| TO: | Honorable Rob Eissler, Chair, House Committee on Public Education |
| FROM: | John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | HB3421 by Eissler (relating to accountability systems for public school educator preparation programs.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted |
The bill would allow the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) to adopt a fee for the approval or renewal of approval of an educator preparation program up to the amount necessary to provide for the administrative cost of approving, renewing approval, and ensuring accountability of educator preparation programs.
The bill would require school districts to provide documentation of teacher or administrator performance evaluation to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) or SBEC upon request.
The bill would direct SBEC to adopt rules establishing standards governing the approval and accountability of educator preparation programs and imposing sanctions against educator prepration programs that do not meet accountability standards including the revokation of approval for a program or part of a program, after providing an opportunity for a hearing. The bill would allow educator preparation programs for which SBEC approval is revoked to seek renewed approval after a period of two years. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) estimates that sanctions related to accountability for educator preparation programs would require the services of one additional attorney at a cost of $78,021 in FY2008 and $73,021 in each subsequent year.
The bill would require that SBEC and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) conduct biennial reviews and assessments of the performance of educator preparation programs. The reviews could be conducted in conjunction with an independent entity with expertise in the field of educator preparation. One additional FTE would be required at TEA to implement provisions related to educator preparation program review and approval at a cost of $78,021 in FY2008 and $73,021 in each subsequent year. THECB estimates that 3 additional FTEs would be required to support the biennial review of educator preparation programs at a cost of $237,737 in FY2008 and $202,133 in each subsequent year.
For purposes of this estimate, it is assumed that sufficient revenue from fees charged for approval or renewal of approval for educator preparation programs as authorized by the bill would be generated to offset costs associated with educator preparation program review and related sanctions for no net fiscal impact to the state.
| Source Agencies: | 701 Central Education Agency, 781 Higher Education Coordinating Board
|
| LBB Staff: | JOB, JSp, UP, JSc
|