BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 4310

By: Dutton

Public Education

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

It has been suggested that public school teachers should be able to dictate the level of instruction and time needed for a student based only on the student's academic performance and not on any other factor. C.S.H.B. 4310 seeks to address this issue by requiring public school districts to ensure that sufficient instructional time is provided for teachers to teach their students.

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 this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 4310 amends the Education Code to require a public school district, in adopting a recommended or designed scope and sequence in the required essential knowledge and skills curriculum for a subject in a particular grade level, to ensure sufficient time for teachers to teach and for students to learn such essential knowledge and skills. The bill prohibits a district from penalizing a teacher who does not follow such a recommended or designated scope and sequence in the curriculum based on the teacher's determination that the teacher's students need more or less time to demonstrate proficiency in the essential knowledge and skills for the applicable subject and grade level. The bill's provisions apply beginning with the 2019-2020 school year.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2019.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 4310 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

The substitute encompasses a recommended scope and sequence for a subject in the required curriculum in a particular grade level.

The substitute includes a provision establishing that the bill's provisions apply beginning with the 2019-2020 school year and changes the bill's effective date.