or public institutions of higher education, as
4-22 applicable, as prescribed by Section 29.903(b), Education Code, as
4-23 added by this Act, as soon as practicable after the effective date
4-24 of this Act but not later than September 30, 2001. Each initial
4-25 school district identified shall enter into an agreement with a
4-26 public institution of higher education in this state, as prescribed
4-27 by Section 29.903(c), Education Code, as added by this Act, as soon
5-1 as practicable after receiving notice in accordance with this
5-2 section but not later than December 31, 2001. Each initial school
5-3 district shall implement a plan to increase enrollment of public
5-4 school students in institutions of higher education, as prescribed
5-5 by Section 29.903, Education Code, as added by this Act, beginning
5-6 with the 2002-2003 school year.
5-7 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
5-8 a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
5-9 provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
5-10 Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
5-11 Act takes effect September 1, 2001.