Bill Text: TX HB4383 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to measures to assist small and rural school districts in implementing a collegiate model and expanding broadband access, including the establishment of the Rural Schools and Communities Technical Assistance Center and a grant program.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-03-21 - Referred to Public Education [HB4383 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HB4383-Introduced.html
88R3757 ANG-F | ||
By: Lambert | H.B. No. 4383 |
|
||
|
||
relating to measures to assist small and rural school districts in | ||
implementing a collegiate model and expanding broadband access, | ||
including the establishment of the Rural Schools and Communities | ||
Technical Assistance Center and a grant program. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Chapter 30, Education Code, is amended by adding | ||
Subchapter F to read as follows: | ||
SUBCHAPTER F. RURAL SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE | ||
CENTER | ||
Sec. 30.151. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "center" | ||
means the Rural Schools and Communities Technical Assistance | ||
Center. | ||
Sec. 30.152. ESTABLISHMENT; PURPOSE. The Rural Schools and | ||
Communities Technical Assistance Center is established to assist | ||
small and rural school districts with the implementation and | ||
expansion of the Collegiate Edu-Nation P-20 System Model for 21st | ||
Century School Transformation in cooperation with the agency and to | ||
further ensure better economic and life opportunities by | ||
facilitating the expansion of broadband development in rural | ||
communities. | ||
Sec. 30.153. DUTIES OF CENTER. (a) The center shall | ||
facilitate the tri-agency alignment for rural students by | ||
collaborating with the agency, the Texas Higher Education | ||
Coordinating Board, and the Texas Workforce Commission. | ||
(b) The center shall assist participating school districts | ||
in implementing the Collegiate Edu-Nation P-20 System Model for | ||
21st-Century School Transformation to: | ||
(1) combat generational poverty by fostering high | ||
aspirations and expectations among students, families, and | ||
communities for college and career success, with an emphasis on | ||
workforce shortage areas; | ||
(2) support attainment of the state's long-range | ||
master plan for higher education developed under Section 61.051; | ||
and | ||
(3) support implementation of the Pathways in | ||
Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) programs in | ||
participating school districts under Subchapter N, Chapter 29. | ||
Sec. 30.154. SELECTION OF CENTER. The commissioner shall | ||
select a nonprofit organization to serve as the center and support | ||
school districts awarded a planning or implementation grant under | ||
this subchapter. The selected nonprofit organization must have: | ||
(1) an individual on staff who has previously | ||
implemented a collegiate model in a rural school district; and | ||
(2) a demonstrated history of: | ||
(A) successfully managing rural schools; and | ||
(B) supporting multiple rural school districts | ||
in implementing a collegiate model. | ||
Sec. 30.155. PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION GRANTS. (a) The | ||
commissioner shall annually award planning grants to rural or small | ||
school districts, as determined by commissioner rule, to plan for | ||
the implementation of a collegiate model. | ||
(b) The agency shall evaluate each school district that | ||
receives a planning grant under Subsection (a). If the agency | ||
determines that the district successfully completed planning | ||
activities, the commissioner shall award the district a one-year | ||
grant to implement a collegiate model. | ||
(c) The agency shall evaluate each school district that | ||
receives an implementation grant under Subsection (b). If the | ||
agency determines that the district successfully completed | ||
implementation activities in the first year of implementation, the | ||
commissioner shall award the district an additional one-year | ||
implementation grant. | ||
Sec. 30.156. EXPECTED OUTCOMES. (a) By the conclusion of | ||
the second year of implementation of a collegiate model using a | ||
grant awarded under Section 30.155(c), the school district must: | ||
(1) have implemented: | ||
(A) a dual credit program or a joint high school | ||
and college credit program; | ||
(B) a Pathways in Technology Early College High | ||
School (P-TECH) program under Subchapter N, Chapter 29; | ||
(C) a research-based college readiness program | ||
for grades 7 through 12; | ||
(D) student college and career coaching; | ||
(E) a common instructional framework and monthly | ||
instructional review and improvement cycles; | ||
(F) project-based learning experiences in a | ||
majority of courses offered by the district; | ||
(G) career and technical education programs; | ||
(H) work-based learning opportunities, including | ||
paid student apprenticeships in science, technology, engineering, | ||
or mathematics workforce shortage areas; | ||
(I) formal industry partnerships specific to | ||
local workforce needs as identified by regional offices of the | ||
Texas Workforce Commission; | ||
(J) research-based, nationally norm-referenced | ||
formative assessments; or | ||
(K) access to a personal laptop or other | ||
electronic device for each student; and | ||
(2) demonstrate progress toward the goal of 90 percent | ||
of graduating students concurrently earning a high school diploma | ||
and an associate degree or an industry-recognized certification by | ||
ensuring that at least 30 percent of high school students enrolled | ||
in the district are enrolled in college courses. | ||
(b) If a school district that received a grant under Section | ||
30.155(c) does not achieve the expected outcomes under Subsection | ||
(a), the center shall work with the district to develop and | ||
implement an intervention plan to support the district in achieving | ||
those outcomes. | ||
Sec. 30.157. SUPPORT OF RURAL BROADBAND INITIATIVES. Each | ||
school district that receives a grant under Section 30.155 shall | ||
work closely with relevant state agencies to assist in expanding | ||
access, adoption, and use of broadband in rural areas to benefit | ||
educational opportunities and economic development. | ||
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |