BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 2164

By: Guerra

Public Education

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The current monitoring system for bilingual education programs by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) focuses on compliance with state and federal law but does not focus on the quality of those programs. Through a stronger monitoring system that evaluates program quality and identifies program elements in need of improvement, TEA could identify school districts that need help improving their bilingual education programs, provide district assistance, and close learning gaps for emergent bilingual students. Based on legislative recommendations from TEA's emergent bilingual strategic plan, C.S.H.B. 2164 seeks to address this issue by requiring TEA to adopt rules that provide for robust monitoring of bilingual education and special language programs and by requiring the commissioner of education to develop training to improve student outcomes for bilingual education programs and dual language immersion programs and to provide for the development and availability of related training resources.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Education Agency in SECTION 3 of this bill.

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 2164 amends the Education Code to require the commissioner of education, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, to develop and make available training materials and other training resources to increase school administrators' understanding of and improve student outcomes for bilingual education programs and dual language immersion programs. The bill requires the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to adopt rules that provide for robust monitoring of bilingual education and special language programs, requiring TEA to do the following:

· review bilingual education and special language program requirements to ensure those requirements prioritize meeting student needs and closing learning gaps for emergent bilingual students; and

· engage directly with public school districts offering bilingual education or special language programs to improve outcomes for emergent bilingual students, including by identifying districts offering programs with deficiencies and providing technical assistance to those districts.

The bill authorizes the rules to require districts that offer such programs to provide additional information relevant to the programs through PEIMS.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2023.

COMPARISON OF INTRODUCED AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 2164 may differ from the introduced in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

The substitute includes a provision that was not in the introduced requiring the commissioner to develop and make available training materials and resources to increase school administrators' understanding of and improve student outcomes for bilingual education and dual language immersion programs.