LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
May 5, 2001
TO: Honorable Teel Bivins, Chair, Senate Committee on
Education
FROM: John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE: SB824 by Truan (Relating to dual literacy programs and
teacher certification in public schools.), As Introduced
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* Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for *
* SB824, As Introduced: negative impact of $(146,526) through the *
* biennium ending August 31, 2003. *
* *
* The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal *
* basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of *
* the bill. *
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General Revenue-Related Funds, Five-Year Impact:
****************************************************
* Fiscal Year Probable Net Positive/(Negative) *
* Impact to General Revenue Related *
* Funds *
* 2002 $(73,763) *
* 2003 (72,763) *
* 2004 44,100 *
* 2005 44,100 *
* 2006 44,100 *
****************************************************
All Funds, Five-Year Impact:
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*Fiscal Probable Probable Revenue Change in Number of *
* Year Savings/(Cost) from Gain/(Loss) from State Employees from *
* General Revenue Fund Certification and FY 2001 *
* 0001 Assessment Fees *
* (General Revenue *
* Fund) *
* 0751 *
* 2002 $(73,763) $0 0.5 *
* 2003 (72,763) 0 0.5 *
* 2004 0 44,100 0.0 *
* 2005 0 44,100 0.0 *
* 2006 0 44,100 0.0 *
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Fiscal Analysis
The bill requires the State Board of Educator Certification to establish
a dual literacy teacher certificate.
The Texas Education Agency (TEA), Commissioner of Education, would be
required to adopt rules concerning the minimum requirements for dual
literacy programs. The Commissioner would also be required to adopt
standards for evaluating the success of a dual literacy program, the
performance of schools that implement a dual literacy program, and
standards for recognizing schools that offer exceptional dual literacy
programs and students who successfully complete dual literacy programs.
TEA has indicated that it could implement the provisions of the bill
that would be assigned to the agency at an insignificant cost.
Methodology
The cost for TEA to adopt rules concerning minimum requirements for dual
literacy programs would not be significant.
The bill requires SBEC to develop an examination to test the teacher's
ability to teach a dual literacy curriculum prior to being certified in
the subject. The Board has indicated that they would need 0.5 full-time
equivalent employee to oversee the development of the examination and an
additional $82,000 cost for the 2002-2003 biennium for contractor
development costs incurred in developing standards for the examination
that align with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and
examination. The project would take two years to complete.
When the certificate examination is administered, an estimated 300
persons per year would earn the certificate--boosting Certification and
Assessment fee revenue, an account in the General Revenue Fund, by
$44,000 per year.
Local Government Impact
Districts choosing to offer dual literacy programs would likely incur
costs associated with providing native English-speaking students with
textbooks/instructional materials in the other language.
Spanish-speaking students who are identified as
limited-English-proficient (LEP) currently qualify to receive textbooks
in both Spanish and English. In that the bill suggests that such
programs produce students with demonstrated mastery in both English and
Spanish, it is possible that districts would incur costs associated with
documenting the demonstration of mastery of core curriculum subjects by
individual students in both languages.
Source Agencies: 701 Texas Education Agency, 705 State Board for
Educator Certification
LBB Staff: JK, CT, PF, RN