81R12896 JRJ-D

By: Rose H.B. No. 4150

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the collection and provision of information concerning public school career and technology education programs.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 7.009, Education Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 7.009. BEST PRACTICES; CLEARINGHOUSE. (a) In coordination with the Legislative Budget Board, the agency shall establish an online clearinghouse of information relating to best practices of campuses, [and] school districts, and open-enrollment charter schools. In addition to information required under Subsection (e), the agency shall determine the appropriate topic categories for which a campus, district, or charter school may submit best [regarding instruction, dropout prevention, public school finance, resource allocation, and business] practices. To the extent practicable, the agency shall ensure that information provided through the online clearinghouse is specific, actionable information relating to the best practices of high-performing and highly efficient campuses, [and school] districts, and open-enrollment charter schools and of academically acceptable campuses, districts, and open-enrollment charter schools that have demonstrated significant improvement in student achievement rather than general guidelines relating to campus, [and school] district, and open-enrollment charter school operation. The information must be accessible by campuses, school districts, open-enrollment charter schools, and interested members of the public.

(b) The agency shall solicit and collect from the Legislative Budget Board, centers for education research established under Section 1.005, and [exemplary or recognized] school districts, campuses, and open-enrollment charter schools[, as rated under Section 39.072,] examples of best practices as determined by the agency under Subsection (a) and as required under Subsection (e) [relating to instruction, dropout prevention, public school finance, resource allocation, and business practices, including best practices relating to curriculum, scope and sequence, compensation and incentive systems, bilingual education and special language programs, compensatory education programs, and the effective use of instructional technology, including online courses].

(c) The agency shall contract for the services of one or more third-party contractors to develop, implement, and maintain a system of collecting and evaluating the best practices of campuses, [and] school districts, and open-enrollment charter schools as provided by this section. In addition to any other considerations required by law, the agency must consider an applicant's demonstrated competence and qualifications in analyzing campus, [and] school district, and open-enrollment charter school practices in awarding a contract under this subsection.

(d) The commissioner may purchase from available funds curriculum and other instructional tools identified under this section to provide for use by school districts and open-enrollment charter schools.

(e) The clearinghouse shall collect and provide information relating to best practices in career and technology education, including:

(1) model programs that connect kindergarten through grade 12 to postsecondary employment or higher education in a seamless system that includes the use of quality internship programs;

(2) courses that teach the required curriculum under Section 28.002 in a manner that may be applied to employment skills;

(3) models of course scheduling that allow students to participate in a coherent sequence of career and technology courses while meeting the requirement adopted under Section 28.025 that students complete four courses in each subject of the foundation curriculum under Section 28.002(a)(1);

(4) counseling that:

(A) assists students in identifying high-demand, high-wage occupations appropriate for the student;

(B) diagnoses the current skills of students and determines the skills needed for those high-demand, high-wage occupations;

(C) assists students in planning courses and schedules to acquire needed skills; and

(D) connects students to employment opportunities and to institutions of higher education; and

(5) the integration and use of Internet courses into the career and technology education course sequences.

(f) This subsection expires January 31, 2011. Not later than January 1, 2011, the agency shall report to the chair of each standing committee of the legislature with primary jurisdiction over public education recommendations regarding how to use the clearinghouse established under this section as a dynamic technical assistance and support tool. The recommendations must include recommendations regarding:

(1) using the clearinghouse to provide classroom teachers, school districts, and open-enrollment charter schools with statewide access to high-quality curricula;

(2) consolidating similar state Internet web portals into a central framework; and

(3) providing students access to Internet-based academic and career counseling that includes cooperation among the relevant state agencies for the purpose of transitioning students, including students enrolled in a special education program under Subchapter A, Chapter 29, from kindergarten through grade 12 to postsecondary employment or higher education.

SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 33, Education Code, is amended by adding Section 33.008 to read as follows:

Sec. 33.008. COUNSELING REGARDING CAREER AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION. (a) Each counselor at a middle or junior high school, including an open-enrollment charter school offering those grades, shall advise students and their parents or guardians regarding the purposes of and available options for career and technology education as part of any information provided to a student for purposes of establishing a personal graduation plan.

(b) During the first school year a student is enrolled in a high school or at the high school level in an open-enrollment charter school, a counselor shall provide information about career and technology education to the student and the student's parent or guardian as part of any information provided to a student for purposes of establishing a personal graduation plan. The career and technology information provided must include information regarding:

(1) obtaining an aptitude or interest assessment;

(2) available course and career options, including projected future demand for particular careers;

(3) certification and licensing requirements, including skills needed and coursework required to meet those requirements; and

(4) postsecondary education and training opportunities.

SECTION 3. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by adding Section 61.0663 to read as follows:

Sec. 61.0663. ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY. (a) To assess the economic benefits and preparation for employment provided by public institutions of higher education, the board shall identify students enrolled in the public education system and collect data on which postsecondary program, if any, the students enroll in and the type of employment the students obtain following completion of high school or the program, as applicable.

(b) The board, in consultation with the Texas Education Agency, the Texas Workforce Commission, and the comptroller, shall use the education and employment data collected under Subsection (a), and any additional relevant data, to assess the economic impact of secondary and postsecondary training and education. The information must be produced in a manner that:

(1) demonstrates patterns of postsecondary enrollment and employment placement;

(2) provides an assessment of the economic benefits of institutions of higher education and programs at those institutions to students and the state; and

(3) provides an assessment of the economic benefit of public education programs that prepare students who transition directly to postsecondary employment.

(c) The information produced under this section must be capable of electronic dissemination and made available to the public in a format that assists students in making decisions regarding education and career choices.

(d) This section does not authorize the disclosure of student information that may not be disclosed under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (20 U.S.C. Section 1232g). The board, in conjunction with the commissioner of education, the comptroller, and the Texas Workforce Commission, shall adopt rules to protect the confidentiality of student information.

SECTION 4. Section 61.0762, Education Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 61.0762. PROGRAMS TO ENHANCE STUDENT SUCCESS. (a) To implement the college readiness and success strategic action plan adopted under Section 61.0761 and to enhance the success of students at institutions of higher education, the board by rule shall develop:

(1) summer higher education bridge programs in the subject areas of mathematics, science, and English language arts;

(2) incentive programs for institutions of higher education that implement research-based, innovative developmental education initiatives;

(3) financial assistance programs for educationally disadvantaged students, as defined by Section 5.001, who take college entrance and college readiness assessment instruments;

(4) professional development programs for faculty of institutions of higher education on college readiness standards and the implications of such standards on instruction; and

(5) other programs as determined by the board that support the participation and success goals in "Closing the Gaps," the state's master plan for higher education.

(b) As one of the programs adopted under Subsection (a)(5), the board shall establish education resource centers to create within school communities interest in and information concerning attendance at institutions of higher education. Each center must attempt to coordinate among students, parents, school counselors, and institutions of higher education in providing access to resources helpful in preparation for attendance at and admission to institutions of higher education. One or more persons associated with each center shall be trained and able to assist the families of high school students complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. Each center shall provide information concerning career and technical education, including certification and licensing requirements and available course and career options and degree programs. A center under this subsection may be located on a high school or middle school campus or at a site within a community that is conveniently located to many students, such as a public library or local workforce or community center, or may be a mobile center that visits schools or other places where students are likely to gather.

(c) The board shall conduct ongoing evaluations of programs developed under Subsection (a) and any other programs developed to provide information concerning postsecondary educational or employment opportunities to determine the effectiveness of the programs in meeting the goals of "Closing the Gaps," the state's master plan for higher education.

(d) In conjunction with the comptroller, the board shall develop an Internet website for the purpose of providing information to the public about postsecondary educational and employment opportunities. The website shall provide information in English and Spanish concerning:

(1) career and technical education programs that integrate academic, technical, and career skills that lead to a license, certificate, or postsecondary degree;

(2) available employment opportunities and the educational requirements needed for employment at entry and advanced levels;

(3) which occupations are considered high-demand, as determined by the board in conjunction with the Texas Workforce Commission;

(4) the skills needed and the available avenues for obtaining employment in a high-demand occupation; and

(5) how to obtain financial aid and what forms of financial aid are available to students entering certain occupations.

(e) For the purpose of developing the Internet website under Subsection (d), the board may require the Texas Education Agency to provide information on educational programs and outcomes and the Texas Workforce Commission to provide information on workforce programs and outcomes.

(f) As one of the programs adopted under Subsection (a)(5), the board, in conjunction with the comptroller and the Texas Workforce Commission, shall establish mobile career centers that visit schools or other places where students are likely to gather. The mobile career centers shall provide students information on various occupations including:

(1) the potential future employment demand for the occupation;

(2) the earning potential for a person employed in the occupation;

(3) the skills and training needed for employment in the occupation;

(4) a list of courses applicable to the occupation, including courses offered in high school, for dual credit, on the Internet, and at institutions of higher education, and the extent to which those courses are available to the student; and

(5) information concerning post entry-level employment opportunities in the occupation and, to the extent feasible, information concerning the education required to access those future opportunities.

SECTION 5. Section 2 of this Act applies beginning with the 2009-2010 school year.

SECTION 6. 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, 2009.