AB439: Bill Text

LRB-2729/2

PG&GMM:kjf:pg

2007 - 2008 LEGISLATURE

2007 Assembly BILL 439

July 3, 2007 - Introduced by Joint Legislative Council. Referred to Committee on Colleges and Universities.

AB439,1,6 An Act to renumber 38.01 (1) and 38.04 (21) (a) to (e); to amend 38.04 (21) (intro.), 38.24 (1m) (b), 38.27 (1) (a), 39.435 (1), 39.435 (3), 85.107 (3) (am) and 230.22 (3); and to create 38.01 (1d), 38.04 (8m), 38.04 (21) (cm) and 38.31 of the statutes; relating to: technical college adult basic education programs, eligibility for Wisconsin higher education grants, and granting rule-making authority.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill is explained in the Note provided by the Joint Legislative Council in the bill.

For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

Joint Legislative Council prefatory note: This bill was prepared for the joint legislative council's special committee on strengthening Wisconsin families.

Under current law, s. 38.04 (21), stats., requires the Wisconsin technical college system (WTCS) board to submit an annual report to the department of administration, department of public instruction, department of workforce development, and to the legislature.

This bill amends s. 38.04 (21), stats., to include data related to adult basic education (ABE) among the information the board is required to include in the annual report.

The bill also requires the board to develop a plan to increase the number of pupils who enroll in diploma or degree programs, who previously completed an ABE program at a technical college. The plan requires the board to set 5-year goals with annual benchmarks for the number of students who transition from an ABE program to a technical college diploma or degree program.

Under current law, a technical college may require the prerequisite of a high school diploma, general educational development credential (GED), or high school equivalency diploma (HSED) to enroll in technical college diploma and degree programs.

This bill creates s. 38.31, stats., relating to a concurrent enrollment admissions program. Under the proposed program, the board shall allow pupils to concurrently enroll in a diploma or degree program and an ABE program. The proposed program also allows the board to require a high school diploma, GED, or HSED for enrollment in certain diploma and degree programs.

Under current law, s. 39.435 (1), stats., relating to Wisconsin higher education grants (WHEG) requires half-time enrollment in order for a pupil to be eligible for the higher education grant program.

This bill amends s. 39.435 (1), stats., to remove the requirement of half-time enrollment for higher education grant eligibility under s. 39.435 (1), stats., for students enrolled in the Wisconsin technical college system. The bill amends s. 39.435 (3), stats., relating to the amount of grants under s. 39.435 (1), stats., to reflect the modification of the half-time enrollment requirement under s. 39.435 (1), stats.

The bill also amends s. 39.435 (3), stats., to remove eligibility for grants under s. 39.435 (1), stats., for students who have earned more than 135 credits.

AB439, s. 1 Section 1. 38.01 (1) of the statutes is renumbered 38.01 (1m).

AB439, s. 2 Section 2. 38.01 (1d) of the statutes is created to read:

AB439,2,5 38.01 (1d) "Adult basic education program" includes the following programs: family literacy, general educational development, high school equivalency, English as a second language, and workplace education.

AB439, s. 3 Section 3. 38.04 (8m) of the statutes is created to read:

AB439,3,5 38.04 (8m) Adult basic education transition plan. (a) Annually by January 1, the board shall develop a plan to increase the number of students who enroll in vocational diploma or associate degree programs after completing an adult basic education program at a technical college. The plan shall specify each district board's goals and objectives for such adult basic education graduate transition. The plan shall outline activities and programs that enhance adult basic education graduate transition and shall review the progress made by the board and by the district boards in the previous school year. The plan shall outline the efforts made to publicize activities and programs that enhance adult basic education graduate transition.

AB439,3,9 (b) Every 5th year, the board shall promulgate rules establishing 5-year goals with annual benchmarks for the number of students who enroll in vocational diploma or associate degree programs after completing an adult basic education program at a technical college.

AB439, s. 4 Section 4. 38.04 (21) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB439,3,14 38.04 (21) Pupils attending technical colleges; board report. (intro.) (am) Annually by the 3rd Monday in February the board shall submit a report to the department of administration, department of public instruction and department of workforce development, and to the legislature under s. 13.172 (2).

AB439,3,16 (bm) The report under par. (am) shall specify all of the following by school district:

AB439, s. 5 Section 5. 38.04 (21) (a) to (e) of the statutes are renumbered 38.04 (21) (bm) 1. to 5.

AB439, s. 6 Section 6. 38.04 (21) (cm) of the statutes is created to read:

AB439,3,20 38.04 (21) (cm) The report under par. (am) shall also specify all of the following:

AB439,3,23 1. The number of students who were enrolled in, and the number of students who completed, each adult basic education program at each technical college in the previous school year.

AB439,4,3 2. The number of students who earned a certificate of general educational development or completing a high school equivalency diploma in the previous school year after completing an adult basic education program at a technical college.

AB439,4,8 3. The number of students who were enrolled in a vocational diploma or associate degree program at a technical college in the previous school year after completing an adult basic education program at a technical college, and the type of vocational diploma or associate degree program in which each such student was enrolled.

AB439,4,12 4. The number of students who completed a vocational diploma or associate degree program at a technical college in the previous school year after completing an adult basic education program at a technical college within the previous 5 school years.

AB439,4,14 5. The type of adult basic education program completed by each student under subds. 2., 3., and 4.

AB439, s. 7 Section 7. 38.24 (1m) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB439,4,25 38.24 (1m) (b) Postsecondary and vocational-adult programs. Uniform fees based on not less than 14% of the combined estimated statewide operational cost of postsecondary, exclusive of collegiate transfer, and vocational-adult programs. The board shall maintain statewide uniformity in the program fees charged for postsecondary and vocational-adult credits. Students 62 years old and over shall be exempted from program fees under this paragraph in vocational-adult programs. Students enrolled in adult high school, including students enrolled under s. 118.15 (1) (cm) 3., adult basic education skills, and English as a 2nd language courses shall be exempted from program fees under this paragraph. The board shall establish fees under this paragraph as if students exempt from fees under sub. (4) were not exempt.

AB439, s. 8 Section 8. 38.27 (1) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB439,5,5 38.27 (1) (a) The creation or expansion of adult high school, adult basic education skills, and English as a 2nd language courses. The board shall give priority to courses serving minority, unemployed, disadvantaged or handicapped students.

AB439, s. 9 Section 9. 38.31 of the statutes is created to read:

AB439,5,14 38.31 Concurrent enrollment. (1) The district board shall allow a student to enroll concurrently in a program leading to a certificate of general educational development, a high school equivalency diploma, or a high school diploma, and in a vocational diploma or associate degree program unless the board has determined under sub. (2) that the vocational diploma or associate degree program includes one or more courses that require the student to first obtain a certificate of general educational development, a high school equivalency diploma, or a high school diploma.

AB439,5,18 (2) The board shall determine whether enrollment in a vocational diploma or associate degree program requires a student to first obtain a certificate of general educational development, a high school equivalency diploma, or a high school diploma, and shall publish a list of those that do.

AB439,5,20 (3) The board shall identify and approve those basic education courses that also satisfy curricular requirements for vocational diploma or associate degree programs.

AB439,5,22 (4) The board shall promulgate rules to implement and administer this section, including rules establishing criteria for making the determinations under sub. (2).

AB439, s. 10 Section 10. 39.435 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB439,6,8 39.435 (1) There is established, to be administered by the board, a higher education grant program for postsecondary resident students enrolled at least half-time and registered as freshmen, sophomores, juniors or seniors in accredited institutions of higher education or in tribally controlled colleges in this state who have earned no more than 135 credits. The requirement of at least half-time enrollment does not apply to students enrolled in a technical college. Except as authorized under sub. (5), such grants shall be made only to students enrolled in nonprofit public institutions or tribally controlled colleges in this state. There is no limit on the number of consecutive semesters for which a student may receive a grant under this subsection.

AB439, s. 11 Section 11. 39.435 (3) of the statutes is amended to read: