Honorable Judith Zaffirini, Chair, Senate Committee on Higher Education
FROM:
John S O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
SB162 by Shapiro (relating to developing a developmental education plan for students entering public institutions of higher education.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted
No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would require the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) to develop a statewide plan that focuses the delivery of developmental education at public junior colleges, public state colleges, and public technical institutes. The THECB plan would also focus on utilizing technology to individualize plans for each student and to reach a greater number of students. Developmental education under the plan must include: technological delivery of developmental education courses; diagnostic assessments; modular developmental education course materials; use of tutors and instructional aides to supplement instruction; an internal monitoring system to identify student difficulties; periodic updates of developmental education course materials; and assessments after completion of a developmental education course to determine a student's readiness to enroll in freshman-level academic courses.
To develop the THECB plan, the bill would require the THECB to research relevant issues, study best practices for successful programs to effectively educate students, and assess various delivery methods for developmental education for statewide implementation. This bill requires the THECB plan to include ongoing training for developmental education faculty members, tutors, and instructional aides at the institution where instruction is provided. Ongoing research and improvement of appropriate developmental education programs, also required by the bill, would include participation of a faculty member group selected by the THECB board.
Local Government Impact
No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.