SRC-CTC S.B. 998 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research CenterS.B. 998 By: Madla Education 5/28/2001 Enrolled DIGEST AND PURPOSE Currently, a teacher in an alternative education program (AEP) which is not located on a regular school campus is not required to hold a teachers certificate. AEPs are campuses for students who have been removed from the regular classroom for discipline problems, the programs teach all classes as well as life skills, anger management, and other specialized courses. These teachers deal with discipline, class management, learning disabilities, and other special needs that, because of the complexity of the teaching environment, lead to a high turnover rate. This instability in the teaching staff inhibits the students from excelling in this special environment. S.B. 998 allows an uncertified teacher who works in an AEP for three years or more to take the alternative teacher certification test without completing the alternative certification program to encourage and reward teachers to work in AEPs for a longer period of time. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 21.049, Education Code, to prohibit the State Board for Educator Certification from requiring a person employed as a teacher in an alternative education program under Section 37.008 or a juvenile justice education program under Section 37.011 for at least three years to complete an alternative educator certification program adopted under this section before taking the appropriate certification examination. SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2001. Provides that, for the purposes of Section 21.049(b), Education Code, as added by this Act, a person's employment as a teacher in an alternative education program or juvenile justice alternative education program before the 2001-2002 school year is not included in determining whether the person meets the requirements of that section.