Bill Text: TX HB3836 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Engrossed
Bill Title: Relating to authorization by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board for certain public junior colleges to offer early childhood education baccalaureate degree programs.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2015-05-13 - Referred to Higher Education [HB3836 Detail]
Download: Texas-2015-HB3836-Engrossed.html
| By: Giddings, Koop, Anchia, | H.B. No. 3836 | |
| Anderson of Dallas, Meyer, et al. | ||
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| relating to authorization by the Texas Higher Education | ||
| Coordinating Board for certain public junior colleges to offer | ||
| early childhood education baccalaureate degree programs. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Section 130.0012, Education Code, is amended by | ||
| adding Subsections (b-1), (b-2), and (g-1) and amending Subsection | ||
| (g) to read as follows: | ||
| (b-1) The coordinating board shall authorize a | ||
| baccalaureate degree program in early childhood education at each | ||
| public junior college located in a county with a population of 2.2 | ||
| million or more and adjacent to a county with a population of more | ||
| than 600,000 if: | ||
| (1) the county in which the public junior college is | ||
| located has a demonstrated initial need for at least 3,000 early | ||
| childhood educators; | ||
| (2) the degree program curriculum is approved by the | ||
| independent school districts located in the county that | ||
| collectively represent at least 51 percent of the student | ||
| population enrolled in kindergarten through 12th grade; and | ||
| (3) one of the following: | ||
| (A) before November 1, 2015, a regional public | ||
| university located in the county in which the public junior college | ||
| is located or an immediately adjacent county is unable to obtain the | ||
| approval of the independent school districts located in the county | ||
| in which the public junior college is located that collectively | ||
| represent at least 51 percent of the student population enrolled in | ||
| kindergarten through 12th grade for a detailed plan to: | ||
| (i) expand degree output of early childhood | ||
| and elementary certified teachers to collectively meet the | ||
| three-year average hiring demands of the independent school | ||
| districts located in the county in which the public junior college | ||
| is located and immediately adjacent counties, including producing | ||
| more prekindergarten teachers to support the planned increases in | ||
| prekindergarten enrollment for all public schools; | ||
| (ii) implement an early childhood education | ||
| curriculum; and | ||
| (iii) fund the expansion of current or | ||
| development of new early childhood education programs, which does | ||
| not include state funding for new facilities; or | ||
| (B) before September 1, 2017, a regional public | ||
| university that received the approval of independent school | ||
| districts as described by Paragraph (A) is unable to demonstrate: | ||
| (i) the necessary current student | ||
| enrollment to produce sufficient early childhood and elementary | ||
| certified teachers within the next four years to meet the existing | ||
| hiring demands of the independent school districts located in the | ||
| county in which the public junior college is located and | ||
| immediately adjacent counties based on historical three-year | ||
| averages, including producing more prekindergarten teachers to | ||
| support the planned increases in prekindergarten enrollment for all | ||
| public schools; and | ||
| (ii) implementation of an early childhood | ||
| education curriculum meeting the expressed needs of the independent | ||
| school districts located in the county in which the public junior | ||
| college is located that collectively represent at least 51 percent | ||
| of the student population enrolled in kindergarten through 12th | ||
| grade. | ||
| (b-2) The coordinating board may not subsequently terminate | ||
| authorization to offer an early childhood baccalaureate degree | ||
| program granted under Subsection (b-1) on the ground that | ||
| implementation of the degree program reduces the workforce need to | ||
| a level that is below the minimal threshold specified in Subsection | ||
| (b-1)(1). | ||
| (g) Except as provided by Subsection (g-1), in [ |
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| recommendations to the legislature relating to state funding for | ||
| public junior colleges, the coordinating board shall recommend that | ||
| a public junior college receive substantially the same state | ||
| support for junior-level and senior-level courses offered under | ||
| this section as that provided to a general academic teaching | ||
| institution for substantially similar courses. In determining the | ||
| contact hours attributable to students enrolled in a junior-level | ||
| or senior-level course offered under this section used to determine | ||
| a public junior college's proportionate share of state | ||
| appropriations under Section 130.003, the coordinating board shall | ||
| weigh those contact hours as necessary to provide the junior | ||
| college the appropriate level of state support to the extent state | ||
| funds for those courses are included in the appropriations. | ||
| This | ||
| subsection does not prohibit the legislature from directly | ||
| appropriating state funds to support junior-level and senior-level | ||
| courses offered under this section. | ||
| (g-1) A degree program created under Subsection (b-1) may be | ||
| funded only by a public junior college's proportionate share of | ||
| state appropriations under Section 130.003, local funds, and | ||
| private sources. This subsection does not require the legislature | ||
| to appropriate state funds to support a degree program created | ||
| under Subsection (b-1). | ||
| SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. | ||
