|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
relating to accountability systems for public school educator |
|
preparation programs. |
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
SECTION 1. Section 21.041, Education Code, is amended by |
|
amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsection (d) to read as |
|
follows: |
|
(c) The board shall propose a rule adopting a fee for the |
|
issuance and maintenance of an educator certificate that, when |
|
combined with any fees imposed under Subsection (d), is adequate to |
|
cover the cost of administration of this subchapter. |
|
(d) The board may propose a rule adopting a fee for the |
|
approval or renewal of approval of an educator preparation program, |
|
or for the addition of a certificate or field of certification to |
|
the scope of a program's approval. A fee imposed under this |
|
subsection may not exceed the amount necessary, as determined by |
|
the board, to provide for the administrative cost of approving, |
|
renewing the approval of, and appropriately ensuring the |
|
accountability of educator preparation programs under this |
|
subchapter. |
|
SECTION 2. Section 21.043, Education Code, is amended to |
|
read as follows: |
|
Sec. 21.043. ACCESS TO INFORMATION [PEIMS DATA]. (a) The |
|
agency shall provide the board with access to data obtained under |
|
the Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS). |
|
(b) Notwithstanding Section 21.355, a document evaluating |
|
the performance of a teacher or administrator shall be provided to |
|
the agency or board for purposes of this subchapter on request by |
|
the agency or board. The agency or board, as appropriate, shall |
|
take appropriate measures to maintain confidentiality of the |
|
document. |
|
SECTION 3. Subchapter B, Chapter 21, Education Code, is |
|
amended by amending Section 21.045 and adding Sections 21.0451 and |
|
21.0452 to read as follows: |
|
Sec. 21.045. ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM FOR EDUCATOR |
|
PREPARATION PROGRAMS. (a) The board shall propose rules |
|
establishing standards to govern the approval and continuing |
|
accountability of all educator preparation programs based on |
|
information that is disaggregated with respect to sex and ethnicity |
|
and that includes: |
|
(1) results of the certification examinations |
|
prescribed under Section 21.048(a); and |
|
(2) performance based on the appraisal system for |
|
beginning teachers adopted by the board. |
|
(b) Each educator preparation program shall submit data |
|
elements as required by the board for an annual performance report |
|
to ensure access and equity. At a minimum, the annual report must |
|
contain the performance data from Subsection (a) and the following |
|
information, disaggregated by sex and ethnicity: |
|
(1) the number of candidates who apply; |
|
(2) the number of candidates admitted; |
|
(3) the number of candidates retained; |
|
(4) the number of candidates completing the program; |
|
(5) the number of candidates employed in the |
|
profession after completing the program; and |
|
(6) the number of candidates retained in the |
|
profession. |
|
(c) The board shall propose rules establishing performance |
|
standards for the Accountability System for Educator Preparation |
|
for accrediting educator preparation programs. At a minimum, |
|
performance standards must be based on Subsection (a). The board |
|
may propose rules establishing minimum standards for approval or |
|
renewal of approval of: |
|
(1) educator preparation programs; |
|
(2) certification fields authorized to be offered by |
|
an educator preparation program; or |
|
(3) physical locations at which an educator |
|
preparation program operates. |
|
(d) The board shall propose rules establishing standards |
|
for the designation of high-performance educator preparation |
|
programs as exemplary. |
|
Sec. 21.0451. SANCTIONS UNDER ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM FOR |
|
EDUCATOR PREPARATION PROGRAMS. (a) The board shall propose rules |
|
for the sanction of educator preparation programs that do not meet |
|
accountability standards and shall annually review the |
|
accreditation status of each educator preparation program. The |
|
rules: |
|
(1) may provide for the agency to take any necessary |
|
action, including one or more of the following actions: |
|
(A) requiring the program to obtain technical |
|
assistance approved by the agency or board; |
|
(B) requiring the program to obtain professional |
|
services under contract with another person; |
|
(C) appointing a monitor to participate in and |
|
report to the board on the activities of the program; |
|
(D) appointing a conservator to direct the |
|
operations of the program; |
|
(E) if a program is rated as unacceptable under |
|
the Accountability System for Educator Preparation, appointing a |
|
board of managers to exercise the powers and duties of the governing |
|
body of the program with respect to the program; and |
|
(F) if a program has been rated as unacceptable |
|
under the Accountability System for Educator Preparation for two |
|
consecutive rating periods, revoking the approval of the program |
|
and ordering the program to be closed, provided that the board or |
|
agency must provide the opportunity for a hearing before the |
|
effective date of the closure; and |
|
(2) shall provide for the agency to revoke the |
|
approval of the program and order the program to be closed if the |
|
program has been rated as unacceptable under the Accountability |
|
System for Educator Preparation for three consecutive rating |
|
periods, provided that the board or agency must provide the |
|
opportunity for a hearing before the effective date of the closure. |
|
(b) Any action authorized or required to be taken against an |
|
educator preparation program under Subsection (a) may also be taken |
|
with regard to a particular field of certification authorized to be |
|
offered by an educator preparation program. |
|
(c) A conservator or board of managers appointed under |
|
Subsection (a) may: |
|
(1) direct any action to be taken by the educator |
|
preparation program; |
|
(2) disapprove any action taken by the educator |
|
preparation program; or |
|
(3) take any action on behalf of the educator |
|
preparation program. |
|
(d) A permissive revocation under Subsection (a)(1) or |
|
required revocation under Subsection (a)(2) must be effective for a |
|
period of at least two years. After two years, the program may seek |
|
renewed approval to prepare educators for state certification. |
|
(e) The costs of technical assistance required under |
|
Subsection (a)(1)(A) or the costs associated with the appointment |
|
of a monitor, conservator, or board of managers under Subsections |
|
(a)(1)(C), (D), or (E) shall be paid by the sponsor of the educator |
|
preparation program. |
|
Sec. 21.0452. REVIEW OF EDUCATOR PREPARATION PROGRAMS. (a) |
|
The board and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board |
|
biennially shall conduct a review and assessment of the performance |
|
of educator preparation programs and issue reports of the resulting |
|
evaluations of the programs. The review and assessment may be |
|
conducted in conjunction with an independent entity with experience |
|
and expertise in research regarding effective instructional |
|
techniques and the preparation of educators. |
|
(b) The commissioner shall adopt rules necessary to |
|
implement this section. [(d) The executive director of the board
|
|
shall appoint an oversight team of educators to make
|
|
recommendations and provide assistance to educator preparation
|
|
programs that do not meet accreditation standards. If, after one
|
|
year, an educator preparation program has not fulfilled the
|
|
recommendations of the oversight team, the executive director shall
|
|
appoint a person to administer and manage the operations of the
|
|
program. If the program does not improve after two years, the board
|
|
shall revoke the approval of the program to prepare educators for
|
|
state certification.] |
|
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, 2007. |