HBA-NMO H.B. 725 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 725 By: Delisi Public Education 3/12/1999 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Current law does not provide a scholarship program for classroom teachers seeking advanced degrees or additional certification. Classroom teachers with advanced subject area knowledge obtained in graduate courses may have a beneficial impact on student performance. Guidelines for advanced professional knowledge and skills have recently been developed by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. H.B. 725 creates the Texas Classroom Teachers Scholarship Program for teachers seeking advanced degrees in a field related to their certifications, additional certifications, or National Board Certifications awarded by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that rulemaking authority is expressly delegated to the Texas Education Agency in SECTION 1 (Section 21.472, Education Code) of this bill. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 21, Education Code, by adding Subchapter K, as follows: SUBCHAPTER K. TEXAS CLASSROOM TEACHERS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM Sec. 21.471. PURPOSE OF SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM. Sets forth the purpose of the Texas Classroom Teachers Scholarship Program (program). Sec. 21.472. ADMINISTRATION OF PROGRAM. Provides that the program is administered by the Texas Education Agency (TEA). Authorizes TEA to adopt rules it considers reasonable to administer this subchapter. Requires the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (coordinating board) to provide TEA with information available to the coordinating board that TEA requests to assist it in administering the program. Authorizes TEA by rule to adopt additional qualifications awarded under this subchapter as it determines appropriate to direct the use of scholarships or make the most efficient use of the resources available to achieve the purposes of this subchapter. Sec. 21.473. RESTRICTION ON USE OF SCHOLARSHIP. Prohibits the application of a program scholarship to expenses covered by a state or federal grant awarded for educational purposes. Sec. 21.474. ELIGIBILITY FOR ADVANCE DEGREE SCHOLARSHIP. Sets forth the eligibility requirements for an advanced degree scholarship. Sec. 21.475. CONDITIONS OF ADVANCED DEGREE SCHOLARSHIP. Prohibits an advanced degree scholarship from exceeding $2,000 for each academic year completed toward the degree. Provides that there is no minimum number of semester credit hours (hours) required to be completed in an academic period to retain eligibility. Limits the total amount of advance degree scholarship a person receives to $10,000 or less. Prohibits a person from receiving an advanced degree scholarship for more than five academic years. Provides that a person forfeits eligibility to receive an advance degree scholarship after a break of more than 12 consecutive months in the person's enrollment at an eligible institution of higher education in connection with the advanced degree program. Sec. 21.476. ELIGIBILITY FOR ADDITIONAL CERTIFICATION SCHOLARSHIP. Sets forth eligibility requirements to obtain a scholarship to attend an education preparation program for additional certification described by Section 21.471(2). Sec. 21.477. CONDITIONS OF ADDITIONAL CERTIFICATION SCHOLARSHIP. Prohibits a certification scholarship from exceeding $2,000 for each academic year completed in the educator preparation program. Provides that there is no minimum number of hours required to be completed in an academic period to retain eligibility. Limits the total amount of advance degree scholarship a person receives to $6,000 or less. Prohibits a person from receiving an advanced degree scholarship for more than three academic years. Provides that a person forfeits eligibility to receive an additional certification scholarship after a break of more than 12 consecutive months in the person's enrollment at an eligible institution of higher education in connection with the educator preparation program. Sec. 21.478. ELIGIBILITY FOR NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION. Sets forth eligibility requirements for a scholarship to assist a person seeking national board certification by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Sec. 21.479. CONDITIONS OF NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION SCHOLARSHIP. Prohibits a national board certification scholarship from exceeding $2,000 in an academic year in which the person actively works toward the certification. Requires TEA to award an additional scholarship to cover the fees charged in connection with national board certification, not to exceed a total amount of $2,000. Limits the total amount of advance degree scholarship a person receives to $6,000 or less. Prohibits a person from receiving a national board certification scholarship for more than two school years, and prohibits the person from receiving a second scholarship for a school year after the school year immediately following the first school for which the person receives a scholarship. Sec. 21.480. TEACHING AGREEMENT. Provides that a person who receives a scholarship under this subchapter must enter into an agreement with TEA at the time the scholarship is accepted to continue as a full-time classroom teacher at the primary, middle, or secondary level in a public school district in this state within the period specified by the agreement, if any. Sets forth the terms of the agreement. Requires the amount to be repaid by a person for failing to fulfill the agreement to be determined in proportion to the portion of the teaching obligation that the person has satisfied. Provides that an agreement to teach does not obligate a school district to employ or continue the employment of the person as a classroom teacher. Sec. 21.481. PAYMENT OF EDUCATOR CERTIFICATION FEES. Entitles a person who received a scholarship under this program to reimbursement by TEA of certain fees if the person completes the graduate degree or educator preparation program. Sec. 21.482. FUNDING. Provides that this subchapter is funded by amounts appropriated for the program from available sources including the state lottery account. Authorizes TEA to solicit and accept gifts, grants, and donations for the purposes of this subchapter. SECTION 2. Amends Section 466.355(b), Government Code, to authorize the transfer of funds from the state lottery account to TEA in any amount appropriated for the current state fiscal year for the program. Makes conforming changes. SECTION 3. Requires TEA to adopt rules and begin awarding scholarships under the Texas Classroom Teachers Scholarship Program, as added by this Act, as soon as practicable after the effective date of this Act. SECTION 4.Emergency clause. Effective date: upon passage.