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AN ACT
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relating to the development and alignment by the Texas Higher |
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Education Coordinating Board of curricula for certain educational |
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programs. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 61.823, Education Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (e) to read as follows: |
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(e) The board, with the assistance of an appropriate |
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advisory committee, shall periodically review each field of study |
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curriculum to ensure alignment with student interest and academic |
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and industry needs. |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter S, Chapter 61, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 61.8235 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 61.8235. CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION PROGRAM OF |
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STUDY CURRICULA. (a) The board, with the assistance of |
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institutions of higher education, career and technical education |
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experts, and college and career readiness experts, shall establish |
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alignment between the college and career readiness standards and |
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the knowledge, skills, and abilities students are expected to |
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demonstrate in career and technical education by establishing |
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programs of study that: |
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(1) incorporate rigorous college and career readiness |
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standards, including career and technical education standards that |
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address both academic and technical content; |
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(2) support attainment of employability and career |
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readiness skills; |
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(3) progress in content specificity by beginning with |
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all aspects of an industry or career cluster and leading to more |
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occupationally specific instruction or by preparing students for |
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ongoing postsecondary career preparation; |
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(4) incorporate multiple entry and exit points with |
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portable demonstrations of technical or career competency, which |
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may include credit transfer agreements or industry-recognized |
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certifications; and |
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(5) culminate in the attainment of: |
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(A) an industry-recognized certification, |
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credential, or license; |
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(B) a registered apprenticeship or |
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credit-bearing postsecondary certificate; or |
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(C) an associate or baccalaureate degree. |
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(b) The board, with the assistance of advisory committees |
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composed of representatives of secondary education, postsecondary |
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education, business and industry, other state agencies or licensing |
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bodies, and other career and technical education experts, shall |
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develop career and technical education program of study curricula. |
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Each advisory committee shall have at least one representative from |
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each identified group. The advisory committees shall identify the |
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knowledge, skills, and abilities required to prepare students for |
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high-skill, high-wage jobs in high-demand occupations. |
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(c) In developing program of study curricula under |
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Subsection (b), the board shall pursue a management strategy that |
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maximizes efficiency, including a management strategy that |
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provides for the decentralization of advisory committees to enable |
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concurrent development of curricula for different programs of |
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study. |
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(d) The board may partner with the Texas Education Agency, |
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the Texas Workforce Commission, and other state agencies to develop |
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programs of study under this section. |
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(e) A program of study established under this section must: |
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(1) focus on the current and future needs of employers |
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in this state; |
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(2) clearly define career pathways with logical entry |
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and exit points for students; |
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(3) indicate the types of careers and the names of |
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certifications or licenses aligned to the program of study; |
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(4) provide for students who begin a program of study |
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at a public junior college, public state college, or public |
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technical institute to transfer to another public junior college, |
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public state college, or public technical institute without having |
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to repeat classes or incur significant interruption of their |
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ability to progress through the program of study; |
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(5) be designed to meet the needs of business and |
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industry with a high degree of commonality across the state; |
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(6) align with the college and career readiness |
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standards; and |
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(7) be revised on a reoccurring schedule, not to |
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exceed once every five years, to ensure the programs of study remain |
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current and relevant to the needs of business and industry. |
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(f) A student enrolled in a board-established program of |
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study who transfers from a public junior college, public state |
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college, or public technical institute to another public junior |
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college, public state college, or public technical institute that |
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offers a similar program, regardless of whether the institution has |
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adopted the board-established program of study, shall receive |
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academic credit from the institution to which the student |
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transferred for each of the courses that the student has |
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successfully completed in the program of study curriculum. Unless |
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otherwise required by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern |
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Association of Colleges and Schools, the student may complete the |
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program of study at the institution to which the student |
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transferred by completing only the remaining number of semester |
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credit hours the student would need to complete the program of study |
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at the institution from which the student transferred. |
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(g) The board, the Texas Education Agency, and the Texas |
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Workforce Commission may adopt rules as necessary for the |
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administration of this section. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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______________________________ |
______________________________ |
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President of the Senate |
Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.B. No. 2628 was passed by the House on April |
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23, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 135, Nays 4, 2 present, not |
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voting. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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I certify that H.B. No. 2628 was passed by the Senate on May |
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20, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. |
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______________________________ |
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Secretary of the Senate |
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APPROVED: _____________________ |
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Date |
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_____________________ |
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Governor |