BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center C.S.S.B. 603
Committee Report (Substituted)
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
The 78th Legislature, Regular Session, 2003, deleted language in the Education Code requiring staff development training in public schools and replaced it with discretionary language. Districts are no longer required to provide such training to teachers who work with disabled students outside of the area of special education. Educating these students requires specialized training, but regular reports to the Texas Council on Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorders indicate that there are relatively few consistent training opportunities for teachers.
C.S.S.B. 603 requires a district to provide public school teachers with research-based staff development that relates to instruction of students with disabilities, designed for teachers who work with students outside the area of special education. The bill requires the training to be developed locally in consultation with colleges, universities, private and nonprofit organizations, regional education service centers, and any other persons identified as qualified by the district.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to any state officer, institution, or agency.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 21.451, Education Code, by amending Subsection (d) and adding Subsections (e), (f), and (g) as follows:
(d) Requires, rather than authorizes, the staff development provided by a school district (district) to include, subject to Subsection (e), certain research-based training (training).
(e) Requires a school district to provide the training to an educator who works primarily outside the area of special education only on the recommendation of the admission, review, and dismissal committee for a student receiving instruction from the educator.
(f) Requires the district, in developing the required training, to consult with persons with expertise in research-based practices for students with disabilities. Authorizes certain persons to be consulted and sets forth the entities that may be consulted under this subsection. Provides that this subsection applies to all training required by Subsection (d)(2), regardless of whether the training is provided at the campus level or district level.
(g) Redesignates existing Subsection (d)(3) as Subsection (g). Authorizes the staff development to include instruction as to what is permissible under law, including opinions of the United State Supreme Court, and guidance from the United States Department of Education, regarding prayer in public school.
SECTION 2. Makes application of this Act prospective to the 2007-2008 school year.
SECTION 3. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2007.