H.B. No. 1024
AN ACT
relating to staff development requirements in public schools.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 21.451, Education Code, is amended by
amending Subsections (a) and (b) and adding Subsection (d) to read
as follows:
(a) The staff development provided by a school district must
be:
(1) conducted in accordance with [minimum] standards
developed by the district; and
(2) designed to improve education in the district
[commissioner for program planning, preparation, and improvement.
The staff development:
[(1) must include training in:
[(A) technology;
[(B) conflict resolution; and
[(C) discipline strategies, including classroom
management, district discipline policies, and the student code of
conduct adopted under Section 37.001 and Chapter 37;
[(2) must include training that:
[(A) relates to instruction of students with
disabilities; and
[(B) is designed for educators who work primarily
outside of the area of special education; and
[(3) may include instruction as to what is permissible
under law, including opinions of the United States Supreme Court,
in regard to prayers in public school].
(b) The staff development must be predominantly
campus-based, related to achieving campus performance objectives
established under Section 11.253, and developed and approved by the
campus-level committee established under Section 11.251. [Campus
staff development may include activities that enable the campus
staff to plan together to enhance existing skills, to share
effective strategies, to reflect on curricular and instructional
issues, to analyze student achievement results, to reflect on means
of increasing student achievement, to study research, to practice
new methods, to identify students' strengths and needs, to develop
meaningful programs for students, to appropriately implement
site-based decision-making, and to conduct action research. The
campus staff development activities may be conducted using study
teams, individual research, peer coaching, workshops, seminars,
conferences, or other reasonable methods that have the potential to
improve student achievement.]
(d) The staff development may:
(1) include training in:
(A) technology;
(B) conflict resolution; and
(C) discipline strategies, including classroom
management, district discipline policies, and the student code of
conduct adopted under Section 37.001 and Chapter 37;
(2) include training that:
(A) relates to instruction of students with
disabilities; and
(B) is designed for educators who work primarily
outside the area of special education; and
(3) include instruction as to what is permissible
under law, including opinions of the United States Supreme Court,
regarding prayer in public school.
SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2003-2004
school year.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2003.
______________________________ ______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 1024 was passed by the House on April
1, 2003, by a non-record vote; and that the House concurred in
Senate amendments to H.B. No. 1024 on May 23, 2003, by a non-record
vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 1024 was passed by the Senate, with
amendments, on May 22, 2003, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays
1.
______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
APPROVED: __________________
Date
__________________
Governor