HBA-JLV, MPM H.B. 112 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 112
By: Rangel
Higher Education
5/11/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

With an increasing student population in Texas universities, there are now
more students taking remedial courses.  The cost of remediation to the
state has markedly increased over the years.  Also, there are many
educational stakeholders in the state who are concerned with the minimum
standards required for students to graduate.  Many high school students who
graduate under the minimum high school program are not prepared for the
more rigorous curriculum in a higher education environment.  House Bill 112
raises the curriculum standards by establishing the recommended high school
program as the standard curriculum for Texas high school students. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 112 amends the Education Code to modify the conditions under
which a student is authorized to graduate and receive a high school diploma
to specify that a student successfully complete the curriculum requirements
identified by the State Board of Education for the recommended or advanced
high school program, in addition to performing satisfactorily on the
secondary exit-level assessment instruments.  The student is authorized to
graduate and receive a diploma without completing the recommended or
advanced high school program if the student, student's parent, a school
counselor, and a school administrator agree that the student should not
complete the recommended or advanced program, the student successfully
completes curriculum requirements for the minimum high school program, and
the student has performed satisfactorily on the secondary exit-level
assessment instruments.  The bill also provides that a student who does not
qualify for automatic admission to a general academic teaching institution
and who has not taken a recommended or advanced high school program must
earn at least 30 hours of credit at a junior college prior to admission to
the institution. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

Provisions regarding a student's qualification for admission to any general
academic teaching institution take effect August 1, 2006 and apply to the
2006 fall semester.  Provisions relating to the conditions under which a
student may graduate and receive a diploma take effect August 1, 2002 and
apply to students entering the ninth grade in the 2002-2003 school year and
thereafter.