TCCTA Blog

Gov. Perry's Address Draws Comments

Those who follow the Legislature closely always pay attention to the State of the State Address given by the governor.

A few years ago, for instance, community college educators perked up when Gov. Perry mentioned that their institutions should pay "their share" of health benefits for employees, affirming his belief in proportionality, as it is called. (Gov. Perry also vetoed such funds after one Session, only to have them restored subsequently by the House and Senate. In 2011, the Legislature enacted de facto proportionality for health benefits AND retirement benefits. That's where we stand at the moment.)

Gov. Perry this week did not drop any bombshells. He did mention the celebrated $10,000 college degree (here's an article by Reeve Hamilton in the Texas Tribune). It's a tough price tag, but can happen, with the help of dual credit, two-year schools, and the right majors at the right universities.

He reiterated his belief in tax relief and restrictions on spending. Here's an article by Peggy Fikac in the Houston Chronicle. Texas is already at or near the bottom in per capita state taxation and spending—which explains partially why local property taxes and tuition keep going up.

Speaker of the House Joe Straus reportedly has a different perspective on tax cuts and spending. Here's a recent article by the Associated Press.

The governor, as always, touted the economic strength of Texas. But much of the surge is due to the current boom in the energy industry. Some commentators have surmised that, if you hypothetically take fossil fuels and the military out of the equation, you've got a big Mississippi, economically speaking.

Paul Burka of Texas Monthly thinks Gov. Perry is finally finished. Here's his take.

The Object Formerly Known as Textbook

Homer Simpson, upon examining To Kill a Mockingbird, was outraged that the book contains no tips on killing mockingbirds.

However, we are entering a world well beyond the "can't tell a book by its cover" phase. It seems we don't even know what a textbook is any more. The Chronicle of Higher Education, in its Jan. 27 issue, explores the current state of content providers in a collection of articles. Topics include the role of MOOCs, "flipped" classes, textbook rentals, custom texts, and a profile of students who actually crave traditional printed books. Want to guess their majors?

The entire issue is worth perusal. You will probably find your personal opinion in there somewhere.

The giant textbook companies are buying up new software firms almost as soon as they appear. We must admit, however, that there are only a handful of corporate players left presently in most disciplines.

The new technologies do allow more choices, but some argue that the jazzed-up formats discourage concentration. (Jazzed-up. Now there's a hoary expression—older than Groovy.) One reason textbooks have gotten so expensive is because of illustrations and other graphic presentations. Are we getting smarter?

Obviously this is only the beginning. Where will the trail lead? Follow the money. Just sayin'.

From one article by Jeffrey R. Young:

[But] if these new kinds of textbooks catch on, they raise questions about how much control publishers have over curriculum and the teaching process, as online education expands.

"It's not a textbook, it is an entire course," says Jean Wisuri, director of distance education at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College, describing a product called Course360, from Cengage Learning. "It has activities built right into the textbook itself."

A professor could essentially rely on a Course360 title as the full curriculum in an online course, letting students loose in the system and having them teach themselves. The Course360 titles connect to the university's learning-management system, linking them directly into an institution's existing virtual classroom.

But Ms. Wisuri says she is not worried about the software's replacing professors. "The 'course in the box,' if you will, should only be a jumping-off point for faculty members," she says. "Our faculty has the freedom to pick and choose what they want from the materials."

As these "courses in a box" continue to improve, though, they could shift the professors' role to be more like pilots on modern commercial planes, who let the autopilot do the flying except when they have to step in.

About Those 2011 Budget Cuts…

You may encounter some push-back from state policy makers or community leaders when mentioning the budget cuts enacted in the 2011 Regular Session of the Legislature.

Interestingly, the chair of the Senate Finance Committee, Sen. Tommy Williams (R-The Woodlands), during last week's hearing, made it a point to elicit testimony from the Legislative Budget Board, to the effect that community colleges did not receive a cut in funding, presumably unlike universities and other state agencies.

It all depends on how you measure it.

Instructional formula appropriations were held flat in 2011. However, state revenue did not cover the unprecedented growth of 20 percent in enrollment at community colleges. (The most recent figures indicate a subsequent decline, which will affect funding for 2014-15.)

Furthermore, the calamitous reductions in state revenue for health and retirement benefits at community colleges—also enacted in 2011—should be in the calculation. This gap, reflecting the perennial legislative drum beat of "proportionality," must be filled with local funds, taking money away from the instructional mission of colleges.

The Texas Association of Community Colleges has called for a benefits restoration in two phases, since the amount of money taken away is so enormous.

The interpretive dilemma is nicely summarized in a recent article in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram by Dave Montgomery. Please read it, as it contains some good quotes, and signals that at least one member of the news media appreciates the complex and difficult situation regarding two-year schools this year.

A brief passage:

Although community colleges escaped a budget cut in the 2011 Legislature, when many agencies were getting slashed, spending remained flat and did not cover a 20 percent increase in enrollment during the previous two years.

The state also cut $130 million for employee health benefits, a 38 percent decrease, and imposed a $98 million reduction in its coverage of retirement benefits, a 48 percent cut.

"What we've been facing is jokingly what I would call the Rodney Dangerfield syndrome," said Bill Holda, president of Kilgore College and board chairman of the Texas Association of Community Colleges.

"We can't get any respect."

Outcomes-Based Funding Discussed at Hearing

The recent hearing of the Senate Finance Committee (see this previous post) afforded an opportunity to learn about evolving plans concerning outcomes-based funding for Texas higher education. Senators on the panel commended the Texas Association of Community Colleges for advancing their "Student Success Points" that would, if enacted, be used to allocate ten percent of formula funding for the 2014-15 biennium.

The Coordinating Board previously formulated proposals to conform with the requirements of HB 9, which passed in the 2011 Regular Session. TCCTA opposed the measure in testimony. Here is a previously posted comparison of the two plans.

Rep. Dan Branch (R-Dallas) has introduced a bill that would permit 25 percent of revenue for colleges and universities to be awarded through outcomes-based funding. He chairs the House Committee on Higher Education, so his perspective is very important. Chairman Branch has stated often that he believes ten percent is too modest, but he is reportedly willing to consider a phased-in approach.

During the Senate hearing, conducted on January 24, Sen. Kel Seliger (R-Amarillo), chair of the chamber's Committee on Higher Education, urged college leaders to work with policy makers to arrive at valid and fair criteria for measuring student success. "Not all [indicators] are equal," he said.

SB 1, the Senate's appropriations bill, does not currently contain a provision for outcomes-based funding.

Testimony from the Texas Association of Community Colleges, led by Bill Holda, president of Kilgore College, and Richard Carpenter, chancellor of the Lone Star College System, emphasized that the proposed TACC indicators reflect their refinement of the various ways to measure success. For instance, the Board's indicators give equal weight to graduation and passing a developmental class, while TACC believes that graduation is ultimately more important and hence should be weighted more.

TCCTA will continue to urge that any outcomes-based funding plan must be consistent with academic integrity. Here are the association's Talking Points for background and guidance in communicating with lawmakers on this topic during the Session.

Senate Panel Conducts Hearing

The Senate Finance Committee held its first hearing on several matters of vital importance to community and technical colleges, on Thursday, January 24. Topics during testimony included formula funding, "outcomes-based" funding, TRS and ORP, and Higher Education Group Insurance.

These subjects will be taken up in subsequent posts, as each is worthy of separate treatment. For now, it's worth a look at the "base bills" put forward in each chamber.

HB 1 and SB 1, the preliminary appropriations bills for the current Regular Session, have been posted by the Legislative Budget Board. Here is HB 1. Here is SB 1. Differences are difficult to detect presently, but this will undoubtedly change. Eventually we will be discussing Senate and House "versions." However, by the time the Legislature adjourns, all inconsistencies must be reconciled. This Session, SB 1 is the "first mover" by tradition, which allows each chamber to alternate in commencing the process.

You can scroll through the bills to see what your school is set (at this point) to receive under the instructional formula for the 2014-15 biennium. Education at all levels is found in Article III. Community colleges in SB 1 begin on page III-186.

SB 1, according to testimony, contains no provision for "outcomes-based" funding, but such a plan is certain to be considered more seriously than in any previous Regular Session.

College leaders are disappointed in the formula funding figures, which do not account for past surges in enrollment growth, and make no progress whatsoever in restoring devastating losses from the 2011 Regular Session, especially in the area of health and retirement benefits. The situation is complicated by a recent downturn in contact hours, which inevitably affects prospective funding.

Leaders in both the House and Senate emphasize that the bills are only a starting point, and fully expect revenue to be added in various categories. The chair of the Senate Committee on Higher Education, Kel Seliger (R-Amarillo), has cited the TEXAS Grant program in particular for increases as the session continues.

Campus Security Measure Proposed

Legislation was proposed Tuesday to allow residents of Independent School Districts to vote for additional taxes to enhance safety at elementary and secondary schools. However, according to an article by Mike Ward in the Austin American-Statesman, the measure could be expanded to include community colleges.

The proposal was announced on the same day as the shooting at Lone Star College–North Harris, generating a great deal of media chatter about guns on campus.

Under the proposed Texas School District Safety Act, "local school districts would be allowed to create special taxing districts or a dedicated sales tax to pay the costs of security—including enhanced screening and security measures at K-12 campuses," the article states.

According to interviews by media outlets with sponsors of the legislation, the enhanced security could take many forms—cameras and screening equipment, for instance, in addition to training for personnel, or hiring extra officers.

This proposal will inevitably run into a thorny dilemma: ISDs and community college districts are not equal in terms of their tax base. And voter approval for new taxes is a tough sell these days in Texas. Some college districts may find it rather easy to generate additional revenue, while others are desperately strapped for dollars. Colleges with healthy tax bases are more likely to have armed security officers on campus already.

The proposed bill is unrelated to the "guns on campus" measure sponsored by Sen. Brian Birdwell (R-Granbury), which would allow licensed carriers of concealed handguns to bring their weapons into college buildings, as reported earlier.

From the AAS piece:

Voters in those districts would have to approve a special tax in an election, sponsors said. Before that, though, a constitutional amendment — which requires statewide voter approval — might be needed to give local school districts the authority to levy the additional taxes.

State Sen. Tommy Williams, R-The Woodlands, chairman of the Finance Committee and one of three sponsors of the safety act, said he envisions that local school districts would “place trained, licensed and armed peace officers in all schools within a district — or only those in which the school district chooses.”

“This is a Texas solution to save lives without sacrificing and trampling our freedoms,” he said at a Capitol news conference. “We’ll let school districts decide for themselves what works. A blanket state mandate won’t work, nor will a one-size-fits-all policy.”

State Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, another sponsor, said the measure emphasizes “local option, local control.” State Rep. Dan Huberty, R-Houston, is the House sponsor.

Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst has proposed state-funded training for school employees with a concealed-handgun license whom districts might approve to carry weapons while on duty. Williams said that is separate from Tuesday’s proposal.

While the new proposal doesn’t address community colleges, the lawmakers said that option could be added during debate.

MOOCs: Signal or Noise?

Nate Silver's new book, The Signal and the Noise, is about predictions—what we do right (occasionally) and what we do wrong (most of the time). The author is the celebrated statistical guru whose New York Times blog was famously accurate in predicting recent elections. Significantly, he uses averaged polling data that is right under the noses of everyone. Here's a link.

According to the book, our present challenge often involves too much information, rather than too little. We do a better job with weather forecasts, for instance, but when it comes to important events (earthquakes, elections, terror attacks, financial crises) we need to learn how to tell genuine signals from the relentless noise of modern communication. "Big data" is fine, but how do we pick from all the numbers that are subject to correlation?

All in all, it's a very modest book, standing in contrast commendably to the talking heads and professional gas bags (to borrow a term from Calvin Trillin) that are abundant these days. Mr. Silver's approach emphasizes carefully formulating probabilities, then improving predictions incrementally. There are plenty of equations and formulas in the book, but it's not necessary to understand all the mathematical underpinnings. It's a great read for those of us who have just enough statistical knowledge to get into trouble, and a worthy follow-up to Damned Lies and Statistics, by Joel Best, published several years ago.

The author once earned a living playing Internet poker, but sensibly bailed out when the level of play improved and there were fewer suckers, or "fish," out there. You gotta know when to fold 'em.

Today we are besieged with predictions regarding higher education. It's both interesting and disturbing to contemplate which will pan out. Higher ed. forecasts likely shouldn't be expressed probabilistically, but one gets the impression from reading this book that we are better off flipping coins when predicting whether the Next Big Thing will last.

Will most students in the future receive their education via Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs)? That's what a host of commentators (and investors) are betting on today. It's a legitimate question.

However, when radio and, later, television burst upon the scene, many assumed that, henceforth, we would all be educated differently. But such forecasts proved as quaint as cartoon images of jet packs and flying cars. Who knew?

Senate Committees Announced

Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst has released the names of senators to serve on the chamber's standing committees. Three panels are of of particular interest to community and technical college educators: Finance, State Affairs, and Higher Education.

Members who reside in the districts of lawmakers on these committees are urged especially to take note. At some point during the current Regular Session, you may be requested to contact your senator. Here's a link to find out "Who Represents Me?"

On matters of strategy on particular bills, TCCTA relies heavily upon the advice of lobbyist Beaman Floyd. Bills that require revenue typically must navigate their way through the appropriations committees as well as the panel of jurisdiction.

Here's an interesting article in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram by Dave Montgomery.

Guns-On-Campus Bill Introduced

Licensed carriers of concealed handguns will be allowed to bring their weapons into college and university campus buildings, under a bill introduced recently by Sen. Brian Birdwell (R-Granbury). The bill, SB 182, is similar to a measure that failed to pass in the 2011 Regular Session. TCCTA testified against the earlier bill, after a survey indicated that 80 percent of members were opposed. Here's a previous post for background.

SB 182, available here, is co-authored by 13 of Sen. Birdwell's colleagues in the Senate—a chamber with only 31 members. So far, there is no companion bill in the House, but this will likely change.

Media reports indicate that college and university officials, as well as various student groups, are divided on the issue. Not surprisingly, opinions vary depending on geographic location. Some officials have suggested a "local option" alternative, but this is not what sponsors and supporters have in mind. From a Houston Chronicle piece by Kolten Parker:

Many university administrations in the state have said they oppose the measure and contend the decision of whether concealed handguns should be allowed on their property should be a campus-by-campus decision rather than a statewide policy.

Ralph Meyer, Texas State University's police chief and the former president of the Texas Association of College and University Police Administrators, said the school's leaders are opposed and believe a blanket policy may not work in a state as geographically diverse as Texas.

"Some schools out in West Texas that are 50 miles from a deputy, they need it. It's a different situation than larger schools," said Meyer, who is against the measure but believes university police chiefs across the state are "split on the issue."

Administrators at some universities, such as Texas A&M and the University of Houston, have said they will follow the Legislature's lead.

Student leaders are divided. Texas A&M's Student Senate backed such a bill in November. Cedric Bandoh, student president at the University of Houston, said he was "vigorously opposed" to it.

Francisco Cigarroa, chancellor of the University of Texas System, opposed Wentworth's bill in a letter to Gov. Rick Perry.

A poll at the University of Texas at San Antonio showed two-thirds of students are against concealed weapons on campus, said Xavier Johnson, student president.

TCCTA members with experience in law enforcement have stated that it's very difficult in a chaotic situation to tell the "good guy" from the "bad guy" when there is more than one person displaying a firearm.

Notwithstanding recent tragedies, it is important to keep in mind that there are, statistically speaking, few locations safer than a school of any kind, when it comes to gun violence.

"Attention Must Be Paid" Seminar Added

A Friday afternoon Professional Development Seminar has been added to the list of programs featured at the forthcoming TCCTA annual convention. "Attention Must be Paid: Envisioning Humanity’s Future in a High-Speed, Push-Button Age" will be offered at 4:00 p.m., on February 22, at the Westin Galleria in Houston.

Speaking will be Maggie Jackson, Vice President and Senior Fellow at the the Center for Talent Innovation.

Ms. Jackson is an award-winning author and former Boston Globe columnist known for her penetrating coverage of social issues, especially technology’s impact on humanity. Her acclaimed book, Distracted, jump-started the global conversation on the costs of fragmenting our attention. A former foreign correspondent in Tokyo and London, she has won numerous awards for her writing. Her essays and articles have appeared in publications worldwide, from the New York Times to Business Week. She currently is writing a book on the need for slow, reflective thinking as an antidote to our increasing reliance on quick-fix, machine-centric cognition.

Here's the link for more information on the seminar.