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BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

 

C.S.S.B. 1839

By: Hughes

Public Education

Committee Report (Substituted)

 

 

 

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

 

Interested parties raise concerns regarding the preparation, certification, and classification of public school educators. C.S.S.B. 1839 seeks to address these concerns by streamlining the certification process for teachers from out of state, requiring the Texas Education Agency to provide data to educator preparation programs from the Public Education Information Management System to assist these programs in assessing their impact, and creating an early childhood certification to teach students in prekindergarten through grade three.

 

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 commissioner of education in SECTION 4 of this bill.

 

ANALYSIS

 

C.S.S.B. 1839 amends the Education Code to require the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to provide educator preparation programs with data based on information reported through the Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) that enables an educator preparation program to assess the impact of the program and revise the program as needed to improve the design and effectiveness of the program. The bill requires TEA, in coordination with the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC), to solicit input from educator preparation programs to determine the data to be provided to educator preparation programs. The bill requires TEA, to assist an educator preparation program in improving the design and effectiveness of the program in preparing educators for the classroom, to provide to each program data that is compiled and analyzed by TEA based on information reported through PEIMS relating to the program. The bill establishes that the commissioner of education is only required to implement these provisions if the legislature appropriates money specifically for that purpose. If the legislature does not, the commissioner may, but is not required to, implement these provisions using other appropriations available for the purpose.

 

C.S.S.B. 1839 requires the SBEC, for the purpose of ensuring that there are teachers with special training in early childhood education focusing on prekindergarten through grade three, to establish an early childhood certificate. The bill establishes that a person is not required to hold such a certificate to be employed by a public school district to provide instruction in prekindergarten through grade three. The bill requires a person, to be eligible for a certificate, to either satisfactorily complete the course work for that certificate in an educator preparation program or hold an early childhood through grade six certificate and satisfactorily complete a course of instruction on early childhood education, to perform satisfactorily on an early childhood certificate examination prescribed by the SBEC, and to satisfy any other requirements prescribed by the SBEC. The bill requires the criteria for the course of instruction to be developed by the SBEC in consultation with faculty members who provide instruction at institutions of higher education in educator preparation programs for an early childhood through grade six certificate. The bill requires the SBEC to propose rules establishing requirements and prescribing an examination for an early childhood certificate examination and establishing standards to govern the approval and renewal of approval of educator preparation programs for early childhood certification.

 

C.S.S.B. 1839 authorizes the commissioner to adopt rules establishing exceptions to the examination requirements for the certification of an educator from outside Texas.

 

C.S.S.B. 1839 removes and repeals certain provisions relating to the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

 

C.S.S.B. 1839 repeals the following provisions of the Education Code:

·         Section 21.005

·         Section 21.052(g)

 

EFFECTIVE DATE

 

September 1, 2017.

 

COMPARISON OF SENATE ENGROSSED AND SUBSTITUTE

 

While C.S.S.B. 1839 may differ from the engrossed in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following comparison is organized and formatted in a manner that indicates the substantial differences between the engrossed and committee substitute versions of the bill.

 

SENATE ENGROSSED

HOUSE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE

SECTION 1. Section 21.043, Education Code, is amended.

SECTION 1. Same as engrossed version.

 

SECTION 2. Section 21.045, Education Code, is amended.

SECTION 2. Same as engrossed version.

 

SECTION 3. Subchapter B, Chapter 21, Education Code, is amended.

SECTION 3. Same as engrossed version.

 

SECTION 4. Section 21.052, Education Code, is amended.

SECTION 4. Same as engrossed version.

 

SECTION 5. Section 30A.112(b), Education Code, is amended.

SECTION 5. Same as engrossed version.

 

SECTION 6. The following provisions of the Education Code are repealed:

(1) Section 21.005;

(2) Section 21.052(g); and

(3) Section 21.057(e).

SECTION 6. The following provisions of the Education Code are repealed:

(1) Section 21.005; and

(2) Section 21.052(g).

 

SECTION 7. The State Board for Educator Certification shall propose rules:

(1) establishing requirements and prescribing an examination for an early childhood certificate examination as required by Section 21.0489, Education Code, as added by this Act; and

(2) establishing standards to govern the approval and renewal of approval of educator preparation programs for early childhood certification.

SECTION 7. Same as engrossed version.

 

 

SECTION 8. The commissioner of education is required to implement Sections 1 and 2 of this Act only if the legislature appropriates money specifically for that purpose. If the legislature does not appropriate money specifically for the purpose of implementing Sections 1 and 2 of this Act, the commissioner of education may, but is not required to, implement those sections using other appropriations available for that purpose.

SECTION 8. Substantially the same as engrossed version.

SECTION 9. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.

SECTION 9. Same as engrossed version.