By Swinford H.B. No. 1372
74R5007 CAS-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to certification of and professional development for
1-3 administrators of public school campuses.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Subchapter F, Chapter 13, Education Code, is
1-6 amended by adding Section 13.355 to read as follows:
1-7 Sec. 13.355. CERTIFICATION OF CAMPUS ADMINISTRATORS. (a)
1-8 The State Board of Education shall provide for specific
1-9 certification of campus administrators and establish standards a
1-10 person must satisfy for certification as a campus administrator.
1-11 (b) To be employed by a school district as a campus
1-12 administrator, a person other than a person serving as a campus
1-13 administrator on or before September 1, 1998, must hold a
1-14 certificate issued under this section.
1-15 (c) A university, regional education service center, school
1-16 district, or other entity may offer a certification program
1-17 approved by the State Board of Education.
1-18 (d) To be approved, a certification program must:
1-19 (1) be primarily field based;
1-20 (2) provide for a rigorous selection and assessment
1-21 process;
1-22 (3) include an internship that complies with
1-23 Subsection (g);
1-24 (4) focus on proficiency rather than on the amount of
2-1 time spent participating in program activities; and
2-2 (5) include an assessment process that guarantees
2-3 proficiency in the areas specified.
2-4 (e) In addition to the requirements for approval under
2-5 Subsection (d), a certification program must provide for the
2-6 selection of candidates on the basis of a rigorous, multilevel
2-7 screening process. At the first level, an applicant's
2-8 undergraduate grade point average, personal and professional
2-9 references, writing ability, resume, and criminal history
2-10 background must be examined. At the second level, an applicant
2-11 must be required to participate in activities designed to
2-12 comprehensively assess the applicant's administrative leadership
2-13 potential, including simulation exercises, self-assessment, and
2-14 panel interviews.
2-15 (f) An applicant who completes the first two levels of
2-16 screening must, before being accepted as a candidate for
2-17 certification, participate in a comprehensive skills, knowledge,
2-18 and attitudes assessment process that is at least as stringent as
2-19 the assessment process of the National Association of Secondary
2-20 School Principals. The process must include assessment in areas
2-21 required by the State Board of Education and of knowledge and
2-22 skills as prescribed by the National Policy Board for Educational
2-23 Administration. The profile that results from the assessment
2-24 process and the screening process under Subsection (e) shall be
2-25 used to establish a baseline of the candidate's skills, knowledge,
2-26 and attitudes, develop a certification plan for the candidate, and
2-27 ensure the candidate's proficiency in the skills and knowledge
3-1 required for campus administration.
3-2 (g) Each candidate for certification must serve an
3-3 internship under the direction of a proven, successful campus
3-4 administrator who serves as a mentor to the candidate. Each mentor
3-5 shall be carefully selected from among campus administrators who
3-6 are recognized as successful leaders in innovative school reform
3-7 that has led to improved student performance. A mentor's
3-8 leadership must be verified by students, parents, campus staff, and
3-9 members of the business community. An orientation process shall be
3-10 provided to each mentor. The length of the internship shall be
3-11 determined on the basis of the assessment process under Subsection
3-12 (f) but may not be less than one year.
3-13 (h) Throughout the internship, each applicant must
3-14 participate in seminars and special programs and projects as
3-15 prescribed by the certification plan.
3-16 (i) A candidate and the state shall share the cost of the
3-17 candidate's certification, except that a school district may pay
3-18 not more than one-third of the cost. State funds for a candidate's
3-19 certification shall be paid to the entity providing the program,
3-20 and that entity must use the state funds on the certification
3-21 program.
3-22 (j) Each certification program shall maintain financial
3-23 records in accordance with State Board of Education rules in a
3-24 manner that indicates the use of program funds.
3-25 (k) The State Board of Education shall monitor each approved
3-26 program to ensure the quality of the program and the use of funds
3-27 in compliance with this section and board rules.
4-1 (l) The requirements for certification under this section
4-2 are in addition to the examination required under Section 13.032.
4-3 (m) Colleges and universities shall encourage faculty
4-4 members to participate in a certification program on a public
4-5 school campus.
4-6 (n) Unless renewed, a certificate issued under this section
4-7 expires on the fifth anniversary of the date on which the
4-8 certificate was issued or most recently renewed. The decision to
4-9 renew the certificate shall be based on local evaluations of the
4-10 overall performance of the campus administrator, demonstrated
4-11 improvement in student performance on the administrator's campus,
4-12 and other criteria determined by the State Board of Education.
4-13 (o) The State Board of Education may adopt reasonable fees
4-14 for issuing or renewing a certificate under this section.
4-15 SECTION 2. Subchapter F, Chapter 13, Education Code, is
4-16 amended by adding Section 13.356 to read as follows:
4-17 Sec. 13.356. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR CAMPUS
4-18 ADMINISTRATORS. (a) Each school district, in collaboration with
4-19 regional education service centers, colleges and universities, and
4-20 businesses, may develop and implement a comprehensive program to
4-21 assess the skills, knowledge, and attitudes of campus
4-22 administrators and provide appropriate professional development
4-23 activities to lead to proficiency in each area assessed. Campus
4-24 administrators shall participate in developing and implementing a
4-25 program under this section.
4-26 (b) An assessment profile resulting from the assessments
4-27 under this section may be used only to prepare an individualized
5-1 professional development plan that specifies professional
5-2 development activities for each campus administrator assessed.
5-3 (c) An assessment profile must be based on multiple
5-4 assessments, including self-assessment, supervisor assessment, peer
5-5 assessment, simulations, and field-based performance. The
5-6 standards used for assessment must include the standards for
5-7 administrators approved by the State Board of Education and the
5-8 knowledge and skills base developed by the National Policy Board
5-9 for Educational Administration.
5-10 (d) The professional development activities in an
5-11 individualized professional development plan may include seminars,
5-12 specific programs or projects, field-based exercises, internships,
5-13 and other appropriate activities designed to build skill and
5-14 knowledge towards proficiency in campus administration. Each plan
5-15 must include procedures for measuring proficiency. The measurement
5-16 must be based predominantly on performance rather than on the
5-17 amount of time spent in a program or number of courses taken.
5-18 (e) A school district, regional education service center,
5-19 college, university, or other appropriate entity may collaborate in
5-20 establishing an assessment center. The organization and activities
5-21 of each assessment center must be approved by the State Board of
5-22 Education. An assessment center may be located in a facility of
5-23 any entity participating in the collaboration.
5-24 (f) The State Board of Education shall present a
5-25 "Distinguished Campus Administrator" endorsement to each campus
5-26 administrator who successfully completes an assessment process and
5-27 individualized professional development plan under this section and
6-1 demonstrates proficiency under the standards prescribed by
6-2 Subsection (c). The commissioner of education and the State Board
6-3 of Education shall encourage school districts to use the
6-4 "Distinguished Campus Administrator" endorsement as a criterion of
6-5 employment of a campus administrator. To maintain the endorsement,
6-6 a campus administrator must repeat and complete an assessment
6-7 process and individualized professional development plan not later
6-8 than the fifth anniversary of the date on which the administrator
6-9 completed a previous plan.
6-10 (g) The cost of an assessment center and training program
6-11 shall be shared equally by the state, the school district employing
6-12 the administrator, and the regional education service center in
6-13 whose region the school district is located. A portion of the
6-14 amount annually appropriated for professional staff development
6-15 must be used for training programs designed to address skill
6-16 deficiencies identified during the assessment process.
6-17 (h) Not later than December 1, 1999, the commissioner of
6-18 education shall present to the legislature a report on each school
6-19 district, specifying the number of campus administrators who have
6-20 completed the assessment process under this section, are involved
6-21 in professional development plan activities, have demonstrated
6-22 proficiency in all areas, or have failed to participate in the
6-23 activities. Not later than the beginning of the 1999-2000 school
6-24 year, each person employed as a campus administrator during the
6-25 1995-1996 school year and still employed in that capacity shall be
6-26 involved in professional development activities. This subsection
6-27 expires December 1, 1999.
7-1 SECTION 3. Section 13.352(b), Education Code, is repealed.
7-2 SECTION 4. Beginning with the fall semester 1995 or the
7-3 1995-1996 school year, as applicable, a college, university,
7-4 regional education service center, school district, or other
7-5 appropriate entity may offer a program under Section 13.355,
7-6 Education Code, as added by this Act, for certification of
7-7 administrators of public school campuses.
7-8 SECTION 5. The importance of this legislation and the
7-9 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
7-10 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
7-11 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
7-12 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
7-13 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
7-14 passage, and it is so enacted.