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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to higher education curriculum review teams to review |
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public school curriculum standards for college readiness purposes. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 28, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 28.0025 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 28.0025. HIGHER EDUCATION CURRICULUM REVIEW TEAMS. |
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(a) In this section: |
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(1) "Board" means the State Board of Education. |
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(2) "Institution of higher education" and "private or |
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independent institution of higher education" have the meanings |
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assigned by Section 61.003. |
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(b) For each subject undergoing a review for the purpose of |
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identifying and adopting the essential knowledge and skills of a |
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subject of the foundation curriculum under Section 28.002(a)(1), |
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the board shall appoint a higher education curriculum review team |
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to review and make recommendations to the board concerning the |
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essential knowledge and skills to ensure that proposed essential |
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knowledge and skills: |
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(1) are factually accurate and aligned with |
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contemporary scholarship; |
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(2) are aligned with college and career readiness |
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standards and serve to prepare students for college; and |
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(3) serve appropriate instructional purposes. |
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(c) Each higher education curriculum review team shall |
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consist of not fewer than 5 and not more than 10 faculty members of |
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institutions of higher education or private or independent |
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institutions of higher education. The board shall make the |
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appointments to each higher education curriculum review team from |
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among persons nominated by the commissioner or the commissioner of |
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higher education. |
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(d) Each member nominated by the commissioner must have in |
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the subject under review: |
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(1) at least five years of teaching experience; and |
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(2) credentials that satisfy the faculty credential |
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guidelines established by the Commission on Colleges of the |
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Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. |
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(e) Each member nominated by the commissioner of higher |
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education must have in the subject under review: |
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(1) at least five years of higher education teaching |
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experience; and |
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(2) credentials that satisfy the faculty credential |
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guidelines established by the Commission on Colleges of the |
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Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. |
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(f) In selecting their respective nominees for a higher |
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education curriculum review team, the commissioner and the |
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commissioner of higher education shall each: |
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(1) attempt to achieve a balanced combination of |
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educational perspectives, including by geographic area, race, and |
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sex; and |
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(2) give preference to nominees who have teaching |
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experience in this state at an institution of higher education or a |
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private or independent institution of higher education. |
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(g) At times and places determined by the chair of the |
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board, before and after the board considers on first reading |
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proposed essential knowledge and skills of a subject for which a |
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higher education curriculum review team has been appointed under |
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this section, that higher education curriculum review team shall |
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meet to review the proposed essential knowledge and skills. The |
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team shall submit to the board the results of the team's review and |
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any recommendations for changes. The board may consider the team's |
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recommendations in adopting the proposed essential knowledge and |
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skills. |
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(h) The agency shall post on the agency's Internet website |
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the recommendations of each higher education curriculum review |
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team. |
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(i) The commissioner and the commissioner of higher |
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education shall coordinate with the board as necessary for the |
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administration of this section. |
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SECTION 2. 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, 2017. |