BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

Senate Research Center	S.B. 1278
85R11753 KKA-F	By: Taylor, Larry
	Education
	4/4/2017
	As Filed

 

 

 

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

S.B. 1278 seeks to provide flexibility to education preparation programs (EPPs) and potential teacher candidates in the following three ways:

 

S.B. 1278 allows three of the five field supervisor visits required by rule to be provided by video, Internet, or other remote technological methods. By allowing EPPs to perform three field observations through the use of technology, programs will be able to reduce cost on candidates, improve the quality of the observations, and provide flexibility for candidates, field supervisors, and school districts.

 

S.B. 1278 seeks to improve the quality and accessibility of field-based experiences (FBEs) for teacher candidates enrolled in EPPs by allowing teachers candidates to use past educational experiences in which the candidate performed the role of a teacher and was either partly or fully responsible for the students in the classroom. These experiences include serving as a substitute teacher or teacher's aide and are limited to a time period of two years prior to enrollment in an EPP.

 

S.B. 1278 allows EPPs to approve candidates to take content exams for high need or "teacher shortage" areas, as deemed by the United States Department of Education in collaboration with the Texas Education Agency (ex. Bilingual, special education, etc.) without negatively affecting the content pass rate of the individual EPP under the Standard 1 provisions of ASEP.

 

As proposed, S.B. 1278 amends current law relating to educator preparation programs.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

Rulemaking authority previously granted to the State Board for Educator Certification is modified in SECTION 1 (Section 21.045, Education Code) of this bill.

 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1. Amends Section 21.045, Education Code, by amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (a-1), as follows:

 

(a) Requires the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) to propose certain rules relating to governing educator preparation programs (EPPs) based on the follwoing information that is disaggregated with respect to race, sex, and ethnicity:

 

(1) results of the certification examinations prescribed under Section 21.048(a) (relating to rules prescribing comprehensive examinations for certificates issued by SBEC), except as provided by Subsection (a-1);

 

(2) and (3) makes no changes to these subdivisions;

 

(4) compliance with certain SBEC requirements relating to structural guidance and ongoing support provided by field supervisors to certain teaching candidates, provided that SBEC:

 

(A)� is required to permit a program to comply with at least three of any field supervisor visit requirements through visits provided by video, the Internet, or another remote technological method; and

 

(B) is prohibited from requiring more than five support visits by a field supervisor during the course of an internship; and

 

(5) makes no changes to this subdivision.

 

(a-1) Provides that results on a content examination required for certification in a subject area are not included for purposes of Subsection (a)(1) if the subject area is determined by the Texas Education Agency (TEA), based on information maintained by TEA and subject to approval by the United States Department of Education, to be a teacher shortage area.

 

SECTION 2. Amends Section 21.051(b), Education Code, as follows:

 

(b) Requires a candidate, before a school district is authorized to employ a candidate for certification as a teacher of record, to complete at least 15 hours of field-based experience (FBE), which is authorized to occur after the candidate's admission to an EPP or during the two years preceding admission. Authorizes the FBE to be satisfied by observing a teacher certified by this state actively engaged in instructional or educational activities, or by serving as a substitute teacher or teacher's aide at certain schools, rather than requiring a candidate, before a school district is authorized to employ a candidate for certification as a teacher of record, to complete at least 15 hours of FBE in which the candidate is actively engaged in instructional or educational activities under supervision at certain schools.

 

SECTION 3. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2017.