TEA continued its series entitled “HB: 3 in 30” with an explanation of how CTE funding is changed by the new legislation. Topics covered include funding allotment calculations, spending requirements, a summer grant, incentives for high school models, and a subsidy for high school equivalency.
This report is intended to give you an overview and highlight of the discussions on the various topics the committee took up. This report is not a verbatim transcript of the hearing; it is based upon what was audible or understandable to the observer and the desire to get details out as quickly as possible with few errors or omissions.
Background on Career and Technical Education (CTE) Calculations
Career and Technical Education
- Many elements of HB3 stem from recommendations by the Texas Commission on Public School Finance.
- The Commission made the recommendation to expand the career and technology allotment to include courses in sixth through eighth grade.
CTE Allotment
- CTE provided funding to districts for full-time equivalent (FTE) students in grades 9-12 of the basic allotment multiplied by a weight of 1.35.
- Advanced courses generated $50 per full time student.
Calculating Funding for CTE Allotment
- Estimating FTEs: A district’s CTE allotment can be calculated by estimating the number of CTE FTEs to determine estimates of the district’s weighted CTE funding and adding those funds to its funding for FTEs in advanced courses.
- Estimating Weighted Funds: CTE Weighted funding = eligible CTE FTEs x district’s adjusted allotment (AA) x 1.35.
- Estimating Advanced Course Funding: CTE advanced course funding = eligible CTE FTEs x $50.
- Add Weighted Funding and CTE Advanced Courses: CTE allotment = CTE weighted funding + CTE advanced course funding.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How does a course get designated as an advanced CTE course?
- Advanced CTE courses are taught toward the end of a student’s sequence of courses.
- They have advanced technical content and require application of previous concepts connected to the coherent sequence.
- TEA identifies courses on the advanced course list.
- How is advanced course funding different from advanced courses that districts select for endorsements?
- Advanced courses satisfy the requirements related to one of the five endorsement areas.
- These courses may be different from the CTE funding advanced courses.
How did HB 3 Change CTE Funding
- HB 3 funds Tech Apps courses as CTE weighted courses.
- Technology applications including all high school computer science & related courses.
- The most popular Tech Apps are Computer Science I, and AP Computer Science Principles.
- HB 3 funds high school CTE and Tech Apps courses taught in the middle school in grades 7 and 8.
- This does not include funding to teach middle school students the College and Career Readiness (CCR) TEKS.
- Providing early access for students in middle school allows for a jump start on endorsements and CTE coherent sequences of courses.
- This provides more time for a student to complete advanced CTE courses and work-based learning experiences in high school.
CTE Spending Requirements
- Changes percentage of funds required to be spent in CTE programs from 58% to 55%.
- Spending requirements are posted to the Financial Accountability System Resource Guide.
- Only anticipated changed to spending requirements would be those allowable in middle school.
CTE Summer Grant
- HB 3 established $5 million to provide access to CTE and Work Based Learning (WBL) over the summer.
- CTE leadership and stakeholder recommendations for grant focus areas:
- CTE summer bridge programs for incoming 9th
- Districts who partner with others for shared use facilities.
- Summer experiences that lead to either foundational industry-based certifications of value (OSHA10) or to IBCs on the state list.
- Opportunities that accelerate students towards completion of advanced courses in a CTE program of study.
- Internship experiences where students complete a project of value to a local business.
- Grant application will be released in November 2019.
- Funding will be awarded in May 2020.
- Grant reporting will be due in September 2020.
Incentives for High School Models
- $50 for each of the following in which a student is enrolled:
- Campus designated as P-TECH.
- Campus that is a member of the New Tech Network.
- Campuses can apply to join the P-TECH network.
- This combines high school and postsecondary courses.
Subsidy for High School Equivalency
- The agency will enter an MOU to transfer funds to TWC.
- TWC to provide to individuals who are 21 or older a subsidy in amount equal to the cost of taking one high school equivalency exam.
HB 3 Resources
Tea.texas.gov/hb3
Hb3info@tea.texas.gov