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79R834 SLO-D
By: Shapleigh S.B. No. 83
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to national certification of certain public school
teachers.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS. (a) The legislature
finds that if Texas is to have world-class schools, then Texas must
first have a world-class teaching force.
(b) The legislature also finds that certification by the
National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, developed by
teachers for teachers:
(1) is a symbol of and tool for professional teaching
excellence;
(2) establishes advanced standards for an experienced
teacher by testing the teacher's knowledge against standards of
other highly trained teachers throughout the country; and
(3) ensures that teachers meet high professional
standards of commitment and competence.
(c) The legislature also finds that an independent,
multi-year study of more than 600,000 students in North Carolina
found that the students of teachers who were nationally certified
experienced an increase in reading and math assessment instrument
scores by an average of seven percent.
(d) The legislature also finds that of the approximately
289,000 teachers in Texas, only 144 of those teachers are
nationally certified, compared with 4,938 nationally certified
teachers in Florida and 2,644 nationally certified teachers in
California.
(e) The legislature also finds that in order for Texas
students to compete with students from other states, as Texas moves
toward a knowledge-based economy, Texas must encourage teachers to
pursue national certification. The 21st Century Educational
Excellence Program for National Certification serves that goal by
establishing a statewide program to assist Texas teachers in
achieving national certification.
SECTION 2. Chapter 21, Education Code, is amended by adding
Subchapter N to read as follows:
SUBCHAPTER N. 21ST CENTURY EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE PROGRAM
FOR NATIONAL CERTIFICATION
Sec. 21.651. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
(1) "Board" means the National Board for Professional
Teaching Standards.
(2) "Program" means the 21st Century Educational
Excellence Program for National Certification.
Sec. 21.652. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM. The agency shall
establish the 21st Century Educational Excellence Program for
National Certification to encourage teachers in critical subject
areas to obtain national certification by the board.
Sec. 21.653. ELIGIBILITY. (a) A teacher employed by a
school district is eligible to participate in the program if the
teacher is certified by the State Board for Educator Certification
in bilingual education, mathematics, science, special education,
elementary reading, or another teaching field identified by the
commissioner as experiencing a critical shortage of teachers in
this state in the year in which the teacher applies to participate
in the program.
(b) A teacher employed by an open-enrollment charter school
is not eligible to participate in the program.
Sec. 21.654. APPLICATION; SELECTION OF APPLICANTS. (a)
The agency shall select not more than 500 eligible teachers to
participate in the program each year.
(b) The agency shall adopt:
(1) procedures for submitting an application to
participate in the program; and
(2) criteria for the selection of teachers to
participate in the program.
Sec. 21.655. PAYMENT OF CERTIFICATION COSTS. (a) A teacher
who participates in the program is entitled to receive an amount
equal to the certification fee charged by the board.
(b) From funds appropriated for the purpose, the agency
shall pay the teacher an amount equal to two-thirds of the cost of
certification. The school district that employs the teacher shall
pay the remaining one-third of the cost of certification.
(c) A teacher who does not complete all of the requirements
for assessment by the board shall reimburse the agency and school
district the full amount of the payments received under Subsection
(b). This subsection does not apply to a teacher who completes all
of the requirements for assessment by the board but who is not
certified by the board.
Sec. 21.656. STIPEND. A school district may pay a teacher
who participates in the program and obtains board certification an
annual stipend. From funds appropriated for the purpose, the
agency may match the amount the district pays the teacher in an
amount not greater than $2,000.
Sec. 21.657. STAFF DEVELOPMENT PLAN. The agency shall
establish a statewide staff development plan that uses the skills
and knowledge of teachers who have obtained board certification.
Sec. 21.658. RULES. The commissioner shall adopt rules as
necessary to implement this subchapter.
SECTION 3. The Texas Education Agency and the commissioner
of education shall implement the 21st Century Educational
Excellence Program for National Certification, as required by
Subchapter N, Chapter 21, Education Code, as added by this Act, as
soon as practicable after the effective date of this Act.
SECTION 4. 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, 2005.