By: West, Barrientos S.B. No. 1419
Bivins, Zaffirini
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
1-1 relating to certain admissions and reporting procedures for certain
1-2 institutions of higher education.
1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-4 SECTION 1. Chapter 51, Education Code, is amended by adding
1-5 Subchapter S to read as follows:
1-6 SUBCHAPTER S. UNIFORM ADMISSIONS POLICY
1-7 Sec. 51.801. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter, "general
1-8 academic teaching institution" and "medical and dental unit" have
1-9 the meanings assigned by Section 61.003.
1-10 Sec. 51.802. ADMISSIONS POLICY. A general academic teaching
1-11 institution shall admit first-time freshman students for each
1-12 semester under the provisions of this subchapter.
1-13 Sec. 51.803. ADMISSIONS CATEGORIES. (a) Except as
1-14 otherwise provided by this section, each general academic teaching
1-15 institution shall admit an applicant for admission to the
1-16 institution as an undergraduate student only under one of the
1-17 categories for admission described by this section.
1-18 (b) Up to 50 percent of all offers made by an institution
1-19 for admission to the institution may be made to applicants selected
1-20 under an admissions policy that takes into consideration the
1-21 applicant's academic class standing in the applicant's high school
1-22 graduating class, the applicant's standardized test scores, and
1-23 other indices traditionally used by institutions in admitting
2-1 applicants.
2-2 (c)(1) An applicant is automatically eligible for admission
2-3 to an institution under Subsection (b) if the applicant graduated
2-4 from a public or private high school in this state accredited by a
2-5 generally recognized accrediting organization with a grade point
2-6 average in the top 10 percent of the high school's graduating class
2-7 if the applicant also:
2-8 (A) graduated from high school in the same year
2-9 the application was filed or expects to graduate from high school
2-10 within one year after the application is filed;
2-11 (B) submitted the application before the
2-12 expiration of application filing deadlines published by the
2-13 institution; and
2-14 (C) completed high school credit requirements
2-15 published by the institution.
2-16 (2) An institution may offer admission to a student
2-17 described in this subsection in either the fall or spring semester
2-18 or summer session of the institution. An institution is not
2-19 required to make offers of admission to students described in this
2-20 subsection in an amount exceeding 50 percent of the offers of
2-21 admission made by the institution as prescribed in Subsection (b).
2-22 (d) At least 40 percent of all offers made by an institution
2-23 for admission to the institution shall be made to applicants
2-24 selected under an admissions policy that, in addition to the
2-25 applicant's academic class standing, takes into consideration the
3-1 following economic or educational factors:
3-2 (1) the socioeconomic background of the applicant,
3-3 including the percentage by which the applicant's family is below a
3-4 generally recognized measure of poverty;
3-5 (2) whether the applicant's parents have received
3-6 baccalaureate degrees;
3-7 (3) whether the applicant is bilingual;
3-8 (4) whether the high school the applicant attended was
3-9 a low-performing campus as determined by Section 39.131(b);
3-10 (5) whether the applicant has demonstrated
3-11 responsibility in the applicant's work in school, within the
3-12 applicant's family, or within the applicant's community, including
3-13 whether the applicant has been employed while in high school or
3-14 postsecondary school or has performed substantial child-care duties
3-15 or has helped to raise children while in high school or
3-16 postsecondary school;
3-17 (6) whether the applicant is a resident of a
3-18 geographic region of the state in which recognized socioeconomic
3-19 indicators are lower than the average for those indicators in other
3-20 regions of the state;
3-21 (7) whether the applicant is a resident of an urban
3-22 area or a rural area for which recognized socioeconomic indicators
3-23 are lower than the average for those indicators in similar areas;
3-24 (8) the applicant's performance on standardized tests
3-25 in comparison with that of other students from a similar
4-1 socioeconomic background; and
4-2 (9) other factors determined by the institution to be
4-3 satisfactory indicators of the probability of success at the
4-4 institution.
4-5 (e) Up to 10 percent of all offers made by an institution
4-6 for admission to the institution may be made to applicants selected
4-7 under an admissions policy that takes into consideration the
4-8 institution's desire to admit applicants who show a potential to
4-9 succeed, who will contribute to the academic community at the
4-10 institution, or who the institution determines can help the
4-11 institution further its mission or help the state meet the
4-12 challenges it faces in the future. In addition to other methods of
4-13 selection, the institution may utilize personal interviews in
4-14 determining which applicants will be offered admission under this
4-15 subsection.
4-16 (f) Each general academic teaching institution shall publish
4-17 in its general catalog and have available for the public a copy of
4-18 its admissions policy adopted under this subchapter.
4-19 (g) This section does not apply to an institution that:
4-20 (1) accepts as many students as apply;
4-21 (2) requires only high school graduation or passage of
4-22 the General Educational Development examination for admission; or
4-23 (3) requires high school graduation or passage of the
4-24 General Educational Development examination and:
4-25 (A) recommends, but does not require, the
5-1 completion of certain high school credits;
5-2 (B) automatically admits students in the highest
5-3 quartile of a high school graduating class regardless of a
5-4 student's score on the Scholastic Aptitude Test or the American
5-5 College Test; or
5-6 (C) requires a minimum score on the Scholastic
5-7 Aptitude Test or the American College Test that is the same for all
5-8 students regardless of a student's high school class rank.
5-9 Sec. 51.804. REPORT TO COORDINATING BOARD. Each general
5-10 academic teaching institution, except those institutions exempted
5-11 under Section 51.803(g), shall provide an annual report to the
5-12 coordinating board describing the composition of a freshman class
5-13 admitted under this subchapter. The coordinating board shall
5-14 establish reporting requirements under this section that include,
5-15 in addition to other information considered relevant by the board,
5-16 a demographic breakdown by race, gender, and the economic and
5-17 educational factors listed in Section 51.803(d) of applicants and
5-18 of those offered admission to each institution and of those
5-19 enrolled in each institution.
5-20 Sec. 51.805. RULEMAKING. The coordinating board may adopt
5-21 rules relating to admissions policies and procedures under this
5-22 subchapter.
5-23 Sec. 51.806. ENRICHMENT AND RETENTION PROGRAMS. (a) A
5-24 general academic teaching institution shall evaluate each applicant
5-25 to determine if the applicant is likely to benefit from
6-1 participation in an enrichment or retention program.
6-2 (b) Each institution shall develop enrichment and retention
6-3 programs for students. Such programs may include, but are not
6-4 limited to, course-based programs, individual counseling, peer
6-5 counseling, tutoring, mentoring, summer preadmission, and self-help
6-6 programs.
6-7 Sec. 51.807. OUTREACH PROGRAMS. Each general academic
6-8 teaching institution shall develop programs designed to expand
6-9 outreach efforts to middle schools and high schools in order to
6-10 increase the number of high school students who are prepared to
6-11 pursue higher education.
6-12 Sec. 51.808. TRANSFER STUDENTS. Each general academic
6-13 teaching institution shall adopt a written policy for the admission
6-14 of undergraduate transfer students to the institution.
6-15 Sec. 51.809. GRADUATE AND PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMS. Each
6-16 general academic teaching institution or medical and dental unit
6-17 that offers admission to a graduate or postgraduate program,
6-18 including a graduate or postgraduate professional program, shall
6-19 adopt a written admissions policy for the program describing the
6-20 factors considered by the institution or unit in making offers of
6-21 admission to the program.
6-22 SECTION 2. (a) The change in law made by this Act applies
6-23 beginning with admissions for the fall term or semester in 1998.
6-24 (b) The governing board of each general academic teaching
6-25 institution and each medical and dental unit covered by this Act
7-1 shall adopt rules or policies relating to the admission of students
7-2 under Subchapter S, Chapter 51, Education Code, as added by this
7-3 Act, not later than September 1, 1997.
7-4 (c) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall
7-5 adopt reporting rules under Section 51.804, Education Code, as
7-6 added by this Act, not later than January 1, 1998.
7-7 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
7-8 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
7-9 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
7-10 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
7-11 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.