Honorable Larry Taylor, Chair, Senate Committee on Education
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
SB1868 by Zaffirini (Relating to public school accountability for bilingual education and English as a second language and other special language programs.), As Introduced
Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for SB1868, As Introduced: a negative impact of ($2,231,653) through the biennium ending August 31, 2017.
The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill.
Fiscal Year
Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds
2016
($957,735)
2017
($1,273,918)
2018
($1,241,918)
2019
($1,475,050)
2020
($1,459,050)
Fiscal Year
Probable Savings/(Cost) from General Revenue Fund 1
Change in Number of State Employees from FY 2009
2016
($957,735)
9.5
2017
($1,273,918)
13.5
2018
($1,241,918)
13.5
2019
($1,475,050)
16.0
2020
($1,459,050)
16.0
Fiscal Analysis
The bill would require all school districts and open-enrollment charter schools to collect and provide to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) certain information regarding limited English proficiency students and would require the TEA to evaluate the effectiveness of bilingual education or special language programs based on this information.
The bill would require each lead program monitor evaluating the effectiveness of these programs to be certified to teach English as a second language.
The bill would require the TEA to notify a school district, any appropriate campus, or an open-enrollment charter school of an intervention in writing within 30 days of the first day of the intervention.
The bill would require TEA to intervene in a bilingual education or special language program if the agency determines the program is ineffective. The bill would require each campus, district, or open-enrollment charter school with an ineffective program to designate annual program improvement goals and require TEA to review the annual improvement of a program based on the annual program improvement goals set by the campus, district, or open-enrollment charter school.
The bill would require the TEA to annually review improvement in the program as measured by designated goals. The TEA would be required to take appropriate corrective action for a program if the program failed to meet one or more annual improvement goals for two or more consecutive years.
The bill would require TEA to ensure that certain information related to a student classified as a student of limited English proficiency be collected through the Public Education Information Management System.
The bill would take effect on September 1, 2015, or immediately if passed with the necessary voting margins, and apply beginning in school year 2015-16.
Methodology
It is estimated that the provisions of the bill would require 8.0 additional FTEs in the Performance Based Monitoring division of TEA at a salary cost of $479,498 in FY2016 and each subsequent year.
It is estimated that the provisions of bill would result in additional on-site monitoring visits, which would require 4 FTEs in FY2017 and FY2018 at a salary cost of $258,727, and 6 FTES at a salary cost of $384,935 in FY2019 and FY2020.
It is estimated that administrative support duties to implement the bill would require 1.50 additional FTEs at a salary cost of $66,766 in FY2016, FY2017, and FY2018, and 2.0 FTEs at a salary cost of $85,254 in each subsequent year.
Non-salary costs include: other operating expenses, training and appropriate certifications for monitors, monitor travel, rent, network capacity, benefits, and payroll contributions. The estimated cost for non-salary expenses in FY2016 is $385,376; $468,927 in FY2017; $436,927 in FY2018; $525,364 in FY2019; $509,364 in FY2020. Two additional PEIMS elements would also need to be added. The modification of PEIMS would involve a one-time cost in FY2016 of $26,094.
Technology
The bill would require the addition of two PEIMS elements. The modification of PEIMS would involve a one-time cost in FY2016 of $26,094.
Local Government Impact
School districts and open-enrollment charter schools might incur additional costs related to interventions if programs were found to be ineffective or related to corrective actions if the districts or schools failed to meet one or more annual improvement goals.