BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 200

By: Heflin

Public Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Under current law,  principals are required to participate in an assessment process to promote professional growth. However, this program does not directly lead to improvements on principals' individual campuses. This has resulted in an assessment system that is ineffective, expensive, and leaves many school districts short-staffed.

The process does not require principals to be assessed on matters relating to individual performance, student performance, or other issues relevant to their own campuses or school districts. A principal's supervisor may not view the results of the assessment, and so has no guidance on how to address a principal's strengths and weaknesses.

Principals must leave their campuses to participate in the assessment program, so school districts are burdened with travel and workshop costs, and smaller districts are left short staffed when their principals leave campus. 

Schools districts would be much better served by developing their own evaluation programs to tie principals' performance to the relevant issues occurring on campus and tailored to address a principal's deficiencies and assets, rather than enrolling principals in assessment programs that have no bearing on what is happening on their campus or  in the district.

H.B. 200 repeals the assessment program but does not repeal or interfere with any annual evaluation of principals as required by local school board policies, state laws, or administrative procedures.  

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 200 repeals a provision of the Education Code that requires continuing education for principals to be based on an individual assessment of the established knowledge, skills, and proficiencies necessary to perform successfully as a principal; requires an individualized professional growth plan to be developed as a result of the assessment; and requires a principal to participate in the assessment process and professional growth activities at least once every five years.

H.B. 200 makes its provisions applicable beginning with the 2009-2010 school year.

H.B. 200 repeals Section 21.054(b), Education Code.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the act does not receive the necessary vote, the act takes effect September 1, 2009.