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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the eligibility of a high school graduate for automatic |
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admission to an institution of higher education. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Sections 51.803 and 51.807, Education Code, are |
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amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 51.803. AUTOMATIC ADMISSION: ALL INSTITUTIONS. (a) |
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Each general academic teaching institution shall admit an applicant |
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for admission to the institution as an undergraduate student if the |
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applicant: |
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(1) graduated [with a grade point average in the top 10
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percent of the student's high school graduating class in one of the
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two school years preceding the academic year for which the
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applicant is applying for admission and the applicant graduated] |
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from: |
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(A) a public or private high school in this state |
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accredited by a generally recognized accrediting organization; or |
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(B) [from] a high school operated by the United |
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States Department of Defense[. To qualify for admission under this
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section, an applicant must submit an application before the
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expiration of any application filing deadline established by the
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institution and], if the applicant is [graduated from a high school
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operated by the United States Department of Defense, must be] a |
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Texas resident under Section 54.052 or is [be] entitled to pay |
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tuition fees at the rate provided for Texas residents under Section |
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54.058(d) for the term or semester to which admitted; |
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(2) beginning with admissions for the 2010-2011 |
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academic year, completed the curriculum requirements established |
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under Section 28.025 for the recommended or advanced high school |
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program or an equivalent curriculum at a high school to which that |
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section does not apply; and |
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(3) in one of the two school years preceding the |
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academic year for which the applicant is applying for admission, |
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graduated with a grade point average in: |
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(A) the top 10 percent of the student's high |
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school graduating class if the student graduated from high school |
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before the 2007-2008 school year; or |
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(B) the top 7.5 percent of the student's high |
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school graduating class if the student graduated from high school |
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in the 2007-2008 school year or a subsequent school year. |
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(b) To qualify for admission under this section, an |
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applicant must submit an application before the expiration of any |
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application filing deadline established by the institution. |
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(c) After admitting an applicant under this section, the |
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institution shall review the applicant's record and any other |
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factor the institution considers appropriate to determine whether |
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the applicant may require additional preparation for college-level |
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work or would benefit from inclusion in a retention program. The |
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institution may require a student so identified to enroll during |
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the summer immediately after the student is admitted under this |
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section to participate in appropriate enrichment courses and |
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orientation programs. This section does not prohibit a student who |
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is not determined to need additional preparation for college-level |
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work from enrolling, if the student chooses, during the summer |
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immediately after the student is admitted under this section. |
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(d) Subsection (a)(2) does not apply to an applicant who |
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graduated from a public high school that does not offer the |
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curriculum established under Section 28.025 for the recommended or |
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advanced high school program. |
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(e) An applicant who does not satisfy the curriculum |
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requirements of Subsection (a)(2) is considered to have satisfied |
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those requirements if the high school from which the student |
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graduated indicates on the student's transcript that the student |
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completed the portion of the curriculum that was available to the |
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student but was unable to complete the curriculum solely because |
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courses necessary to complete the curriculum were unavailable to |
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the student at the appropriate times in the student's high school |
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career as a result of course scheduling, lack of enrollment |
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capacity, or another cause not within the student's control. |
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(f) Subsection (a)(2) does not apply to admission of a |
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student who graduated from high school before the 2009-2010 school |
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year. This subsection expires September 1, 2012. |
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Sec. 51.807. RULEMAKING. (a) The Texas Higher Education |
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Coordinating Board may adopt rules relating to the operation of |
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admissions programs under this subchapter, including rules |
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relating to the identification of eligible students [and the
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reporting requirements of Section 51.806]. |
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(b) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board after |
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consulting with the Texas Education Agency by rule shall establish |
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standards for determining for purposes of this subchapter: |
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(1) whether a private high school is accredited by a |
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generally recognized accrediting organization; and |
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(2) whether a person completed a high school |
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curriculum that is equivalent to the curriculum established under |
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Section 28.025 for the recommended or advanced high school program. |
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SECTION 2. Section 28.025(g), Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(g) If a student, other than a student permitted to take |
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courses under the minimum high school program as provided by |
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Subsection (b), is unable to complete the recommended or advanced |
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high school program solely because necessary courses were |
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unavailable to the student at the appropriate times in the |
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student's high school career as a result of course scheduling, lack |
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of enrollment capacity, or another cause not within the student's |
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control, the school district, [shall indicate that fact] on the |
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student's transcript form described by Subsection (e), shall: |
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(1) indicate whether the student completed those |
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courses necessary to complete the program that were available to |
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the student; and |
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(2) identify those courses necessary to complete the |
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program that were unavailable to the student as a result of course |
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scheduling, lack of enrollment capacity, or another cause not |
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within the student's control. |
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SECTION 3. Section 28.026, Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 28.026. NOTICE OF AUTOMATIC COLLEGE ADMISSION. (a) |
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The board of trustees of a school district shall require each high |
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school in the district to post appropriate signs in each |
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counselor's office, in each principal's office, and in each |
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administrative building indicating the substance of Section 51.803 |
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regarding automatic college admission. To assist in the |
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dissemination of this information, the school district shall: |
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(1) require that each high school counselor and class |
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advisor be provided a detailed explanation of the substance of |
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Section 51.803; |
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(2) provide each district student, at the time the |
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student first registers for one or more classes required for high |
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school graduation, with a written notification of the substance of |
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Section 51.803; |
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(3) require that each high school counselor and senior |
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class advisor explain to eligible students the substance of Section |
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51.803; and |
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(4) [(3)] provide each eligible senior student under |
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Section 51.803, at the commencement of a class's senior year, with a |
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written notification of the student's eligibility with a detailed |
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explanation of the substance of Section 51.803. |
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(b) The commissioner shall adopt forms to use in providing |
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notice under Subsections (a)(2) and (4). In providing notice under |
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Subsection (a)(2) or (4), a school district shall use the |
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appropriate form adopted by the commissioner. |
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(c) The commissioner shall adopt procedures to ensure that, |
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as soon as practicable after this subsection becomes law, each |
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school district provides written notification of the substance of |
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Section 51.803, as amended by the 80th Legislature, Regular |
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Session, 2007, to each district student who, for the 2007-2008 |
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school year, registers for one or more courses required for high |
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school graduation. The commissioner may adopt rules under this |
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subsection in the manner provided by law for emergency rules. Each |
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district shall comply with the procedures adopted by the |
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commissioner under this subsection. This subsection expires |
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September 1, 2008. |
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SECTION 4. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board |
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shall adopt rules as required by Section 51.807(b), Education Code, |
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as added by this Act, as soon as practicable after the effective |
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date of this Act. |
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SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |