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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to requirements for providing postsecondary education |
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counseling to high school students. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 33.007, Education Code, is amended by |
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amending subsection (b), and adding subsections (c) and (d), to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 33.007. COUNSELING REGARDING POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION. |
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(a) Each school counselor at an elementary, middle, or junior high |
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school, including an open-enrollment charter school offering those |
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grades, shall advise students and their parents or guardians |
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regarding the importance of postsecondary education, coursework |
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designed to prepare students for postsecondary education, and |
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financial aid availability and requirements. |
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(b) During the first school year a student is enrolled in a |
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high school or at the high school level in an open-enrollment |
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charter school, and again during each year of a student's |
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enrollment in high school or at the high school level, a school |
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counselor shall provide information about postsecondary education |
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to the student and the student's parent or guardian. The |
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information must include information accessible through the |
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Database of Required Lower Division Courses for Specific Majors, as |
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well as information regarding: |
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(1) the importance of postsecondary education; |
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(2) the advantages of earning an endorsement and a |
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performance acknowledgment and completing the distinguished level |
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of achievement under the foundation high school program under |
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Section 28.025; |
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(3) the disadvantages of taking courses to prepare for |
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a high school equivalency examination relative to the benefits of |
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taking courses leading to a high school diploma; |
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(4) financial aid eligibility; |
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(5) instruction on how to apply for federal financial |
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aid; |
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(6) the center for financial aid information |
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established under Section 61.0776; |
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(7) the automatic admission of certain students to |
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general academic teaching institutions as provided by Section |
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51.803; |
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(8) the eligibility and academic performance |
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requirements for the TEXAS Grant as provided by Subchapter M, |
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Chapter 56; and
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(9) the availability of advanced academic programs in |
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the district under which a student may earn college credit, |
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including advanced placement programs, dual credit programs, joint
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high school and college credit programs, and international |
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baccalaureate programs; and |
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(10) the availability of dual credit and joint high |
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school and college credit programs, including the types of dual |
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credit offered (core curriculum courses vs. career and technical |
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education courses) and the transferability and application of dual |
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credit offerings to regional junior or community colleges, public |
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technical colleges, and 4-year colleges and universities. |
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(c) Schools and districts shall post on their website and |
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update annually the information articulated in (b-10) related to |
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dual credit and joint high school and college credit programs. |
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(d) School counselors shall note on each student's |
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transcript verification of advising, giving the date and time of |
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advising. Counselors shall also note whether advising was provided |
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by Advise Texas or some other counseling provider. |
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(c)(e) At the beginning of grades 10 and 11, a school |
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counselor certified under the rules of the State Board for Educator |
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Certification shall explain the requirements of automatic |
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admission to a general academic teaching institution under Section |
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51.803 to each student enrolled in a high school or at the high |
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school level in an open-enrollment charter school who has a grade |
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point average in the top 25 percent of the student's high school |
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class. |
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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. |