BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 3349

By: Gervin-Hawkins

Public Education

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties contend that there is a shortage of technical skills educators, which has resulted in a shortage of trained workers in the technical professions. These parties also note that a large number of skilled employees are becoming eligible for retirement, creating a pool of potential teachers for their respective fields. C.S.H.B. 3349 seeks to address this issue by creating an abbreviated educator preparation program for a candidate seeking certification in trade and industrial workforce training.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the State Board for Educator Certification in SECTION 1 of this bill.

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 3349 amends the Education Code to require the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) to propose rules to create an abbreviated educator preparation program for a person seeking certification in trade and industrial workforce training. The bill makes a person eligible for admission to the abbreviated program only if the person has been issued a high school diploma or a postsecondary credential, certificate, or degree; has seven years of full-time wage‑earning experience within the preceding 10 years in an approved occupation for which instruction is offered; holds with respect to that occupation a current license, certificate, or registration, as applicable, issued by a nationally recognized accrediting agency based on a recognized test or measurement; and has not been the subject of a complaint filed with a licensing entity or other agency that regulates the occupation of the person, other than a complaint that was determined baseless or unfounded by that entity or agency, within a specified period. The bill requires the SBEC, in proposing rules for an abbreviated program, to ensure that the program requires at least 80 hours of classroom instruction in a specific pedagogy, creating lesson plans, creating student assessment instruments, classroom management, and relevant federal and state education laws.

C.S.H.B. 3349 requires the SBEC, for the purpose of providing a continuing additional source of teachers to provide workforce training, to establish a probationary trade and industrial workforce training certificate and a standard trade and industrial workforce training certificate that may be obtained through an abbreviated educator preparation program. The bill requires a person, to be eligible for the probationary certificate, to satisfactorily complete the course work for that certificate in the abbreviated program and satisfy any other requirements prescribed by the SBEC. The bill requires a person, to be eligible for a standard certificate, to hold a probationary certificate; be employed by a public or private primary or secondary school or a public, independent, or private institution of higher education; and perform satisfactorily on a standard trade and industrial workforce training certificate examination prescribed by the SBEC. The bill authorizes the SBEC to administer the standard trade and industrial workforce training certificate examination to a person who holds a probationary certificate and is so employed. The bill excludes the administration of the standard trade and industrial workforce training certificate examination prescribed by the SBEC from the limitation on the number of times a person may retake a certification examination.

C.S.H.B. 3349 requires the SBEC to propose rules specifying the term of a probationary certificate and a standard certificate and establishing the requirements for renewal of a standard certificate. The bill requires the SBEC to propose rules for establishing requirements for a probationary certificate, prescribing an examination for a standard trade and industrial workforce training certificate examination, and establishing standards to govern the approval and renewal of approval of educator preparation programs for certification in trade and industrial workforce training.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2017.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 3349 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following comparison is organized and formatted in a manner that indicates the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

INTRODUCED	HOUSE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 21, Education Code, is amended by adding Sections 21.0442 and 21.0491 to read as follows: Sec. 21.0442.  EDUCATOR PREPARATION PROGRAM FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRIAL WORKFORCE TRAINING CERTIFICATE.  (a)  The board shall propose rules under this subchapter to create an abbreviated educator preparation program for a person seeking certification in trade and industrial workforce training. (b)  Subject to Subsection (c), a person is eligible for admission to an educator preparation program created under this section only if the person: (1)  has been issued a high school diploma; (2)  has 10 years of full-time wage-earning experience within the preceding 12 years in an approved occupation for which instruction is offered; and (3)  holds with respect to that occupation a current license, certificate, or registration, as applicable, issued by a nationally recognized accrediting agency based on a recognized test or measurement. (c)  The board may propose rules under which a person is eligible for admission under Subsection (b) if the person has five years of full-time wage-earning experience within the preceding seven years in an approved occupation for which instruction is offered if the person holds an advanced license, certificate, or registration, as applicable, issued by a nationally recognized accrediting agency. (d)  In proposing rules for an educator preparation program under this section, the board shall ensure that the program requires: (1)  instruction in: (A)  a specific pedagogy; (B)  classroom management; and (C)  relevant federal and state education laws; and (2)  at least 25 hours of instruction and not more than 50 hours of instruction. Sec. 21.0491.  TRADE AND INDUSTRIAL WORKFORCE TRAINING CERTIFICATE.  (a)  To provide a continuing additional source of teachers to provide workforce training, the board shall establish a trade and industrial workforce training certificate that may be obtained through an abbreviated educator preparation program under Section 21.0442. (b)  To be eligible for a certificate under this section, a person must: (1)  satisfactorily complete the course work for that certificate in an educator preparation program under Section 21.0442; (2)  perform satisfactorily on a trade and industrial workforce training certificate examination prescribed by the board; and (3)  satisfy any other requirements prescribed by the board.	SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 21, Education Code, is amended by adding Sections 21.0442 and 21.0491 to read as follows: Sec. 21.0442.  EDUCATOR PREPARATION PROGRAM FOR PROBATIONARY AND STANDARD TRADE AND INDUSTRIAL WORKFORCE TRAINING CERTIFICATES.  (a)  The board shall propose rules under this subchapter to create an abbreviated educator preparation program for a person seeking certification in trade and industrial workforce training. (b)  A person is eligible for admission to an educator preparation program created under this section only if the person: (1)  has been issued a high school diploma or a postsecondary credential, certificate, or degree; (2)  has seven years of full-time wage-earning experience within the preceding 10 years in an approved occupation for which instruction is offered; (3)  holds with respect to that occupation a current license, certificate, or registration, as applicable, issued by a nationally recognized accrediting agency based on a recognized test or measurement; and (4)  within the period described by Subdivision (2), has not been the subject of a complaint filed with a licensing entity or other agency that regulates the occupation of the person, other than a complaint that was determined baseless or unfounded by that entity or agency. (c)  In proposing rules for an educator preparation program under this section, the board shall ensure that the program requires at least 80 hours of classroom instruction in: (1)  a specific pedagogy; (2)  creating lesson plans; (3)  creating student assessment instruments; (4)  classroom management; and (5)  relevant federal and state education laws. Sec. 21.0491.  PROBATIONARY AND STANDARD TRADE AND INDUSTRIAL WORKFORCE TRAINING CERTIFICATES.  (a)  To provide a continuing additional source of teachers to provide workforce training, the board shall establish a probationary trade and industrial workforce training certificate and a standard trade and industrial workforce training certificate that may be obtained through an abbreviated educator preparation program under Section 21.0442. (b)  To be eligible for a probationary certificate under this section, a person must: (1)  satisfactorily complete the course work for that certificate in an educator preparation program under Section 21.0442; and (2)  satisfy any other requirements prescribed by the board. (c)  To be eligible for a standard certificate under this section, a person must: (1)  hold a probationary certificate issued under this section; (2)  be employed by: (A)  a public or private primary or secondary school; or (B)  an institution of higher education or an independent or private institution of higher education as those terms are defined by Section 61.003; and (3)  perform satisfactorily on a standard trade and industrial workforce training certificate examination prescribed by the board. (d)  The limitation imposed by Section 21.048(a-1) on the number of administrations of an examination does not apply to the administration of the standard trade and industrial workforce training certificate examination prescribed by the board. (e)  Notwithstanding any other law, the board may administer the standard trade and industrial workforce training certificate examination to a person who satisfies the requirements of Subsections (c)(1) and (2). (f)  The board shall propose rules to: (1)  specify the term of a probationary certificate and a standard certificate issued under this section; and (2)  establish the requirements for renewal of a standard certificate.
SECTION 2.  The State Board for Educator Certification shall propose rules: (1)  establishing requirements and prescribing an examination for a trade and industrial workforce training certificate examination as required by Section 21.0491, Education Code, as added by this Act; and (2)  establishing standards to govern the approval and renewal of approval of educator preparation programs for certification in trade and industrial workforce training.	SECTION 2.  The State Board for Educator Certification shall propose rules: (1)  establishing requirements for a probationary trade and industrial workforce training certificate as required by Section 21.0491, Education Code, as added by this Act; (2)  prescribing an examination for a standard trade and industrial workforce training certificate examination as required by Section 21.0491, Education Code, as added by this Act; and (3)  establishing standards to govern the approval and renewal of approval of educator preparation programs for certification in trade and industrial workforce training.
SECTION 3.  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, 2017.	SECTION 3. Same as introduced version.