BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	C.S.S.B. 1278
85R25611 KKA-F	By: Taylor, Larry
	Education
	4/25/2017
	Committee Report (Substituted)

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. (Original Author's / Sponsor's Statement of Intent)

C.S.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 Subsections (a-1), (a-2), (d), and (e),� as follows:

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

(1) except as provided by Subsections (a-1) and (a-2), results of the certification examinations prescribed under Section 21.048(a) (relating to rules prescribing comprehensive examinations for certificates issued by SBEC) and required for certification in a subject area in which a candidate has completed or is completing student teaching or an internship or practicum, rather than the results� of the certification examinations prescribed under Section 21.048(a);

(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 if the program also provides at least two in-person visits; 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) Requires that at least two unsuccessful attempts by a candidate to perform satisfactorily on a content examination required for certification in a subject area in which the candidate serves as a teacher of record be excluded 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.

(a-2) Requires that at least one unsuccessful attempt by a candidate to perform satisfactorily on a content examination required for certification in a subject area in which the candidate serves as a teacher of record be excluded for purposes of Subsection (a)(1) if the subject area is not determined to be a teacher shortage area as described by Subsection (a-1).

(d) Provides that, subject to Subsection (e), a video or audio recording of a classroom recorded for purposes of a field supervisor visit described by Subsection (a)(4)(A) is confidential, is authorized to only be used for teacher training by an EPP, and is authorized to only be viewed by the candidate recorded, a school district employee with a supervisory role with respect to the candidate, an employee of the EPP, or another person authorized by law.

(e) Provides that Subsection (d) does not limit the access of a student's parent to a record regarding the student under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (20 U.S.C. Section 1232g) or other law.

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 candidate to satisfy the experience requirement through serving as a substitute teacher or teacher's aide for at least five school days or through other experience requiring the candidate's active engagement in instructional or educational activities. Requires that the experience be obtained at certain schools or campuses. Deletes existing text requiring the candidate 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 or campuses.

SECTION 3. Amends Section 26.009(b), Education Code, to provide that an employee of a school district is not required to obtain the consent of a child's parent before the employee is authorized to make a videotape of a child or authorize the recording of a child's voice if the videotape or voice recording is to be used only for certain purposes, including a purpose related to the provision of support to a beginning teacher by a field supervisor under Section 21.045 (Accountability System for Educator Preparation Programs).

SECTION 4. Provides that this Act takes effect only if a specific appropriation for the Act is provided in a general appropriations act of the 85th Legislature. Provides that any portion of this Act that does not require a specific appropriation for implementation takes effect immediately, provided that this Act receives the votes necessary for immediate effect.

SECTION 5. Effective date, subject to Section 4 of this Act: upon passage or September 1, 2017.