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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to minimum standards for approval of educator preparation |
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programs. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 21.044, Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 21.044. EDUCATOR PREPARATION. (a) The board shall |
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propose rules establishing the training requirements a person must |
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accomplish to obtain a certificate, enter an internship, or enter |
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an induction-year program. The board shall propose rules |
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specifying [specify] the minimum academic qualifications required |
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for a certificate. |
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(b) In addition to satisfying applicable requirements and |
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meeting applicable qualifications established under Subsection |
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(a), to obtain a classroom teaching certificate, including a |
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certificate qualifying a person to teach career and technical or |
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special education classes, unless a certificate is awarded under |
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Subsection (c), a person must: |
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(1) maintain an overall grade point average of at |
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least 2.5 on a four-point scale or the equivalent while enrolled in |
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an educator preparation program; or |
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(2) earn a grade point average of at least 2.5 on a |
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four-point scale or the equivalent for the last 60 semester credit |
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hours attempted at a public or private institution of higher |
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education. |
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(c) Based on extraordinary circumstances, as determined by |
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the board in accordance with board rule, the board may award a |
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certificate to a person who would be eligible for a certificate if |
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not for the person's failure to satisfy a grade point average |
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requirement as specified under Subsection (b)(1) or (2). In any |
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year, the board may not award certificates under this subsection to |
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more than five percent of an educator preparation program's |
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candidates for certification for that year. |
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(d) An educator preparation program may impose requirements |
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or qualifications in addition to requirements and qualifications |
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established under this section. |
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SECTION 2. Section 21.045, Education Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsections (d) and (e) to read as follows: |
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(d) The performance standards under Subsection (c) must |
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include a requirement that an educator preparation program, |
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including an undergraduate, alternative certification, or |
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postbaccalaureate program, admit only an applicant for admission |
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who: |
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(1) has, except as provided by Subsection (e): |
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(A) maintained an overall grade point average of |
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at least 2.5 on a four-point scale or the equivalent on any course |
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work previously attempted at a public or private institution of |
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higher education; or |
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(B) earned a grade point average of at least 2.5 |
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on a four-point scale or the equivalent for the last 60 semester |
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credit hours attempted at a public or private institution of higher |
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education; |
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(2) demonstrates, in a manner determined by the |
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board, basic skills in reading, writing, and mathematics; and |
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(3) either: |
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(A) has successfully completed at least 18 |
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semester credit hours in the subject-specific content area in which |
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the applicant is pursuing certification; or |
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(B) if the applicant is seeking initial |
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certification, has achieved a satisfactory level of performance on |
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a content certification examination, which may be a content |
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certification examination administered by a vendor approved by the |
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commissioner for purposes of administering such an examination for |
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the year for which the applicant is applying for admission to the |
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program. |
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(e) The performance standards under Subsection (c) must |
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permit an educator preparation program to admit an applicant who |
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fails to satisfy a grade point average requirement prescribed by |
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Subsection (d)(1)(A) or (B), provided that: |
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(1) not more than five percent of the total number of |
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applicants admitted to the program in a year fail to satisfy the |
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requirement under Subsection (d)(1)(A) or (B); and |
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(2) for each applicant admitted as described by this |
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subsection, the director of the program: |
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(A) determines, based on documentation provided |
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by the applicant, that the applicant's work, business, or career |
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experience demonstrates achievement; and |
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(B) maintains and makes available at the request |
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of the board the documentation provided under Paragraph (A). |
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SECTION 3. Subsection (a), Section 21.048, Education Code, |
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is amended to read as follows: |
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(a) The board shall propose rules prescribing comprehensive |
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examinations for each class of certificate issued by the board. The |
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board shall determine the satisfactory level of performance |
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required for each certification examination. The board shall |
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require a satisfactory level of examination performance in English |
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language arts, reading, mathematics, science, and social studies |
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for the issuance of a generalist or multi-subject certificate. |
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SECTION 4. Subchapter A, Chapter 21, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 21.008 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 21.008. BIENNIAL REPORT ON EDUCATORS. (a) Subject to |
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Subsection (d), not later than December 1 of each even-numbered |
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year, the agency shall prepare, publish, and submit to the |
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legislature a report regarding public school staffing and the |
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working conditions for public school educators. The report also |
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shall be posted on the agency's Internet website. |
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(b) The report must contain, at a minimum, the following |
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staffing information for each public school campus: |
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(1) the percentage of teachers assigned to teach |
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subjects outside the teacher's area of certification or expertise; |
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(2) the percentage of teachers employed under |
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emergency certificates; |
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(3) teacher turnover rates; and |
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(4) the number and percentage of teachers who have |
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less than one year of teaching experience. |
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(c) The report must contain information regarding working |
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conditions in each school district based on a statewide survey |
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conducted by the agency of educators. To encourage the uninhibited |
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participation of educators, the survey must be designed to prevent |
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the disclosure of the identity of a survey participant. The agency |
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shall include in the report recommendations for improving the |
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working conditions at campuses identified by the agency, based on |
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the results of the survey, as having poor working conditions. |
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(d) The commissioner shall seek from private sources the |
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funding necessary to pay the costs for the creation, |
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implementation, and analysis of the statewide survey described by |
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Subsection (c). If the commissioner does not acquire the necessary |
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funding to pay the costs of the survey, the agency may not, for the |
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applicable year, prepare, publish, or submit the report described |
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by this section. |
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SECTION 5. Sections 21.044 and 21.045, Education Code, as |
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amended by this Act, apply only to a person admitted to an educator |
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preparation program on or after January 1, 2012. |
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SECTION 6. 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. |