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Texas Higher Education - New Uniform GPA Rules
TEXAS HIGHER EDUCATION COORDINATING BOARD RELEASES NEW UNIFORM GPA RULES
On November 17, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) released revised rules establishing a uniform methodology for calculating the grade point average (GPA) of all students in Texas public high schools. The rules will apply beginning with the freshmen high school class of 2009-2010.
According to the latest version of the proposed rules:
- The GPA will be calculated on a 4-point scale, with certain courses getting additional weight on a 4.5 or 5-point scale;
- Courses for which a student earns a final grade lower than 70 (and thus will not earn course credit) and courses for local credit will not be factored into the GPA calculation;
- The following courses will count towards the uniform GPA:
- Course, including electives, listed in 19 TAC 74.63 (b) (1)-(6) and (8)-(11), all Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses, career and technology (CTE) courses aligned with a university course of study (as determined by the CTE Advisory Committee), and dual credit courses, including career oriented courses listed in the community college course manual.
- Out-of-state academic courses in the categories above will be included in the GPA calculation if credit is awarded that counts towards the Recommended or Distinguished High School Program;
- The following courses will receive additional weight (above a 4.0) in the GPA calculation:
- AP, IB and dual credit courses will all receive an additional weight of 1.0;
Pre-A, Honors and Pre-IB courses will receive an additional weight of 0.5 if begun prior to May 1, 2013. If begun on or after that date, Pre-AP and Honors courses will be expected to meet Laying the Foundation, or comparable standards, and Pre-IB courses will be expected to be part of an approved IB program. Continued weighting for Pre-AP, Honors and Pre-IB courses will be reviewed by the GPA Advisory Committee.
- AP, IB and dual credit courses will all receive an additional weight of 1.0;
- The chart for converting numerical grades to grade points on the three scales also includes provisions for converting letter grades to grade points;
- THECB will establish a 15-member GPA Advisory Committee comprised of representatives from public and higher education and the workforce to oversee implementation of the GPA standards, monitor courses counted in the GPA calculation, and ensure institutional compliance with THECB rules for dual credit courses; and
- Colleges and universities offering dual credit courses will be required to monitor the rigor of those courses.
Public comments will be accepted for 30 days after the rules are published in the Texas Register. Comments may be submitted to Natalie Coffey, Senior Program Director, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, P.O. Box 12788, Austin, Texas 78711.
LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD SETS SPENDING LIMIT ON SPENDING
The Legislative Budget Board (LBB) met on November 14 to determine the Legislature's spending limit for this session as mandated by the Texas Constitution.
LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD SETS SPENDING LIMIT ON SPENDING
The Legislative Budget Board (LBB) met on November 14 to determine the Legislature's spending limit for this session as mandated by the Texas Constitution.
The LBB adopted Comptroller Susan Combs' recommended rate of state economic growth of 9.4 percent, which translates into an estimated spending limit of $79.7 billion.
The LBB predicts a surplus between $10-15 billion, of which $6.8 billion is in the state's Rainy Day Fund.
The Legislature must adhere to this spending limit unless each chamber votes to increase state spending.
VOUCHER BILLS FILED AGAIN
As always, some of the prefiled bills for the upcoming legislative session include voucher proposals that would send public tax dollars to private institutions with little state oversight.
One bill, SB 183, filed by Sen. Tommy Williams (R-The Woodlands), would establish vouchers for students with disabilities. Another bill, HB 41, filed by Rep. Frank Corte (R-San Antonio), would create a pilot voucher program encompassing the six largest school districts in the state.
In remarks this week, Sen. Florence Shapiro (R-Plano) said she would be filing a bill that would give parents with autistic children education options for their children. It remains to be seen whether that bill will look like the voucher bill she introduced last
session.
In an attempt to correct regulatory action taken by the Texas Education Agency, Sen. Kirk Watson (D-Austin) filed SB 186, which would clarify that the commissioner of education has no authority to establish voucher programs for private schools, including the use of grants issued under the HB 2237 dropout recovery program passed last session, unless explicitly mandated through legislation.
These certainly will not be the last voucher bills filed. Stay tuned to the Legislative Report for news on the latest voucher bills and other significant bills affecting public education.