By Ellis S.B. No. 846 74R7163 SRC-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to establishment of the center for the development and 1-3 study of effective pedagogy for African American learners. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Chapter 106, Education Code, is amended by adding 1-6 Subchapter E to read as follows: 1-7 SUBCHAPTER E. CENTER FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND STUDY OF EFFECTIVE 1-8 PEDAGOGY FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN LEARNERS 1-9 Sec. 106.61. CENTER ESTABLISHED; MISSION. (a) The Center 1-10 for the Development and Study of Effective Pedagogy for African 1-11 American Learners is established as a cooperative partnership 1-12 between the public school system and Texas Southern University 1-13 acting through the university's college of education. 1-14 (b) The mission of the center is to promote educator and 1-15 institutional responsibility for the excellent and equitable 1-16 education of African Americans. 1-17 (c) Cooperative relationships among the center, partner and 1-18 affiliate campuses, and other appropriate entities, including the 1-19 Central Education Agency, may be established with the approval of 1-20 the dean of the university's college of education. 1-21 Sec. 106.62. AFFILIATE CAMPUS ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA. (a) A 1-22 school campus may affiliate with the center as a partner campus or 1-23 an affiliate campus. A partner campus must have an accountability 1-24 rating by the Central Education Agency of at least "recognized." 2-1 An affiliate campus must have an accountability rating by the 2-2 Central Education Agency of "acceptable" or "low performing." 2-3 (b) To be eligible to affiliate with the center, a campus 2-4 must meet the following criteria, as determined by the center: 2-5 (1) have a percentage of enrolled students who are 2-6 African American that is at least 15 percentage points greater than 2-7 the statewide average; 2-8 (2) have a percentage of enrolled students from 2-9 low-income families that is at least 20 percentage points greater 2-10 than the statewide average; 2-11 (3) have a superintendent of schools who demonstrates 2-12 an interest in increasing the achievement level of African American 2-13 students and who is willing to allocate resources to develop 2-14 further the instructional program of the campus; 2-15 (4) have a principal, teachers, and other staff who 2-16 are willing to work cooperatively with the center's staff; and 2-17 (5) be located in a community in which an 2-18 institutional base exists, independent of the campus, from which 2-19 parents and community leaders may be organized or in which 2-20 potential for that institutional base exists. 2-21 Sec. 106.63. CENTER ACTIVITIES. (a) The center shall focus 2-22 teaching, research, and services on improving the capacities of 2-23 educators and educational institutions to effect educational 2-24 excellence and equity and improve learner achievement for African 2-25 Americans. 2-26 (b) Consistent with its mission, the center shall: 2-27 (1) conduct research, studies, evaluations, field 3-1 tests, implementation, and dissemination of culturally consistent 3-2 educational pedagogy and learning opportunities for African 3-3 Americans; 3-4 (2) assist institutions and individual educators in 3-5 effecting a change in attitudes and practices that are barriers to 3-6 educational excellence and equity with respect to student learner 3-7 outcomes for African Americans; 3-8 (3) create a structure for professional development 3-9 that is driven by local needs and student learner outcomes and that 3-10 fosters educator and institutional responsibility for learning 3-11 among African Americans; 3-12 (4) develop an array of educational programs, 3-13 services, and support systems from the best available practices and 3-14 research for the purpose of enabling schools to effect for African 3-15 American students excellence and equity in a broad range of 3-16 real-world outcomes at each level of education, from early 3-17 childhood through postsecondary; 3-18 (5) empower African Americans to hold public schools 3-19 accountable for school-related outcomes and results; 3-20 (6) enable teachers and administrators to use 3-21 culturally consistent educational pedagogy in classrooms; and 3-22 (7) provide statewide staff development for partner 3-23 and affiliate campuses. 3-24 (c) The center may recommend to the governor and the 3-25 legislature legislation relating to the mission and activities of 3-26 the center. 3-27 (d) The center may participate in collaborative activities 4-1 with foundations or organizations in or outside of this state. 4-2 Sec. 106.64. FUNDING. (a) The center is funded through 4-3 legislative appropriations and gifts and grants for the purpose of 4-4 the center. 4-5 (b) The university and the governor may solicit and receive 4-6 gifts and grants for the purpose of the center. 4-7 Sec. 106.65. STATE AGENCY COOPERATION. At the request of 4-8 the dean of the university's college of education, a state agency 4-9 shall cooperate with and assist the center in carrying out its 4-10 activities. 4-11 Sec. 106.66. REGIONAL SERVICE CENTER COOPERATION. Each 4-12 regional education service center in whose region a center partner 4-13 or affiliate campus is located shall employ a person in the 4-14 position of regional coordinator who shall provide general 4-15 assistance and access to all service center programs, services, and 4-16 materials by the partner or affiliate campus and by the school 4-17 districts in which the campuses are included. 4-18 Sec. 106.67. BIENNIAL REPORT. (a) Not later than January 4-19 31 of each odd-numbered year, the center shall report to the 4-20 governor, the lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the house of 4-21 representatives giving an account for the preceding two years of 4-22 center activities and the use of funds by the center. 4-23 (b) The report shall also include a description of the 4-24 progress of partner and affiliate campuses, including: 4-25 (1) the percentages of students passing all assessment 4-26 instruments under Section 35.023, in the aggregate and by campus; 4-27 (2) projections for the next two years of the 5-1 percentages of students that will pass all assessment instruments 5-2 under Section 35.023, in the aggregate and by campus, assuming no 5-3 action is taken by the center to contribute to an increase in the 5-4 percentages, and a plan for increasing those percentages; and 5-5 (3) information about specific campus programs that 5-6 have been identified as successful. 5-7 SECTION 2. The importance of this legislation and the 5-8 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 5-9 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 5-10 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 5-11 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 5-12 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 5-13 passage, and it is so enacted.