HB120 - Relating to college, career, and military readiness in public schools, including career and technology education programs, the Financial Aid for Swift Transfer (FAST) program, and the Rural Pathway Excellence Partnership (R-PEP) program, funding for those programs under the Foundation School Program, and workforce reporting to support those programs, to the public school accountability system, and to the new instructional facility allotment and the permissible uses of funding under the F

      H.B. No. 120         AN ACT   relating to college, career, and military readiness in public   schools, including career and technology education programs, the   Financial Aid for Swift Transfer (FAST) program, and the Rural   Pathway Excellence Partnership (R-PEP) program, funding for those   programs under the Foundation School Program, and workforce   reporting to support those programs, to the public school   accountability system, and to the new instructional facility   allotment and the permissible uses of funding under the Foundation   School Program.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  Section 4.002, Education Code, is amended to   read as follows:          Sec. 4.002.  PUBLIC EDUCATION ACADEMIC GOALS.  To serve as a   foundation for a well-balanced and appropriate education:                GOAL 1:  The students in the public education system   will demonstrate exemplary performance in the reading and writing   of the English language.                GOAL 2:  The students in the public education system   will demonstrate exemplary performance in the understanding of   mathematics.                GOAL 3:  The students in the public education system   will demonstrate exemplary performance in the understanding of   science.                GOAL 4:  The students in the public education system   will demonstrate exemplary performance in the understanding of   social studies.                 GOAL 5: The students who graduate high school in the   public education system will have the skills and credentials   necessary to immediately enter this state's workforce.                 GOAL 6: The students who graduate high school in the   public education system and who elect to pursue postsecondary   education will be ready for postsecondary coursework without the   need for remediation.          SECTION 2.  Subchapter B, Chapter 7, Education Code, is   amended by adding Sections 7.0405 and 7.043 to read as follows:           Sec.   7.0405.     POSTING OF POSTSECONDARY OUTCOMES. (a)   Subject to Subsection (b), the agency shall post on the agency's   Internet website the following de-identified data, disaggregated   by school district or open-enrollment charter school, high school   campus, and annual cohort for the 10 most recent annual cohorts:                 (1)  for students who graduate from high school:                       (A)     the number and percentage of students who   enroll in, enroll in remedial postsecondary coursework as part of,   persist for at least one year in, or complete a postsecondary   degree, certificate, or other credentialing program, disaggregated   by program and postsecondary educational institution; and                       (B)     employment status, occupation, industry,   wage, and county of employment and residence, as reported under   Section 204.0025, Labor Code; and                 (2)     for students who did not graduate from high   school:                       (A)  the highest grade level completed;                       (B)     for each cohort for which data is available,   employment status, occupation, industry, wage, and county of   employment and residence, as reported under Section 204.0025, Labor   Code; and                       (C)     whether the student has earned a high school   equivalency certificate.           (a-1)     The agency is required to provide data regarding   students who graduate from high school and enroll in remedial   postsecondary coursework as part of a postsecondary degree,   certificate, or other credentialing program under Subsection   (a)(1)(A) only to the extent that data is available.           (b)     The agency shall post the data required under Subsection   (a) in a manner that complies with the Family Educational Rights and   Privacy Act of 1974 (20 U.S.C. Section 1232g) and may, if necessary   to comply with that act, create a private portal for school district   board of trustees or open-enrollment charter school governing body   members, school administrators, and school counselors at a high   school to access data for the member's, administrator's, or   counselor's school district or open-enrollment charter school.           (c)     The agency shall ensure the data posted under Subsection   (a) is made available to:                 (1)     school district board of trustees and   open-enrollment charter school governing body members and   superintendents to assist in adopting college, career, and military   readiness plans under Section 11.186; and                 (2)     school counselors at a high school to assist the   counselors in performing the duties under Section 33.007.           Sec.   7.043.     STATEWIDE GOAL FOR CAREER READINESS. (a) Using   the data posted under Section 7.0405(a), the agency shall create a   quantifiable statewide goal for public school students to achieve   career readiness, including by attaining a workforce-aligned   credential while in high school.           (b)     The agency shall update the goal created under   Subsection (a) at least once every five years.          SECTION 3.  Section 11.186, Education Code, is amended by   amending Subsections (b) and (c) and adding Subsections (d), (e),   and (f) to read as follows:          (b)  Each plan adopted under Subsection (a) must:                (1)  identify annual goals for students in each group   evaluated under the closing the gaps domain under Section   39.053(c)(3);                (2)  include an annual goal [ goals ] for aggregate   student growth on each college, career, and military readiness   indicator [ indicators ] evaluated under the student achievement   domain under Section 39.053(c)(1);                (3)   include specific annual goals for student   completion while enrolled in high school of postsecondary   credentials, including industry-based credentials, level one or   level two certificates, and associate degrees, prioritizing   credentials identified in the long-range master plan for higher   education established under Section 61.051 and the performance tier   funding for public junior colleges for credentials of value under   Section 130A.101;                 (4)     include annual goals for the outcomes of the   district's annual graduates at one, three, and five years after   graduation from high school, including goals for:                       (A)     the rate of enrollment at a postsecondary   educational institution;                       (B)     the percentage of graduates who enroll at a   postsecondary educational institution and do not require remedial   postsecondary coursework;                       (C)     the rate of persistence at a postsecondary   educational institution in each of the first two years of   enrollment;                       (D)     the rate of completion of a postsecondary   degree, certificate, or other credentialing program; and                       (E)  wages earned;                 (5)   assign at least one district-level administrator   or employee of the regional education service center for the   district's region to:                      (A)  coordinate implementation of the plan; and                      (B)  submit an annual report to the board of   trustees , the agency, and the Legislative Budget Board on the   district's performance and progress toward the goals set under the   plan; and                 (6)  [ (4) ]  be reviewed and approved by majority vote   annually by the board of trustees at a public meeting.          (c)   In identifying and including goals in each plan adopted   under Subsection (a) as provided by Subsection (b), the board of   trustees shall use longitudinal student outcomes data posted under   Section 7.0405(a) and any other resources available to the board.           (d)   A school district shall post the annual report described   by Subsection (b)(5)(B) [ (b)(3)(B) ] on the district's Internet   website and on the Internet website, if any, of each campus in the   district not later than two weeks before the date of the public   meeting at which the report is reviewed and approved as required by   Subsection (b)(6) .   The district shall update the annual report on   each Internet website if any modifications are made to the report by   the board of trustees.           (e)     The commissioner by rule shall establish a deadline for   the submission of the annual reports described by Subsection   (b)(5)(B). The agency shall compile and make publicly accessible on   the agency's Internet website the annual reports.           (f)     The agency may evaluate the goals identified or included   in an annual report described by Subsection (b)(5)(B) to determine   whether those goals align with state secondary, postsecondary, and   workforce goals.          SECTION 4.  Section 28.0095, Education Code, is amended by   adding Subsection (c-1) to read as follows:           (c-1)     Notwithstanding Subsection (c)(1)(A), a student   otherwise described by Subsection (c) is eligible to enroll at no   cost in a dual credit course under the program if the student has   graduated from high school but is:                 (1)     enrolled in a school district or open-enrollment   charter school at a campus designated as a P-TECH school under   Section 29.556 or in a school district participating in a   partnership under Section 29.912; and                 (2)     completing a course of study offered through an   articulation agreement or memorandum of understanding with an   institution of higher education and the district or school   described by Subdivision (1), as applicable, under the Pathways in   Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) program under   Subchapter N, Chapter 29, or the Rural Pathway Excellence   Partnership (R-PEP) program under Section 29.912.          SECTION 5.  Section 29.182(b), Education Code, is amended to   read as follows:          (b)  The state plan must include procedures designed to   ensure that:                (1)  all secondary and postsecondary students have the   opportunity to participate in career and technology education   programs;                (2)  the state complies with requirements for   supplemental federal career and technology education funding;                (3 [Text truncated for display. 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