BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center C.S.S.B. 2206
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.
This legislation simplifies the process for out-of-state teachers, certified to teach in a shortage area, to teach in a Texas classroom. The legislation defines the shortage areas as mathematics, science, special education, bilingual education, and any other shortage area determined by the commissioner of education. The bill authorizes certified teachers to begin teaching in a shortage area immediately, but requires the teacher to pass the appropriate Texas certification examination within two years of the teacher's start date.
C.S.S.B. 2206 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 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 the certificate under Subsection (a) was issued.
(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 subsection applies only to an applicant who holds a certificate or other credential issued by another state or country in mathematics, science, special education, or bilingual education, or another subject area that the commissioner 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 section to submit a letter of good standing from the state or country 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.