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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to limitations on the automatic admission of undergraduate |
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students to general academic teaching institutions. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 51.803, Education Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsections (a-1) and (a-2) to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) Subject to Subsection (a-1), each [Each] general |
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academic teaching institution shall admit an applicant for |
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admission to the institution as an undergraduate student if the |
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applicant graduated with a grade point average in the top 10 percent |
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of the student's high school graduating class in one of the two |
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school years preceding the academic year for which the applicant is |
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applying for admission and: |
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(1) the applicant graduated from a public or private |
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high school in this state accredited by a generally recognized |
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accrediting organization or from a high school operated by the |
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United States Department of Defense; |
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(2) the applicant: |
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(A) successfully completed: |
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(i) at a public high school, the curriculum |
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requirements established under Section 28.025 for the recommended |
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or advanced high school program; or |
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(ii) at a high school to which Section |
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28.025 does not apply, a curriculum that is equivalent in content |
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and rigor to the recommended or advanced high school program; or |
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(B) satisfied ACT's College Readiness Benchmarks |
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on the ACT assessment applicable to the applicant or earned on the |
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SAT assessment a score of at least 1,500 out of 2,400 or the |
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equivalent; and |
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(3) if the applicant graduated from a high school |
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operated by the United States Department of Defense, the applicant |
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is a Texas resident under Section 54.052 or is entitled to pay |
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tuition fees at the rate provided for Texas residents under Section |
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54.058(d) for the term or semester to which admitted. |
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(a-1) A general academic teaching institution is not |
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required to admit under Subsection (a) more than 50 percent of the |
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institution's first-time resident undergraduate students in an |
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academic year. If the number of applicants who qualify for |
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automatic admission to a general academic teaching institution |
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under Subsection (a) exceeds 50 percent of the institution's |
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enrollment capacity designated for first-time resident |
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undergraduate students, the institution may elect to offer |
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admission to those applicants as provided by this subsection and |
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not as otherwise required by Subsection (a). If the institution |
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elects to offer admission under this subsection, the institution |
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shall offer admission to those applicants by percentile rank |
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according to graduating class standing based on grade point |
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average, beginning with the top percentile rank, until the |
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applicants qualified under Subsection (a) have been offered |
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admission in the number estimated in good faith by the institution |
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as sufficient to fill 50 percent of the institution's enrollment |
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capacity designated for first-time resident undergraduate |
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students, except that the institution must offer admission to all |
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applicants with the same percentile rank. The institution shall |
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consider any remaining applicants qualified for automatic |
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admission under Subsection (a) in the same manner as other |
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applicants for admission as first-time undergraduate students in |
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accordance with Section 51.805. |
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(a-2) In the manner prescribed by the Texas Education Agency |
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and not later than April 15, a general academic teaching |
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institution shall provide to each school district, for |
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dissemination of the information to high school junior-level |
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students and their parents, notice of which percentile ranks of |
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high school senior-level students are anticipated by the |
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institution to be automatically offered admission under Subsection |
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(a-1) during the next school year if: |
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(1) the number of applicants to the institution during |
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the current school year who qualify for automatic admission to the |
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institution under Subsection (a) exceeds 50 percent of the |
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institution's enrollment capacity designated for first-time |
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resident undergraduate students; and |
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(2) the institution plans to offer admission under |
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Subsection (a-1) during the next school year. |
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SECTION 2. Section 28.026, Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 28.026. NOTICE OF AUTOMATIC COLLEGE ADMISSION. (a) |
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The board of trustees of a school district shall require each high |
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school in the district to post appropriate signs in each |
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counselor's office, in each principal's office, and in each |
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administrative building indicating the substance of Section 51.803 |
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regarding automatic college admission. To assist in the |
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dissemination of this information, the school district shall: |
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(1) require that each high school counselor and class |
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advisor be provided a detailed explanation of the substance of |
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Section 51.803; |
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(2) provide each district student, at the time the |
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student first registers for one or more classes required for high |
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school graduation, with a written notification of the substance of |
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Section 51.803; |
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(3) require that each high school counselor and senior |
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class advisor explain to eligible students the substance of Section |
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51.803; and |
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(4) [(3)] provide each eligible senior student under |
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Section 51.803, at the commencement of a class's senior year, with a |
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written notification of the student's eligibility with a detailed |
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explanation of the substance of Section 51.803. |
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(b) The commissioner shall adopt forms to use in providing |
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notice under Subsections (a)(2) and (4). In providing notice under |
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Subsection (a)(2) or (4), a school district shall use the |
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appropriate form adopted by the commissioner. |
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(c) The commissioner shall adopt procedures to ensure that, |
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as soon as practicable after this subsection becomes law, each |
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school district provides written notification of the substance of |
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Section 51.803, as amended by the 81st Legislature, Regular |
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Session, 2009, to each district student who, for the 2009-2010 |
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school year, registers for one or more courses required for high |
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school graduation. The commissioner may adopt rules under this |
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subsection in the manner provided by law for emergency rules. Each |
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district shall comply with the procedures adopted by the |
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commissioner under this subsection. This subsection expires |
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September 1, 2010. |
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SECTION 3. The change in law made by this Act to Section |
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51.803, Education Code, applies beginning with admissions to a |
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general academic teaching institution for the 2010-2011 academic |
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year. Admissions to a general academic teaching institution for an |
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academic period before that academic year are governed by the law in |
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effect immediately before the effective date of this Act, and the |
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former law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 4. 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, 2009. |