The Senate Higher Education Committee has released their interim report to the 85th Legislature which includes discussion, recommendations and letters to the Chair. Below is a spotlight on the recommendations directly from the report; however, for complete details please refer to the report.
Spotlight on Recommendations
Implementation of HB 5 (Joint Recommendation with Senate Education)
1) The THECB should conduct a longitudinal study examining the rigor of dual credit and how students who take dual credit perform in subsequent courses. Additionally, meaningful data should be gathered on those students taking dual credit courses, but not entering postsecondary education upon completion of high school.
2) The Legislature should monitor the forthcoming recommended industry certification proposed by the TEA for the 2017-2018 school year.
3) The Legislature should explore ways for the state to incentivize collaboration between school districts and higher education institutions to create P-16 pathways and crosswalks for students, to aid in navigating their endorsements and academic plans to better ensure successful completion.
4) In order to ensure students are receiving accurate academic advising, the Legislature should direct the TEA and the THECB to collaborate and implement vertical training for both school district counselors and higher education advisors.
5) The Legislature should continue to discuss ways the state can assist districts in transitioning students who transfer from one school district to another where endorsement offerings do not align.
Performance-Based Funding
1) The Legislature should continue to fund enrollment growth, adjusted for inflation, at GAIs, community colleges, and Lamar State Colleges for the 2018-2019 biennium, and should also continue to fund TSTC's returned investment formula for the 2018-2019 biennium.
2) The Legislature should continue to invest in Student Success Points for community colleges and require the THECB to continue to monitor the results of implementing this outcomes-based funding model.
3) If funds are available, the Legislature should consider the THECB's Graduation Bonus proposal.
4) The Legislature should continue to explore additional ways to incentivize institutional behavior through funding mechanisms to help meet the statewide goals of 60x30TX.
Tuition and Student Debt
1) The Legislature should consider meaningful options to help relieve increasing tuition burdens on Texas students and families.
2) The Legislature should continue to explore performance-based tuition as a tool to enhance accountability on future tuition increases and student outcomes.
3) The Legislature should continue to support the THECB's efforts to increase four and six-year graduation rates, which will in turn decrease student loan default rates, by considering legislation to increase financial literacy education among college students.
4) The Legislature should consider expanding the merit based graduation rebate program currently at the University of North Texas and model a similar statewide program.
Set-asides, Exemptions and Waivers
1) The Legislature should direct the THECB to study the rate of increases in student fees statewide and the effect of those fees on the cost of attendance and student debt.
2) The Legislature should create a statewide advisory group to define and promote best practices for strengthening financial literacy education for college students.
3) In the absence of the B-On-Time Loan Program, the Legislature should explore new ways to provide financial assistance to students who have financial need but are ineligible for current state aid, due to their estimated family contribution levels.
4) The Legislature should consider eliminating one or more of the tuition set aside programs in statute, if the state has the funds available to replace the aid provided to students through those set-asides in the form of additional appropriations to statewide grant programs, such as TEXAS Grants.
5) The Legislature should require that any student receiving a mandatory or optional tuition and fee exemption first submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid in an attempt to utilize federal aid dollars to the greatest extent possible.
6) The Legislature should continue to appropriate funding for institutions to offset lost tuition and fee revenue as a result of the Hazlewood exemption.
GAI and HRI Funding
1) The Legislature should continue to fund enrollment growth at both GAIs and HRIs, adjusted for inflation, through the General Appropriations Act for the 2018-2019 biennium.
2) The THECB should study the cost of similar programs at GAIs and HRIs to determine if the current funding methodology for each type of institution covers, at a rate above, equal to, or below, the instructional costs.
3) The Legislature should continue to explore ways to increase funding for the graduate medical education formula in order for the state to meet the goal of a 1.1:1 ratio of residency slots to each Texas medical school graduate.
4) The Legislature, with the assistance of the Legislative Budget Board, should review and consider eliminating or phasing out programs receiving both special item funding and formula funding for the next budget cycle. The same should be considered for special items which have been received by an institution for longer than three biennia for the purpose of the creation or
expansion of a program.
Baccalaureate Degrees at Community Colleges
1) Community colleges and universities, both general academic institutions and health related institutions, should continue to work together through partnerships, concurrent enrollment agreements, and articulation agreements to ensure efficiency statewide when addressing solutions to the workforce needs of Texas. The Legislature should require THECB to complete a
detailed study of current articulation agreements that lead to degrees and best practices.
2) If the Legislature should choose to provide community colleges with the authority to offer baccalaureate degree programs, in addition to the recommendations of the THECB, it should consider the implications with regards to: (1) formula funding; (2) financial aid programs; and (3)
exemptions or waivers for tuition and fees.
3) Specifically related to RN-BSN baccalaureate degree programs at community colleges, the availability of qualified faculty and clinical space should be a consideration of the THECB to ensure existing ADN, BSN, MSN, or other nursing programs are not negatively impacted by a potential change in degree granting authority for community colleges.
Legislation Oversight
1) Measures such as the multidisciplinary studies associate's degree and the development of programs of study by the THECB should continue to be implemented and best practices of the programs should be explored.
2) SB 1720, relating to establishing the Math and Science Loan Repayment Programs, will distribute the first set of awards in summer 2017. The Legislature should monitor the program's effect on workforce needs for high quality math and science teachers, specifically at Title 1 schools.
3) Texas Guaranteed and the THECB are in the process of producing a report on the Texas Student Loan Default Prevention and Financial Aid Literacy Pilot Program established by SB 680, 83rd Legislature. The Legislature should receive this report in December 2016, and based on its findings could provide additional recommendations for improving effectiveness or creating
new best practices to help increase financial literacy among students and decrease student loan default rates.
Educator Preparation (Joint Recommendation with Senate Education)
1) The Legislature should explore options for Texas to conduct a comprehensive workplace analysis of the teaching profession in order to provide a better understanding for policy makers of the data on teacher recruitment, retention, shortage areas and educator preparation.
2) The Legislature should consider separating the general special education certification either by age of student, level of disability, or a combination of the two, allowing teachers to have a more focused training and job scope.
3) The Legislature should encourage the State Board of Education to require training in special education for all certified teachers.
4) In order to raise the standard of all educator preparation programs, the Legislature should explore the effect of requiring all Texas educator preparation programs to get national accreditation and whether there are ways for the state to incentivize programs to acquire national accreditation.
5) The Legislature should invest more in professional development for teachers, especially in their first years in the classroom.
6) The Legislature should continue to find ways to increase the number of math, science, bilingual education, special education and computer science teachers across the state.
7) The Legislature should direct the TEA and the THECB to study successful educator preparation programs, such as UTeach, in order to share best practices among providers.
