Honorable Florence Shapiro, Chair, Senate Committee on Education
FROM:
John S O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB3468 by Patrick, Diane (Relating to high school readiness, to the assessment of public school students for college readiness and developmental education courses to prepare students for college-level coursework, and to teacher certification to teach at certain grade levels in public school.), Committee Report 2nd House, Substituted
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would require the Texas Education Agency (TEA), in coordination with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB), to conduct a study of best practices related to college readiness and submit a related report to the Legislature and the Governor. The bill would require TEA and THECB to review the standardized adult basic education assessment and recommend changes. The bill would establish a high school readiness pilot program requiring that schools with students in grades 6, 7, and 8 enroll those students in a student advisory class. Under the program, participating high schools would be required to provide annual high school orientation sessions for parents of students enrolled in grades 6, 7, and 8 in the high school's attendance zone. The bill would direct the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to develop standards for both the student advisory class and the high school orientation session.
The bill would allow for expenditures on extended learning programs from funds received through the Foundation School Program's Compensatory Education Allotment.
The cost of implementing the provisions of the bill is not estimated to be significant.
Local Government Impact
Schools meeting certain eligibility requirements could participate in the high school readiness pilot program.
Effective for the 2012-13 school year, the bill would require school districts to identify annually students enrolled in grades 6, 7, or 8 who are at risk of dropping out of school or likely to become at risk of dropping out and to provide each high school to which students would be promoted a list of students scheduled to enter the high school in the following school year who have been identified and the specific interventions used to address needs of students at risk of dropping out.
The bill would allow for expenditures by school districts on extended learning programs from funds received through the Foundation School Program's Compensatory Education Allotment.
Source Agencies:
701 Central Education Agency, 781 Higher Education Coordinating Board