88R19516 DIO-D
 
  By: Guerra, Allen, Dutton, et al. H.B. No. 2164
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to public school bilingual education programs, dual
  language immersion programs, and special language programs.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter J, Chapter 21, Education Code, is
  amended by adding Section 21.4572 to read as follows:
         Sec. 21.4572.  TRAINING FOR SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS:
  BILINGUAL EDUCATION AND DUAL LANGUAGE IMMERSION. The commissioner,
  in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, shall develop and make
  available training materials and other training resources to
  increase school administrators' understanding of and improve
  student outcomes for:
               (1)  bilingual education programs offered under
  Section 29.053; and 
               (2)  dual language immersion programs described by
  Section 28.0051.
         SECTION 2.  Section 29.066(a), Education Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (a)  A school district that is required to offer bilingual
  education or special language programs shall include the following
  information in the district's Public Education Information
  Management System (PEIMS) report:
               (1)  demographic information, as determined by the
  commissioner, on students enrolled in district bilingual education
  or special language programs;
               (2)  the number and percentage of students enrolled in
  each instructional model of a bilingual education or special
  language program offered by the district; [and]
               (3)  the number and percentage of students identified
  as emergent bilingual students who do not receive specialized
  instruction; and
               (4)  any other information required by the agency under
  Section 29.068(b).
         SECTION 3.  Subchapter B, Chapter 29, Education Code, is
  amended by adding Section 29.068 to read as follows:
         Sec. 29.068.  AGENCY MONITORING. (a) The agency shall adopt
  rules providing for robust monitoring of bilingual education and
  special language programs. The rules must require the agency to:
               (1)  review bilingual education and special language
  program requirements to ensure those requirements prioritize
  meeting student needs and closing learning gaps for emergent
  bilingual students; and
               (2)  engage directly with school districts offering
  bilingual education or special language programs to improve
  outcomes for emergent bilingual students, including by identifying
  districts offering programs with deficiencies and providing
  technical assistance to those districts.
         (b)  Rules adopted under Subsection (a) may include
  requiring school districts that offer bilingual education or
  special language programs to provide additional information
  relevant to the programs through the Public Education Information
  Management System (PEIMS) under Section 29.066.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.