HBA-MSH C.S.H.B. 1310 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 1310
By: Salinas
Public Education
4/20/2001
Committee Report (Substituted)



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Continuing education for classroom teachers is a means of improving
teaching skills and the caliber of classroom instruction.  Teachers often
do not have the time or resources to engage in continuing education
opportunities.  C.S.H.B. 1310 establishes the Texas Teachers' Excellence
Program to provide statesupported incentives to encourage teachers to
become certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 1310 amends the Education Code to require the State Board for
Educator Certification (board) to establish the Texas Teachers' Excellence
Program (program) to encourage teachers to become certified by the National
Board for Professional Teaching Standards.  The bill requires the board to
provide financial assistance to teachers in earning certification and to
provide staff for a selection committee.  The bill requires school
districts to pay stipends to teachers who hold certification (Sec. 21.602). 

The bill establishes a five member selection committee (committee) to
review applications of teachers who apply to participate in the program and
sets forth provisions for the appointment, terms of office, meeting dates,
and reimbursement of expenses incurred by members.  If the committee
receives not more than 100 applications in a fiscal year for financial
assistance under the program, the bill requires the committee to accept the
application of each eligible applicant.  If the committee receives more
than 100 applications in a fiscal year and accepting the applications of
all the eligible applicants would result in the expenditure of more money
than the amount available for that fiscal year, the bill requires the
selection committee to review all of the applications and select not more
than 100 eligible applicants to receive financial assistance (Sec. 21.604). 

For each teacher selected by the applicant review committee, the bill
requires the board to pay the application fee for the national
certification examination and provide a scholarship to pay other expenses
of applying for national certification.  The bill requires the board to
establish the amount of a scholarship but not to exceed $1,500 paid from
funds appropriated to the board and grants, gifts and donations received
for that purpose and $1,000 from funds provided to the board through
federal grants.  The bill entitles a teacher to three days of leave to
prepare the application for national certification, in addition to any
other leave to which the teacher is entitled (Sec. 21.605).  The bill sets
forth eligibility requirements for financial assistance to teachers
preparing for the certification examination (Sec. 21.603).  The bill sets
forth conditions under which the teacher is required to reimburse the board
for the money received to train and apply for national certification (Sec.
21.606).  The bill requires school districts to pay an annual salary
stipend of $4,000 to teachers who hold national certification at the
beginning of the school year, and an additional $2,000 to those who serve
at least 40 hours during the school year as a mentor to other teachers
preparing for the national certification examination (Secs. 21.602 and
21.607).  The bill requires the  program to be funded using funds
appropriated to the board, funds provided to the board through federal
grants and gifts, grants, and donations received for that purpose (Sec.
21.608) 

The bill amends the Government Code to include salary stipends provided as
a part of the program  in the definition of salary and wages for the
purposes of calculating member contributions and benefits under the Teacher
Retirement System of Texas (Sec. 822.201). 

The bill specifies that a classroom teacher is not entitled to a salary
stipend for a year before the effective date of the bill during which the
teacher held certification (SECTION 3). 

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 1310 differs from the original by removing provisions that
required the State Board for Educator Certification to provide training and
information to teachers regarding certification by  the National Board for
Professional Teaching Standards (certification) (Sec. 21.602).  If there
are more applicants than can be accepted with the money available in a
fiscal year, the substitute decreases the maximum number of teachers that
can be selected to receive a scholarship from 500 to 100.  The substitute
decreases the number of members of the selection committee from 15 to five,
and requires that at least one member appointed by the board and at least
one member appointed by the State Board of Education be a teacher who holds
a certification (Sec. 21.604).  The substitute requires the board to
establish the amount of a scholarship and establishes maximum amounts from
the different sources of funding (Sec. 21.605).  The bill provides that
only a teacher who holds a certification at the beginning of the school
year is authorized to receive a stipend from the school district.  The
substitute decreases from 50 to 40 the number of hours during the school
year a teacher must work as a mentor to receive the additional $2,000
stipend (Sec. 21.607).  The substitute provides that the certification
program is funded using funds appropriated to the board and funds provided
to the board through federal grants and gifts, grants, and donations
rather than state funds appropriated for the program along with gift,
grants, and donations (Sec. 21.608).  The substitute modifies provisions in
the original relating to the expiration of terms of the initial members of
the selection committee.  The substitute specifies that a classroom teacher
is not entitled to a salary stipend for a year before the effective date of
the bill during which the teacher held certification (SECTION 3).