| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to developing a strategic plan for the improvement and |
|
|
expansion of high-quality bilingual education. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 29, Education Code, is |
|
|
amended by adding Section 29.067 to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 29.067. STRATEGIC PLAN TO IMPROVE AND EXPAND BILINGUAL |
|
|
EDUCATION. (a) In this section, "general academic teaching |
|
|
institution" has the meaning assigned by Section 61.003. |
|
|
(b) The agency, in collaboration with the Texas Higher |
|
|
Education Coordinating Board and the Texas Workforce Commission, |
|
|
shall develop a strategic plan that sets tangible goals and |
|
|
establishes timelines to: |
|
|
(1) increase the number of educators certified under |
|
|
Subchapter B, Chapter 21, in bilingual education instruction; |
|
|
(2) increase the number of dual language |
|
|
immersion/one-way and two-way program models used in public |
|
|
schools; |
|
|
(3) educate families and school district employees |
|
|
regarding the importance of bilingual education in early childhood; |
|
|
(4) adopt a uniform process for: |
|
|
(A) identifying students in prekindergarten |
|
|
through 12th grade of limited English proficiency; |
|
|
(B) monitoring the bilingual learning of |
|
|
students in prekindergarten through 12th grade; and |
|
|
(C) collecting data regarding the identification |
|
|
and monitoring under Paragraphs (A) and (B); and |
|
|
(5) increase the number of bilingual and multilingual |
|
|
high school graduates. |
|
|
(c) In developing the strategic plan, the agency: |
|
|
(1) shall consult with appropriate representatives |
|
|
of: |
|
|
(A) general academic teaching institutions; |
|
|
(B) public schools; |
|
|
(C) early childhood education programs; and |
|
|
(D) parents and legal guardians of public school |
|
|
students; |
|
|
(2) may collaborate with representatives of: |
|
|
(A) state, regional, and local agencies; |
|
|
(B) nonprofit organizations; |
|
|
(C) social services providers; |
|
|
(D) faith-based organizations; and |
|
|
(E) the business community; and |
|
|
(3) shall study the use of the Bilingual Target |
|
|
Language Proficiency Test to certify educators in bilingual |
|
|
education instruction and: |
|
|
(A) determine: |
|
|
(i) the impact of using that test to assess |
|
|
the critical competencies necessary to instruct bilingual programs |
|
|
at each grade level; and |
|
|
(ii) if any barriers to the certification |
|
|
of bilingual educators exist based on differences between the |
|
|
dialect of the educator and the dialect used on the test; and |
|
|
(B) make recommendations to modify or revise the |
|
|
assessments used to certify educators in bilingual education |
|
|
instruction to enhance the competency of educators serving |
|
|
bilingual programs. |
|
|
(d) The agency shall submit the plan developed under this |
|
|
section to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of |
|
|
the house of representatives, and each member of the standing |
|
|
committees of the senate and house of representatives having |
|
|
primary jurisdiction over public education not later than December |
|
|
1, 2022. |
|
|
(e) This section expires January 1, 2023. |
|
|
SECTION 2. 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, 2021. |