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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to block scheduling for certain associate degree and |
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certificate programs at public junior colleges. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 130, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 130.0095 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 130.0095. BLOCK SCHEDULING FOR CERTAIN ASSOCIATE |
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DEGREE OR CERTIFICATE PROGRAM. (a) To facilitate timely degree |
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completion by students at public junior colleges, from among the |
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allied health, nursing, and career and technology associate degree |
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or certificate programs offered by a public junior college, the |
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college shall establish, for at least five of those programs not |
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previously offered as a block schedule curriculum, a block schedule |
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curriculum under which: |
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(1) courses required for a student's enrollment in the |
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program as a full-time student are offered each semester in |
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scheduled blocks, such as a morning, full-day, afternoon, evening, |
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or weekend block schedule, designed to provide scheduling |
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predictability from semester to semester to students enrolled in |
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the program; and |
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(2) students may enroll in an entire block schedule |
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curriculum offered under the program in a semester, rather than |
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enrolling in individual courses leading toward the degree or |
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certificate. |
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(b) Each public junior college shall publish in advance of |
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each semester the available block schedule curricula for each |
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associate degree or certificate program described by Subsection (a) |
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offered by the college for that semester. |
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(c) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, in |
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consultation with public junior colleges, shall adopt rules as |
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necessary for the administration of this section, including rules |
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prescribing a process by which a public junior college may petition |
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the coordinating board for an exception to the number of programs |
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for which a block schedule curriculum is required by Subsection (a) |
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on demonstration of hardship. |
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(d) Not later than November 1, 2018, the Texas Higher |
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Education Coordinating Board shall submit to the governor and |
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legislature a detailed report on the effectiveness of block |
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scheduling under this section and any related recommendations for |
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legislative or other action. |
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(e) This section expires August 1, 2019. |
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SECTION 2. Section 130.0095, Education Code, as added by |
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this Act, applies beginning with the 2016 fall semester. |
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SECTION 3. 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, 2015. |
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