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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to educator preparation programs and appointment to the |
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State Board for Educator Certification, including the appointment |
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of a nonvoting member with experience and knowledge of alternative |
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educator preparation programs. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 21.033(a), Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) The State Board for Educator Certification is composed |
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of 15 [14] members. The commissioner of education shall appoint an |
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employee of the agency to represent the commissioner as a nonvoting |
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member. The commissioner of higher education shall appoint an |
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employee of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to |
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represent the commissioner as a nonvoting member. The governor |
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shall appoint two nonvoting members. The governor shall appoint a |
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dean of a college of education in this state as one of the [a] |
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nonvoting members [member]. The governor shall appoint a person who |
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has experience working for and knowledge of an alternative educator |
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preparation program and who is not affiliated with an institution |
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of higher education as one of the nonvoting members. The remaining |
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11 members are appointed by the governor with the advice and consent |
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of the senate, as follows: |
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(1) four members must be teachers employed in public |
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schools; |
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(2) two members must be public school administrators; |
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(3) one member must be a public school counselor; and |
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(4) four members must be citizens, three of whom are |
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not and have not, in the five years preceding appointment, been |
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employed by a public school district or by an educator preparation |
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program in an institution of higher education and one of whom is not |
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and has not been employed by a public school district or by an |
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educator preparation program in an institution of higher education. |
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SECTION 2. Section 21.0451(a), Education Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(a) The board shall propose rules for the sanction of |
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educator preparation programs that do not meet accountability |
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standards and shall annually review the accreditation status of |
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each educator preparation program. The rules: |
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(1) shall provide for the assignment of the following |
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accreditation statuses: |
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(A) not rated; |
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(B) accredited; |
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(C) accredited-warned; |
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(D) accredited-probation; and |
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(E) not accredited-revoked; |
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(2) may provide for the agency to take any necessary |
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action, including one or more of the following actions: |
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(A) requiring the program to obtain technical |
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assistance approved by the agency or board; |
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(B) requiring the program to obtain professional |
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services under contract with another person; |
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(C) appointing a monitor to participate in and |
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report to the board on the activities of the program; and |
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(D) if a program has been rated as |
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accredited-probation under the Accountability System for Educator |
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Preparation for a period of at least one year, revoking the approval |
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of the program and ordering the program to be closed, provided that |
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the board or agency must provide the opportunity for a hearing |
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before the effective date of the closure; [and] |
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(3) shall provide for the agency to revoke the |
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approval of the program and order the program to be closed if the |
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program has been rated as accredited-probation under the |
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Accountability System for Educator Preparation for three |
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consecutive years, provided that the board or agency must provide |
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the opportunity for a hearing before the effective date of the |
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closure; and |
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(4) shall provide the board procedure for changing the |
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accreditation status of a program that: |
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(A) does not meet the accreditation standards |
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established under Section 21.045(a); or |
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(B) violates a board or agency regulation. |
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SECTION 3. Sections 21.0452(b), (c), and (d), Education |
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Code, are amended to read as follows: |
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(b) The board shall make available at least the following |
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information regarding each educator preparation program: |
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(1) the information specified in Sections 21.045(a) |
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and (b); |
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(2) in addition to any other appropriate information |
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indicating the quality of persons admitted to the program, the |
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average academic qualifications possessed by persons admitted to |
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the program, including: |
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(A) average overall grade point average and |
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average grade point average in specific subject areas; and |
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(B) average scores on the Scholastic Assessment |
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Test (SAT), the American College Test (ACT), or the Graduate Record |
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Examination (GRE), as applicable; |
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(3) the degree to which persons who complete the |
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program are successful in obtaining teaching positions; |
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(4) the extent to which the program prepares teachers, |
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including general education teachers and special education |
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teachers, to effectively teach: |
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(A) students with disabilities; and |
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(B) students of limited English proficiency, as |
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defined by Section 29.052; |
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(5) the activities offered by the program that are |
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designed to prepare teachers to: |
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(A) integrate technology effectively into |
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curricula and instruction, including activities consistent with |
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the principles of universal design for learning; and |
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(B) use technology effectively to collect, |
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manage, and analyze data to improve teaching and learning for the |
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purpose of increasing student academic achievement; |
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(6) for each semester, the average ratio of field |
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supervisors to candidates completing student teaching, clinical |
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teaching, or an internship in an educator preparation program; |
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(7) the percentage of teachers employed under a |
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standard teaching certificate within one year of completing the |
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program; |
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(8) the perseverance of beginning teachers in the |
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profession, as determined on the basis of the number of beginning |
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teachers who maintain status as active contributing members in the |
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Teacher Retirement System of Texas for at least three years after |
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certification in comparison to similar programs; |
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(9) [(7)] the results of exit surveys given to program |
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participants on completion of the program that involve evaluation |
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of the program's effectiveness in preparing participants to succeed |
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in the classroom; and |
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(10) [(8)] the results of surveys given to school |
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principals that involve evaluation of the program's effectiveness |
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in preparing participants to succeed in the classroom, based on |
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experience with employed program participants. |
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(c) For purposes of Subsection (b)(9) [(b)(7)], the board |
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shall require an educator preparation program to distribute an exit |
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survey that a program participant must complete before the |
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participant is eligible to receive a certificate under this |
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subchapter. |
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(d) For purposes of Subsections (b)(9) [(b)(7)] and (10) |
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[(8)], the board shall develop surveys for distribution to program |
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participants and school principals. |
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SECTION 4. As soon as practicable after the effective date |
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of this Act, the governor shall appoint as a nonvoting member of the |
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State Board for Educator Certification a person who has experience |
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working for and knowledge of an alternative educator preparation |
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program and who is not affiliated with an institution of higher |
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education, as required by Section 21.033(a), Education Code, as |
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amended by this Act. |
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SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |