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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 to the publication of that |
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data. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 61.0902, Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 61.0902. PUBLICATION OF PERFORMANCE DATA OF GENERAL |
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ACADEMIC TEACHING INSTITUTIONS AND PRIVATE OR INDEPENDENT |
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INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION. (a) The board shall administer a |
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program to publish performance data provided to the board under |
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this section by general academic teaching institutions and by |
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private or independent institutions of higher education that offer |
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one or more baccalaureate degrees [under this section]. |
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(b) Not later than the next November 1 following the |
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completion of an academic year, each [general academic teaching] |
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institution described by Subsection (a) shall provide to the board |
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one or 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) the average [Texas Academic Skills Program
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Test] scores of the class on an assessment instrument designated |
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under Section 51.3062; |
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(B) the average scores of the class on each |
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generally recognized test or assessment used in college and |
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university undergraduate admissions, including the Scholastic |
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Assessment Test (SAT) and the American College Test (ACT); |
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(C) the range of scores of the class from the 25th |
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to the 75th percentile on each generally recognized test or |
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assessment used in college and university undergraduate |
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admissions, including the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) and the |
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American College Test (ACT); |
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(D) the overall grade point average of the class |
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for the academic year covered by the report; |
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(E) 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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(F) 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) the percentage of lower-division semester |
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credit hours taught by tenured or tenure-track faculty; |
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(D) the percentage of undergraduate classes with |
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fewer than 20 students; |
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(E) the percentage of undergraduate classes with |
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more than 50 students; |
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(F) the student-to-faculty ratio for |
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undergraduate students; |
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(G) the percentage of students receiving |
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financial aid; |
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(H) the average cost of tuition and fees for an |
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undergraduate student enrolled for 12 semester credit hours; |
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(I) the average cost of on-campus room and board |
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for an academic year, excluding summer sessions; |
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(J) the number of disciplines in which master's |
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degrees are offered; |
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(K) the number of disciplines in which doctoral |
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degrees are offered; |
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(L) 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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(M) 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 [general
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academic teaching] institutions described by Subsection (a), the |
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performance data required by Subsection (b) for the most recent |
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academic year for which the data is available, and any other |
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information considered appropriate by the board. The board shall |
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use the classification system developed by the Carnegie Foundation |
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in publishing and posting the data and other information. |
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(d) Each [general academic teaching] institution described |
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by Subsection (a) shall provide a link on the institution's |
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Internet home page to the board's Internet site described by |
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Subsection (c). |
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(e) An [A general academic teaching] institution described |
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by Subsection (a) is not required to report to the board the data |
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required by Subsection (b) if the data is available to the board |
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from another source. |
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SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies to the |
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reporting and publication of the performance data of private or |
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independent institutions of higher education under Section |
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61.0902, Education Code, as amended by this Act, beginning with the |
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data required to be reported not later than November 1, 2008. |
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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. |