BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

Senate Research Center                                                                                                      S.B. 1727

81R11082 CAS-D                                                                                                               By: West

                                                                                                                                            Education

                                                                                                                                              4/5/2009

                                                                                                                                              As Filed

 

 

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

According to the February 2009 Education Commission of the States report on The Progress of Education Reform—Funding Dual Credit Programs, "more than 87 percent of America's public high schools offer their students the opportunity to gain college credit prior to graduation.  Learning opportunities that allow students to gain college-level credit often are referred to as 'dual credit' programs, and they are experiencing a growth in both the number of students who take advantage of them and the number of schools that offer them.  One reason for the extreme growth in dual credit programs is that they are seen as a way to ease the transition from high school to postsecondary education or the workforce."

 

Texas high schools are following this national trend and are increasingly offering dual credit courses to high school students.  However, there needs to be a mutually beneficial and supportive partnership between the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB).  This partnership needs to include rules that dictate what each agency does in relation to dual credit programs, and related reporting requirements.

 

As proposed,  S.B. 1727 authorizes the commissioner of education and THECB to adopt rules within their respective agencies regarding district college credit programs.  This bill also deletes the existing requirement that school districts report the cumulative number of courses in which participating students have enrolled and college credit hours students have earned to TEA and instead requires school districts to annually report to TEA the cumulative number of courses in which participating district students have earned high school credit under Section 28.009 (College Credit Program), Education Code.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the commissioner of education in SECTION 1 (Section 28.009, Education Code) of this bill.

 

Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in SECTION 1 (Section 28.009, Education Code) of this bill.

 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1.  Amends Sections 28.009(b) and (c), Education Code, as follows:

 

(b)  Authorizes the commissioner of education to adopt rules as necessary concerning the duties under this section of a school district.  Authorizes the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to adopt rules as necessary concerning the duties under this section of a public institution of higher education.

 

(c)  Requires each school district to annually report to the Texas Education Agency certain information, including the cumulative number of courses in which participating district students have earned high school credit under this section, rather than the cumulative number of courses in which participating district students have enrolled and college credit hours the students have earned.

 

SECTION 2.  Effective date:  upon passage or September 1, 2009.