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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a high quality prekindergarten program provided by |
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public school districts. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 8, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 8.058 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 8.058. CHILD DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE TRAINING. A |
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regional education service center may offer to teachers employed by |
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school districts the training required to be awarded a Child |
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Development Associate (CDA) credential. |
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SECTION 2. Section 12.104(b), Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(b) An open-enrollment charter school is subject to: |
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(1) a provision of this title establishing a criminal |
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offense; and |
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(2) a prohibition, restriction, or requirement, as |
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applicable, imposed by this title or a rule adopted under this |
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title, relating to: |
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(A) the Public Education Information Management |
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System (PEIMS) to the extent necessary to monitor compliance with |
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this subchapter as determined by the commissioner; |
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(B) criminal history records under Subchapter C, |
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Chapter 22; |
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(C) reading instruments and accelerated reading |
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instruction programs under Section 28.006; |
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(D) accelerated instruction under Section |
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28.0211; |
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(E) high school graduation requirements under |
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Section 28.025; |
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(F) special education programs under Subchapter |
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A, Chapter 29; |
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(G) bilingual education under Subchapter B, |
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Chapter 29; |
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(H) prekindergarten programs under Subchapter E |
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or E-1, Chapter 29; |
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(I) extracurricular activities under Section |
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33.081; |
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(J) discipline management practices or behavior |
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management techniques under Section 37.0021; |
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(K) health and safety under Chapter 38; |
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(L) public school accountability under |
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Subchapters B, C, D, E, F, G, and J, Chapter 39; |
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(M) the requirement under Section 21.006 to |
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report an educator's misconduct; and |
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(N) intensive programs of instruction under |
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Section 28.0213. |
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SECTION 3. Section 25.001(a), Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) A person who, on the first day of September of any school |
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year, is at least five years of age and under 21 years of age, or is |
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at least 21 years of age and under 26 years of age and is admitted by |
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a school district to complete the requirements for a high school |
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diploma is entitled to the benefits of the available school fund for |
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that year. Any other person enrolled in a prekindergarten class |
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under Section 29.153 or Subchapter E-1, Chapter 29, is entitled to |
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the benefits of the available school fund. |
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SECTION 4. Chapter 29, Education Code, is amended by adding |
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Subchapter E-1 to read as follows: |
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SUBCHAPTER E-1. HIGH QUALITY PREKINDERGARTEN PROGRAM |
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Sec. 29.164. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "program" |
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means a high quality prekindergarten program provided free of |
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tuition or fees in accordance with this subchapter. |
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Sec. 29.165. HIGH QUALITY PREKINDERGARTEN PROGRAM. (a) From |
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funds appropriated for that purpose, the commissioner by rule shall |
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establish a funding program under which funds are awarded to school |
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districts and open-enrollment charter schools to implement a |
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prekindergarten program under this subchapter. |
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(b) A school district may participate in and receive funding |
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under the program if the district meets all program standards |
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required under this subchapter. |
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(c) A program is subject to any other requirements imposed |
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by law that apply to a prekindergarten program not provided in |
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accordance with this subchapter, except that to the extent a |
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conflict exists between this subchapter and any other provision of |
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law, this subchapter prevails. |
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Sec. 29.166. HIGH QUALITY PROGRAM FUNDING. (a) In addition |
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to funding granted under Subsection (b), a school district is |
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eligible for half-day funding under the Foundation School Program |
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for students enrolled in a program class. |
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(b) A school district is entitled to receive additional |
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funding in an amount determined by the commissioner for each |
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qualifying student described under Subsection (c) in average daily |
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attendance in a program class. |
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(c) A student qualifies for additional funding under |
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Subsection (b) if the student is four years of age on September 1 of |
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the year the student begins the program. |
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(d) A school district that receives the funding under this |
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section may use the funding only to improve the quality of the |
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district's prekindergarten programs. |
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Sec. 29.167. HIGH QUALITY CURRICULUM AND TEACHER |
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REQUIREMENTS. (a) A school district shall select and implement a |
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curriculum for a prekindergarten program under this subchapter that |
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includes the prekindergarten guidelines established by the agency |
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and measures the progress of students in meeting the recommended |
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learning outcomes. |
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(b) Each teacher for a prekindergarten program class must: |
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(1) be certified under Subchapter B, Chapter 21; and |
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(2) have been awarded a Child Development Associate |
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(CDA) credential. |
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(c) A school district may allow a teacher employed by the |
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district to receive the training required to be awarded a Child |
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Development Associate (CDA) credential from a regional education |
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service center that offers the training in accordance with Section |
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8.058. |
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Sec. 29.168. PARENT ENGAGEMENT PLAN. A school district |
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shall develop and implement a parent engagement plan to assist the |
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district in achieving and maintaining high levels of parental |
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involvement and positive parental attitudes toward education. |
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Sec. 29.169. PROGRAM EVALUATION. A school district shall: |
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(1) select and implement appropriate methods for |
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evaluating the district's program classes by measuring student |
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progress; and |
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(2) make data from the results of program evaluations |
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available to parents. |
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Sec. 29.170. PROGRAM FUNDING EVALUATION. (a) The |
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commissioner shall evaluate the use and effectiveness of funding |
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provided under this subchapter in improving student learning. The |
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commissioner shall identify effective instruction strategies |
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implemented by school districts under this subchapter. |
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(b) Not later than December 1, 2018, the commissioner shall |
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deliver a report to the legislature containing the results of the |
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evaluation. |
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(c) This section expires December 31, 2018. |
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Sec. 29.171. REPORT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REQUIRED. In |
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addition to information reported under Section 29.1532(c), a school |
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district that offers a prekindergarten program under this |
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subchapter shall include the following information in the |
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district's Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) |
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report: |
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(1) the class size and ratio of instructional staff to |
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students for each prekindergarten program class offered by the |
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district; and |
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(2) each type of assessment instrument administered to |
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students enrolled in district prekindergarten program classes and |
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the results of each type of assessment instrument. |
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Sec. 29.172. ELIGIBLE PRIVATE PROVIDERS. (a) A school |
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district participating in the program under this subchapter may |
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enter into a contract with an eligible private provider to provide |
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services or equipment for the program. |
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(b) To be eligible to contract with a school district to |
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provide a program or part of a program, a private provider must be |
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licensed by and in good standing with the Department of Family and |
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Protective Services. For purposes of this section, a private |
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provider is in good standing with the Department of Family and |
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Protective Services if the department has not taken an action |
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against the provider's license under Section 42.071, 42.072, or |
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42.078, Human Resources Code, during the 24-month period preceding |
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the date of a contract with a school district. The private provider |
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must also be accredited by a research-based, nationally recognized, |
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and universally accessible accreditation system approved by the |
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commissioner. |
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(c) A prekindergarten program provided by a private |
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provider under this section is subject to the requirements of this |
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subchapter. |
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Sec. 29.173. RULES. The commissioner may adopt rules |
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necessary to implement this subchapter. |
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SECTION 5. Section 42.003(b), Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(b) A student to whom Subsection (a) does not apply is |
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entitled to the benefits of the Foundation School Program if the |
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student is enrolled in a prekindergarten class under Section 29.153 |
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or Subchapter E-1, Chapter 29. |
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SECTION 6. (a) Section 29.167(b), Education Code, as added |
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by this Act, requiring a prekindergarten teacher to have been |
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awarded a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential, applies |
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beginning with the 2016-2017 school year. |
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(b) Except as provided by Subsection (a) of this section, |
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this Act applies beginning with the 2015-2016 school year. |
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SECTION 7. 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, 2015. |