SRC-TAG S.B. 766 78(R) BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research Center S.B. 766 78R6930 SLO-DBy: Van de Putte Subcommittee on Higher Education 3/13/2003 As Filed DIGEST AND PURPOSE Currently, school districts are not required to monitor the post-secondary educational plans of graduating high school seniors. According to the Texas Higher Education Enrollment Survey, the overall enrollment rate in institutions of higher education declined from 5.3 percent in 1990 to 4.9 percent in 2000. As proposed, S.B. 766 establishes a voluntary pilot program for counselors at participating schools to survey graduating seniors regarding their post-secondary education plans, including whether a student applies to college, where the student applies, where the student is accepted, and where the student will attend college. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Education Agency in SECTION 1 (Section 7.027(d), Education Code) of this bill. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 7B, Education Code, by adding Section 7.027, as follows: Sec. 7.027. POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION SURVEY PILOT PROGRAM. (a) Requires the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to establish a post-secondary education survey pilot program to monitor the post-secondary education plans of seniors at high schools that participate in the program. (b) Requires TEA, by August 1, 2004, to select five non-charter high schools to participate in the pilot program. Authorizes TEA to select only a school that is willing to participate in the pilot program, and located in a municipality that contains a least 10 independent school districts. (c) Requires each participating school, during the 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 school years, to administer a survey to each senior, to the extent practicable, before the last day of the school year. Requires the survey to include certain information. (d) Authorizes TEA to adopt the necessary rules to implement this section. SECTION 2. Requires TEA to adopt any necessary rules to implement Section 7.027, Education Code, as added by this Act, as soon as practicable after the effective date of this Act. SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 2003.