77R14249 JSA-D
By Bivins, et al. S.B. No. 1595
Substitute the following for S.B. No. 1595:
By Rangel C.S.S.B. No. 1595
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the recruitment of school teachers, to financial
1-3 assistance for persons seeking certification as public school
1-4 teachers, including revisions to the Teach for Texas grant program,
1-5 and to loan repayment assistance for certain classroom teachers.
1-6 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-7 SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 7, Education Code, is
1-8 amended by adding Section 7.025 to read as follows:
1-9 Sec. 7.025. TEACHER RECRUITMENT, RETENTION, AND RECOGNITION.
1-10 (a) The agency may establish statewide initiatives for teacher
1-11 recruitment, retention, and recognition. The agency may coordinate
1-12 with other agencies to recognize and promote the teaching
1-13 profession.
1-14 (b) The agency may use any available revenue, including
1-15 legislative appropriations, and may solicit and accept gifts,
1-16 grants, and donations to support initiatives under this section.
1-17 SECTION 2. Subchapter K, Chapter 21, Education Code, as
1-18 added by Chapter 1590, Acts of the 76th Legislature, Regular
1-19 Session, 1999, is redesignated as Subchapter L, Chapter 21,
1-20 Education Code, and amended to read as follows:
1-21 SUBCHAPTER L [K]. COORDINATION WITH TEACH FOR TEXAS [PILOT
1-22 PROGRAM RELATING TO] ALTERNATIVE CERTIFICATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
1-23 Sec. 21.551 [21.501]. COORDINATION [PURPOSES]. The State
1-24 Board for Educator Certification shall advise the Texas Higher
2-1 Education Coordinating Board regarding the [purposes of the
2-2 alternative certification] Teach for Texas Alternative
2-3 Certification Assistance [Pilot] Program established by Section
2-4 56.357.
2-5 Sec. 21.552. EDUCATOR PREPARATION PROGRAMS. To further the
2-6 purposes of the Teach for Texas Alternative Certification
2-7 Assistance Program, the State Board for Educator Certification may
2-8 [are to:]
2-9 [(1) attract to the teaching profession persons who
2-10 have expressed interest in teaching and to support the
2-11 certification of those persons as teachers;]
2-12 [(2) recognize the importance of the certification
2-13 process governed by the State Board for Educator Certification
2-14 under Subchapter B, which requires verification of competence in
2-15 subject area and professional knowledge and skills;]
2-16 [(3)] encourage through financial incentives the
2-17 creation and expansion of educator preparation programs that
2-18 recognize the knowledge and skills gained through previous
2-19 educational and work-related experiences and that are delivered in
2-20 a manner that recognizes individual circumstances, including the
2-21 need to remain employed full-time while enrolled in the Teach for
2-22 Texas Alternative Certification Assistance [Pilot] Program[; and]
2-23 [(4) provide annual stipends to postbaccalaureate
2-24 teacher certification candidates].
2-25 [Sec. 21.502. PROGRAM ESTABLISHED. The State Board for
2-26 Educator Certification by rule shall establish the Teach for Texas
2-27 Pilot Program consistent with the purposes provided by Section
3-1 21.501.]
3-2 [Sec. 21.503. FINANCIAL INCENTIVES. (a) The pilot program
3-3 must offer to participants financial incentives, including tuition
3-4 assistance and loan forgiveness. In offering a financial
3-5 incentive, the State Board for Educator Certification shall:]
3-6 [(1) require a contract between each participant who
3-7 accepts a financial incentive and the State Board for Educator
3-8 Certification under which the participant is obligated to teach in
3-9 a public school in this state for a stated period after
3-10 certification;]
3-11 [(2) provide financial incentives in proportion to the
3-12 length of the period the participant is obligated by contract to
3-13 teach after certification; and]
3-14 [(3) give special financial incentives to a
3-15 participant who agrees in the contract to teach in an underserved
3-16 area.]
3-17 [(b) Financial incentives may be paid only from funds
3-18 appropriated specifically for that purpose and from gifts, grants,
3-19 and donations solicited or accepted by the State Board for Educator
3-20 Certification for that purpose.]
3-21 [(c) The State Board for Educator Certification shall
3-22 propose rules establishing criteria for awarding financial
3-23 incentives under this section, including criteria for awarding
3-24 financial incentives if there are more participants than funds
3-25 available to provide the financial incentives.]
3-26 SECTION 3. Section 56.309, Education Code, is redesignated
3-27 as Subchapter O, Chapter 56, Education Code, and amended to read as
4-1 follows:
4-2 SUBCHAPTER O. TEACH FOR TEXAS FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
4-3 Sec. 56.351. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
4-4 (1) "Coordinating board" means the Texas Higher
4-5 Education Coordinating Board.
4-6 (2) "Eligible institution of higher education" means:
4-7 (A) an institution of higher education; or
4-8 (B) a private or independent institution of
4-9 higher education as defined by Section 61.003.
4-10 Sec. 56.352 [56.309]. PURPOSE OF [TEACH FOR TEXAS GRANT]
4-11 PROGRAM. [(a)] The purpose of this subchapter [the Teach for
4-12 Texas grant program] is to attract to the teaching profession
4-13 persons who have expressed interest in teaching and to support the
4-14 certification of those persons as classroom teachers by providing a
4-15 grant on the condition that the recipient serve as a classroom
4-16 teacher in the public schools of this state for a specified period.
4-17 Sec. 56.353. ELIGIBILITY FOR GRANT; TEACHING AGREEMENT. (a)
4-18 [(b)] A Teach for Texas [tuition] grant is available only to a
4-19 person who [receives a TEXAS grant under Section 56.304 or 56.305,]
4-20 applies for a [Teach for Texas tuition] grant[,] and:
4-21 (1) is seeking educator certification;
4-22 (2) is enrolled in an eligible institution of higher
4-23 education in this state:
4-24 (A) as a junior or senior in a baccalaureate
4-25 degree program; or
4-26 (B) in the person's first academic year in an
4-27 educator certification program after receiving a baccalaureate
5-1 degree;
5-2 (3) makes satisfactory progress toward completion of
5-3 the person's educator certification program; and
5-4 (4) satisfies one of the following [if]:
5-5 (A) the person is seeking educator certification
5-6 [(1) the degree program is] in a teaching field certified by the
5-7 commissioner of education as experiencing a critical shortage of
5-8 teachers in this state in the year in which the person receives the
5-9 grant and agrees to teach full-time for four years at the
5-10 preschool, primary, or secondary level in a public school in this
5-11 state in that teaching field [begins the degree program]; or
5-12 (B) [(2)] the person agrees to teach full-time
5-13 for four years at the preschool, primary, or secondary level in a
5-14 public school in this state in a community, which is not required
5-15 to be specifically designated at the time the person receives the
5-16 grant, certified by the commissioner of education as experiencing a
5-17 critical shortage of teachers in any year in which the person
5-18 receives a grant under this subchapter [section] or in any
5-19 subsequent year in which the person fulfills the teaching
5-20 obligation.
5-21 (b) The coordinating board in awarding Teach for Texas
5-22 grants shall give priority to applicants whose expected family
5-23 contribution and demonstrated financial need, as determined by the
5-24 financial aid office of the institution the applicant attends, does
5-25 not exceed the applicant's cost of attendance.
5-26 (c) If the money available for grants in a period for which
5-27 grants are awarded exceeds the amount needed to provide grants to
6-1 all eligible applicants described by Subsection (b), the
6-2 coordinating board shall award grants from the remaining money to
6-3 additional eligible applicants. The coordinating board shall
6-4 prescribe by rule the eligibility requirements for these applicants
6-5 based on the factors that the coordinating board considers
6-6 appropriate to further the purposes of this subchapter.
6-7 (d) If the money available for grants in a period for which
6-8 grants are awarded is insufficient to provide grants to all
6-9 eligible applicants described by Subsection (b), the coordinating
6-10 board shall award grants among those applicants according to
6-11 financial need.
6-12 (e) A person may not receive a Teach for Texas tuition grant
6-13 for more than three academic years or the equivalent.
6-14 (f) A person is not eligible to receive a Teach for Texas
6-15 grant if the person has been convicted of a felony or an offense
6-16 under Chapter 481, Health and Safety Code (Texas Controlled
6-17 Substances Act), or under the law of another jurisdiction involving
6-18 a controlled substance, as defined by Chapter 481, Health and
6-19 Safety Code, unless the person has met the other applicable
6-20 eligibility requirements under this subchapter and has:
6-21 (1) received a certificate of discharge by the Texas
6-22 Department of Criminal Justice or a correctional facility or
6-23 completed a period of probation ordered by a court, and at least
6-24 two years have elapsed from the date of the receipt or completion;
6-25 or
6-26 (2) been pardoned, had the record of the offense
6-27 expunged from the person's record, or otherwise has been released
7-1 from the resulting ineligibility to receive a grant under this
7-2 subchapter.
7-3 (g) For the purpose of this section, a person makes
7-4 satisfactory academic progress toward completion of an educator
7-5 certification program if the person:
7-6 (1) completes at least 75 percent of the semester
7-7 credit hours attempted in the student's most recent academic year;
7-8 and
7-9 (2) earns an overall grade point average of at least
7-10 2.5 on a four-point scale or the equivalent on coursework
7-11 previously attempted at institutions of higher education.
7-12 Sec. 56.354. AMOUNT OF GRANT; PAYMENT OF GRANT. (a) The
7-13 amount of a Teach for Texas grant is equal to four times the
7-14 current amount of a TEXAS grant under Subchapter M for a student
7-15 enrolled in a general academic teaching institution [To receive a
7-16 Teach for Texas tuition grant, a person must agree to teach
7-17 full-time for five years at the preschool, primary, or secondary
7-18 level in a public school in this state in the person's chosen
7-19 critical field or in a community experiencing a critical teacher
7-20 shortage, as applicable].
7-21 (b) [(d)] The coordinating board shall pay the amount of a
7-22 Teach for Texas [tuition] grant in installments, with a
7-23 substantially equal amount paid in each semester or term based on
7-24 the number of semesters in which a typical full-time student would
7-25 complete the recipient's educator certification program. The
7-26 coordinating board may adjust the amount of a grant for a semester
7-27 or term, or award a supplemental grant, to ensure that a grant
8-1 recipient who completes the educator certification program receives
8-2 the total amount of the recipient's grant [under this section is
8-3 equal to two times the amount of a TEXAS grant authorized under
8-4 Section 56.307(b) for the same semester or term].
8-5 Sec. 56.355. ELIGIBILITY FOR TEXAS GRANT NOT AFFECTED. A
8-6 person may receive both a TEXAS grant under Subchapter M [Section
8-7 56.304 or 56.305] and a Teach for Texas grant under this subchapter
8-8 [section] for the same semester or term.
8-9 Sec. 56.356. SATISFYING TEACHING OBLIGATION; REPAYMENT. (a)
8-10 A person who receives a Teach for Texas grant [(e) The person] must
8-11 begin fulfilling the teaching obligation of the person's grant
8-12 [this section] not later than the 18th month after the person
8-13 completes the educator certification program for which the person
8-14 received the grant [degree program and any related courses required
8-15 for teacher certification], unless the coordinating board grants
8-16 the person additional time to begin fulfilling the teaching
8-17 obligation.
8-18 (b) The person must complete the teaching obligation not
8-19 later than the fifth [sixth] year after the date the person begins
8-20 to fulfill the teaching obligation. The coordinating board shall
8-21 grant a person additional time to complete the teaching obligation
8-22 for good cause.
8-23 (c) [(f)] The coordinating board shall cancel a person's
8-24 teaching obligation if the board determines that the person:
8-25 (1) has become permanently disabled so that the person
8-26 is not able to teach; or
8-27 (2) has died.
9-1 (d) [(g)] The coordinating board shall require a person who
9-2 receives a Teach for Texas grant [under this section] to sign a
9-3 promissory note acknowledging the conditional nature of the grant
9-4 and promising to repay the outstanding amount of the grant plus
9-5 applicable interest and reasonable collection costs if the person
9-6 does not satisfy the applicable conditions. The board shall
9-7 determine the terms of the promissory note.
9-8 (e) [(h)] The amount required to be repaid by a person who
9-9 fails to complete the teaching obligation of the person's grant
9-10 shall be determined in proportion to the portion of the total
9-11 teaching obligation that the person has not satisfied.
9-12 (f) [(i)] A person receiving a Teach for Texas [tuition]
9-13 grant is considered to have failed to satisfy the conditions of the
9-14 grant, and the grant automatically becomes a loan, if the person
9-15 fails to remain enrolled in or to make steady progress in the
9-16 person's educator certification program and, if applicable, the
9-17 person's baccalaureate degree program for which the grant was made
9-18 without good cause as determined by the coordinating board or if
9-19 the person fails to become certified as a teacher not later than
9-20 the 18th month after the date the person completes the educator
9-21 certification program [receives a degree].
9-22 Sec. 56.357. TEACH FOR TEXAS ALTERNATIVE CERTIFICATION
9-23 ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. (a) The coordinating board shall establish a
9-24 program under which the coordinating board awards grants to assist
9-25 persons seeking educator certification through alternative educator
9-26 certification programs as provided by this section.
9-27 (b) To be eligible for a grant under the program, a person
10-1 must apply for a grant and:
10-2 (1) have received a baccalaureate degree from an
10-3 eligible institution of higher education or an accredited
10-4 out-of-state institution of higher education; and
10-5 (2) enroll in an alternative educator certification
10-6 program described by Section 21.049 and satisfy either of the
10-7 following conditions:
10-8 (A) be seeking educator certification in a
10-9 teaching field certified by the commissioner of education as
10-10 experiencing a critical shortage of teachers in this state in the
10-11 year in which the person receives the grant and agree to teach for
10-12 four years in a public school in this state in that teaching field;
10-13 or
10-14 (B) agree to teach for four years in a public
10-15 school in this state in a community, which is not required to be
10-16 specifically designated at the time the person receives the grant,
10-17 certified by the commissioner of education as experiencing a
10-18 critical shortage of teachers in any year in which the person
10-19 receives a grant under this section or in any subsequent year in
10-20 which the person fulfills the teaching obligation.
10-21 (c) A person is not eligible to receive a grant under the
10-22 program if the person has been convicted of a felony or an offense
10-23 under Chapter 481, Health and Safety Code (Texas Controlled
10-24 Substances Act), or under the law of another jurisdiction involving
10-25 a controlled substance, as defined by Chapter 481, Health and
10-26 Safety Code, unless the person has met the other applicable
10-27 eligibility requirements under this section and has:
11-1 (1) received a certificate of discharge by the Texas
11-2 Department of Criminal Justice or a correctional facility or
11-3 completed a period of probation ordered by a court, and at least
11-4 two years have elapsed from the date of the receipt or completion;
11-5 or
11-6 (2) been pardoned, had the record of the offense
11-7 expunged from the person's record, or otherwise has been released
11-8 from the resulting ineligibility to receive a grant under the
11-9 program.
11-10 (d) In selecting applicants to receive grants under the
11-11 program, the coordinating board shall consider:
11-12 (1) the financial resources of an applicant;
11-13 (2) the efficient use of the money available for
11-14 grants;
11-15 (3) the opportunity of applicants from all regions of
11-16 this state to receive grants; and
11-17 (4) any other factor the coordinating board considers
11-18 appropriate to further the purposes of this subchapter.
11-19 (e) The amount of a grant under the program is equal to two
11-20 times the current amount of a TEXAS grant under Subchapter M for a
11-21 student enrolled in a general academic teaching institution. The
11-22 coordinating board may pay the amount of the grant in installments
11-23 during the period in which the person is enrolled in the person's
11-24 alternative educator certification program.
11-25 (f) The person must begin fulfilling the person's teaching
11-26 obligation not later than the 18th month after the person completes
11-27 the alternative educator certification program, unless the
12-1 coordinating board for good cause grants the person additional time
12-2 to begin fulfilling the teaching obligation. The person must
12-3 complete the teaching obligation not later than the sixth year
12-4 after the date the person begins to fulfill the teaching
12-5 obligation. The coordinating board shall grant a person additional
12-6 time to complete the teaching obligation for good cause.
12-7 (g) The coordinating board shall cancel a person's teaching
12-8 obligation if the coordinating board determines that the person:
12-9 (1) has become permanently disabled so that the person
12-10 is not able to teach; or
12-11 (2) has died.
12-12 (h) The coordinating board shall require a person who
12-13 receives a grant to sign a promissory note acknowledging the
12-14 conditional nature of the grant and promising to repay the amount
12-15 of the grant plus applicable interest and reasonable collection
12-16 costs if the person does not satisfy the applicable conditions of
12-17 the grant. The coordinating board shall determine the terms of the
12-18 promissory note.
12-19 (i) The amount required to be repaid by a person who fails
12-20 to complete the teaching obligation of the person's grant shall be
12-21 determined in proportion to the portion of the teaching obligation
12-22 that the person has not satisfied.
12-23 (j) A person receiving a grant is considered to have failed
12-24 to satisfy the conditions of the grant, and the grant automatically
12-25 becomes a loan, if the person, without good cause as determined by
12-26 the coordinating board, fails to:
12-27 (1) remain enrolled in or to make steady progress in
13-1 the alternative educator certification program for which the grant
13-2 was made or, with the approval of the coordinating board, in
13-3 another alternative educator certification program; or
13-4 (2) become certified as a classroom teacher not later
13-5 than the 18th month after the date the person completes the
13-6 alternative educator certification program.
13-7 (k) The coordinating board shall consult with the State
13-8 Board for Educator Certification in establishing the program
13-9 required by this section.
13-10 (l) The coordinating board, working jointly with the State
13-11 Board for Educator Certification and other state agencies involved
13-12 in public education matters and with other interested public and
13-13 private entities, shall conduct outreach to educate potential
13-14 participants about the program. The coordinating board may solicit
13-15 and accept gifts and grants from any public or private source for
13-16 the purposes of this subsection. The outreach must emphasize:
13-17 (1) the importance of teaching as a profession;
13-18 (2) the short-term commitment to the program required
13-19 of participants; and
13-20 (3) the value of the experience offered by the
13-21 program.
13-22 Sec. 56.358. FUNDING; ALLOCATION OF FUNDING. (a) The
13-23 coordinating board may solicit and accept gifts and grants from any
13-24 public or private source for the purposes of this subchapter.
13-25 (b) The legislature may appropriate money for the purposes
13-26 of this subchapter.
13-27 SECTION 4. The heading to Subchapter M, Chapter 56,
14-1 Education Code, as added by Chapter 1590, Acts of the 76th
14-2 Legislature, Regular Session, 1999, is amended to read as follows:
14-3 SUBCHAPTER M. TOWARD EXCELLENCE, ACCESS, & SUCCESS (TEXAS)
14-4 GRANT PROGRAM [AND TEACH FOR TEXAS GRANT PROGRAM]
14-5 SECTION 5. Subsection (b), Section 56.308, Education Code,
14-6 is amended to read as follows:
14-7 (b) Each school district shall:
14-8 (1) notify its middle school students, junior high
14-9 school students, and high school students, those students' teachers
14-10 and counselors, and those students' parents of the TEXAS grant and
14-11 Teach for Texas grant programs [established under this subchapter],
14-12 the eligibility requirements of each program, the need for students
14-13 to make informed curriculum choices to be prepared for success
14-14 beyond high school, and sources of information on higher education
14-15 admissions and financial aid in a manner that assists the district
14-16 in implementing a strategy adopted by the district under Section
14-17 11.252(a)(4); and
14-18 (2) ensure that each student's official transcript or
14-19 diploma indicates whether the student has completed or is on
14-20 schedule to complete:
14-21 (A) the recommended or advanced high school
14-22 curriculum required for grant eligibility under Section 28.002 or
14-23 28.025; or
14-24 (B) for a school district covered by Section
14-25 56.304(f)(1), the required portion of the recommended or advanced
14-26 high school curriculum in the manner described by Section
14-27 56.304(f)(2).
15-1 SECTION 6. Section 56.311, Education Code, is amended to
15-2 read as follows:
15-3 Sec. 56.311. LEGISLATIVE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE. (a) The
15-4 Legislative Oversight Committee on the TEXAS grant program and
15-5 Teach for Texas grant program [programs established by this
15-6 subchapter] is composed of six members as follows:
15-7 (1) three members of the senate appointed by the
15-8 lieutenant governor; and
15-9 (2) three members of the house of representatives
15-10 appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives.
15-11 (b) The committee shall:
15-12 (1) meet at least twice a year with the coordinating
15-13 board; and
15-14 (2) receive information regarding rules relating to
15-15 the TEXAS grant program and Teach for Texas grant program [programs
15-16 established by this subchapter] that have been adopted by the
15-17 coordinating board or proposed for adoption by the coordinating
15-18 board.
15-19 (c) The committee may request reports and other information
15-20 from the coordinating board relating to the operation of the TEXAS
15-21 grant program and Teach for Texas grant program [programs under
15-22 this subchapter] by the coordinating board.
15-23 (d) The committee shall review the specific recommendations
15-24 for legislation related to this subchapter that are proposed by the
15-25 coordinating board.
15-26 (e) The committee shall monitor the operation of the TEXAS
15-27 grant program and Teach for Texas grant program [programs
16-1 established under this subchapter], with emphasis on the manner of
16-2 the award of grants, the number of grants awarded, and the
16-3 educational progress made by persons who have received grants under
16-4 those programs [this subchapter].
16-5 (f) The committee shall file a report with the governor,
16-6 lieutenant governor, and speaker of the house of representatives
16-7 not later than December 31 of each even-numbered year.
16-8 (g) The report shall include identification of any problems
16-9 in the TEXAS grant program and Teach for Texas grant program
16-10 [programs operated under this subchapter] with recommended
16-11 solutions for the coordinating board and for legislative action.
16-12 SECTION 7. Subsection (a), Section 11.252, Education Code,
16-13 is amended to read as follows:
16-14 (a) Each school district shall have a district improvement
16-15 plan that is developed, evaluated, and revised annually, in
16-16 accordance with district policy, by the superintendent with the
16-17 assistance of the district-level committee established under
16-18 Section 11.251. The purpose of the district improvement plan is to
16-19 guide district and campus staff in the improvement of student
16-20 performance for all student groups in order to attain state
16-21 standards in respect to the academic excellence indicators adopted
16-22 under Section 39.051. The district improvement plan must include
16-23 provisions for:
16-24 (1) a comprehensive needs assessment addressing
16-25 district student performance on the academic excellence indicators,
16-26 and other appropriate measures of performance, that are
16-27 disaggregated by all student groups served by the district,
17-1 including categories of ethnicity, socioeconomic status, sex, and
17-2 populations served by special programs, including students in
17-3 special education programs under Subchapter A, Chapter 29;
17-4 (2) measurable district performance objectives for all
17-5 appropriate academic excellence indicators for all student
17-6 populations, including students in special education programs under
17-7 Subchapter A, Chapter 29, and other measures of student performance
17-8 that may be identified through the comprehensive needs assessment;
17-9 (3) strategies for improvement of student performance
17-10 that include:
17-11 (A) instructional methods for addressing the
17-12 needs of student groups not achieving their full potential;
17-13 (B) methods for addressing the needs of students
17-14 for special programs, such as suicide prevention, conflict
17-15 resolution, violence prevention, or dyslexia treatment programs;
17-16 (C) dropout reduction;
17-17 (D) integration of technology in instructional
17-18 and administrative programs;
17-19 (E) discipline management;
17-20 (F) staff development for professional staff of
17-21 the district;
17-22 (G) career education to assist students in
17-23 developing the knowledge, skills, and competencies necessary for a
17-24 broad range of career opportunities; and
17-25 (H) accelerated education;
17-26 (4) strategies for providing to middle school, junior
17-27 high school, and high school students, those students' teachers and
18-1 counselors, and those students' parents information about:
18-2 (A) higher education admissions and financial
18-3 aid opportunities;
18-4 (B) the TEXAS grant program and the Teach for
18-5 Texas grant program established under [Subchapter M,] Chapter 56;
18-6 (C) the need for students to make informed
18-7 curriculum choices to be prepared for success beyond high school;
18-8 and
18-9 (D) sources of information on higher education
18-10 admissions and financial aid;
18-11 (5) resources needed to implement identified
18-12 strategies;
18-13 (6) staff responsible for ensuring the accomplishment
18-14 of each strategy;
18-15 (7) timelines for ongoing monitoring of the
18-16 implementation of each improvement strategy; and
18-17 (8) formative evaluation criteria for determining
18-18 periodically whether strategies are resulting in intended
18-19 improvement of student performance.
18-20 SECTION 8. Subchapter M, Chapter 61, Education Code, is
18-21 amended by amending Section 61.702 and adding Section 61.7021 to
18-22 read as follows:
18-23 Sec. 61.702. ELIGIBILITY FOR CLASSROOM TEACHER REPAYMENT
18-24 ASSISTANCE. (a) To be eligible to receive repayment assistance
18-25 for classroom teachers, a person must apply to the board and must
18-26 [have]:
18-27 (1) have completed at least one year of employment as
19-1 [and be employed as] a full-time classroom teacher at the
19-2 preschool, primary, or secondary level in a public school in [the
19-3 elementary or secondary schools of] this state in an area or field
19-4 of acute teacher shortage as designated by the commissioner of
19-5 education [State Board of Education]; and
19-6 (2) be employed as a full-time classroom teacher at
19-7 the preschool, primary, or secondary level in a public school in
19-8 this state in an area or field described by Subdivision (1).
19-9 (b) A person is not eligible for repayment assistance for
19-10 classroom teachers under this subchapter if the person has received
19-11 a Teach for Texas grant or other financial assistance under
19-12 Subchapter O, Chapter 56, or under former Section 56.309.
19-13 (c) The board shall give priority in granting repayment
19-14 assistance for classroom teachers to a person who received
19-15 repayment assistance for classroom teachers for the preceding
19-16 school year. The priority terminates if the person does not apply
19-17 for or is not eligible for that assistance. In extraordinary
19-18 circumstances, the board may allow a person to maintain the
19-19 priority after one or more years in which the person is unable to
19-20 teach as a classroom teacher.
19-21 Sec. 61.7021. ELIGIBILITY FOR BORDER INSTITUTION FACULTY
19-22 REPAYMENT ASSISTANCE. To be eligible to receive repayment
19-23 assistance for border institution faculty, a person must apply to
19-24 the board and must:
19-25 (1) have [or]
19-26 [(2)] received a doctoral degree not earlier than
19-27 September 1, 1994, from a public or private institution of higher
20-1 education accredited as required by the board; and
20-2 (2) be employed as a full-time faculty member with
20-3 instructional duties in an institution of higher education located
20-4 in a county that borders the United Mexican States.
20-5 SECTION 9. Section 61.705, Education Code, is amended by
20-6 amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsections (d) and (e) to read
20-7 as follows:
20-8 (c) The minimum amount of repayment assistance that may be
20-9 awarded in one year to a person who qualifies for the assistance
20-10 under Section 61.702 is the lesser of:
20-11 (1) $1,000; or
20-12 (2) the amount of principal and accrued interest that
20-13 is due on eligible loans in that year.
20-14 (d) A person may not receive repayment assistance for
20-15 classroom teachers under this subchapter in a total amount that
20-16 exceeds $5,000, and may not receive that repayment assistance for
20-17 more than five years.
20-18 (e) The minimum amount of repayment assistance that may be
20-19 awarded [received] in one year to [by] a person who qualifies for
20-20 the assistance under [described by] Section 61.7021 [61.702(2)] is
20-21 50 percent of the amount of principal and accrued interest that is
20-22 due on eligible loans that year.
20-23 SECTION 10. Subsection (a), Section 61.708, Education Code,
20-24 is amended to read as follows:
20-25 (a) The board shall adopt rules necessary for the
20-26 administration of this subchapter, including[:]
20-27 [(1) a rule that sets a minimum or maximum amount of
21-1 repayment assistance that may be received in one year by a person
21-2 described by Section 61.702(1); and]
21-3 [(2)] a rule that sets a maximum amount of repayment
21-4 assistance that may be received in one year by a person who
21-5 qualifies for the assistance under Section 61.7021 [described by
21-6 Section 61.702(2)].
21-7 SECTION 11. (a) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating
21-8 Board shall implement the changes made by this Act to the Teach for
21-9 Texas grant program and to the classroom teacher loan repayment
21-10 assistance program under Subchapter M, Chapter 61, Education Code,
21-11 as soon as practicable after the effective date of this Act, but
21-12 not later than the 2002-2003 academic year.
21-13 (b) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall
21-14 adopt initial rules for awarding grants and shall award grants
21-15 under the Teach for Texas alternative certification assistance
21-16 program established under Section 56.357, Education Code, as added
21-17 by this Act, as soon as practicable.
21-18 SECTION 12. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
21-19 a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
21-20 provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
21-21 Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
21-22 Act takes effect September 1, 2001.