BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center C.S.H.B. 4152
81R33741 CAE-D By: Rose, Martinez Fischer (Van de Putte)
Committee Report (Substituted)
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Texas currently faces a shortage of teachers in areas such as special education, mathematics, science, and bilingual education. As a result, many students are taught by out-of-field teachers, leading to lower student achievement in these areas. In addition, the rigid timetable for submitting paperwork and passing the Texas certification test is preventing some out-of-state teachers, who have recently moved to Texas, from being able to teach in a Texas classroom immediately. One way to alleviate the teacher shortage is to provide certified teachers from other states certification reciprocity to teach in Texas with a two-year temporary certification.
C.S.H.B. 4152 amends current law relating to certification of an educator in Texas who is certified in another state or country.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 21.052, Education Code, by amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsections (e), (f), (g), and (h) as follows:
(a) Authorizes the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) to issue a certificate to an educator who applies for a certificate and meets certain conditions.
(e) Requires an educator who has submitted all documents required by SBEC for certification and who receives a certificate as provided by Subsection (a) to perform satisfactorily on the examination prescribed under Section 21.048 (Certification Examinations) not later than the first anniversary of the date SBEC completes the review of the educator's credentials and informs the educator of the examination or examinations under Section 21.048 on which the educator is required to perform successfully to receive a standard certificate.
(f) Requires SBEC to post on SBEC's Internet website the procedures for obtaining a certificate under Subsection (a).
(g) Requires the commissioner of education to provide guidance to school districts that employ an educator certified as provided by Subsection (a) on procedures to classify the educator as a highly qualified teacher in a manner consistent with the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (20 U.S.C. Section 6301 et seq.).
(h) Provides that this section applies only to an applicant who holds a certificate or other credential issued by another state in mathematics, science, special education, or bilingual education, or another subject area that the commissioner of education determines has a shortage of teachers. Requires SBEC, in any state fiscal year, to accept or reject, not later than the 14th day after the date SBEC receives the completed application, at least 90 percent of the applications SBEC receives for a certificate under this subsection, and to accept or reject all completed applications SBEC receives under this subsection not later than the 30th day after the date SBEC receives the completed application. Requires an applicant under this subsection to submit a letter of good standing from the state in which the teacher is certified on a form determined by SBEC, information necessary to complete a national criminal history record information review, and an application fee as required by SBEC.
SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2009.