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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to prekindergarten programs provided by public schools, |
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including through partnerships with certain community-based |
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child-care providers. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 29.1531(b), Education Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(b) A district that offers a prekindergarten program on a |
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tuition basis: |
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(1) may not adopt a tuition rate for the program that |
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is higher than necessary to cover the added costs of providing the |
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program, including any costs associated with collecting, |
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reporting, and analyzing data under Section 29.1532(c); [and] |
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(2) must submit the proposed tuition rate to the |
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commissioner for approval; and |
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(3) must demonstrate that the capacity of |
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prekindergarten classes provided by existing Head Start or other |
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community-based child-care programs located in the district is |
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insufficient to meet the needs of the district. |
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SECTION 2. Section 29.1532(c), Education Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(c) A school district that offers prekindergarten classes |
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shall include the following information in the district's Public |
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Education Information Management System (PEIMS) report: |
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(1) demographic information, as determined by the |
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commissioner, on students enrolled in district and campus |
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prekindergarten classes, including: |
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(A) the number of students who are eligible for |
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classes under Section 29.153; |
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(B) the number of students enrolled in classes |
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provided by Head Start or another community-based child-care |
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provider through a partnership with the district; and |
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(C) the number of students enrolled in |
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prekindergarten classes who are not eligible for prekindergarten |
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classes under Section 29.153; |
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(2) the numbers of half-day and full-day |
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prekindergarten classes offered by the district and campus; |
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(3) the number of half-day prekindergarten classes for |
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which the district has received an exemption from full-day |
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operation under Section 29.153(d); |
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(4) the sources of funding for the prekindergarten |
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classes; |
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(5) the class size and ratio of instructional staff to |
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students for each prekindergarten program class offered by the |
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district and campus; |
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(6) if the district elects to administer an assessment |
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instrument under Section 29.169 to students enrolled in district |
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and campus prekindergarten program classes, a description and the |
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results of each type of assessment instrument; and |
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(7) curricula used in the district's prekindergarten |
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program classes. |
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SECTION 3. Section 29.1533, Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 29.1533. ESTABLISHMENT AND EXPANSION OF [NEW] |
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PREKINDERGARTEN PROGRAM. Before establishing a new |
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prekindergarten program or expanding an existing prekindergarten |
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program, a school district shall solicit and consider proposals for |
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partnerships to provide [consider the possibility of sharing use |
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of an existing Head Start or other child-care program site as a] |
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prekindergarten classes with community-based child-care providers |
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who meet the requirements of Section 29.153(g) in a manner that |
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allows the child to enroll in both the school district and the |
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program provided by the community-based child-care provider |
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[site]. |
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SECTION 4. Section 29.154, Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 29.154. EVALUATION OF PREKINDERGARTEN PROGRAMS. The |
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commissioner of education, in consultation with the executive |
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commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission and the |
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commissioners of the Texas Workforce Commission [human services], |
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shall monitor and annually evaluate prekindergarten programs as to |
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their developmental appropriateness. The commissioners shall also |
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evaluate the potential for coordination on a statewide basis of |
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prekindergarten programs with community-based [government-funded] |
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early childhood care and education programs such as child care |
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administered under Chapter 44, Human Resources Code, and federal |
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Head Start programs. [That evaluation shall use recommendations |
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contained in the report to the 71st Legislature required by Chapter |
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717, Acts of the 70th Legislature, Regular Session, 1987.] For the |
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purpose of providing cost-effective care for children during the |
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full workday with developmentally appropriate curriculum, the |
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commissioners shall investigate the use of existing child-care |
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program sites as prekindergarten sites. Following the evaluation |
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required by this section, the commissioners, in cooperation with |
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school districts and other program administrators, shall integrate |
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programs, staff, and program sites for prekindergarten, |
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child-care, and federal Head Start programs to the greatest extent |
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possible. |
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SECTION 5. Section 29.168(b), Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(b) The agency shall collaborate with other state agencies, |
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including the Health and Human Services Commission, that provide |
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services for children from birth through five years of age to |
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establish prioritized family engagement strategies to be included |
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in a school district's family engagement plan. A parent-teacher |
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organization, community group, or faith-based institution may |
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submit to the agency recommendations regarding the establishment of |
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family engagement strategies, and the agency, in establishing the |
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family engagement strategies, shall consider any received |
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recommendations. The engagement strategies must: |
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(1) be based on empirical research; |
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(2) be proven to demonstrate significant positive |
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short-term and long-term outcomes for early childhood education; |
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[and] |
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(3) include programs and interventions that engage a |
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family in supporting a student's learning at home; and |
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(4) include strategies for collaborating with Head |
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Start and other community-based child-care programs. |
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SECTION 6. Section 29.169(a), Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) A school district shall: |
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(1) select and implement appropriate methods for |
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evaluating the district's program classes by measuring student |
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progress; [and] |
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(2) make data from the results of program evaluations |
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available to parents; and |
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(3) include in evaluating the district's program: |
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(A) an analysis of Head Start and other |
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community-based child-care programs in the community with which the |
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district could establish partnerships; and |
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(B) strategies identified for collaborating and |
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partnering with Head Start and other community-based child-care |
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programs to provide more options for early learning and improve |
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kindergarten readiness. |
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SECTION 7. This Act applies beginning with the 2023-2024 |
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school year. |
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SECTION 8. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |