| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
| |
|
|
relating to minimum standards for approval of educator preparation |
|
|
programs. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Section 21.044, Education Code, is amended to |
|
|
read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 21.044. EDUCATOR PREPARATION. (a) The board shall |
|
|
propose rules establishing the training requirements a person must |
|
|
accomplish to obtain a certificate, enter an internship, or enter |
|
|
an induction-year program. The board shall propose rules |
|
|
specifying [specify] the minimum academic qualifications required |
|
|
for a certificate. |
|
|
(b) In addition to satisfying applicable requirements and |
|
|
meeting applicable qualifications established under Subsection |
|
|
(a), to obtain a classroom teaching certificate, including a |
|
|
certificate qualifying a person to teach career and technical or |
|
|
special education classes, unless a certificate is awarded under |
|
|
Subsection (c), a person must: |
|
|
(1) maintain an overall grade point average of at |
|
|
least 2.5 on a four-point scale or the equivalent while enrolled in |
|
|
an educator preparation program; or |
|
|
(2) earn a grade point average of at least 2.5 on a |
|
|
four-point scale or the equivalent for the last 60 semester credit |
|
|
hours attempted at a public or private institution of higher |
|
|
education. |
|
|
(c) Based on extraordinary circumstances, as determined by |
|
|
the board in accordance with board rule, the board may award a |
|
|
certificate to a person who would be eligible for a certificate if |
|
|
not for the person's failure to satisfy a grade point average |
|
|
requirement as specified under Subsection (b)(1) or (2). In any |
|
|
year, the board may not award certificates under this subsection to |
|
|
more than five percent of an educator preparation program's |
|
|
candidates for certification for that year. |
|
|
(d) An educator preparation program may impose requirements |
|
|
or qualifications in addition to requirements and qualifications |
|
|
established under this section. |
|
|
SECTION 2. Section 21.045, Education Code, is amended by |
|
|
adding Subsections (d) and (e) to read as follows: |
|
|
(d) The performance standards under Subsection (c) must |
|
|
include a requirement that an educator preparation program, |
|
|
including an undergraduate, alternative certification, or |
|
|
postbaccalaureate program, admit only an applicant for admission |
|
|
who: |
|
|
(1) has, except as provided by Subsection (e): |
|
|
(A) maintained an overall grade point average of |
|
|
at least 2.5 on a four-point scale or the equivalent on any course |
|
|
work previously attempted at a public or private institution of |
|
|
higher education; or |
|
|
(B) earned a grade point average of at least 2.5 |
|
|
on a four-point scale or the equivalent for the last 60 semester |
|
|
credit hours attempted at a public or private institution of higher |
|
|
education; |
|
|
(2) demonstrates, in a manner determined by the |
|
|
board, basic skills in reading, writing, and mathematics; |
|
|
(3) has successfully completed at least 18 semester |
|
|
credit hours in the subject-specific content area in which the |
|
|
applicant is pursuing certification; and |
|
|
(4) if the applicant is seeking initial certification, |
|
|
has achieved a satisfactory level of performance on a content |
|
|
certification examination, which may be a content certification |
|
|
examination administered by a vendor approved by the commissioner |
|
|
for purposes of administering such an examination for the year for |
|
|
which the applicant is applying for admission to the program. |
|
|
(e) The performance standards under Subsection (c) must |
|
|
permit an educator preparation program to admit an applicant who |
|
|
fails to satisfy a grade point average requirement prescribed by |
|
|
Subsection (d)(1)(A) or (B), provided that: |
|
|
(1) not more than five percent of the total number of |
|
|
applicants admitted to the program in a year fail to satisfy the |
|
|
requirement under Subsection (d)(1)(A) or (B); and |
|
|
(2) for each applicant admitted as described by this |
|
|
subsection, the director of the program: |
|
|
(A) determines, based on documentation provided |
|
|
by the applicant, that the applicant's work, business, or career |
|
|
experience demonstrates achievement; and |
|
|
(B) maintains and makes available at the request |
|
|
of the board the documentation provided under Paragraph (A). |
|
|
SECTION 3. Subsection (a), Section 21.048, Education Code, |
|
|
is amended to read as follows: |
|
|
(a) The board shall propose rules prescribing comprehensive |
|
|
examinations for each class of certificate issued by the board. The |
|
|
board shall determine the satisfactory level of performance |
|
|
required for each certification examination. The board shall |
|
|
require a satisfactory level of examination performance in English |
|
|
language arts, reading, mathematics, science, and social studies |
|
|
for the issuance of a generalist or multi-subject certificate. |
|
|
SECTION 4. Subchapter A, Chapter 21, Education Code, is |
|
|
amended by adding Section 21.008 to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 21.008. BIENNIAL REPORT ON EDUCATORS. (a) Not later |
|
|
than December 1 of each even-numbered year, the agency shall |
|
|
prepare, publish, and submit to the legislature a report regarding |
|
|
public school staffing and the working conditions for public school |
|
|
educators. The report also shall be posted on the agency's Internet |
|
|
website. |
|
|
(b) The report must contain, at a minimum, the following |
|
|
staffing information for each public school campus: |
|
|
(1) the percentage of teachers assigned to teach |
|
|
subjects outside the teacher's area of certification or expertise; |
|
|
(2) the percentage of teachers employed under |
|
|
emergency certificates; |
|
|
(3) teacher turnover rates; and |
|
|
(4) the number and percentage of teachers who have |
|
|
less than one year of teaching experience. |
|
|
(c) The report must contain information regarding working |
|
|
conditions in each school district based on a statewide survey |
|
|
conducted by the agency of educators. To encourage the uninhibited |
|
|
participation of educators, the survey must be designed to prevent |
|
|
the disclosure of the identity of a survey participant. The agency |
|
|
shall include in the report recommendations for improving the |
|
|
working conditions at campuses identified by the agency, based on |
|
|
the results of the survey, as having poor working conditions. |
|
|
(d) The commissioner is directed to seek private funding for |
|
|
the creation, implementation, and analysis of the survey. |
|
|
Implementation of this section is contingent upon securing funding. |
|
|
SECTION 5. Sections 21.044 and 21.045, Education Code, as |
|
|
amended by this Act, apply only to a person admitted to an educator |
|
|
preparation program on or after January 1, 2012. |
|
|
SECTION 6. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
|
|
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
|
|
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
|
|
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
|
|
Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |
|
|
|
|
|
* * * * * |