By Delisi H.B. No. 1647
77R4617 BDH-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to creation of a program that provides incentives for
1-3 teachers to acquire additional teaching knowledge and skills.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Subchapter H, Chapter 21, Education Code, is
1-6 amended by adding Section 21.358 to read as follows:
1-7 Sec. 21.358. LONE STAR TEACHER INCENTIVE PROGRAM. (a) The
1-8 commissioner shall administer the Lone STAR Teacher Incentive
1-9 Program to recognize and reward classroom teachers for continuous
1-10 acquisition of knowledge and skills related to teaching.
1-11 (b) The program measures classroom teacher advancement in
1-12 the program using State Teacher Advancement and Remuneration
1-13 credits (STARs).
1-14 (c) A classroom teacher may participate in the program if
1-15 the teacher:
1-16 (1) submits an application to the commissioner in the
1-17 time and manner prescribed by the commissioner;
1-18 (2) is certified under Subchapter B; and
1-19 (3) is competent in the use of instructional
1-20 technology, as determined by the commissioner, in compliance with
1-21 guidelines adopted by the commissioner for that purpose.
1-22 (d) A classroom teacher is entitled to earn STARs as
1-23 follows:
1-24 (1) one STAR for:
2-1 (A) each additional certification under
2-2 Subchapter B to teach at a grade level or in a subject area that is
2-3 not covered by the teacher's initial certification;
2-4 (B) certification as a reading or mathematics
2-5 specialist;
2-6 (C) a year-long assignment to teach a
2-7 specialized reading course, an advanced placement course, or a
2-8 course in a critical teaching shortage area, as determined by the
2-9 commissioner, in a subject area for which the teacher is certified;
2-10 or
2-11 (D) completion of 100 hours of appropriate
2-12 continuing professional education or six college credit hours in a
2-13 subject area for which the teacher is certified;
2-14 (2) five STARs for:
2-15 (A) a National Board Certification, as defined
2-16 by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards;
2-17 (B) any state or national certification
2-18 comparable to that described by Paragraph (A), as determined by the
2-19 commissioner;
2-20 (C) a master's degree in a subject area for
2-21 which the teacher is certified; or
2-22 (D) if the teacher is certified in mathematics,
2-23 science, computer science, or engineering, a year-long assignment
2-24 to teach in a school district located in a county that borders the
2-25 United Mexican States; or
2-26 (3) ten STARs for a doctoral degree in a subject area
2-27 for which the teacher is certified.
3-1 (e) Any hours of continuing professional education or
3-2 college credit completed in obtaining a master's or doctoral degree
3-3 may not be counted toward STARs under Subsection (d).
3-4 (f) A classroom teacher is entitled to credit for a STAR
3-5 earned under Subsection (d)(1)(C) only for the year in which the
3-6 teacher earns the STAR.
3-7 (g) A certification other than that for a classroom teacher,
3-8 such as for principal, superintendent, counselor, or educational
3-9 aide, may not be counted toward STARs under Subsection (d).
3-10 (h) The commissioner shall:
3-11 (1) not later than June 1 of each year:
3-12 (A) compile a list of critical teaching shortage
3-13 areas for the following school year using information from the
3-14 Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) and the
3-15 State Board for Educator Certification; and
3-16 (B) make the list available on the Internet and
3-17 by other methods, as determined by the commissioner;
3-18 (2) annually compute the number and distribution of
3-19 STARs to which classroom teachers are entitled for the preceding
3-20 school year using information from the Public Education Information
3-21 Management System (PEIMS) and the State Board for Educator
3-22 Certification and report this information to the teachers, school
3-23 districts, the State Board of Education, and the governor;
3-24 (3) annually determine the monetary value of a STAR
3-25 based on available appropriations and the total number of STARs to
3-26 which classroom teachers were entitled for the preceding school
3-27 year, provided that each STAR has a value equal to all other STARs;
4-1 (4) subject to available money, annually award each
4-2 district an amount of money equal to the number of STARs to which
4-3 classroom teachers in the district were entitled for the preceding
4-4 school year, multiplied by the monetary value for that year
4-5 determined under Subdivision (3);
4-6 (5) annually provide each district with a list
4-7 specifying the uniform monetary value of STARs, the number of STARs
4-8 to which each classroom teacher in the district who participates in
4-9 the program is entitled, and the amount of money to be paid to each
4-10 teacher; and
4-11 (6) develop and publicize guidelines to determine
4-12 which advanced degrees, college courses, and continuing education
4-13 courses are considered to be in each area of teacher certification.
4-14 (i) A district receiving grants under this section shall pay
4-15 each classroom teacher an amount of money equal to the number of
4-16 STARs to which the teacher was entitled for the preceding school
4-17 year multiplied by the monetary value of a STAR determined under
4-18 Subsection (h)(3). The district shall pay each teacher one-half of
4-19 the money on the last payday of the fall semester or December 15,
4-20 whichever is later, and the other half of the money on the last
4-21 payday of the spring semester or June 15, whichever is later.
4-22 (j) A classroom teacher is responsible for:
4-23 (1) maintaining documentation of the teacher's
4-24 certifications, teaching assignments, college courses, continuing
4-25 professional education hours, and advanced degrees;
4-26 (2) ensuring that program records concerning the
4-27 teacher's participation are updated; and
5-1 (3) notifying the commissioner of errors or omissions
5-2 in the teacher's record.
5-3 (k) A classroom teacher is not required to participate in
5-4 the program as a condition of continued certification under
5-5 Subchapter B.
5-6 (l) The Lone STAR Teacher Incentive Program is funded by
5-7 amounts appropriated or from other available sources, including
5-8 gifts, grants, and donations accepted for that purpose.
5-9 SECTION 2. (a) This Act applies beginning with the
5-10 2002-2003 school year.
5-11 (b) A classroom teacher is entitled to credit for an
5-12 additional certification, advanced degree, college credit, or
5-13 continuing education hour under the Lone STAR Teacher Incentive
5-14 Program under Section 21.358, Education Code, as added by this Act,
5-15 regardless of when the certification, degree, or credit was
5-16 obtained or the hour was completed. A classroom teacher is
5-17 entitled to credit under the Lone STAR Teacher Incentive Program
5-18 for an assignment to teach a course specified by Section
5-19 21.358(d)(1)(C) or 21.358(d)(2)(D), Education Code, as added by
5-20 this Act, only for an assignment for the 2001-2002 school year or a
5-21 subsequent school year.
5-22 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
5-23 a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
5-24 provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
5-25 Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
5-26 Act takes effect September 1, 2001.