By: Zaffirini, et al.  S.B. No. 50
         (In the Senate - Filed November 13, 2006; January 23, 2007,
  read first time and referred to Committee on Education;
  April 16, 2007, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
  Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 5, Nays 2; April 16, 2007,
  sent to printer.)
 
  COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 50 By:  Janek
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to early childhood education.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 28.006, Education Code, is amended by
  amending Subsection (d) and adding Subsection (d-1) to read as
  follows:
         (d)  The superintendent of each school district shall:
               (1)  report to the commissioner and the board of
  trustees of the district the results of the reading instruments;
  [and]
               (2)  report, in writing, to a student's parent or
  guardian the student's results on the reading instrument; and
               (3)  using the school readiness certification system
  provided to the school district in accordance with Section
  29.161(e), report electronically each student's raw score on the
  reading instrument to the agency for use in the school readiness
  certification system.
         (d-1)  The agency shall contract with the State Center for
  Early Childhood Development to receive and use scores under
  Subsection (d)(3) on behalf of the agency.
         SECTION 2.  Section 29.153, Education Code, is amended by
  adding Subsection (d-1) to read as follows:
         (d-1)  On receipt of an application for an exemption under
  Subsection (d), the commissioner shall encourage the school
  district requesting the exemption to make arrangements to provide
  prekindergarten classes through a school readiness integration
  project under Section 29.160.
         SECTION 3.  The heading to Section 29.160, Education Code,
  is amended to read as follows:
         Sec. 29.160.  SCHOOL READINESS INTEGRATION [DEMONSTRATION]
  PROJECTS.  
         SECTION 4.  Section 29.160, Education Code, is amended by
  amending Subsections (a), (b), (c), and (c-2) through (f) and
  adding Subsection (c-3) to read as follows:
         (a)  The State Center for Early Childhood Development, in
  conjunction with a school district, regional education service
  center, institution of higher education, local government, local
  workforce development board, or community organization, may
  develop school readiness integration projects in conjunction with
  [a quality rating system demonstration project under which]
  prekindergarten program providers, licensed child-care facilities,
  or Head Start and Early Head Start program providers [are assessed
  under a quality rating system].
         (b)  In developing school readiness integration projects 
  [the quality rating system demonstration project], the State Center
  for Early Childhood Development is entitled to:
               (1)  reasonable access to the sites at which the
  programs to be rated are operated, which may include sites under the
  authority of school districts or the Department of Family and
  Protective [and Regulatory] Services; and
               (2)  technical assistance and support from the agency,
  the Texas Workforce Commission, and the Department of Family and 
  Protective [and Regulatory] Services to the extent that those
  agencies have the ability to provide assistance and support using
  existing agency resources.
         (c)  A school district, regional education service center,
  institution of higher education, local government, local workforce
  development board, or community organization may develop one or
  more school readiness integration [coordination-of-resources
  demonstration] projects under which government-funded child-care
  and early education services, including Head Start and Early Head
  Start, prekindergarten, and after-school child-care program
  services, child-care services provided by nonprofit or for-profit
  entities, and faith-based child-care programs, are operated in a
  coordinated and integrated manner. An entity that develops a
  proposed school readiness integration [demonstration] project
  under this subsection must obtain approval of the project from the
  state agency or agencies with regulatory jurisdiction over the
  subject matter involved in the project. Approval of a project under
  this subsection must be made contingent on development of a
  memorandum of understanding regarding the child-care and early
  education coordination and integration that [is]:
               (1)  is entered into by each entity participating in
  the project;
               (2)  is certified by the State Center for Early
  Childhood Development as meeting any standards developed under
  Section 29.155(g); [and]
               (3)  is consistent with the applicable provisions of
  this section and applicable laws and regulations in a manner that at
  a minimum maintains existing child-care and early education program
  requirements and does not waive or reduce any existing health and
  safety standards; and
               (4)  contains provisions ensuring that the project does
  not result in the reduction of existing services or the redirection
  of existing expenditures.
         (c-2)  A [demonstration] project established under
  Subsection (c) must include a program evaluation component that, in
  addition to assessing child-care and early education outcomes for
  young children, demonstrates:
               (1)  the extent to which program quality has been
  enhanced and the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional
  development of young children has been promoted;
               (2)  the extent to which the number of children being
  served by full-day, full-year programs has increased;
               (3)  the extent to which professional development
  training or activities engaged in by program staff has increased;
  and
               (4)  that there has been no weakening of standards or
  diminishment of services.
         (c-3)  A project established under Subsection (c) that
  obtains certification through the school readiness certification
  system established under Section 29.161 is eligible for funds
  available under Section 29.1561(c) and is entitled to priority
  consideration in the award of those funds. Funds awarded under that
  section may be used to:
               (1)  create a prekindergarten program;
               (2)  expand a prekindergarten program to serve children
  who are three years of age;
               (3)  increase income eligibility levels for
  prekindergarten;
               (4)  increase half-day prekindergarten to full-day
  prekindergarten; or
               (5)  add a teacher's aide to existing prekindergarten
  classes.
         (d)  An entity that obtains approval of a school readiness
  integration [coordination-of-resources demonstration] project is
  entitled to a waiver or modification of any existing rule, policy,
  or procedure of the agency, the Texas Workforce Commission, or the
  Department of Family and Protective [and Regulatory] Services that
  impairs the coordinated provision of government-funded child-care
  services, provided that the waiver or modification does not
  adversely affect the health, safety, or welfare of the children
  receiving services under the project. In addition, if applicable,
  the appropriate state agency must seek on behalf of the entity any
  available federal waiver from a federal rule, policy, or procedure
  imposed in connection with a Head Start program that impairs the
  coordinated provision of government-funded child-care services.
  Not later than the 30th day after the date on which a state agency
  becomes aware of an applicable federal waiver under this
  subsection, the state agency shall notify the appropriate entity of
  the date by which the state agency intends to seek the waiver.
         (e)  The State Center for Early Childhood Development and any
  other entity that implements a [demonstration] project established
  under Subsection (c) [this section] must provide a report to the
  legislature and to the state agency or agencies with regulatory
  jurisdiction over the subject matter involved in the project. The
  report must include:
               (1)  an evaluation of the effectiveness of the project;
  [and]
               (2)  recommendations on statewide implementation of
  the project; and
               (3)  an evaluation of the level of participation in the
  project by each type of provider.
         (f)  The report required by Subsection (e) must be provided
  at the time specified jointly by the state agency or agencies with
  regulatory jurisdiction over the subject matter involved in the
  [demonstration] project established under Subsection (c).
         SECTION 5.  Subchapter E, Chapter 29, Education Code, is
  amended by adding Section 29.1601 to read as follows:
         Sec. 29.1601.  SCHOOL READINESS INTEGRATION PROJECT
  REGISTRY.  (a)  The State Center for Early Childhood Development
  shall maintain a registry of qualified private entities that
  volunteer to participate in a school readiness integration project
  under Section 29.160.
         (b)  The State Center for Early Childhood Development shall:
               (1)  develop a process for interested private entities
  to volunteer to participate in a school readiness integration
  project; and
               (2)  determine whether a private entity is qualified to
  participate.
         (c)  The State Center for Early Childhood Development shall
  make the registry available to a school district, regional
  education service center, institution of higher education, local
  government, local workforce development board, or community
  organization developing a school readiness integration project.
         SECTION 6.  Section 29.161, Education Code, is amended by
  amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsections (d) through (h) to
  read as follows:
         (c)  The system must:
               (1)  be reflective of research in the field of early
  childhood care and education;
               (2)  be well-grounded in the cognitive, physical, 
  social, and emotional development of young children; [and]
               (3)  apply a common set of criteria, including multiple
  measures of program quality in addition to the results of a reading
  instrument administered under Section 28.006, to evaluate each
  program provider seeking certification, regardless of the type of
  program or source of program funding; and
               (4)  be capable of fulfilling the reporting and notice
  requirements of Sections 28.006(d) and (g).
         (d)  The agency shall collect each student's raw score
  results on the reading instrument administered under Section 28.006
  from each school district using the system created under Subsection
  (a) and shall contract with the State Center for Early Childhood
  Development for purposes of this section.
         (e)  The State Center for Early Childhood Development shall,
  using funds appropriated for the school readiness certification
  system, provide the system created under Subsection (a) to each
  school district to report each student's raw score results on the
  reading instrument administered under Section 28.006.
         (f)  The agency shall:
               (1)  provide assistance to the State Center for Early
  Childhood Development in developing and adopting the school
  readiness certification system under this section, including
  providing access to data for the purpose of locating the teacher and
  campus of record for students; and
               (2)  require confidentiality and other security
  measures for student data provided to the State Center for Early
  Childhood Development as the agency's agent, consistent with the
  Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (20 U.S.C. Section
  1232g).
         (g)  A program provider must, in addition to any other
  criteria applied by the system, meet the following criteria to be
  eligible for certification under the system:
               (1)  be in good standing with the Department of Family
  and Protective Services, if applicable; and
               (2)  use ongoing child assessment tools to guide lesson
  planning and instructional approaches.
         (h)  For purposes of Subsection (g)(1), a provider is in good
  standing with the Department of Family and Protective Services if
  the department has not taken an action against the provider's
  license, listing, or registration under Section 42.071, 42.072, or
  42.078, Human Resources Code, during the two-year period preceding
  the date of applying for certification.
         SECTION 7.  Subchapter G, Chapter 2308, Government Code, is
  amended by adding Section 2308.3155 to read as follows:
         Sec. 2308.3155.  ENHANCED REIMBURSEMENT RATES FOR CERTAIN
  CHILD-CARE PROVIDERS. (a)  A licensed child-care provider that
  participates in a school readiness integration project established
  under Section 29.160, Education Code, or obtains certification
  under the school readiness certification system established under
  Section 29.161, Education Code, is eligible for enhanced
  reimbursement rates for services provided to children who are
  younger than six years of age at a level to be determined by each
  board but at least equal to the designated vendor rate provided by
  Section 2308.315.
         (a-1)  Notwithstanding Subsection (a), a licensed child-care
  provider that meets the Texas Rising Star Provider criteria
  described by 40 T.A.C. Section 809.15(b) is eligible for enhanced
  reimbursement rates for services provided to children who are
  younger than six years of age at a level to be determined by each
  board but at least equal to the designated vendor rate provided by
  Section 2308.315. A provider that receives increased reimbursement
  rates under this subsection is encouraged to use the funds to obtain
  certification under the school readiness certification system
  established under Section 29.161, Education Code.
         (b)  To the extent that federal funds under the Temporary
  Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program are available to the
  state and are appropriated for this purpose, local workforce
  development boards shall use those funds, in addition to funds from
  the federal Child Care Development Fund, to provide enhanced
  reimbursement rates under this section. The Texas Workforce
  Commission shall distribute the increased federal funds directly to
  local workforce development boards in the same proportion that
  child care development fund quality improvement money is
  distributed to local workforce development boards.
         SECTION 8.  Section 42.0421, Human Resources Code, is
  amended by adding Subsections (e) and (f) to read as follows:
         (e)  The department, in coordination with the State Center
  for Early Childhood Development and the Texas Advisory Council on
  Early Childhood Education Career Development established under
  Subchapter C, Chapter 72, may develop or seek proposals through a
  competitive process for:
               (1)  the development and maintenance of one or more
  training modules to be made available through the Internet and in
  accordance with Section 42.042(p) as training modules an employee
  may use to comply with Subsection (a)(1);
               (2)  the development and maintenance of a statewide
  bilingual training portal that connects a person who provides child
  care with training providers or other sources of training; or
               (3)  the development and implementation of a marketing
  strategy to publicize the availability and importance of training
  to all providers of early childhood care and education.
         (f)  The training modules developed and maintained under
  Subsection (e) must:
               (1)  be consistent with applicable core knowledge and
  skills, as identified by experts in the field of early childhood
  education; and
               (2)  include a common postassessment that indicates an
  acceptable level of learning by the employee.
         SECTION 9.  Effective January 1, 2009, Section 42.0421,
  Human Resources Code, is amended by adding Subsection (g) to read as
  follows:
         (g)  Except as provided by Subsection (e), the training
  required by this section must be provided by a person who:
               (1)  is a training provider registered with the Texas
  Early Care and Education Career Development System's Texas Trainer
  Registry that is maintained by the Texas Head Start State
  Collaboration Office;
               (2)  is an instructor at a public or private secondary
  school or at a public or private institution of higher education, as
  defined by Section 61.801, Education Code, who teaches early child
  development or another relevant course, as determined by rules
  adopted by the commissioner of education and the commissioner of
  higher education;
               (3)  is an employee of a state agency with relevant
  expertise;
               (4)  is a physician, psychologist, licensed
  professional counselor, social worker, or registered nurse;
               (5)  holds a generally recognized credential, such as a
  certification to provide instruction in cardiopulmonary
  resuscitation;
               (6)  is a family home care provider or director of a
  day-care center in good standing with the department, if
  applicable, provided that the department has not taken an action
  against the provider's license, listing, or registration under
  Section 42.071, 42.072, or 42.078 during the two-year period
  preceding the date on which the provider or director provides the
  training; or
               (7)  is approved by the commissioner of education,
  based on the recommendation of the Texas Advisory Council on Early
  Childhood Education Career Development established under
  Subchapter C, Chapter 72.
         SECTION 10.  The heading to Chapter 72, Human Resources
  Code, is amended to read as follows:
  CHAPTER 72.  EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION SERVICES [HEAD START
  PROGRAMS]
         SECTION 11.  Chapter 72, Human Resources Code, is amended by
  designating Section 72.001 as Subchapter A and adding a subchapter
  heading to read as follows:
  SUBCHAPTER A. GENERAL PROVISIONS
         SECTION 12.  Section 72.001, Human Resources Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         Sec. 72.001.  DEFINITIONS [DEFINITION]. In this chapter:
               (1)  "Advisory council" means the Texas Advisory
  Council on Early Childhood Education Career Development.
               (2)  [,] "Head Start program" means the federal program
  established under the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. Section 9831 et
  seq.) and its subsequent amendments.
         SECTION 13.  Subchapter A, Chapter 72, Human Resources Code,
  as designated by this Act, is amended by adding Section 72.0015 to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 72.0015.  REQUIREMENTS APPLICABLE TO STATE CENTER FOR
  EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT.  (a)  The State Center for Early
  Childhood Development shall:
               (1)  comply with the contract management requirements
  prescribed by Chapter 2262, Government Code;
               (2)  not later than December 1 of each even-numbered
  year, prepare and submit to the presiding officers of the Senate
  Committee on Finance and the House Appropriations Committee a
  report detailing the use of all state money provided to the center
  to fund early childhood education services; and
               (3)  provide center staff to appear before a standing
  committee of the senate or house of representatives with
  jurisdiction over public primary and secondary education on request
  of the presiding officer of the committee.
         (b)  In each even-numbered year, the State Center for Early
  Childhood Development shall allow an external evaluation, by an
  organization under contract with the Texas Education Agency for
  that purpose, regarding the management and implementation of school
  readiness integration projects authorized by Section 29.160,
  Education Code.
         (c)  The organization completing the external evaluation
  under Subsection (b) must be selected through a competitive process
  developed by the Texas Education Agency.
         SECTION 14.  Chapter 72, Human Resources Code, is amended by
  designating Sections 72.002 and 72.003 as Subchapter B, renumbering
  Sections 72.002 and 72.003 as Sections 72.051 and 72.052,
  respectively, and adding a subchapter heading to read as follows:
  SUBCHAPTER B. HEAD START PROGRAMS
         Sec. 72.051 [72.002].  EDUCATIONAL SERVICES.  To promote the
  comprehensive health, safety, and well-being of children receiving
  child care through Head Start programs, a program provider shall
  provide educational services to children participating in the
  program so that each child is prepared to enter school and is ready
  to learn after completing the program. The educational services
  provided must include components designed to enable a child to:
               (1)  develop phonemic, print, and numeracy awareness,
  including the ability to:
                     (A)  recognize that letters of the alphabet are a
  special category of visual graphics that can be individually named;
                     (B)  recognize a word as a unit of print;
                     (C)  identify at least 10 letters of the alphabet;
  and
                     (D)  associate sounds with written words;
               (2)  understand and use language to communicate for
  various purposes;
               (3)  understand and use an increasingly complex and
  varied vocabulary;
               (4)  develop and demonstrate an appreciation of books;
  and
               (5)  progress toward mastery of the English language,
  if the child's primary language is a language other than English.
         Sec. 72.052 [72.003].  COORDINATION OF SERVICES.  (a)  In a
  manner consistent with federal law and regulations, each Head Start
  and Early Head Start program provider shall coordinate with the
  Texas Workforce Commission and local workforce development boards
  regarding subsidized child-care services.
         (b)  The coordination required by this section must include
  coordinating to ensure, to the extent practicable, that full-day,
  full-year child-care services are available to meet the needs of
  low-income parents who are working or participating in workforce
  training or workforce education. The coordination may also
  include:
               (1)  cooperating with the Texas Workforce Commission
  regarding studies conducted by the commission;
               (2)  collecting data necessary to determine a child's
  eligibility for subsidized child-care services or a Head Start or
  Early Head Start program, when permissible;
               (3)  cooperating to provide for staff training and
  professional development activities;
               (4)  identifying and developing methods for the
  collaborative provision of subsidized child-care services and Head
  Start or Early Head Start program services, including:
                     (A)  sharing facilities or staff; and
                     (B)  increasing the enrollment capacity of those
  programs;
               (5)  identifying child-care facilities located in
  close proximity to Head Start or Early Head Start programs; and
               (6)  coordinating transportation between child-care
  facilities identified under Subdivision (5) and a Head Start or
  Early Head Start program.
         SECTION 15.  Chapter 72, Human Resources Code, is amended by
  adding Subchapters C and D to read as follows:
  SUBCHAPTER C. TEXAS ADVISORY COUNCIL ON EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
  CAREER DEVELOPMENT
         Sec. 72.101.  ESTABLISHMENT. (a)  The Texas Advisory
  Council on Early Childhood Education Career Development is
  established to promote the recognition of early childhood educators
  as professionals and assist in the development of professional
  standards and educational opportunities for those educators.
         (b)  The advisory council shall coordinate its efforts with
  the Texas Head Start State Collaboration Office.
         (c)  The advisory council is not subject to Chapter 2110,
  Government Code.
         Sec. 72.102.  COMPOSITION. The advisory council consists
  of:
               (1)  a representative of the Texas Education Agency, as
  designated by the commissioner of education;
               (2)  a representative of the Texas Workforce
  Commission, as designated by the executive director of the
  commission;
               (3)  a representative of the Office of Early Childhood
  Coordination established by the Health and Human Services
  Commission, as designated by the executive commissioner of the
  commission;
               (4)  a representative of the Texas Higher Education
  Coordinating Board, as designated by the commissioner of higher
  education;
               (5)  a representative of the Department of Family and
  Protective Services with expertise relating to licensing of
  child-care facilities, as designated by the commissioner of the
  department;
               (6)  a representative of the State Center for Early
  Childhood Development, as designated by the director of the center;
               (7)  a representative of the Texas Head Start State
  Collaboration Office, as designated by the executive commissioner
  of the Health and Human Services Commission;
               (8)  a representative of the Texas Cooperative
  Extension, as designated by the director of the Texas Cooperative
  Extension; and
               (9)  representatives of each of the following entities
  or stakeholder groups, as designated by the commissioner of
  education:
                     (A)  statewide associations of early childhood
  education professionals;
                     (B)  statewide organizations that certify or
  provide other credentials to individuals working in the field of
  early childhood education;
                     (C)  child-care resource and referral agencies;
                     (D)  two-year and four-year colleges and
  universities in this state;
                     (E)  public school districts and charter schools
  that offer secondary programs of study in the area of early
  childhood education;
                     (F)  a director of each of the following early
  childhood program providers:
                           (i)  Head Start programs;
                           (ii)  programs provided by school districts;
                           (iii)  nonprofit and for-profit licensed
  day-care centers; and
                           (iv)  family homes, as defined by Section
  42.002;
                     (G)  parents with children receiving services
  through early childhood programs;
                     (H)  an expert in early childhood intervention and
  special education services; and
                     (I)  community-based organizations.
         Sec. 72.103.  DUTIES. The advisory council shall:
               (1)  in conjunction with the organization with which
  the Texas Education Agency contracts under Section 72.155 to manage
  early childhood education partnership projects established under
  Subchapter D, develop criteria for determining the effectiveness
  and performance of those partnerships; and
               (2)  perform any other function specified by law or
  identified as an appropriate function by the commissioner of
  education.
         Sec. 72.104.  PRESIDING OFFICER. The commissioner of
  education shall designate the presiding officer of the advisory
  council.
         Sec. 72.105.  EXPENSES AND STAFF. (a)  A member of the
  advisory council may not receive compensation for serving on the
  advisory council but is entitled to reimbursement of travel
  expenses incurred by the member while conducting the business of
  the advisory council as provided by the General Appropriations Act.
         (b)  The Texas Education Agency shall provide staff
  assistance as necessary to enable the advisory council to perform
  the advisory council's duties.
  SUBCHAPTER D. EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP PROJECTS
         Sec. 72.151.  ESTABLISHMENT OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
  PARTNERSHIP PROJECTS. (a)  A partnership project may be
  established in any area of this state in accordance with this
  subchapter to facilitate increased participation in professional
  development by early childhood education professionals and
  encourage those professionals to seek additional education.
         (b)  A partnership project may include participation by any
  interested person, including:
               (1)  employers and employees involved in early
  childhood education services, such as school districts, licensed
  child-care facilities, registered family homes, Head Start program
  providers, and resource and referral agencies; and
               (2)  providers of early childhood education training
  programs, such as public high schools, community colleges,
  universities, regional education service centers, cooperative
  extensions, and the P-16 Council established under Section 61.076,
  Education Code.
         (c)  Participation in a partnership project may not be
  contingent on participation in a school readiness integration
  project under Section 29.160, Education Code.
         Sec. 72.152.  PROJECT PLAN. (a)  A partnership project
  must:
               (1)  develop a coordinated plan under which early
  childhood education professionals or students participating in the
  project are able to receive appropriate college credit or
  professional training; and
               (2)  obtain approval of the plan from the managing
  organization selected under Section 72.155 and with the advice of
  the advisory council.
         (b)  In addition to any other criteria required as a
  condition of approval under Subsection (a)(2), the plan must:
               (1)  develop measurable objectives similar to those of
  the Achieve Texas program administered by the Texas Education
  Agency and the Closing the Gaps program administered by the Texas
  Higher Education Coordinating Board;
               (2)  include training programs and nonduplicative
  courses for which workforce certification and college credits may
  be awarded;
               (3)  align training content with standards developed by
  nationally recognized early childhood education accrediting
  bodies;
               (4)  implement practices that allow teachers to observe
  classrooms and centers considered by the advisory council to be
  excellent;
               (5)  use valid and reliable preassessments and
  postassessments that indicate an acceptable level of teacher
  learning, as determined by secondary and higher education
  requirements;
               (6)  provide an opportunity for a participating student
  to earn three semester credit hours for the standard curriculum
  resources course in an associate of applied science child
  development degree by passing an assessment, submitting sample
  materials, and providing documentation that the student has
  completed at least 48 contact hours of approved training by a
  registered trainer;
               (7)  encourage colleges and universities to grant as
  much credit as possible for students who completed an early
  childhood professions or child care and guidance management and
  services program in high school, if the program meets the minimum
  standards of the college or university relating to program quality;
  and
               (8)  encourage universities to grant as much credit as
  possible for students who have completed an associate of applied
  science child development degree.
         (c)  The plan must also include a program evaluation
  component that, in addition to assessing early childhood education
  training opportunities, demonstrates:
               (1)  the extent to which an entity's early childhood
  education training program quality has been enhanced;
               (2)  the extent to which the number of child-care
  professionals receiving training has increased;
               (3)  the extent to which professional development
  training opportunities have increased;
               (4)  the extent to which the professionals
  participating in the partnership project demonstrate applicable
  core knowledge and skills compared to professionals in a control
  group; and
               (5)  the extent to which developmental and learning
  outcomes of children in the classrooms of participating
  professionals improve compared to children in a control group, as
  measured by valid and reliable instruments.
         Sec. 72.153.  TRAINING REQUIREMENTS FOR PARTICIPATING
  PROFESSIONALS. (a)  Except as provided by Subsection (b), an early
  childhood education professional who participates in a partnership
  project must complete at least 48 contact hours of training within
  the 18-month period following the date on which the professional
  begins participation.
         (b)  An individual with no previous training or employment
  experience in a child-care facility may satisfy the training
  requirement specified by Subsection (a) by completing at least 16
  contact hours of preservice training and an additional 32 contact
  hours within the 18-month period following the date on which the
  individual begins employment in a child-care facility.
         (c)  The total number of contact hours of training required
  under Subsection (a) may be equal to three or four semester credit
  hours in a participating accredited institution.
         Sec. 72.154.  QUALIFIED EXPENSES AND REIMBURSEMENT.  (a)  A
  partnership project shall pay qualified expenses, as determined by
  the project's managing organization, for each early childhood
  education professional who:
               (1)  participates in the project;
               (2)  pursues a higher education degree; and
               (3)  remains in the field of early childhood education
  for two years.
         (b)  Qualified expenses may include:
               (1)  on-campus housing costs;
               (2)  tuition;
               (3)  books;
               (4)  transportation; and
               (5)  other expenses, as determined by the partnership
  project's managing organization.
         (c)  A partnership project may provide reimbursement to a
  child-care facility if an early childhood education professional is
  required to complete contact hours during the regular business
  hours of the child-care facility in accordance with procedures
  created by the partnership project's managing organization.
         Sec. 72.155.  MANAGING ORGANIZATION. (a)  The Texas
  Education Agency, based on the recommendation of the advisory
  council, shall contract with an organization to manage project
  partnerships.
         (b)  The organization must be selected through a competitive
  process developed by the Texas Education Agency and the advisory
  council.
         SECTION 16.  Not later than December 1, 2009, the Texas
  Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education Career Development,
  as established by this Act, shall submit a report to the legislature
  that evaluates the effectiveness of the changes in law made by this
  Act. The report must specifically address any effect on the
  recruitment, retention, and quality of early childhood education
  providers, and any effect on associated student learning outcomes.
         SECTION 17.  Except as otherwise provided by this Act, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2007.
 
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