By: Morrison H.B. No. 2808
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the duties of the P-16 Council.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 61.076, Education Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 61.076. P-16 COUNCIL [COOPERATION BETWEEN STATE
AGENCIES OF EDUCATION]. (a) It is the policy of the State of Texas
that the entire system of education supported with public funds be
coordinated to provide the citizens with efficient, effective, and
high quality educational services and activities. The P-16 Council
[board and the State Board of Education], in conjunction with
[such] other agencies as may be appropriate, shall ensure that
long-range plans and educational programs for the state
[established by the boards] complement the functioning of the
entire system of public education, extending from early childhood
education through postgraduate study. [In assuring that plans and
programs are coordinated, the boards shall use the P-16 Council
established under Section 61.077.]
(b) The P-16 Council is composed of the commissioner of
education, the commissioner of higher education, the executive
director of the Texas Workforce Commission, the executive director
of the State Board for Educator Certification, and the commissioner
of assistive and rehabilitative services. The commissioner of
higher education and the commissioner of education shall serve as
co-chairs of the council.
(c) The co-chairs may appoint three additional members who
are education professionals, business representatives, or other
members of the community. Members appointed to the council under
this subsection serve two-year terms expiring February 1 of each
odd-numbered year.
(d) The council shall meet at least once each calendar
quarter and may hold other meetings as necessary at the call of the
co-chairs. Each member of the council or the member's designee
shall make a report of the council's activities at least twice
annually to the governing body of the member's agency, except that
the commissioner of education or that commissioner's designee shall
report to the State Board of Education and the commissioner of
assistive and rehabilitative services or that commissioner's
designee shall report to the executive commissioner of the Health
and Human Services Commission.
(e) The council shall coordinate plans and programs [of the
two boards], including curricula, instructional programs,
research, and other functions as appropriate. This coordination
shall include the following areas:
(1) equal educational opportunity for all Texans;
(2) college recruitment, with special emphasis on the
recruitment of historically underrepresented populations [minority
students];
(3) preparation of high school students for further
study at colleges and universities;
(4) reduction of the dropout rate and dropout
prevention;
(5) teacher education, recruitment, and retention;
(6) testing and assessment; and
(7) adult education programs.
(f) The council shall examine and make recommendations
regarding the alignment of secondary and postsecondary education
curricula and testing and assessment. This subsection does not
require the council to establish curriculum or testing or
assessment standards.
(g) The council shall advise the board and the State Board
of Education on the coordination of postsecondary career and
technology activities, career and technology teacher education
programs offered or proposed to be offered in the colleges and
universities of this state, and other relevant matters, including:
(1) coordinating postsecondary career and technology
education and the articulation between postsecondary career and
technology education and secondary career and technology
education;
(2) facilitating the transfer of responsibilities for
the administration of postsecondary career and technology
education from the State Board of Education to the board in
accordance with Section 111(a)(I) of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational
Education Act (Pub. L. No. 98–524);
(3) advising the State Board of Education, when it
acts as the State Board for Career and Technology Education, on the
following:
(A) the transfer of federal funds to the board
for allotment to eligible public postsecondary institutions of
higher education;
(B) the career and technology education funding
for projects and institutions as determined by the board when the
State Board for Career and Technology Education is required by
federal law to endorse those determinations;
(C) the development and updating of the state
plan for career and technology education and the evaluation of
programs, services, and activities of postsecondary career and
technology education and amendments to the state plan for career
and technology education as may relate to postsecondary education;
(D) other matters related to postsecondary
career and technology education; and
(E) the coordination of curricula, instructional
programs, research, and other functions as appropriate, including
school-to-work and school-to-college transition programs and
professional development activities; and
(4) advising the Texas Workforce Investment Council on
educational policy issues related to workforce preparation.
SECTION 2. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 61.0761 to read as follows:
Sec. 61.0761. P-16 COUNCIL EARLY CHILDHOOD TASK FORCE. (a)
The P-16 Council shall create a blue ribbon task force on early
childhood education to assist the council with the coordination of
the public education system as provided by Section 61.076. The task
force shall:
(1) study the resource needs of high-quality early
childhood care and education programs, including Head Start, Early
Head Start, prekindergarten, after-school programs, and programs
funded with federal child-care development funds;
(2) recommend options to secure additional funding for
the programs;
(3) build on the work of the demonstration projects
established in accordance with Section 29.160 and analyze the
barriers to and recommend combined criteria for the integration of
early childhood care and education programs and Head Start
programs, including differences in standards required for teaching
staff, child-to-staff ratios, and the quality of instruction;
(4) establish a plan to implement, in phases, full-day
prekindergarten programs for at-risk children and expand the
eligibility criteria for those programs;
(5) develop a common set of high standards and
eligibility criteria for community partnerships between school
districts, early childhood care and education programs, and Head
Start programs; and
(6) recommend methods to strengthen school readiness
standards for early childhood education programs.
(b) The task force shall consist of nine members appointed
by the P-16 Council as follows:
(1) three members of the public recommended by the
governor;
(2) three members of the senate recommended by the
lieutenant governor; and
(3) three members of the house of representatives
recommended by the speaker of the house of representatives.
(c) The council shall appoint one of the public members
recommended by the governor under Subsection (b)(1) as the public
chair. The lieutenant governor and speaker of the house of
representatives shall recommend to the council that one of the
members recommended by each presiding officer under Subsection (b)
be appointed as co-presiding officers with the public chair.
(d) The task force shall convene at the call of the
presiding officers.
(e) The task force may form working groups consisting of
members of the task force, members of the public involved in early
childhood care, and other members of the legislature.
(f) Not later than September 1, 2006, the task force shall
report the task force's findings and recommendations to the P-16
Council, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of
representatives, and the members of the 79th Legislature.
SECTION 3. (a) Section 61.077, Education Code, as amended
by Chapters 61, 818, and 820, Acts of the 78th Legislature, Regular
Session, 2003, is repealed.
(b) To the extent of any conflict, this Act prevails over
another Act of the 79th Legislature, Regular Session, 2005,
relating to nonsubstantive additions to and corrections in enacted
codes.
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2005.