By: Shapleigh S.B. No. 1572
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to reports of performance data of private or independent
institutions of higher education and the publication of that data.
       BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
       SECTION 1.  Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 61.0903 to read as follows:
       Sec. 61.0903.  PUBLICATION OF PERFORMANCE DATA OF PRIVATE OR
INDEPENDENT INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION.  (a)  The board shall
administer a program to publish performance data provided to the
board under this section by private or independent institutions of
higher education that admit entering freshman and offer one or more
baccalaureate degrees.
       (b)  Not later than the next January 1 following the
completion of an academic year, each private or independent
institution of higher education shall provide to the board one or
more reports containing data related to:
             (1)  the qualifications of the entering freshman class
for the academic year covered by the report, including:
                   (A)  to the extent available, the average scores
of the class on each generally recognized test or assessment used in
college and university undergraduate admissions, including the
Scholastic Assessment Test and the ACT assessment;
                   (B)  to the extent available, the range of scores
of the class from the 25th to the 75th percentile on each generally
recognized test or assessment used in college and university
undergraduate admissions, including the Scholastic Assessment Test
and the ACT assessment;
                   (C)  the overall grade point average of the class
for the academic year covered by the report;
                   (D)  the number of students in the class who
graduated in the top 10 percent of the student's high school
graduating class; and
                   (E)  enrollment percentages by ethnicity; and
             (2)  student performance and institution efficiency,
including:
                   (A)  the retention rate of full-time students
after the completion of one academic year at the institution;
                   (B)  the percentage of full-time degree-seeking
undergraduate students who earn a baccalaureate degree before the
sixth anniversary of the date of the student's first enrollment at
the institution;
                   (C)  if the institution has a tenure system, the
percentage of faculty members who are tenured or tenure-track
faculty;
                   (D)  the average number of students in an
undergraduate class;
                   (E)  the student-to-faculty ratio for
undergraduate students;
                   (F)  the percentage of students receiving
financial aid;
                   (G)  the average cost of tuition and fees for an
undergraduate student who, as determined by the board, is enrolled
full-time;
                   (H)  the average cost of on-campus room and board
for an academic year, excluding summer sessions;
                   (I)  the number of disciplines in which master's
degrees are offered, if any;
                   (J)  the number of disciplines in which doctoral
degrees are offered, if any;
                   (K)  a description of any departments, schools, or
certificate or degree programs of the institution that have a
statewide or national reputation for excellence; and
                   (L)  statistics regarding job placement rates for
students awarded certificates or degrees by the institution.
       (c)  Each year the board shall publish and post in a grid
format on the board's Internet site the names of the private or
independent institutions of higher education, the performance data
required by Subsection (b) for the most recent academic year for
which the data is available, and any other information considered
appropriate by the board.
       (d)  A private or independent institution of higher
education is not required to report to the board the data required
by Subsection (b) if the data is available to the board from another
source.
       SECTION 2.  (a)  Each private or independent institution of
higher education shall provide the performance data as required by
Section 61.0903, Education Code, as added by this Act, beginning
with the data for the 2008-2009 academic year.
       (b)  Not later than March 1, 2010, the Texas Higher Education
Coordinating Board shall publish and post on the board's Internet
site the performance data provided by the private or independent
institutions of higher education in this state as required by
Section 61.0903, Education Code, as added by this Act.
       SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2007.