BILL ANALYSIS
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Senate Research Center |
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AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
According to interested parties, school districts across Texas are experiencing issues finding bilingual education educators. Current law requires a teacher assigned to a bilingual education program to be appropriately certified for bilingual education by the State Board for Educator Certification, but, the parties note, this falls short of specifying which bilingual education models are recommended. H.B. 218 seeks to address this issue.
H.B. 218 amends current law relating to certification requirements for teachers in bilingual education.
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 29.061, Education Code, by amending Subsections (b) and (c) and adding Subsections (b-1) and (b-2), as follows:
(b) Requires a teacher assigned to a bilingual education program using one of the following program models to be appropriately certified for bilingual education by the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC):
(1) transitional bilingual/early exit program model; or
(2) transitional bilingual/late exit program model.
(b-1) Requires a teacher assigned to a bilingual education program using a dual language immersion/one-way or two-way program model to be appropriately certified by SBEC for:
(1) bilingual education for the component of the program provided in a language other than English; and
(2) bilingual education or English as a second language for the component of the program provided in English.
(b-2) Authorizes a school district that provides a bilingual education program using a dual language immersion/one-way or two-way program model to assign a teacher certified under Subsection (b-1)(1) for the language other than English component of the program and a different teacher certified under Subsection (b-1)(2) for the English language component.
(c) Requires a teacher assigned to an English as a second language program, rather than a teacher assigned to an English as a second language or other special language program, to be appropriately certified for English as a second language by SBEC.
SECTION 2. Provides that this Act applies beginning with the 2015-2016 school year.
SECTION 3. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2015.