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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to accountability systems for public school educator |
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preparation programs. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 21.045, Education Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsections (a), (b), and (d) and adding Subsection (e) to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) The commissioner [board] shall adopt [propose] rules |
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establishing standards to govern the approval and continuing |
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accountability of all educator preparation programs based on |
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information that is disaggregated with respect to sex and ethnicity |
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and that includes: |
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(1) results of the certification examinations |
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prescribed under Section 21.048(a); [and] |
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(2) performance based on the appraisal system for |
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beginning teachers adopted by the board; |
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(3) performance of students taught by beginning |
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teachers for the first three years following certification, as |
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determined on the basis of the measure of annual improvement under |
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Section 39.034 and any other factor considered appropriate by the |
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commissioner; and |
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(4) perseverance of beginning teachers in the |
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profession, as determined on the basis of the number of beginning |
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teachers who maintain active status in the Teacher Retirement |
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System of Texas for at least five years after certification. |
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(b) Each educator preparation program shall submit data |
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elements as required by the commissioner [board] for an annual |
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performance report to ensure access and equity. At a minimum, the |
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annual report must contain the performance data from Subsection |
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(a), other than the data required for purposes of Subsection |
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(a)(3), and the following information, disaggregated by sex and |
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ethnicity: |
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(1) the number of candidates who apply; |
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(2) the number of candidates admitted; |
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(3) the number of candidates retained; |
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(4) the number of candidates completing the program; |
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(5) the number of candidates employed in the |
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profession after completing the program; and |
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(6) the number of candidates retained in the |
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profession. |
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(d) The commissioner [executive director of the board] |
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shall appoint an oversight team of educators to make |
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recommendations and provide assistance to educator preparation |
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programs that do not meet accreditation standards. If, after one |
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year, an educator preparation program has not fulfilled the |
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recommendations of the oversight team, the commissioner [executive
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director] shall appoint a person to administer and manage the |
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operations of the program. Promptly on appointment, the person |
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shall, on behalf of the managed program, pursue tentative |
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agreements with other educator preparation programs for the |
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acceptance into those programs of the managed program's students if |
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the approval of the managed program is subsequently revoked.
If the |
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program does not improve after two years, the commissioner [board] |
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shall revoke the approval of the program to prepare educators for |
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state certification. |
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(e) A revocation under Subsection (d) must be effective for |
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a period of at least one year. After one year, the program may seek |
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renewed approval to prepare educators for state certification. |
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SECTION 2. 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. |