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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to high school curriculum requirements for admission to |
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public institutions of higher education and to the admission to |
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public institutions of higher education of the children of certain |
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public servants killed in the line of duty. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 51.803, Education Code, is amended to |
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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 graduated with a grade point average in the top 10 percent |
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of the student's high school graduating class in one of the two |
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school years preceding the academic year for which the applicant is |
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applying for admission and: |
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(1) the applicant graduated from a public or private |
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high school in this state accredited by a generally recognized |
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accrediting organization or from a high school operated by the |
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United States Department of Defense; |
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(2) the applicant successfully completed: |
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(A) at a public high school, the curriculum |
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requirements established under Section 28.025 for the recommended |
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or advanced high school program; or |
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(B) at a high school to which Section 28.025 does |
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not apply, a curriculum that is equivalent in content and rigor to |
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the recommended or advanced high school program; and |
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(3) [. 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 and,] if |
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the applicant graduated from a high school operated by the United |
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States Department of Defense, the applicant is [must be] a Texas |
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resident under Section 54.052 or is [be] entitled to pay tuition |
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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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(b) Subsection (a)(2) does not apply to an applicant who |
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graduates from a high school that does not have the curriculum |
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described by that subsection. An applicant who does not satisfy the |
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curriculum requirements prescribed by Subsection (a)(2)(A) or (B) |
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is considered to have satisfied those requirements if the student |
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completed the portion of the recommended or advanced curriculum or |
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of the curriculum equivalent in content and rigor, as applicable, |
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that was available to the student but was unable to complete the |
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remainder of the curriculum solely because courses necessary to |
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complete the remainder were unavailable to the student at the |
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appropriate times in the student's high school career as a result of |
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course scheduling, lack of enrollment capacity, or another cause |
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not within the student's control. |
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(c) To qualify for admission under this section, an |
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applicant must: |
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(1) submit an application before the expiration of any |
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application filing deadline established by the institution; and |
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(2) provide a high school transcript or diploma that |
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satisfies the requirements of Subsection (d). |
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(d) For purposes of Subsection (c)(2), a student's official |
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transcript or diploma must, not later than the end of the student's |
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junior year, indicate: |
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(1) whether the student has satisfied or is on |
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schedule to satisfy the requirements of Subsection (a)(2)(A) or |
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(B), as applicable; or |
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(2) if Subsection (b) applies to the student, whether |
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the student has completed the portion of the recommended or |
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advanced curriculum or of the curriculum equivalent in content and |
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rigor, as applicable, that was available to the student. |
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(e) Each institution of higher education shall admit an |
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applicant for admission to the institution as an undergraduate |
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student if the applicant: |
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(1) is the child of a public servant listed in Section |
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615.003, Government Code, who was killed or sustained a fatal |
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injury in the line of duty; and |
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(2) meets the minimum requirements, if any, |
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established for purposes of this subsection by the governing board |
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of the institution for high school or prior college-level grade |
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point average and performance on standardized tests. |
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(f) 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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SECTION 2. Section 51.804, Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 51.804. ADDITIONAL AUTOMATIC ADMISSIONS: SELECTED |
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INSTITUTIONS. For each academic year, the governing board of each |
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general academic teaching institution shall determine whether to |
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adopt an admissions policy under which an applicant to the |
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institution as a first-time freshman student, other than an |
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applicant eligible for admission under Section 51.803, shall be |
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admitted to the institution if the applicant: |
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(1) graduated from a public or private high school in |
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this state accredited by a generally recognized accrediting |
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organization with a grade point average in the top 25 percent of the |
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applicant's high school graduating class; and |
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(2) satisfies the requirements of: |
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(A) Section 51.803(a)(2) or (b), as applicable to |
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the student; and |
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(B) Sections 51.803(c)(2) and (d). |
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SECTION 3. Sections 51.805(a) and (e), Education Code, are |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(a) A graduating student who does not qualify for admission |
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under Section 51.803 or 51.804 may apply to any general academic |
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teaching institution if the student satisfies the requirements of |
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Section 51.803(a)(2) or (b), as applicable to the student, and |
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Sections 51.803(c)(2) and (d). |
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(e) This section does not apply to an institution that has |
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an open enrollment policy, except that a student may apply to a |
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general academic teaching institution that has an open enrollment |
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policy only if the student satisfies the requirements described by |
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Subsection (a). |
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SECTION 4. Section 51.807, Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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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 in content and rigor to the |
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curriculum requirements established under Section 28.025 for the |
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recommended or advanced high school program. |
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SECTION 5. Section 51.803(e), Education Code, as added by |
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this Act, applies beginning with admissions to general academic |
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teaching institutions for the 2008-2009 academic year. Admissions |
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to a general academic teaching institution before that academic |
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year are covered by the law in effect before the effective date of |
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this Act, and the former law is continued in effect for that |
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purpose. |
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SECTION 6. The commissioner of education shall adopt |
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procedures to ensure that, as soon as practicable after this Act |
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takes effect, each school district in this state provides written |
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notification of the substance of Subchapter U, Chapter 51, |
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Education Code, as amended by this Act, to each district student |
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who, for the 2007-2008 school year, registers for one or more |
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courses required for high school graduation. The commissioner may |
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adopt rules under this section in the manner provided by law for |
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emergency rules. Each district shall comply with the procedures |
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adopted by the commissioner under this section. |
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SECTION 7. The changes in law made by this Act apply |
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beginning with admissions to a general academic teaching |
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institution for the 2008-2009 academic year. Admissions to a |
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general academic teaching institution for an academic period before |
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that academic year are governed by the law in effect immediately |
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before the effective date of this Act, and the former law is |
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continued in effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 8. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |