(a) Higher education bridge programs. The purpose of this program is for institutions of higher education to provide public high school students and other eligible students who are not college-ready with appropriate instruction and other activities during summer or other timeframes approved by the Coordinating Board to ensure eligible students achieve college readiness.
  (1) Only institutions offering bridge programs outlined under Texas Education Code, §61.0762, shall be subject to this subsection.
  (2) The commissioner or his/her designee shall issue a request for proposal/application, memorandum of understanding, or other agreement for institutions to implement bridge programs under this subsection. The focus of these programs shall include mathematics, science, social science, and/or English language arts for the following categories of public high school students:
    (A) Exiting 12th grade students, in the summer following their senior year, who have not met the minimum passing standards for college readiness as outlined under §4.57 of this title (relating to Minimum Passing Standards) or who are not exempt from requirements of the Texas Success Initiative as outlined under §4.54 of this title (relating to Exemptions/Exceptions); or
    (B) 10th and 11th grade students, in the summer following their sophomore and junior year, respectively, who have not achieved the predicted score for college readiness on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills, or appropriate college readiness predictors or scores on other assessments of college readiness as determined by the commissioner.
  (3) Other qualifications or requirements for student participation, public school eligibility, and institutional eligibility for implementing bridge programs shall be outlined in the request for proposal/application, memorandum of understanding, or other agreement.
(b) Developmental education initiatives. The purpose of this program is to provide incentive funding to institutions who commit to implementing research-based and/or innovative developmental education initiatives.
  (1) Only institutions offering developmental education initiatives under Texas Education Code, §61.0762, shall be subject to this subsection.
  (2) The commissioner or his/her designee shall issue a request for proposal/application, memorandum of understanding, or other agreement for institutions to implement developmental education initiatives under this subsection. The focus of these programs shall include mathematics, science, social science, and/or English language arts for students who have not met the minimum passing standards for college readiness as outlined under §4.57 of this title or who are not exempt from requirements of the Texas Success Initiative as outlined under §4.54 of this title.
(c) Intensive programs. The purpose of this program is for institutions of higher education to provide eligible students who are at risk of dropping out of college with appropriate instruction and other activities during summer or other timeframes approved by the Coordinating Board to ensure students persist and complete an undergraduate credential or degree.
  (1) Only institutions offering intensive programs outlined under Texas Education Code, §61.0762, shall be subject to this subsection.
  (2) The commissioner or his/her designee shall issue a request for proposal/application, memorandum of understanding, or other agreement for institutions to implement intensive programs under this subsection. The focus of these programs shall include mathematics, science, social science, and/or English language arts. The categories of students to be served by these programs shall be outlined in the request for proposal/application, memorandum of understanding, or other agreement as identified by the commissioner to address the participation and success goals of Closing the Gaps by 2015.
(d) Professional development for higher education faculty. The purpose of this program is to provide higher education faculty with professional development programs or activities on college readiness standards and the implications of these standards on instruction.
  (1) Only institutions offering professional development for faculty outlined under Texas Education Code, §61.0762, shall be subject to this subsection.
  (2) The commissioner or his/her designee shall issue a request for proposal/application, memorandum of understanding, or other agreement for institutions to implement activities or programs of professional development for faculty under this subsection. The focus of these programs shall be limited to faculty who have responsibilities for developmental education and entry-level courses and to the knowledge and skills, reflected in the college readiness standards, that faculty can reasonably expect students to have achieved who are entering those courses from public schools.
  (3) Other qualifications or requirements for institutional eligibility for implementing faculty professional development activities and programs shall be outlined in the request for proposal/application, memorandum of understanding, or agreement.
(e) Other programs that support the participation and success goals of Closing the Gaps by 2015. Additional programs may be identified by the commissioner to address the participation and success goals of Closing the Gaps by 2015. As programs are identified, qualifications and requirements for student participation and institutional or public school eligibility shall be determined by the commissioner or his/her designee.

Source Note: The provisions of this §4.177 adopted to be effective February 18, 2007, 32 TexReg 527; amended to be effective December 3, 2009, 34 TexReg 8507