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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to requiring a minimum SAT or ACT score as a prerequisite |
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to the automatic admission of an undergraduate student to certain |
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public institutions of higher education. |
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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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Except as provided by Subsections (b), (c), and (d), each [Each] |
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general academic teaching institution shall admit an applicant for |
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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 |
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(2) [the applicant] graduated 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, if the applicant is a Texas resident |
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under Section 54.052 or is entitled to pay tuition fees at the rate |
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provided for Texas residents under Section 54.058(d) for the term |
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or semester to which admitted. |
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(b) If a general academic teaching institution estimates, |
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based on admissions data for the current academic year, that the |
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number of applicants who will qualify for automatic admission to |
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the institution under Subsection (a) in the next academic year will |
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exceed 50 percent of the institution's first-time undergraduate |
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students in that academic year, the institution shall require, as |
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an additional requirement for automatic admission to the |
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institution in that academic year, that each applicant have |
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received a minimum score, established by the institution as |
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provided by Subsections (c) and (d), on the Scholastic Assessment |
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Test (SAT) or American College Test (ACT). |
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(c) Not later than September 1 preceding the earliest |
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application deadline for admission to the institution for the next |
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academic year, an institution to which Subsection (b) applies |
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shall: |
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(1) establish the minimum score that an applicant must |
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receive on the SAT or ACT as an additional requirement for automatic |
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admission under this section for that academic year; and |
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(2) widely publicize the required minimum scores in a |
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manner designed to notify high school students in this state. |
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(d) For purposes of Subsection (c)(1), the minimum SAT and |
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ACT scores must be established: |
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(1) based on data relating to the scores on those tests |
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of students who previously applied to or were admitted to the |
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institution; and |
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(2) at levels intended to result in the number of |
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students who qualify for automatic admission to and enroll in the |
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institution in that academic year will equal as nearly as possible |
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50 percent of the institution's first-time undergraduate students |
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in that academic year. |
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(e) 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, must be a Texas resident under
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Section 54.052 or be entitled to pay tuition fees at the rate
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provided for Texas residents under Section 54.058(d) for the term
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or semester to which admitted]. |
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(f) [(b)] After admitting an applicant under this section, |
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the 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 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 3. (a) The change in law made by this Act to Section |
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51.803, Education Code, applies beginning with admissions to a |
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general academic teaching institution for the 2008-2009 academic |
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year. Admissions for an academic period preceding that academic |
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year are covered by the law in effect immediately before the |
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effective date of this Act, and the former law is continued in |
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effect for that purpose. |
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(b) Notwithstanding Section 51.803(c), Education Code, as |
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amended by this Act, the September 1 deadline provided by that |
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section is extended to November 1 for 2007. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |