Eye on Austin: Following PreK funding and uniform GPA rules

About $3 million in annual funding for Spring Branch ISD’s highly rated, full-day prekindergarten program may be at risk as a state commissioner prepares to issue new eligibility rules for the state’s Prekindergarten Expansion Grant.

In other recent news from Austin, voting on proposed uniform grade-point average rules that would impact Texas high school graduates in the future has been postponed.

Prekindergarten Expansion Grant

On Oct. 31, Texas Education Agency Commissioner of Education Robert Scott is expected to announce new rules of eligibility for school districts to qualify for the state’s annual Prekindergarten Expansion Grant. This grant has provided about $3 million a year to SBISD to help fund a full-day prekindergarten program for 4-year-olds

It is possible that the new rules will limit eligibility to low-performing school districts rather than maintain funding for top-rated programs like ours. A 30-day period for public comment will follow the issuance of proposed new rules.

The impact of full-day PreK on the education of thousands of SBISD students is affirmed in the motto, “The stronger the start, the better the finish.”

In 2001, SBISD was the first large public school district in Texas – and one of the first school districts in the nation – to offer a full-day program for 4-year-olds led by certified teachers. Five Schools for Early Learning, which were designed especially for very young learners, were built here with voter approved 1999 bond funds.

Seven years of data show that students attending SBISD prekindergarten programs begin kindergarten with first-grade readiness skills. These students continue to outperform their peers in all content areas throughout elementary school.

The SBISD Board of Trustees and district leaders are monitoring the situation closely and examining options should this source of PreK funding no longer be available. The grant represents nearly half of SBISD’s annual program funding.

One of the Board of Trustee’s stated priorities for the upcoming session of the Texas Legislature supports formula funding for prekindergarten students similar to current funding formulas for elementary and secondary students. For more Legislative information, click here.

Uniform Grade-Point Average (GPA) Proposal

In separate Austin news, Commissioner Raymund Paredes on Oct. 22 postponed a Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board vote on the proposed, new uniform grade-point average (GPA) method of calculation. The vote delay occurred, in part, due to substantial public comment and feedback.

In Texas, grade-point calculations are used, in part, to rank students in the top 10 percent of their high school classes. This distinction guarantees them admission to Texas public colleges and universities of their choosing.

The Commissioner’s initial proposal did not award any extra points for pre-Advanced Placement (AP) or pre-International Baccalaureate (IB) courses. His revised plan assigns such courses a half credit; AP and IP courses result in a full extra point of credit.

Based on Paredes’ recommendation, the uniform GPA rules would begin with students entering ninth grade next fall. The state Board would establish a 15-member GPA Advisory Committee to deal with issues and implement new standards, under the plan.

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board is now expected to vote on the proposal during its January Board meeting or at a special-called meeting in December. To learn more about this proposal, click here to visit the Coordinating Board’s website.