| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
| |
|
|
relating to the preparation, certification, and classification of |
|
|
public school educators. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Section 21.043, Education Code, is amended to |
|
|
read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 21.043. ACCESS TO PEIMS DATA. (a) The agency shall |
|
|
provide the board with access to data obtained under the Public |
|
|
Education Information Management System (PEIMS). |
|
|
(b) The agency shall 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: |
|
|
(1) assess the impact of the program; and |
|
|
(2) revise the program as needed to improve the design |
|
|
and effectiveness of the program. |
|
|
(c) The agency in coordination with the board shall solicit |
|
|
input from educator preparation programs to determine the |
|
|
information to be reported through the Public Education Information |
|
|
Management System (PEIMS) and the data to be provided to educator |
|
|
preparation programs based on that information. |
|
|
SECTION 2. Section 21.045, Education Code, is amended by |
|
|
adding Subsection (d) to read as follows: |
|
|
(d) To assist an educator preparation program in improving |
|
|
the design and effectiveness of the program in preparing educators |
|
|
for the classroom, the agency shall provide to each program data |
|
|
that is compiled and analyzed by the agency based on information |
|
|
reported through the Public Education Information Management |
|
|
System (PEIMS) relating to the program. |
|
|
SECTION 3. Subchapter B, Chapter 21, Education Code, is |
|
|
amended by adding Section 21.0489 to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 21.0489. EARLY CHILDHOOD CERTIFICATION. (a) To |
|
|
ensure that there are teachers with special training in early |
|
|
childhood education focusing on prekindergarten through grade |
|
|
three, the board shall establish an early childhood certificate. |
|
|
(b) A person is not required to hold a certificate |
|
|
established under this section to be employed by a school district |
|
|
to provide instruction in prekindergarten through grade three. |
|
|
(c) To be eligible for a certificate established under this |
|
|
section, a person must: |
|
|
(1) either: |
|
|
(A) satisfactorily complete the course work for |
|
|
that certificate in an educator preparation program, including a |
|
|
knowledge-based and skills-based course of instruction on early |
|
|
childhood education that includes: |
|
|
(i) teaching methods for: |
|
|
(a) using small group instructional |
|
|
formats that focus on building social, emotional, and academic |
|
|
skills; |
|
|
(b) navigating multiple content |
|
|
areas; and |
|
|
(c) managing a classroom environment |
|
|
in which small groups of students are working on different tasks; |
|
|
and |
|
|
(ii) strategies for teaching fundamental |
|
|
academic skills, including reading, writing, and numeracy; or |
|
|
(B) hold an early childhood through grade six |
|
|
certificate issued under this subchapter and satisfactorily |
|
|
complete a course of instruction described by Paragraph (A); |
|
|
(2) perform satisfactorily on an early childhood |
|
|
certificate examination prescribed by the board; and |
|
|
(3) satisfy any other requirements prescribed by the |
|
|
board. |
|
|
(d) The criteria for the course of instruction described by |
|
|
Subsection (c)(1)(A) shall be developed by the board 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. |
|
|
SECTION 4. Section 21.052, Education Code, is amended by |
|
|
adding Subsection (a-1) to read as follows: |
|
|
(a-1) The commissioner may adopt rules establishing |
|
|
exceptions to the examination requirements prescribed by |
|
|
Subsection (a)(3) for an educator from outside the state to obtain a |
|
|
certificate in this state. |
|
|
SECTION 5. Section 30A.112(b), Education Code, is amended |
|
|
to read as follows: |
|
|
(b) The state virtual school network may provide or |
|
|
authorize providers of electronic professional development courses |
|
|
to provide professional development for: |
|
|
(1) teachers who are teaching subjects or grade levels |
|
|
for which the teachers are not certified; or |
|
|
(2) [teachers who must become highly qualified under
|
|
|
Section 1119, No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (20 U.S.C. Section
|
|
|
6319); or
|
|
|
[(3)] teachers who must become qualified under the |
|
|
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. Section 1400 |
|
|
et seq.). |
|
|
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 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 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 9. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
|
|
|
|
|
* * * * * |