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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the award of stipends to nationally certified classroom |
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teachers under the educator excellence awards program. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 21.705, Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 21.705. AWARD PAYMENTS. A school district must use at |
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least 60 percent of grant funds awarded to the district under this |
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subchapter to directly award classroom teachers who effectively |
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improve student achievement as determined by meaningful, objective |
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measures. The remaining funds must be used only to: |
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(1) provide stipends to effective mentors or teacher |
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coaches; |
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(2) provide stipends to classroom teachers who are |
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certified in a subject that is designated by the commissioner as |
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commonly experiencing a critical shortage of teachers; |
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(3) provide stipends to classroom teachers who are |
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certified under Subchapter B in the main subject area in which they |
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teach; |
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(4) provide stipends to classroom teachers with proven |
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records of success for improving student performance who are |
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assigned to campuses at which the district has experienced |
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difficulty assigning or retaining teachers; |
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(5) provide stipends to classroom teachers who hold |
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postgraduate degrees; |
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(6) provide stipends to classroom teachers who have |
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obtained national board certification through the National Board |
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for Professional Teaching Standards; |
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(7) provide awards to principals who effectively |
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increase student performance as determined by objective measures; |
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(8) [(7)] provide awards to other campus employees who |
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demonstrate excellence; or |
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(9) [(8)] implement the components of a Teacher |
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Advancement Program (TAP), including: |
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(A) an instructionally focused accountability |
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system; and |
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(B) the adjustment of teaching schedules to |
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permit ongoing applied professional growth. |
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SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2007-2008 |
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school year. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |