HBA-KMH H.C.R. 117 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.C.R. 117 By: Keffer Higher Education 4/1/1999 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE It is generally accepted that a four-year college education offers the best foundation for a successful career, but experience has shown that many students choose not to attend a four-year institution directly out of high school, instead choosing to attend a technical school or pursue a two-year associates's degree from a junior college. The needs of these students, with respect to developing marketable skills, are different from what the current secondary and baccalaureate education system provides. While the Texas Education Code allows for career and technology education enrichment curricula to be offered, many school districts have opted not to make these curricula available, either for financial reasons or due to the perception that they are a student "dumping ground." If organized correctly by using area-specific data from the Texas Workforce Commission, voluntary career and technology academics can be a bonus to the high school diploma, rather than a student "dumping ground" and upon graduation, students with parental guidance can focus on a college degree or have the ability to further expand their career and technology academics through a technical college, internship, or apprenticeship. In conjunction with a rigorous academic program, voluntary career and technology education programs in Texas high schools maximize students' productivity, provide leadership skills, and better prepare graduates to take advantage of the many employment opportunities that are being created in today's demanding and increasingly technology-based marketplace. Voluntary career and technology education programs benefit not only graduates of these programs but also the technical schools and community colleges that provide high-level, job-specific, technical training and the businesses and industries on the leading edge of the state's economic growth that are increasingly reliant on a well-educated, highly skilled, and technologically sophisticated workforce. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS H.C.R. 117 declares that the 76th Legislature of the State of Texas hereby supports and encourages the future development and expansion of voluntary career and technology academic programs throughout our Texas high schools; and H.C.R. 117 further declares that the legislature encourage cooperative partnership arrangements among Texas high schools, local community colleges and universities, economic development councils, and business leaders to accept the challenge for the productive future and economic wellbeing of Texas.