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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to certain responsibilities of education research centers |
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and to a joint advisory board for education research centers. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 1.005, Education Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (e) and adding Subsections (l) and (m) to read |
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as follows: |
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(e) A center shall conduct research for the benefit of |
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education in this state, including research relating to the impact |
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of state and federal education programs, the performance of |
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educator preparation programs, public school finance, and the best |
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practices of school districts with regard to classroom instruction, |
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bilingual education programs, special language programs, and |
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business practices. A center shall support policy and academic |
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research, including support of attainment of doctoral degrees in |
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this state. |
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(l) Each center shall adopt and, after approval by the joint |
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advisory board as provided for under Section 1.006(e)(4), |
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administer a process for reviewing research proposals and |
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forwarding to the joint advisory board only proposals of high |
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quality. |
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(m) On behalf of a center, the commissioner of education and |
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the coordinating board may pursue and enter data reciprocity |
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agreements with: |
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(1) another agency of this state; and |
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(2) the state education agency of another state, |
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giving priority to the agencies of those states that send the |
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highest number of students to this state or that receive the highest |
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number of students from this state. |
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SECTION 2. Chapter 1, Education Code, is amended by adding |
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Section 1.006 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 1.006. JOINT ADVISORY BOARD FOR EDUCATION RESEARCH |
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CENTERS. (a) In this section, "center" means a center for education |
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research authorized by Section 1.005. |
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(b) The commissioner of education and the commissioner of |
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higher education shall co-chair a joint advisory board to adopt |
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policies governing the operations of the centers, including a |
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process for review and approval of center research involving |
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confidential information. The commissioner of education and the |
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commissioner of higher education each may delegate duties as |
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co-chair, including voting, to an employee of the Texas Education |
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Agency or the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, as |
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appropriate. |
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(c) The commissioner of education and the commissioner of |
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higher education shall jointly appoint not more than 10 additional |
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members to the joint advisory board to serve one-year terms. A |
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member of the joint advisory board serves at the pleasure of the |
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commissioner of education and the commissioner of higher education. |
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A member may be reappointed each year to an additional term. |
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(d) The joint advisory board shall meet at the call of the |
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co-chairs at least twice each year. |
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(e) The joint advisory board shall: |
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(1) establish a schedule of fees to fund the cost of |
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data processing by the Texas Education Agency; |
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(2) develop a plan for establishing access at public |
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institutions of higher education to center research; |
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(3) develop policies to give state agencies acting for |
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a governmental purpose and public entities performing studies |
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authorized by the legislature priority in access to and use of |
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center research; |
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(4) provide for approving a process developed under |
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Section 1.005(l) for reviewing center research proposals and |
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forwarding only proposals of high quality to the joint advisory |
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board; |
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(5) identify, in consultation with each center, the |
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type of data that the Texas Education Agency sends annually to each |
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center without the necessity of a request for that data by a center |
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and a schedule on which the data is sent; and |
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(6) perform other duties as necessary to advise each |
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center. |
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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. |