SB1191

Regular Session

Relating to the development of a standard method of computing a student's high school grade point average.

ModeratePlan for compliance

Low Cost

Effective:2025-09-01

Enforcing Agencies

Texas Education Agency

Compliance Analysis

Key implementation requirements and action items for compliance with this legislation

Implementation Timeline

Effective Date: September 1, 2025
Compliance Deadline: Operational compliance is triggered immediately upon the release of the Commissioner’s standard method. Districts must be prepared to implement for the 2026-2027 school year, pending rulemaking speed.
Agency Rulemaking: The TEA Commissioner is mandated to develop the calculation method "as soon as practicable" after September 1, 2025. A "regulatory gray zone" will exist between the effective date and the final adoption of the formula, likely spanning Fall 2025 to Spring 2026.

Immediate Action Plan

Audit Course Data: Immediately segregate Dual Credit courses into "Academic" vs. "Workforce" lists based on WECM codes.
Notice to Vendors: Send formal notice to your SIS provider citing SB 1191 and requesting their product roadmap for compliance by Q3 2025.
Lobby Rulemaking: Participate in the TEA rulemaking process to advocate for a "cohort-based" implementation (freshmen only) to avoid re-ranking current seniors.
Update Handbooks: Draft provisional language for Student/Parent Handbooks warning that GPA calculations are subject to change pending state rulemaking.

Operational Changes Required

Contracts

SIS Vendor Agreements: Review contracts with providers (e.g., Skyward, PowerSchool). Determine if state-mandated algorithm updates are covered under standard maintenance or trigger "customization" fees.
Dual Credit MOUs: Update Memoranda of Understanding with Community Colleges. Agreements must explicitly categorize courses as either "Academic" (transferable) or "Workforce" (WECM) to ensure accurate GPA coding.

Hiring/Training

Registrar Training: Staff must be retrained to code Dual Credit courses based on the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s *Workforce Education Course Manual* (WECM) status, rather than local policy.
Counseling Protocols: Academic advisors must update guidance protocols to inform students how specific Dual Credit choices will mathematically impact their class rank under the new state formula.

Reporting & Record-Keeping

Course Catalog Audit: Districts must immediately audit course catalogs to tag all Dual Credit offerings as either Category A (Academic/Equal Weight) or Category B (Workforce/Different Weight).
Transcript Standardization: Transcripts must be reformatted to display the GPA derived strictly from the Commissioner’s standard method once released.

Fees & Costs

Vendor Surcharges: While the legislative fiscal note anticipates no cost, districts should budget for potential software reconfiguration fees from EdTech vendors.
Litigation Reserves: Districts should anticipate potential legal challenges regarding class rank and valedictorian status during the transition year.

Strategic Ambiguities & Considerations

Grandfathering: The statute contains no "phase-in" clause. It is unclear if the new method applies to current high school students or only incoming freshmen. This is a high-risk area for class rank litigation.
Weight Differential: The law requires Workforce Dual Credit to have a "different" weight but does not specify if it must be lower or higher than academic courses.
Exclusivity: It is undefined whether districts may maintain a secondary "Local GPA" for internal honors, or if the State method preempts all other calculations.

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Legislative Timeline

This bill's path through the Texas Legislature

TopicsEducation Education--higher Education--higher--admission & Attendance Education--primary & Secondary Education--primary & Secondary--curriculum Education--school Districts Education, Commissioner of

Official Analysis

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BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	S.B. 1191
89R4888 MM-D	By: Creighton
	Education K-16
	3/4/2025
	As Filed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Inconsistent systems for weighting grade point averages across the State of Texas, as well as inconsistent systems for converting dual credit letter grades into numeric grades, discourage the taking of dual credit courses in many school districts. This reality directly conflicts with the goals of H.B. 8 (2023) in tying funding for higher education institutions to dual credit enrollment and credential completion.

The Solution

The State of Texas should require all school districts to award equal weight and numeric conversion for grades earned in all four major forms of advanced academics offered in high school:

Dual Credit (college-credential-bearing credit);

International Baccalaureate (college-level content);

Advanced Placement (college-level content, with college credit awarded by exam score accepted by receiving institutions); and

OnRamps (UT Extension-school credits which may be converted to credential-bearing credit by receiving institutions).

As proposed, S.B. 1191 amends current law relating to the development of a standard method of computing a student's high school grade point average.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Sections 28.052(a) and (b), Education Code, as follows:

(a)� Requires, rather than authorizes, the commissioner of education (commissioner) to develop a standard method of computing a student's high school grade point average that provides for additional weight to be given to each honors course, advanced placement course, international baccalaureate course, or dual credit course completed by a student. Requires that the method provide for an equal amount of additional weight to be given to an advanced placement course, an international baccalaureate course, and a dual credit course.

(b)� Requires a school district to use the standard method developed by the commissioner under Subsection (a) to compute a student's high school grade point average. Deletes existing text requiring a school district, if the commissioner develops a standard method under Section 28.0252 (Computation of High School Grade Point Average), to use the standard method to compute a student's high school grade point average.

SECTION 2. Requires the commissioner, as soon as practicable after the effective date of this Act, to develop a standard method of computing a student's high school grade point average as required by Section 28.0252(a), Education Code, as amended by this Act.

SECTION 3. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2025.

Senate Authors

Sen. Charles CreightonRepublican · Primary Author

Coauthors (1)

Royce West (D)

House Sponsor

Rep. Caroline Harris DavilaRepublican · Primary Sponsor

Bill Text(with markup)

S.B. No. 1191

View bill text in multiple formats on Texas Legislature website

Fiscal NoteView Original

	AN ACT
	relating to the development of a standard method of computing a
	student's high school grade point average.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1. Sections 28.0252(a) and (b), Education Code, are
	amended to read as follows:
	(a) The commissioner shall [~~may~~] develop a standard method
	of computing a student's high school grade point average that
	provides for additional weight to be given to each honors course,
	advanced placement course, international baccalaureate course,
	OnRamps dual enrollment course, or dual credit course completed by
	a student. The method must provide for:
	(1) an equal amount of additional weight to be given to
	an advanced placement course, an international baccalaureate
	course, an OnRamps dual enrollment course, and a dual credit course
	not included in the Workforce Education Course Manual or its
	successor adopted by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board;
	and
	(2) the amount of additional weight to be given to a
	dual credit course described by Subdivision (1) to be different
	from the amount of additional weight to be given to a dual credit
	course included in the Workforce Education Course Manual or its
	successor adopted by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
	(b) A [~~If the commissioner develops a standard method under~~
	~~this section, a~~] school district shall use the standard method
	developed by the commissioner under Subsection (a) to compute a
	student's high school grade point average.
	SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date
	of this Act, the commissioner of education shall develop a standard
	method of computing a student's high school grade point average as
	required by Section 28.0252(a), Education Code, as amended by this
	Act.
	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
	Act takes effect September 1, 2025.

LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 89TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION


March 27, 2025

TO:	Honorable Brandon Creighton, Chair, Senate Committee on Education K-16

FROM:	Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board

IN RE:	SB1191 by Creighton (Relating to the development of a standard method of computing a student's high school grade point average.), As Introduced

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

Local Government Impact

No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.

Source Agencies:

701 Texas Education Agency

LBB Staff:

JMc, FV, ASA, ANa

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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about SB1191

What does Texas SB1191 do?

SB 1191 strips school districts of local authority to determine GPA weighting, mandating a uniform state calculation method enforced by the Texas Education Agency (TEA). This legislation compels districts to assign equal weight to AP, IB, OnRamps, and Academic Dual Credit courses, while legally requiring a differentiated weight for Workforce Dual Credit courses. This change directly impacts class rank calculations, automatic college admissions (Top 10% Rule), and necessitates immediate reconfiguration of Student Information Systems (SIS).

Who authored SB1191?

SB1191 was authored by Texas Senator Charles Creighton during the Regular Session.

When was SB1191 signed into law?

SB1191 was signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott on June 20, 2025.

Which agencies enforce SB1191?

SB1191 is enforced by Texas Education Agency.

How urgent is compliance with SB1191?

The compliance urgency for SB1191 is rated as "moderate". Businesses and organizations should review the requirements and timeline to ensure timely compliance.

What is the cost impact of SB1191?

The cost impact of SB1191 is estimated as "low". This may vary based on industry and implementation requirements.

What topics does SB1191 address?

SB1191 addresses topics including education, education--higher, education--higher--admission & attendance, education--primary & secondary and education--primary & secondary--curriculum.

Legislative data provided by LegiScanLast updated: November 25, 2025

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