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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to reports of performance data of private or independent |
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institutions of higher education and the publication of that data. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 61.0903 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 61.0903. PUBLICATION OF PERFORMANCE DATA OF PRIVATE OR |
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INDEPENDENT INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION. (a) The board shall |
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administer a program to publish performance data provided to the |
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board under this section by private or independent institutions of |
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higher education that admit entering freshman and offer one or more |
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baccalaureate degrees. |
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(b) Not later than the next January 1 following the |
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completion of an academic year, each private or independent |
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institution of higher education shall provide to the board one or |
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more reports containing data related to: |
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(1) the qualifications of the entering freshman class |
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for the academic year covered by the report, including: |
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(A) to the extent available, the average scores |
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of the class on each generally recognized test or assessment used in |
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college and university undergraduate admissions, including the |
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Scholastic Assessment Test and the ACT assessment; |
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(B) to the extent available, the range of scores |
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of the class from the 25th to the 75th percentile on each generally |
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recognized test or assessment used in college and university |
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undergraduate admissions, including the Scholastic Assessment Test |
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and the ACT assessment; |
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(C) the overall grade point average of the class |
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for the academic year covered by the report; |
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(D) the number of students in the class who |
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graduated in the top 10 percent of the student's high school |
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graduating class; and |
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(E) enrollment percentages by ethnicity; and |
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(2) student performance and institution efficiency, |
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including: |
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(A) the retention rate of full-time students |
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after the completion of one academic year at the institution; |
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(B) the percentage of full-time degree-seeking |
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undergraduate students who earn a baccalaureate degree before the |
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sixth anniversary of the date of the student's first enrollment at |
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the institution; |
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(C) if the institution has a tenure system, the |
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percentage of faculty members who are tenured or tenure-track |
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faculty; |
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(D) the average number of students in an |
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undergraduate class; |
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(E) the student-to-faculty ratio for |
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undergraduate students; |
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(F) the percentage of students receiving |
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financial aid; |
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(G) the average cost of tuition and fees for an |
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undergraduate student who, as determined by the board, is enrolled |
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full-time; |
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(H) the average cost of on-campus room and board |
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for an academic year, excluding summer sessions; |
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(I) the number of disciplines in which master's |
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degrees are offered, if any; |
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(J) the number of disciplines in which doctoral |
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degrees are offered, if any; |
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(K) a description of any departments, schools, or |
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certificate or degree programs of the institution that have a |
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statewide or national reputation for excellence; and |
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(L) statistics regarding job placement rates for |
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students awarded certificates or degrees by the institution. |
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(c) Each year the board shall publish and post in a grid |
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format on the board's Internet site the names of the private or |
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independent institutions of higher education, the performance data |
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required by Subsection (b) for the most recent academic year for |
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which the data is available, and any other information considered |
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appropriate by the board. |
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(d) A private or independent institution of higher |
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education is not required to report to the board the data required |
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by Subsection (b) if the data is available to the board from another |
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source. |
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SECTION 2. (a) Each private or independent institution of |
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higher education shall provide the performance data as required by |
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Section 61.0903, Education Code, as added by this Act, beginning |
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with the data for the 2008-2009 academic year. |
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(b) Not later than March 1, 2010, the Texas Higher Education |
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Coordinating Board shall publish and post on the board's Internet |
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site the performance data provided by the private or independent |
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institutions of higher education in this state as required by |
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Section 61.0903, Education Code, as added by this Act. |
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SECTION 3. 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. |