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(a)Eligibility (1)Each undergraduate student, unless otherwise exempt, who enters an institution of higher education must be tested for reading, writing and mathematics skills prior to enrolling in any collegiate-level coursework. A student who has not been tested may enroll in coursework only under the circumstances provided in §4.55(a)(2) of this title (relating to Exceptional Circumstances), but must take a test approved for TASP purposes not later than the end of the first semester of enrollment. If any student under this section fails to test during the designated semester, the student will not be permitted to re-enroll or to enroll in any institution of higher education in any courses other than non-degree credit courses until he or she has tested. (2)Exceptional circumstances under which a student who has not been tested may enroll in college-level coursework may be determined by the institution. Exceptional circumstances include, but are not limited to: (A)documented illness, injury or other bonafide emergency which prevents a student from testing; (B)diagnosed and documented disability for which reasonable and appropriate accommodations could not be provided by the institution in a timely manner; (C)deaf students who arrive on campus without having taken the Stanford Achievement Test prior to enrollment may be allowed to enter school but are required to take the Stanford at the next regularly scheduled offering; and (D)after all reasonable institutional testing opportunities have passed and additional students, through no fault of their own, have not been tested. (3)Alternative test instruments approved by the Board may be used by an institution to initially test students. The section(s) of an alternative test that a student passes will count towards meeting TASP requirements, and the sections failed or not attempted will subject a student to TASP requirements and the institution's developmental education plan. (A)Each alternative test instrument shall be correlated with the TASP Test in that it must be of a diagnostic nature and designed to provide a comparison of the reading, mathematics and writing skills of the individual student with the skills necessary for a student to perform effectively in an undergraduate degree program. (B)Alternative tests are to be used only for initial testing; the TASP Test must be used for all retakes. On completion of the developmental coursework or program, the student shall take that portion of the TASP Test for which developmental education was required. (C)The alternative tests approved by the Board are: (i)ASSET and COMPASS offered by ACT; and (ii)Multiple Assessment Programs and Services (MAPS) and ACCUPLACER offered by The College Board (D)The unit costs of alternative tests shall be borne by the student. (4)A high school student who has passed the exit-level assessment required under Texas Education Code, §39.023 (TAAS) shall be encouraged to take a test for TASP purposes while enrolled in high school unless otherwise exempt. (A)A high school student who enrolls in dual credit courses or is concurrently enrolled must take a test for TASP purposes prior to enrolling in college-level coursework. (B)A high school student who fails to achieve the minimum passing standard set by the board may not be required to take developmental classes while in high school, and the student may not take collegiate level classes related to portions of the test that have not been passed. However, high schools and colleges should encourage students who do not meet the minimum standards to take courses while in high school to remedy any skill deficiencies. Nothing in this subsection precludes a college from providing developmental education courses to high school students at the request of a high school pursuant to the provisions of Texas Education Code, §130.090(a). (5)Students not otherwise exempt from the provisions of this subchapter may not graduate from a Level-Two certificate program (43-59 semester credit hours or the equivalent), an associate degree program or baccalaureate degree program, or enroll in any upper-division course completion of which would give the student 60 or more college-level semester credit hours or the equivalent (the student may continue to enroll in lower-division or non-degree credit courses) until the student either: (A)passes all sections of the TASP Test (or an alternative test on initial attempt only); or (B)earns a grade of "B" or better in a freshman-level credit course in the skill area of the assessed deficit in accordance with §4.56(d) of this title. (6)After successful completion of an appropriate developmental program, a student must retake appropriate sections of the TASP Test. (7)A student shall not enroll in an institution which by law may not offer lower-division courses unless the student has passed a test for TASP purposes or otherwise fulfilled all TASP requirements. (8)A student shall not enroll in upper-level programs at a health-related institution unless the student has passed a test for TASP purposes or otherwise fulfilled all TASP requirements. (9)An upper-level institution or health-related institution that inadvertently admits a student who has not passed a test approved for TASP purposes must take appropriate steps to ensure that the student meets TASP requirements. (10)Blind students shall take a test approved for TASP purposes with appropriate accommodations. (11)Deaf students shall take the Stanford Achievement Test nationally normed on the hearing impaired population by Gallaudet University. Other than the requirement that the student take the Stanford Achievement Test, all provisions of these rules, including the exemptions and exceptions, apply to deaf students. Minimum passing standards on the Stanford Achievement Test are: (A)Reading Comprehension - 652 scaled score, 29 raw score; (B)Mathematics Total - 682 scaled score, 66 raw score; (C)Language Total - 662 scaled score, 37 raw score; and (D)Study Skills - 663 scaled score, 19 raw score. (12)An institution of higher education offering collegiate-level credit to students via a Multi-Institution Teaching Center (MITC) or a university system center, or to in-state students by distance learning delivery systems must ensure that students meet all TASP requirements. (b)Exemptions/Exceptions (1)Any student with at least three college-level semester credit hours or the equivalent from an accredited institution accumulated prior to the fall of 1989 shall not be required to meet TASP requirements regardless of any election of academic fresh start (Texas Education Code, §51.931). Credit hours must be certified as college-level by the granting institution but need not apply toward a degree or certificate. (2)A student who performs at or above a level set by the Board on the ACT, Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) or exit-level Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) shall be exempt from TASP requirements. This exemption shall be in effect for five years from the date the ACT or SAT was taken and for three years from the date the TAAS Test was taken. While a test may be retaken, ACT or SAT scores meeting or exceeding the standard set by the Board must be achieved on a single test administration. TAAS scores must meet or exceed exemption standards on the first attempt for each section. Standards for exemption from TASP requirements are: (A)ACT: composite score of 23 with a minimum of 19 on both the English and the mathematics tests; (B)SAT: a combined verbal and mathematics score of 1070 with a minimum of 500 on both the verbal and the mathematics tests; or (C)TAAS: a minimum scale score of 1770 on the writing test, a Texas Learning Index (TLI) of 86 on the mathematics test and 89 on the reading test. (3)An institution may exempt from TASP requirements a non-degree-seeking or non-certificate-seeking student who will be 55 years of age or older on the first class day of a term or semester. (4)A student who enrolls on a temporary basis in an institution of higher education, and is not seeking a degree or Level-Two certificate, and is also enrolled in a private or independent institution of higher education or an out-of-state institution of higher education or has graduated from an institution of higher education, a private or independent institution, or an out-of-state institution of higher education is exempt from TASP requirements. (5)TASP requirements do not apply to students enrolled in certificate programs of one year or less (Level-One certificates, 42 or fewer semester credit hours or the equivalent) at a community or technical college. (6)A student who has been diagnosed as having dyslexia or a related disorder, as those terms are defined by Texas Education Code, §38.003, or a specific learning disability in mathematics by a qualified professional whose license or credentials are appropriate to diagnose the disorder or disability as determined by the Board, who takes a test for TASP purposes and completes the developmental program prescribed by the institution may be required to retake the TASP Test once but may not be referred to an additional developmental course or other developmental program or precluded from enrolling in an upper-division course or graduating because of the student's performance on the test. (7)A student who is a citizen of a country other than the United States and is not seeking a degree is exempt from TASP requirements. (8)A student who has graduated with a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution of higher education is exempt from TASP requirements. (9)A student who transfers to an institution of higher education from a private or out-of-state institution may use transferred courses which are given common course numbers corresponding to those in §4.56 (d)(3) of this title (relating to Criteria for Meeting TASP Requirements) to satisfy TASP requirements. A student must have earned a course grade of "B" or higher in each of the three skill areas. If not, the student must be tested for the remaining skill area(s) and must comply with all other TASP requirements. (10)A student who is serving on active duty as a member of the armed forces of the United States. (11)A student who graduates from a public high school or an accredited private high school in any state with a grade point average of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale or the equivalent and completed the recommended or advanced high school curriculum or an equivalent or similar curriculum at an accredited private high school or at a high school outside of Texas. This exemption is effective only for a student who enrolls in an institution of higher education on or before the second anniversary of the date the student graduated from high school.
This agency hereby certifies that the proposal has been
reviewed by legal counsel and found to be within the agency's legal authority
to adopt.
Filed with the Office of
the Secretary of State on February 12, 2003
TRD-200301041 Jan Greenberg
General Counsel
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
Proposed date of adoption: April 24,
2003
For further information, please call: (512) 427-6162
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