AVATAR and HB 5

Claudette JenksAssistant Director, College Readiness and Success

Presentation to AVATAR Coordinator Regional Meeting, April, 28, 2015

THECB Role

• Oversees and coordinates activities of Texas public universities, health-related institutions, and two-year colleges

• Address funding, programs offered, promoting higher education and success, and accountability

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Why alignment?• Too many secondary and postsecondary leaders and

educators lack shared and accurate information and understanding of what a student must know and do to be successful in postsecondary education and careers;

• Too many students enter postsecondary education but do not complete in a timely fashion; and

• Too many students take developmental education at the postsecondary level.

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THECB Alignment Efforts• Validation studies – to what degree are the CCRS aligned

with what is taught in Texas entry-level college courses (% of standards aligned)

• Reference Course Profiles- entry-level college courses that align with current practice and CCRS; designed to help high school faculty understand entry level college expectations

• College Readiness Assignments- designed to assist secondary teachers in preparing students for success in entry-level college courses in English, mathematics, science, and social studies/sciences; improve curriculum alignment between secondary/postsecondary

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Vertical Alignment• Initiate secondary to postsecondary alignment; • Host workshops and collaborative meetings for

secondary and postsecondary faculty to build vertical alignment;

• Design a vertical alignment process based on the tools and lessons learned from the various alignment projects; and

• Provide vertical alignment models for P-16 conversations and partnerships.

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House Bill 5College Preparatory Course and Endorsements

College Prep Course• Each school district in partnership with at least one IHE is to

develop and provide college prep courses in mathematics and English language arts

• Recommended for 12th grade students who have not met college readiness

• Successful completion of the college prep course exempts the student from TSI requirements with respect to the content area of the course at the partnering institution*

--duration of exemption and its applicability to non-partnering IHEs has been decided through negotiated rule-making

Proposed Rule ChangesApril 16- Negotiated Rule Making Committee May 16- Posted in Texas RegisterJuly 24- Board adopted

§4.54.Exemptions, Exceptions, and Waivers(10) A student who successfully completes a college preparatory course under Texas Education Code §28.014 is exempt for a period of twelve (12) months from the date of high school graduation with respect to the content area of the course. This exemption applies only at the institution of higher education that partners with the school district in which the student is enrolled to provide the course. Additionally, an institution of higher education may enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with a partnering institution of higher education to accept the exemption for the college preparatory course

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Other Alignment Projects• Texas Pathways

o San Antonio, Houston, San Jacinto, Rio Grand Valley, El Paso Regions

• Gulf Coast PASSo Community Colleges: Brazosport College, College of the

Mainland, Galveston College, Houston Community College System, Lee College, Lone Star College System, San Jacinto College District, Wharton County Junior College

o ISDs: Brazosport ISD, Hitchcock ISD,Galveston ISD, Houston ISD and Spring Branch ISD, Goose Creek CISD, Cypress-Fairbanks ISD and Spring ISD, Pasadena ISD and Sheldon ISD, Wharton ISD

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Alignment Resources

• College Readiness Assignments: www.CRAFTx.org

• Profile Planning Guide (PPG) & Texas Online College and Career Readiness Resource Center (OCCRRC): www.txccrsc.org

• Texas Success Center College Prep Course ELA and Math Frameworks www.tacc.org

• TXCCRN network: www.txccrn.uh.edu

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Developing the Next Higher Education Strategic Plan

THECB established a strategic planning committee consisting of former higher education leaders, P-12 officials, and business representatives.

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THECB established a strategic planning committee consisting of former higher education leaders, P-12 officials, and business representatives.

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By 2030…

•At least 60% of Texans aged 25-34 will have a postsecondary credential or degree.

•At least 550,000 students will complete a certificate or an associate, bachelor’s, or master’s degree from a Texas public, independent, or for-profit college or university.

•All graduates from Texas public institutions of higher education will have completed programs with identified marketable skills.

•Undergraduate student loan debt will not exceed 60 percent of first-year wage for graduates of Texas public institutions.

Proposed Goals Under Consideration

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Next Steps

• Continued and increased collaboration among partners

• Leverage resources with existing projects and resources

• Tie into the new Higher Education Strategic Plan

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CONTACT

Claudette JenksAssistant Director, College Readiness and SuccessTexas Higher Education Coordinating Board512-427-6529Claudette.jenks@thecb.state.tx.us

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