| TO: | Honorable Geanie Morrison, Chair, House Committee on Higher Education |
| FROM: | John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | HB796 by Delisi (Relating to repealing the Texas Academic Sills Program and establisht the Success Initiative. ), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted |
The bill would eliminate the Texas Assessment of Skills Program (TASP) and designate the use of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) exit level test as the primary instrument for assessing the college readiness of incoming undergraduate students. This action would not eliminate the need for developmental education.
The bill directs the Coordinating Board (THECB) to prescribe standards of readiness, but eliminates mandatory developmental education, instead allowing higher education institutions the flexibility to tailor assistance to meet individual student needs. The bill also allows institutions to set more stringent readiness standards than those prescribed by the THECB.
According to the THECB, savings that may result from students not being required to take developmental education courses would be somewhat offset by costs associated with dropped or failed courses by underprepared students. To the extent that some students who would have otherwise had to take developmental courses succeed without having to take these courses, there would long term savings related fewer courses being taken and graduating sooner. There could be an increase in the short term as students progress to upper division (higher funding rate) courses sooner.
The estimate assumes the cost of assessing those students who enter higher education for the first time without having taken the TAKS test would continue to be borne by the students, as it is for students who are currently required to take the TASP.
| Source Agencies: | 701 Central Education Agency, 781 Higher Education Coordinating Board
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| LBB Staff: | JK, CT, PF, DSB
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