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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to beginning teacher induction and mentoring programs for |
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public schools. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 21, Education Code, is amended by adding |
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Subchapter N to read as follows: |
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SUBCHAPTER N. BEGINNING TEACHER INDUCTION AND MENTORING PROGRAMS |
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Sec. 21.651. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: |
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(1) "Beginning teacher" means a classroom teacher who: |
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(A) has less than two complete years of |
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experience teaching the subject or grade level to which the teacher |
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is assigned; or |
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(B) has less than three complete years of |
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experience teaching the subject or grade level to which the teacher |
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is assigned and is identified as in need of assistance under an |
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appraisal system developed under Section 21.351 or 21.352. |
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(2) "Program" means the beginning teacher induction |
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and mentoring program established under this subchapter. |
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Sec. 21.652. BEGINNING TEACHER INDUCTION AND MENTORING |
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PROGRAM. (a) To enable establishment of sustainable district-wide |
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high-quality beginning teacher induction and mentoring, the |
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commissioner by rule shall establish a beginning teacher induction |
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and mentoring program under which school districts may participate, |
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in accordance with local plans approved by the commissioner that |
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are based on guidelines adopted under this subchapter. A |
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participating district receives program grants from the agency from |
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funds appropriated to the agency for the purpose of planning for and |
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providing high-quality induction and mentoring to beginning |
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teachers in the manner provided by this subchapter. A district is |
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not required to participate in the program, but each district |
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should ensure that beginning teachers have access to high-quality |
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induction and mentoring consistent with the guidelines established |
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under Section 21.653(a). |
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(b) In establishing the program, the commissioner, in |
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consultation with the committee established under Subsection (c), |
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shall adopt program guidelines in accordance with Section |
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21.653(a), and the commissioner shall adopt program guidelines in |
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accordance with Section 21.653(b) for a school district to follow |
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in developing a local plan. |
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(c) To assist the commissioner in developing program |
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guidelines under Section 21.653(a), the commissioner shall appoint |
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a committee of interested persons, including agency staff, |
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education policy makers, representatives of educator preparation |
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programs and educator associations, and educators who work with |
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beginning teachers under beginning teacher induction programs, as |
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determined appropriate by the commissioner. |
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(d) In adopting rules under this section, the commissioner |
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shall provide for participating school districts to receive |
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technical assistance and planning and program guidance. |
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Sec. 21.653. PROGRAM GUIDELINES. (a) The program |
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guidelines must establish quality indicators for each of the |
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following required components of the program: |
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(1) research-based program standards, including: |
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(A) assigning a district-level coordinator to |
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administer the program at the district level; |
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(B) establishing a local advisory committee of |
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teachers and other educators to assist in implementing the program |
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in the school district; |
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(C) establishing district administrative policy |
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roles and responsibilities for persons involved in the program; |
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(D) establishing, for each beginning teacher in |
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the program, a support team composed of: |
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(i) the campus principal or the beginning |
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teacher's appraiser; |
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(ii) an educator preparation program field |
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supervisor; and |
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(iii) the beginning teacher's mentor |
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provided by the district; |
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(E) requiring each beginning teacher and that |
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teacher's support team members described by Paragraph (D) to meet |
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at least three times each school year; and |
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(F) providing training for support team members |
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described by Paragraph (D); |
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(2) mentoring standards to ensure high-quality |
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mentoring, including: |
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(A) requiring each district to assign a mentor |
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teacher to each beginning teacher; |
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(B) requiring each teacher who is assigned as a |
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mentor to: |
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(i) have at least three complete years of |
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teaching experience with a superior record of assisting students, |
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as a whole, in achieving improvement in student performance; |
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(ii) teach the same subject or grade level, |
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as applicable, as the beginning teacher the mentor teacher is |
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mentoring; |
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(iii) teach in the same school as the |
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beginning teacher the mentor teacher is mentoring, to the extent |
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practicable; and |
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(iv) complete a research-based mentoring |
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and induction training program approved by the commissioner and |
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provided by the district; |
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(C) providing for release time from classroom |
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instruction duties for the mentor teacher, as applicable, and the |
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beginning teacher the mentor teacher is mentoring in order to meet, |
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conduct observations, and engage in other activities focused on |
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enhancing the student achievement of the beginning teacher's |
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students; |
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(D) providing, to the extent practicable, for |
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common planning time for the mentor teacher and the beginning |
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teacher the mentor teacher is mentoring; |
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(E) limiting the assignment to two beginning |
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teachers for each mentor teacher who is a classroom teacher; and |
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(F) providing for stipends for mentor teachers; |
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(3) performance standards aligned with the criteria |
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for the recommended appraisal process adopted by the commissioner |
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under Section 21.351; |
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(4) ongoing professional development requirements, |
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including required training for: |
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(A) participating program administrators |
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regarding successful implementation and administration of the |
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program; and |
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(B) participating school administrators, mentor |
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teachers, and beginning teachers; |
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(5) standards-based formative assessments; and |
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(6) provisions for partnership and collaboration, |
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including consistent and regular collaboration between |
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participating districts and appropriate educator preparation |
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programs. |
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(b) The commissioner shall adopt guidelines for funding the |
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program, including requiring a participating school district to |
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provide matching funds in an amount determined by the commissioner. |
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Sec. 21.654. LOCAL PLANS. (a) A district-level committee |
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for a school district that intends to participate in the program, |
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such as the district-level planning and decision-making committee |
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established under Subchapter F, Chapter 11, shall develop a local |
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beginning teacher induction and mentoring plan for the district. |
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The local plan may provide for participation in the program by all |
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campuses in the district or only those campuses selected by the |
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district-level committee. A local plan that does not provide for |
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participation in the program by all campuses in the district must |
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include an analysis and timeline for future district-wide |
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implementation. |
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(b) A majority of classroom teachers assigned to a campus |
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that is proposed for selection to participate in the program must |
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approve participation to be included in the local plan. |
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(c) A school district must submit a local plan to the agency |
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for approval. The plan must be submitted together with evidence of |
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significant teacher involvement in the development of the plan. |
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(d) The agency may approve only a local plan that meets |
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program guidelines adopted under Section 21.653. |
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(e) The agency shall make model local plans available to |
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school districts that intend to participate in the program. |
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(f) A school district whose local plan is approved by the |
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agency may renew the plan for three consecutive school years |
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without resubmitting the plan to the agency for approval. A |
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district may amend a local plan for approval by the agency for each |
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school year the district receives a program grant. |
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Sec. 21.655. PROGRAM EVALUATION. The commissioner shall: |
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(1) provide for the periodic evaluation of the program |
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by surveying program participants and by any other means determined |
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by the commissioner; and |
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(2) based on the evaluation, modify the program as |
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necessary. |
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Sec. 21.656. REQUIRED COMPONENTS OF BEGINNING TEACHER |
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INDUCTION AND MENTORING PROGRAM. Regardless of whether a school |
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district participates in the program established under this |
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subchapter, any beginning teacher induction and mentoring program |
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adopted by a district shall include the following components: |
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(1) research-based program standards; |
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(2) mentoring standards to ensure high-quality |
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mentoring; |
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(3) performance standards aligned with the criteria |
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for the recommended appraisal process adopted by the commissioner |
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under Section 21.351; |
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(4) ongoing professional development requirements; |
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(5) standards-based formative assessments; and |
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(6) provisions for partnership and collaboration, |
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including consistent and regular collaboration between the |
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district and educator preparation programs. |
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Sec. 21.657. RULES. The commissioner shall adopt rules as |
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necessary to administer this subchapter. |
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SECTION 2. Section 21.458, Education Code, is repealed. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |