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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to regulatory authority for courses taken by public high |
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school students for both high school and college credit. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 28.002, Education Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (c-2) to read as follows: |
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(c-2) Notwithstanding Subsection (c), the State Board of |
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Education may not identify the essential knowledge and skills of a |
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course in a subject of the required curriculum for which a student |
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may be awarded both high school and college credit. |
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SECTION 2. Section 30A.104, Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 30A.104. COURSE ELIGIBILITY IN GENERAL. A course |
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offered through the state virtual school network must: |
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(1) be in a specific subject that is part of the |
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required curriculum under Section 28.002(a); |
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(2) be aligned with the essential knowledge and skills |
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identified under Section 28.002(c) for a grade level at or above |
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grade level three, except in the case of a dual credit course for |
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which the essential knowledge and skills are not identified as |
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provided by Section 28.002(c-2); and |
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(3) be the equivalent in instructional rigor and scope |
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to a course that is provided in a traditional classroom setting |
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during: |
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(A) a semester of 90 instructional days; and |
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(B) a school day that meets the minimum length of |
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a school day required under Section 25.082. |
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SECTION 3. Section 30A.111(c), Education Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(c) The commissioner of higher education by rule shall |
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establish qualifications and professional development requirements |
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applicable to college instructors providing instruction in dual |
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credit courses through the state virtual school network that allow |
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a student to earn high school credit and college credit or other |
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credit. |
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SECTION 4. Section 39.023, Education Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (c-7) and amending Subsection (i) to read as |
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follows: |
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(c-7) Subsection (c) does not apply to a course for which a |
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student may be awarded both high school and college credit. |
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(i) The provisions of this section, except Subsections |
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(c-7) and [Subsection] (d), are subject to modification by rules |
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adopted under Section 39.022. Each assessment instrument adopted |
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under those rules and each assessment instrument required under |
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Subsection (d) must be reliable and valid and must meet any |
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applicable federal requirements for measurement of student |
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progress. |
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SECTION 5. Sections 39.025(a), (a-2), and (a-3), Education |
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Code, are amended to read as follows: |
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(a) The commissioner shall adopt rules requiring a student |
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participating in the recommended or advanced high school program to |
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be administered each end-of-course assessment instrument listed in |
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Section 39.023(c), except as provided by Section 39.023(c-7), and |
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requiring a student participating in the minimum high school |
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program to be administered an end-of-course assessment instrument |
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listed in Section 39.023(c) only for a course in which the student |
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is enrolled and for which an end-of-course assessment instrument is |
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administered. A student is required to achieve, in each subject in |
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the foundation curriculum under Section 28.002(a)(1), a cumulative |
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score that is at least equal to the product of the number of |
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end-of-course assessment instruments administered to the student |
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in that subject and a scale score that indicates satisfactory |
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performance, as determined by the commissioner under Section |
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39.0241(a). A student must achieve a minimum score as determined |
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by the commissioner to be within a reasonable range of the scale |
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score under Section 39.0241(a) on an end-of-course assessment |
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instrument for the score to count towards the student's cumulative |
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score. For purposes of this subsection, a student's cumulative |
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score is determined using the student's highest score on each |
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end-of-course assessment instrument administered to the |
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student. A student may not receive a high school diploma until the |
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student has performed satisfactorily on the end-of-course |
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assessment instruments in the manner provided under this |
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subsection. This subsection does not require a student to |
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demonstrate readiness to enroll in an institution of higher |
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education. |
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(a-2) In addition to the cumulative score requirements |
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under Subsection (a), except to the extent that under Section |
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39.023(c-7) a student is not required to take an end-of-course |
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assessment instrument for a particular course, a student must |
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achieve a score that meets or exceeds: |
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(1) the score determined by the commissioner under |
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Section 39.0241(a) for English III and Algebra II end-of-course |
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assessment instruments, to graduate under the recommended high |
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school program; or |
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(2) [.
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[(a-3) In addition to the cumulative score requirements
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under Subsection (a), a student must achieve a score that meets or
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exceeds] the score determined by the commissioner under Section |
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39.0241(a-1) on English III and Algebra II end-of-course assessment |
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instruments, [in order] to graduate under the advanced high school |
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program. |
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SECTION 6. Section 39.023(o), Education Code, is repealed. |
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SECTION 7. This Act applies to a course offered for both |
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high school and college credit beginning with the 2011-2012 school |
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year. |
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SECTION 8. 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, 2011. |