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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to student success-based funding recommendations for |
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certain public institutions of higher education. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 61.0593(a), Education Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(a) The legislature finds that it is in the state's highest |
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public interest to evaluate student achievement at institutions of |
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higher education and to develop higher education funding policy |
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based on that evaluation. Funding policies that promote |
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postsecondary educational success based on objective indicators of |
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relative performance, such as the number of degrees awarded [degree
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completion rates], are critical to maintaining the state's |
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competitiveness in the national and global economy and supporting |
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the general welfare of this state. Therefore, the purpose of this |
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section is to ensure that institutions of higher education produce |
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student outcomes that are directly aligned with the state's |
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education goals and economic development needs. |
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SECTION 2. Section 61.0593(b)(1), Education Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(1) "At-risk student" means an undergraduate student |
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of an institution of higher education: |
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(A) who has previously received [been awarded] a |
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grant under the federal Pell Grant program or met the Expected |
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Family Contribution (EFC) criterion for a grant under that program; |
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or |
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(B) whose [who, on the date the student initially
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enrolled in the institution:
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[(i) was 20 years of age or older;
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[(ii) had a] score on the SAT [Scholastic
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Assessment Test (SAT)] or the ACT, excluding the optional essay |
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test, is [American College Test (ACT) that was] less than the |
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national mean of students' scores on the applicable [score for
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students taking that] test[;
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[(iii)
was enrolled as a part-time student;
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or
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[(iv)
had not received a high school
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diploma but had received a high school equivalency certificate
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within the last six years]. |
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SECTION 3. Section 61.0593, Education Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (d) and adding Subsections (d-1), (d-2), and |
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(d-3) to read as follows: |
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(d) This subsection applies only to a general academic |
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teaching institution other than a public state college. In |
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devising its funding formulas and making its recommendations to the |
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legislature relating to institutional appropriations of funds |
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under Section 61.059 for institutions to which this subsection |
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applies, the board, in the manner and to the extent the board |
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considers appropriate and in consultation with those institutions, |
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shall prescribe a formula for allocating funds to the institutions |
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in proportion to the number of weighted points earned by each of the |
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institutions according to the following success measures |
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[incorporate the consideration of undergraduate student success
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measures achieved during the preceding state fiscal biennium by
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each of the institutions. At the time the board makes those
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recommendations, the board shall also make recommendations for
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incorporating the success measures, to the extent the board
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considers appropriate in consultation with those institutions,
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into the distribution of any incentive funds available for those
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institutions, including performance incentive funds under
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Subchapter D, Chapter 62. The board's recommendations must provide
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alternative approaches for applying the success measures and must
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compare the effects on funding of applying the success measures
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within the formula for base funding to applying the success
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measures as a separate formula. The success measures considered by
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the board under this subsection may include]: |
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(1) the total number of bachelor's degrees awarded by |
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the institution to not at-risk students; and |
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(2) [the total number of bachelor's degrees in
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critical fields awarded by the institution;
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[(3)] the total number of bachelor's degrees awarded |
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by the institution to at-risk students[; and
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[(4)
as determined by the board, the six-year
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graduation rate of undergraduate students of the institution who
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initially enrolled in the institution in the fall semester
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immediately following their graduation from a public high school in
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this state as compared to the six-year graduation rate predicted
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for those students based on the composition of the institution's
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student body]. |
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(d-1) In the formula prescribed under Subsection (d), the |
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board shall: |
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(1) compute points for each success measure using the |
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average number of degrees awarded for the three most recent |
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academic years for which the information is available; and |
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(2) assign the following weights to each degree |
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awarded by an institution to which that subsection applies: |
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(A) 1.0, for a not at-risk student; and |
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(B) 2.0, for an at-risk student. |
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(d-2) The board's recommendations under Subsection (d) must |
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provide and compare the alternative approaches of applying the |
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success measures described by that subsection within the formula |
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for base funding and applying the success measures described by |
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that subsection outside the formula for base funding. |
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(d-3) At the time the board makes its recommendations under |
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Subsection (d) for institutions to which that subsection applies, |
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the board shall also make recommendations for incorporating the |
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success measures described by that subsection, to the extent the |
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board considers appropriate in consultation with those |
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institutions, into the distribution of any incentive funds |
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available for those institutions, including performance incentive |
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funds under Subchapter D, Chapter 62. |
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SECTION 4. Sections 61.0593(b)(2), (c), and (e), Education |
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Code, are repealed. |
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SECTION 5. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board |
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shall adopt rules for the administration of Section 61.0593, |
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Education Code, as amended by this Act, not later than May 1, 2018. |
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SECTION 6. 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, 2017. |