| TO: | Honorable John Davis, Chair, House Committee on Economic & Small Business Development |
| FROM: | Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | HB842 by Bell (Relating to requiring public school districts to provide certain opportunities to career and technical students under the college credit program.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted |
The bill would require school districts to implement a college credit program that allows a career and technical education (CTE) student the opportunity to earn the credit for a single course or activity, including an apprenticeship or training hours, necessary to obtain an industry-recognized credential or an associate degree concurrently toward both the student's high school diploma and postsecondary academic requirements, if the course or activity is approved by the Higher Education Coordinating Board for that purpose.
The act applies beginning with the 2015 - 2016 school year.
To the extent that the bill results in an increase in semester credit hours or contact hours at institutions of higher education, there could be formula costs to the State.
Currently, college credit program provisions require each school district to make a program available for students to earn the equivalent of at least 12 semester credit hours of college credit in high school. This bill would require school districts to provide CTE students the opportunity to earn the credit for a single course or activity, including an apprenticeship or training, needed to obtain an industry-recognized credential or certificate or an associate degree. There might be administrative costs for school districts that do not currently include CTE program courses or activities in their college credit programs that meet the bill's requirements.
There would likely be additional costs for school districts to pay tuition for students participating in additional dual credit courses if there was a cost associated with those courses. There could be costs for districts associated with any required equipment related to teaching new CTE courses. There could also be costs associated with hiring additional teachers to teach CTE courses that are not currently being taught.
| Source Agencies: | 701 Central Education Agency, 781 Higher Education Coordinating Board
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| LBB Staff: | UP, RB, JBi, GO, JSc
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