HBA-LJP H.B. 1804 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1804
By: Salinas
Higher Education
3/18/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Comprehensive information on the performance of students statewide could
help educators to create curriculums that improve the performance of
students who are performing below grade level standards. The Education
Productivity Council in the College of Education at The University of Texas
at Austin (council) is a group of university researchers that work with
public school personnel to improve education at all levels.  House Bill
1804 requires the council to develop a database of information on the
performance of students from kindergarten through higher education. 

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 1804 amends the Education Code to authorize The Educational
Productivity Council (council) in the College of Education at The
University of Texas at Austin to develop a database of information on the
performance of students attending public primary and secondary schools and
institutions of higher education (institutions) that can be used to: 

_assist public school teachers and instructors at institutions in providing
appropriate instruction to students; and 

_ensure that each student who performs below grade level on a subject in
the required public school curriculum or unsuccessfully in a course in the
required undergraduate core curriculum is identified so that the student
receives academic assistance and to reduce the number of students required
to enroll in developmental courses or programs under the Texas Academic
Skills Program. 

The bill authorizes the council to consult with educators at public primary
and secondary schools and institutions and any other experts to develop the
database. 

The bill requires the council, on written request, to make information in
the database available to a student's teacher or instructor, or to an
administrator employed by the school, school district, or institution in
which the student is enrolled.  The bill also provides that for the
purposes of the database, employees of the council are considered state
school officials and are subject to federal law governing the release or
access to any personally identifiable information in education records. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act
takes effect September 1, 2001.