83R4842 VOO-F

By: Murphy H.B. No. 2431

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to public high school graduation, including curriculum requirements for graduation.

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

SECTION 1. Section 7.062(e), Education Code, is amended to read as follows:

(e) The rules must:

(1) limit the amount of assistance provided through a grant to not more than:

(A) for a construction project, $200 per square foot of the science laboratory to be constructed; or

(B) for a renovation project, $100 per square foot of the science laboratory to be renovated;

(2) require a school district to demonstrate, as a condition of eligibility for a grant, that the existing district science laboratories are insufficient in number to comply with the curriculum requirements imposed for the recommended and advanced high school programs under Section 28.025 [28.025(b-1)(1)]; and

(3) provide for ranking school districts that apply for grants on the basis of wealth per student and giving priority in the award of grants to districts with low wealth per student.

SECTION 2. Section 28.002(n), Education Code, is amended to read as follows:

(n) The State Board of Education may by rule develop and implement a plan designed to incorporate career and technology education [foundation] curriculum requirements into the foundation [career and technology education] curriculum under Subsections [Subsection] (a)(1)(B) and (C) [(a)(2)(E)].

SECTION 3. Sections 28.0022(a), (d), (e), and (f), Education Code, are amended to read as follows:

(a) Not later than November 1, 2013 [2007], the agency shall establish a panel under this section to[:

[(1) review and] recommend [revisions to the] career and technical education requirements [curriculum] under Section 28.025(b-4) [28.002(a)(2)(E); and

[(2) review and recommend revisions for the program in which high schools and articulated postsecondary institutions allow high school students to take advanced technical credit courses].

(d) Not later than December 31, 2013 [November 1, 2008], the panel shall:

(1) make the recommendations [complete the review as] required by this section regarding [of:

[(A)] the career and technical education curriculum requirements under Section 28.025(b-4)[; and

[(B) the program under which high schools and articulated postsecondary institutions allow high school students to take advanced technical credit courses]; and

(2) make recommendations to the State Board of Education as necessary to:

(A) maintain [increase] the academic rigor of the career and technical education curriculum under Section 28.002(a)(2)(E); and

(B) [improve and] increase participation in the program under which high schools and articulated postsecondary institutions allow high school students to take advanced technical credit courses.

(e) [Not later than September 1, 2009, the State Board of Education by rule shall revise the essential knowledge and skills of the career and technical education curriculum as provided by Section 28.002(c) based on the recommendations of the panel under Subsection (d).] The State Board of Education shall require school districts to provide instruction in the career and technical education curriculum, based on recommendations made [as revised] under this section [subsection], beginning with the 2014-2015 [2010-2011] school year.

(f) This section expires September 1, 2016 [2014].

SECTION 4. Section 28.003(b), Education Code, is amended to read as follows:

(b) In this section, "educational program" means a course or series of courses in the required curriculum under Section 28.002[, other than a fine arts course under Section 28.002(a)(2)(D) or a career and technology course under Section 28.002(a)(2)(E)].

SECTION 5. The heading to Section 28.014, Education Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 28.014. COLLEGE AND WORKFORCE PREPARATORY COURSES.

SECTION 6. Sections 28.014(a) and (b), Education Code, are amended to read as follows:

(a) The commissioner of education, [and] the commissioner of higher education, and the chairman of the Texas Workforce Commission shall [develop and] recommend to the State Board of Education for adoption under Section 28.002 the essential knowledge and skills of courses in college and career preparatory mathematics, science, social studies, and English language arts. The courses must be designed:

(1) for students [at the 12th grade level] who do not meet college readiness standards on an end-of-course assessment instrument required under Section 39.023(c); and

(2) to prepare students for success:

(A) at an institution of higher education that offers a two-year or four-year undergraduate program; or

(B) in a postsecondary technical program [in entry-level college courses].

(b) A student who successfully completes a course developed under this section may use the credit earned in the course toward satisfying the applicable mathematics or science curriculum requirement for graduation from [the recommended or advanced] high school [program] under Section 28.025.

SECTION 7. Section 28.025, Education Code, is amended by amending Subsections (a), (b), (b-1), (b-2), (b-3), (b-4), (b-5), (b-6), (b-7), (b-8), (b-9), (b-10), (e), and (g) and adding Subsections (b-12), (b-13), and (b-14) to read as follows:

(a) The State Board of Education by rule shall determine curriculum requirements for the minimum high school program, the recommended high school programs, and the advanced high school program [programs] that are consistent with the required curriculum under Section 28.002. Subject to Subsection (b-1), the State Board of Education shall designate the specific courses in the foundation curriculum required for each [a student participating in the minimum, recommended, or advanced] high school program. Except as provided by Subsection (b-1), the State Board of Education may not designate a specific course or a specific number of credits in the enrichment curriculum as requirements for the recommended program.

(b) A school district shall ensure that each student enrolls in the courses necessary to complete the curriculum requirements identified by the State Board of Education under Subsection (a) for a [the] recommended high school program or the advanced high school program unless:

(1) the district has complied with Subsection (b-7);

(2) the student, the student's parent or other person standing in parental relation to the student, and a school counselor or school administrator agree in writing signed by each party that the student should be permitted to take courses under the minimum high school program; and

(3) the student:

(A) [(1)] is at least 16 years of age;

(B) [(2)] has completed two credits required for graduation in each subject of the foundation curriculum under Section 28.002(a)(1); or

(C) [(3)] has failed to be promoted to the tenth grade one or more times as determined by the school district.

(b-1) The State Board of Education by rule shall require that:

(1) except as provided by Subsection (b-2), the curriculum requirements for the recommended and advanced high school programs under Subsection (a) include a requirement that students successfully complete at least 26 credits, including:

(A) [four credits in each subject of the foundation curriculum under Section 28.002(a)(1), including] at least one-half credit in government and at least one-half credit in economics [to meet the social studies requirement];

(B) for the recommended high school programs [program], two credits in the same language in a language other than English under Section 28.002(a)(2)(A) and, for the advanced high school program, three credits in the same language in a language other than English under Section 28.002(a)(2)(A); and

(C) for the recommended high school programs [program], at least six elective credits and, for the advanced high school program, five elective credits;

(2) one or more credits offered in the required curriculum for the recommended and advanced high school programs include a research or technical writing component; and

(3) the curriculum requirements for the minimum high school program, the recommended high school programs, and the advanced high school program [programs] under Subsection (a) include a requirement that students successfully complete:

(A) one credit in fine arts under Section 28.002(a)(2)(D); and

(B) except as provided by Subsection (b-11), one credit in physical education under Section 28.002(a)(2)(C).

(b-2) In adopting rules under this section [Subsection (b-1)], the State Board of Education shall allow a student to comply with [the] curriculum requirements for a mathematics or science course [under Subsection (b-1)(1) taken after the successful completion of Algebra I and geometry and either after the successful completion of or concurrently with Algebra II or a science course under Subsection (b-1)(1) taken after the successful completion of biology and chemistry and either after the successful completion of or concurrently with physics] by successfully completing a [an advanced] career and technical course designated by the State Board of Education as containing sufficiently [substantively similar and] rigorous academic content or offered under Section 130.008. [A student may use the option provided by this subsection for not more than two courses.]

(b-3) In adopting rules to provide students with high school program options under this section [the option described by Subsection (b-1)(1)(A)], the State Board of Education must approve a [variety of mathematics and science courses that may be taken after the completion of Algebra II and physics to comply with the] recommended high school program option that requires four credits in each subject of the foundation curriculum under Section 28.002(a)(1) [requirements].

(b-4) In adopting rules to provide students with high school program options under this section, the State Board of Education must approve a second recommended high school program option that requires three credits in each subject of the foundation curriculum under Section 28.002(a)(1), emphasizes postsecondary workforce readiness, and requires applied career and technology education courses covering the essential knowledge and skills for career and technology education identified under Section 28.002. Under the recommended high school program option approved under this subsection, the board shall require that a student earn credit in at least two courses that qualify for postsecondary education credit under Section 130.008, subject to Subsection (b-14) [A school district may offer the curriculum described in Subsection (b-1)(1)(A) in an applied manner. Courses delivered in an applied manner must cover the essential knowledge and skills, and the student shall be administered the applicable end-of-course assessment instrument as provided by Sections 39.023(c) and 39.025].

(b-5) In adopting rules to provide students with high school program options under this section, the State Board of Education must approve a third recommended high school program option that requires three credits in each subject of the foundation curriculum under Section 28.002(a)(1) and also emphasizes fine arts. Under the recommended high school program option approved under this subsection, the board shall require that a student earn credit in at least two courses that qualify for postsecondary education credit in fine arts under Section 130.008, subject to Subsection (b-14) [A school district may offer a mathematics or science course to be taken by a student after completion of Algebra II and physics to comply with the recommended program requirements in Subsection (b-1)(1)(A). A course approved under this subsection must be endorsed by an institution of higher education as a course for which the institution would award course credit or as a prerequisite for a course for which the institution would award course credit].

(b-6) In adopting rules to provide students with the high school program options under this section, the State Board of Education must approve a fourth recommended high school program option that allows a student, in accordance with any eligibility requirements the board adopts under this subsection, to change from an earlier selected high school program and combine earned credits under the recommended high school programs approved under Subsections (b-3), (b-4), and (b-5). Under the recommended high school program option approved under this subsection, the board shall require that a student earn credit in at least two courses that qualify for postsecondary education credit under Section 130.008, subject to Subsection (b-14).

(b-7) Before a student's parent or other person standing in parental relation to the student may agree that the student be permitted to take courses under the minimum high school program as provided by Subsection (b), a school district must provide written notice to the parent or person standing in parental relation explaining the benefits of the recommended high school program. The notice shall be developed by the agency and must[:

[(1)] be printed in English and Spanish[;] and

[(2)] require that the student's parent or person standing in parental relation to the student sign a confirmation of receipt and return the confirmation to the student's campus. A student agreeing to take courses under the minimum high school program as provided by Subsection (b) may, on request, resume taking courses under a recommended high school program.

(b-8) [(b-7)] The State Board of Education, in coordination with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, shall adopt rules to ensure that a student may comply with the curriculum requirements under the minimum, recommended, or advanced high school programs [program] for each subject of the foundation curriculum under Section 28.002(a)(1) and for languages other than English under Section 28.002(a)(2)(A) by successfully completing appropriate courses in the core curriculum of an institution of higher education under Section 61.822.

[(b-8) A student agreeing to take courses under the minimum high school program as provided by Subsection (b) may, upon request, resume taking courses under the recommended high school program.]

(b-9) A [The agency shall establish a pilot program allowing a student attending school in a county with a population of more than one million and in which more than 75 percent of the population resides in a single municipality to satisfy the] fine arts credit required under Subsection (b-1)(3)(A) or (b-5) may be satisfied by a student's participation [participating] in a fine arts program not provided by the school district in which the student is enrolled. The fine arts program may be provided on or off a school campus and outside the regular school day. [Not later than December 1, 2010, the agency shall provide to the legislature a report regarding the pilot program, including the feasibility of expanding the pilot program statewide.]

(b-10) A school district [, with the approval of the commissioner,] may allow a student to comply with the curriculum requirements for the physical education credit required under Subsection (b-1)(3)(B) by participating in a private or commercially sponsored physical activity program provided on or off a school campus and outside the regular school day.

(b-12) The agency shall provide school counselors with information necessary to support students and parents in choosing a high school program under Section 28.025. The information must identify postsecondary education and career opportunities, including information on the benefits provided by two-year and four-year higher education programs, postsecondary career and technical education programs, career-education programs, and skilled workforce careers. The agency shall collaborate with the Texas Workforce Commission and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in identifying existing information that may be used for purposes of this subsection or, as necessary, developing new material.

(b-13) In adopting rules under this section, the State Board of Education shall allow a student to participate, through distance learning, in courses that qualify for postsecondary education credit.

(b-14) The commissioner may waive the postsecondary education requirements under Subsection (b-4), (b-5), or (b-6) if the commissioner determines that sufficient courses are not available to students participating in the recommended high school programs under that subsection.

(e) Each school district shall report the academic achievement record of students [who have completed a minimum, recommended, or advanced high school program] on transcript forms adopted by the State Board of Education. The transcript forms adopted by the board must be designed to clearly differentiate between each of the high school programs and identify whether a student received a diploma [or a certificate of coursework completion].

(g) If a student, other than a student permitted to take courses under the minimum high school program as provided by Subsection (b), is unable to complete one of the recommended high school programs or the advanced high school program solely because necessary courses were unavailable to the student at the appropriate times in the student's high school career as a result of course scheduling, lack of enrollment capacity, or another cause not within the student's control, the school district shall indicate that fact on the student's transcript form described by Subsection (e).

SECTION 8. Section 28.0253(e), Education Code, is amended to read as follows:

(e) A student who receives a high school diploma through the pilot program is considered to have completed a [the] recommended high school program adopted under Section 28.025 [28.025(a)]. The student is not guaranteed admission to any institution of higher education or to any academic program at an institution of higher education solely on the basis of having received the diploma through the program.

SECTION 9. Section 29.096(e), Education Code, is amended to read as follows:

(e) The commissioner shall establish minimum standards for a local collaborative agreement, including a requirement that the agreement must be signed by an authorized school district or open-enrollment charter school officer and an authorized representative of each of the other participating entities that is a partner in the collaboration. The program must:

(1) limit participation in the program to students authorized to participate by a parent or other person standing in parental relationship;

(2) have as a primary goal graduation from high school under at least one of the recommended high school programs [program];

(3) provide for local businesses or other employers to offer paid employment or internship opportunities and advanced career and vocational training;

(4) include an outreach component and a lead educational staff member to identify and involve eligible students and public and private entities in participating in the program;

(5) serve a population of students of which at least 50 percent are identified as students at risk of dropping out of school, as described by Section 29.081(d);

(6) allocate not more than 15 percent of grant funds and matching funds, as determined by the commissioner, to administrative expenses;

(7) include matching funds from any of the participating entities; and

(8) include any other requirements as determined by the council.

SECTION 10. Section 29.182(b), Education Code, is amended to read as follows:

(b) The state plan must include procedures designed to ensure that:

(1) all secondary and postsecondary students have the opportunity to participate in career and technology education programs;

(2) the state complies with requirements for supplemental federal career and technology education funding; [and]

(3) career and technology education is established as a part of the total education system of this state and constitutes an option for student learning that provides a rigorous course of study consistent with the required curriculum under Section 28.002 and under which a student may receive specific education in a career and technology program that:

(A) incorporates competencies leading to academic and technical skill attainment;

(B) leads to:

(i) an industry-recognized license, credential, or certificate; or

(ii) at the postsecondary level, an associate or baccalaureate degree;

(C) includes opportunities for students to earn college credit for coursework; and

(D) includes, as an integral part of the program, participation by students and teachers in activities of career and technical student organizations supported by the agency and the State Board of Education; and

(4) all secondary students have the opportunity to participate in the recommended high school program option under Section 28.025(b-4).

SECTION 11. Section 29.187(b), Education Code, is amended to read as follows:

(b) An award granted under this section is not in lieu of a diploma [or certificate of coursework completion] issued under Section 28.025.

SECTION 12. Section 29.402(b), Education Code, is amended to read as follows:

(b) A person who is under 26 years of age is eligible to enroll in a dropout recovery program under this subchapter if the person:

(1) must complete not more than three course credits to complete the curriculum requirements for the minimum high school program, one of the recommended high school programs, or the advanced high school program, as appropriate, for high school graduation; or

(2) has failed to perform satisfactorily on an end-of-course assessment instrument administered under Section 39.023(c) or an assessment instrument administered under Section 39.023(c) as that section existed before amendment by Chapter 1312 (S.B. 1031), Acts of the 80th Legislature, Regular Session, 2007.

SECTION 13. Section 29.904(d), Education Code, is amended to read as follows:

(d) A plan developed under this section:

(1) must establish clear, achievable goals for increasing the percentage of the school district's graduating seniors, particularly the graduating seniors attending a high school described by Subsection (a), who enroll in an institution of higher education for the academic year following graduation;

(2) must establish an accurate method of measuring progress toward the goals established under Subdivision (1) that may include the percentage of district high school students and the percentage of students attending a district high school described by Subsection (a) who:

(A) are enrolled in a course for which a student may earn college credit, such as an advanced placement or international baccalaureate course or a course offered through concurrent enrollment in high school and at an institution of higher education;

(B) are enrolled in courses that meet the curriculum requirements for one of the recommended high school programs or the advanced high school program as determined under Section 28.025;

(C) have submitted a free application for federal student aid (FAFSA);

(D) are exempt under Section 51.3062(p) or (q) from administration of an assessment instrument under Section 51.3062 or have performed successfully on an assessment instrument under Section 51.3062;

(E) graduate from high school;

(F) graduate from an institution of higher education; and

(G) have taken college entrance examinations and the average score of those students on the examinations;

(3) must cover a period of at least five years; and

(4) may be directed at district students at any level of primary or secondary education.

SECTION 14. Section 31.022(a), Education Code, is amended to read as follows:

(a) The State Board of Education shall adopt a review and adoption cycle for instructional materials for elementary grade levels, including prekindergarten, and secondary grade levels, for each subject in the required curriculum under Section 28.002. In adopting the cycle, the board:

(1) is not required to review and adopt instructional materials for all grade levels in a single year; and

(2) shall give priority to instructional materials in the following subjects:

(A) foundation curriculum subjects for which the essential knowledge and skills have been substantially revised and for which assessment instruments are required under Subchapter B, Chapter 39[, including career and technology courses that satisfy foundation curriculum requirements as provided by Section 28.002(n)];

(B) foundation curriculum subjects for which the essential knowledge and skills have been substantially revised[, including career and technology courses that satisfy foundation curriculum requirements as provided by Section 28.002(n)];

(C) foundation curriculum subjects not described by Paragraph (A) or (B)[, including career and technology courses that satisfy foundation curriculum requirements as provided by Section 28.002(n)]; and

(D) enrichment curriculum subjects.

SECTION 15. Section 33.007(b), Education Code, is amended to read as follows:

(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, and again during a student's senior year, a counselor shall provide information about higher education to the student and the student's parent or guardian. The information must include information regarding:

(1) the importance of higher education;

(2) the advantages of completing a [the] recommended high school program or the advanced high school program adopted under Section 28.025 [28.025(a)];

(3) the disadvantages of taking courses to prepare for a high school equivalency examination relative to the benefits of taking courses leading to a high school diploma;

(4) financial aid eligibility;

(5) instruction on how to apply for federal financial aid;

(6) the center for financial aid information established under Section 61.0776;

(7) the automatic admission of certain students to general academic teaching institutions as provided by Section 51.803;

(8) the eligibility and academic performance requirements for the TEXAS Grant as provided by Subchapter M, Chapter 56; and

(9) the availability of programs in the district under which a student may earn college credit, including advanced placement programs, dual credit programs, joint high school and college credit programs, and international baccalaureate programs.

SECTION 16. Section 39.025(a), Education Code, is amended to read as follows:

(a) The commissioner shall adopt rules requiring a student participating in one of the recommended high school programs or the advanced high school program under Section 28.025 to be administered each end-of-course assessment instrument listed in Section 39.023(c) and requiring a student participating in the minimum high school program to be administered an end-of-course assessment instrument listed in Section 39.023(c) only for a course in which the student is enrolled and for which an end-of-course assessment instrument is administered. A student is required to achieve, in each subject in the foundation curriculum under Section 28.002(a)(1), a cumulative score that is at least equal to the product of the number of end-of-course assessment instruments administered to the student in that subject and a scale score that indicates satisfactory performance, as determined by the commissioner under Section 39.0241(a). A student must achieve a minimum score as determined by the commissioner to be within a reasonable range of the scale score under Section 39.0241(a) on an end-of-course assessment instrument for the score to count towards the student's cumulative score. For purposes of this subsection, a student's cumulative score is determined using the student's highest score on each end-of-course assessment instrument administered to the student. A student may not receive a high school diploma until the student has performed satisfactorily on the end-of-course assessment instruments in the manner provided under this subsection. This subsection does not require a student to demonstrate readiness to enroll in an institution of higher education.

SECTION 17. Section 39.057(a), Education Code, is amended to read as follows:

(a) The commissioner shall authorize special accreditation investigations to be conducted:

(1) when excessive numbers of absences of students eligible to be tested on state assessment instruments are determined;

(2) when excessive numbers of allowable exemptions from the required state assessment instruments are determined;

(3) in response to complaints submitted to the agency with respect to alleged violations of civil rights or other requirements imposed on the state by federal law or court order;

(4) in response to established compliance reviews of the district's financial accounting practices and state and federal program requirements;

(5) when extraordinary numbers of student placements in disciplinary alternative education programs, other than placements under Sections 37.006 and 37.007, are determined;

(6) in response to an allegation involving a conflict between members of the board of trustees or between the board and the district administration if it appears that the conflict involves a violation of a role or duty of the board members or the administration clearly defined by this code;

(7) when excessive numbers of students in special education programs under Subchapter A, Chapter 29, are assessed through assessment instruments developed or adopted under Section 39.023(b);

(8) in response to an allegation regarding or an analysis using a statistical method result indicating a possible violation of an assessment instrument security procedure established under Section 39.0301, including for the purpose of investigating or auditing a school district under that section;

(9) when a significant pattern of decreased academic performance has developed as a result of the promotion in the preceding two school years of students who did not perform satisfactorily as determined by the commissioner under Section 39.0241(a) on assessment instruments administered under Section 39.023(a), (c), or (l);

(10) when excessive numbers of students graduate under the minimum high school program;

(11) when excessive numbers of students eligible to enroll fail to complete [an Algebra II course or] any [other] course determined by the commissioner as distinguishing between students participating in one of the recommended high school programs [program] from students participating in the minimum high school program;

(12) when resource allocation practices as evaluated under Section 39.0821 indicate a potential for significant improvement in resource allocation; or

(13) as the commissioner otherwise determines necessary.

SECTION 18. Section 39.234(a), Education Code, is amended to read as follows:

(a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), a school district or campus must use funds allocated under Section 42.160 to:

(1) implement or administer a college and workforce readiness program that provides academic support and instruction to prepare underachieving students for entrance into:

(A) an institution of higher education that offers a two-year undergraduate program or a four-year undergraduate program; or

(B) a postsecondary technical program;

(2) implement or administer a program that encourages students to pursue advanced academic opportunities, including rigorous career and technology education programs, early college high school programs and dual credit, advanced placement, and international baccalaureate courses;

(3) implement or administer a program that provides opportunities for students to take academically rigorous course work, including four years of mathematics and four years of science at the high school level;

(4) implement or administer a program, including online course support and professional development, that aligns the curriculum for grades six through 12 with postsecondary curriculum and expectations; or

(5) implement or administer science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) initiatives and other high school completion and success initiatives in grades six through 12 approved by the commissioner.

SECTION 19. Section 51.3062(q-1), Education Code, is amended to read as follows:

(q-1) A student who has completed one of the [a] recommended high school programs or the advanced high school program as determined under Section 28.025 and demonstrated the performance standard for college readiness as provided by Section 39.024 on the Algebra II and English III end-of-course assessment instruments is exempt from the requirements of this section with respect to those content areas. The commissioner of higher education by rule shall establish the period for which an exemption under this subsection is valid.

SECTION 20. Sections 51.803(a) and (d), Education Code, are amended to read as follows:

(a) Subject to Subsection (a-1), each general academic teaching institution shall admit an applicant for admission to the institution as an undergraduate student if the applicant graduated with a grade point average in the top 10 percent of the student's high school graduating class in one of the two school years preceding the academic year for which the applicant is applying for admission and:

(1) the applicant graduated from a public or private high school in this state accredited by a generally recognized accrediting organization or from a high school operated by the United States Department of Defense;

(2) the applicant:

(A) successfully completed:

(i) at a public high school, the curriculum requirements established under Section 28.025 for one of the recommended high school programs or the advanced high school program; or

(ii) at a high school to which Section 28.025 does not apply, a curriculum that is equivalent in content and rigor to one of the recommended high school programs or the advanced high school program; or

(B) satisfied ACT's College Readiness Benchmarks on the ACT assessment applicable to the applicant or earned on the SAT assessment a score of at least 1,500 out of 2,400 or the equivalent; and

(3) if the applicant graduated from a high school operated by the United States Department of Defense, the applicant is a Texas resident under Section 54.052 or is entitled to pay tuition fees at the rate provided for Texas residents under Section 54.241(d) [54.058(d)] for the term or semester to which admitted.

(d) For purposes of Subsection (c)(2), a student's official transcript or diploma must, not later than the end of the student's junior year, indicate:

(1) whether the student has satisfied or is on schedule to satisfy the requirements of Subsection (a)(2)(A)(i) or (ii), as applicable; or

(2) if Subsection (b) applies to the student, whether the student has completed the portion of one of the recommended high school program curricula or the advanced curriculum, or of the curriculum equivalent in content and rigor, as applicable, that was available to the student.

SECTION 21. Section 51.807(b), Education Code, is amended to read as follows:

(b) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, after consulting with the Texas Education Agency, by rule shall establish standards for determining for purposes of this subchapter:

(1) whether a private high school is accredited by a generally recognized accrediting organization; and

(2) whether a person completed a high school curriculum that is equivalent in content and rigor to the curriculum requirements established under Section 28.025 for one of the recommended high school programs or the advanced high school program.

SECTION 22. Section 56.3041, Education Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 56.3041. INITIAL ELIGIBILITY OF PERSON GRADUATING FROM HIGH SCHOOL ON OR AFTER MAY 1, 2013, AND ENROLLING IN A GENERAL ACADEMIC TEACHING INSTITUTION. Notwithstanding Section 56.304(a), to be eligible initially for a TEXAS grant, a person graduating from high school on or after May 1, 2013, and enrolling in a general academic teaching institution must:

(1) be a resident of this state as determined by coordinating board rules;

(2) meet the academic requirements prescribed by Paragraph (A), (B), or (C) as follows:

(A) be a graduate of a public or accredited private high school in this state who completed one of the recommended high school programs [program] established under Section 28.025 or its equivalent and have accomplished any two or more of the following:

(i) graduation under the advanced high school program established under Section 28.025 or its equivalent, successful completion of the course requirements of the international baccalaureate diploma program, or earning of the equivalent of at least 12 semester credit hours of college credit in high school through courses described in Sections 28.009(a)(1), (2), and (3);

(ii) satisfaction of the Texas Success Initiative (TSI) college readiness benchmarks prescribed by the coordinating board under Section 51.3062(f) on any assessment instrument designated by the coordinating board under Section 51.3062(c) [or (e)] or qualification for an exemption as described by Section 51.3062(p), (q), or (q-1);

(iii) graduation in the top one-third of the person's high school graduating class or graduation from high school with a grade point average of at least 3.0 on a four-point scale or the equivalent; or

(iv) completion for high school credit of at least one advanced mathematics course following the successful completion of an Algebra II course[, as permitted by Section 28.025(b-3)], or at least one [advanced] career and technical course, as permitted by Section 28.025(b-2);

(B) have received an associate degree from a public or private institution of higher education; or

(C) if sufficient money is available, meet the eligibility criteria described by Section 56.304(a)(2)(A);

(3) meet financial need requirements established by the coordinating board;

(4) be enrolled in an undergraduate degree or certificate program at the general academic teaching institution;

(5) except as provided under rules adopted under Section 56.304(h), be enrolled as:

(A) an entering undergraduate student for at least three-fourths of a full course load, as determined by the coordinating board, not later than the 16th month after the calendar month in which the person graduated from high school;

(B) an entering undergraduate student who entered military service not later than the first anniversary of the date the person graduated from high school and who enrolled for at least three-fourths of a full course load, as determined by the coordinating board, at the general academic teaching institution not later than 12 months after being honorably discharged from military service; or

(C) a continuing undergraduate student for at least three-fourths of a full course load, as determined by the coordinating board, not later than the 12th month after the calendar month in which the person received an associate degree from a public or private institution of higher education;

(6) have applied for any available financial aid or assistance; and

(7) comply with any additional nonacademic requirements adopted by the coordinating board under this subchapter.

SECTION 23. Subchapter A, Chapter 56, Education Code, is amended by adding Section 56.010 to read as follows:

Sec. 56.010. REFERENCE TO RECOMMENDED HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM. A reference in this chapter to the recommended high school program means any of the recommended high school programs under Section 28.025.

SECTION 24. Section 61.792(b), Education Code, is amended to read as follows:

(b) To qualify for a scholarship under this section, a student must:

(1) have graduated with a grade point average in the top 20 percent of the student's high school graduating class;

(2) have graduated from high school with a grade point average of at least 3.5 on a four-point scale or the equivalent in mathematics and science courses offered under one of the recommended high school programs or the advanced high school program under Section 28.025 [28.025(a)]; and

(3) maintain an overall grade point average of at least 3.0 on a four-point scale at the general academic teaching institution or the private or independent institution of higher education in which the student is enrolled.

SECTION 25. Section 61.852(a), Education Code, is amended to read as follows:

(a) A tech-prep program is a program of study that:

(1) combines at least two years of secondary education with at least two years of postsecondary education in a nonduplicative, sequential course of study based on the recommended high school program adopted by the State Board of Education under Section 28.025(b-4) [28.025(a)];

(2) integrates academic instruction and vocational and technical instruction;

(3) uses work-based and worksite learning where available and appropriate;

(4) provides technical preparation in a career field such as engineering technology, applied science, a mechanical, industrial, or practical art or trade, agriculture, health occupations, business, or applied economics;

(5) builds student competence in mathematics, science, reading, writing, communications, economics, and workplace skills through applied, contextual academics and integrated instruction in a coherent sequence of courses;

(6) leads to an associate degree, two-year postsecondary certificate, or postsecondary two-year apprenticeship with provisions, to the extent applicable, for students to continue toward completion of a baccalaureate degree; and

(7) leads to placement in appropriate employment or to further education.

SECTION 26. Section 61.855(d), Education Code, is amended to read as follows:

(d) A tech-prep program must:

(1) be implemented under an articulation agreement between the participants in the consortium;

(2) consist of two to four years of secondary school preceding graduation and:

(A) two or more years of higher education; or

(B) two or more years of apprenticeship following secondary instruction;

(3) have a common core of required proficiency based on the recommended high school program adopted by the State Board of Education under Section 28.025(b-4) [28.025(a)], with proficiencies in mathematics, science, reading, writing, communications, and technologies designed to lead to an associate's degree or postsecondary certificate in a specific career field;

(4) include the development of tech-prep program curricula for both secondary and postsecondary participants in the consortium that:

(A) meets academic standards developed by the state;

(B) links secondary schools and two-year postsecondary institutions, and, if practicable, four-year institutions of higher education through nonduplicative sequences of courses in career fields, including the investigation of opportunities for tech-prep students to enroll concurrently in secondary and postsecondary course work;

(C) uses, if appropriate and available, work-based or worksite learning in conjunction with business and all aspects of an industry; and

(D) uses educational technology and distance learning, as appropriate, to involve each consortium participant more fully in the development and operation of programs;

(5) include in-service training for teachers that:

(A) is designed to train vocational and technical teachers to effectively implement tech-prep programs;

(B) provides for joint training for teachers in the tech-prep consortium;

(C) is designed to ensure that teachers and administrators stay current with the needs, expectations, and methods of business and of all aspects of an industry;

(D) focuses on training postsecondary education faculty in the use of contextual and applied curricula and instruction; and

(E) provides training in the use and application of technology;

(6) include training programs for counselors designed to enable counselors to more effectively:

(A) provide information to students regarding tech-prep programs;

(B) support student progress in completing tech-prep programs;

(C) provide information on related employment opportunities;

(D) ensure that tech-prep students are placed in appropriate employment; and

(E) stay current with the needs, expectations, and methods of business and of all aspects of an industry;

(7) provide equal access to the full range of tech-prep programs for individuals who are members of special populations, including by the development of tech-prep program services appropriate to the needs of special populations; and

(8) provide for preparatory services that assist participants in tech-prep programs.

SECTION 27. Section 61.861(c), Education Code, is amended to read as follows:

(c) A course developed for purposes of this section must:

(1) provide content that enables a student to develop the relevant and critical skills needed to be prepared for employment or additional training in a high-demand occupation;

(2) incorporate college and career readiness skills as part of the curriculum;

(3) be offered for dual credit; and

(4) satisfy a mathematics or science requirement under one of the recommended high school programs or the advanced high school program as determined under Section 28.025.

SECTION 28. Section 61.864, Education Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 61.864. REVIEW OF COURSES. Courses for which a grant is awarded under this subchapter shall be reviewed by the commissioner of higher education and the commissioner of education, in consultation with the comptroller and the Texas Workforce Commission, once every four years to determine whether the course:

(1) is being used by public educational institutions in this state;

(2) prepares high school students with the skills necessary for employment in the high-demand occupation and further postsecondary study; and

(3) satisfies a mathematics or science requirement for one of the recommended high school programs or the advanced high school program as determined under Section 28.025.

SECTION 29. (a) Section 21.044(b), Education Code, as added by Chapter 926 (S.B. 1620), Acts of the 82nd Legislature, Regular Session, 2011, is repealed.

(b) The following provisions of the Education Code are repealed:

(1) Section 28.002(q);

(2) Sections 28.014(c), (d), and (f);

(3) Section 28.025(d);

(4) Section 28.027;

(5) Section 42.154(d); and

(6) Section 61.0517.

SECTION 30. This Act applies beginning with the 2013-2014 school year.

SECTION 31. 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, 2013.