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AN ACT
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relating to a pilot project in certain school districts for dual |
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language education in English and another language. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 28, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Sections 28.0052, 28.0053, and 28.0054 to read as |
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follows: |
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Sec. 28.0052. DUAL LANGUAGE EDUCATION PILOT PROJECT. |
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(a) The commissioner shall establish a pilot project in school |
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districts selected by the commissioner under which the agency |
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examines dual language education programs and the effect of those |
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programs on a student's ability to graduate from high school. |
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(b) In selecting school districts under Subsection (a), the |
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commissioner shall: |
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(1) select districts that will commit to operate a |
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dual language education program for at least three years; and |
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(2) give preference to a district that: |
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(A) demonstrates the potential: |
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(i) for expanding the program through |
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middle school and high school; and |
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(ii) to offer at least one language program |
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in addition to the language other than English used in the pilot |
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program; |
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(B) will implement the program at the |
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kindergarten level; and |
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(C) demonstrates parent, teacher, and community |
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support for the program. |
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(c) The commissioner may select not more than 10 school |
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districts and not more than 30 campuses to operate a dual language |
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education program under this section. |
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(d) The commissioner by rule shall, except as provided by |
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Subsection (e), require a district to limit activities of the dual |
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language education program during the first year of the program to |
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planning activities, including: |
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(1) hiring and training teachers and ensuring teacher |
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certification; |
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(2) establishing parental and community support for |
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the program; and |
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(3) acquiring adequate learning materials in both |
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program languages. |
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(e) A program that applies for the expansion or improvement |
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of an existing dual language education program is eligible for |
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funding under the pilot project only to the extent authorized by the |
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commissioner in compliance with Subsection (c). An existing dual |
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language education program is not subject to the limitations on |
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activities imposed under Subsection (d). |
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(f) Funding provided for a dual language education program |
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may be used by a district for classroom materials. |
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(g) The agency shall report to the legislature describing |
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the agency's activities under the pilot project, the effect of the |
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project on grade-level completion and high school graduation rates, |
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and the recommendations arising from the project. The agency shall |
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submit an interim report under this subsection not later than |
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January 1, 2011, and a final report not later than January 1, 2013. |
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(h) This section expires August 1, 2013. |
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Sec. 28.0053. DUAL LANGUAGE EDUCATION PILOT PROJECT: |
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COMMUNITY EDUCATIONAL PIPELINE PROGRESS TEAM. (a) Each school |
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district or campus participating in the dual language education |
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pilot project under Section 28.0052 shall establish a community |
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educational pipeline progress team to assist in developing and |
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implementing the dual language education pilot project. |
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(b) The board of trustees of a participating school district |
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or of a school district in which a participating campus is located |
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shall appoint individuals to the team. The team must include |
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educators, district-level administrators, and parents of students |
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who attend a participating campus. The team may include community |
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leaders and any other persons identified by the board of trustees as |
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having research-based knowledge regarding second-language |
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learning. |
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(c) The team shall develop an academic improvement plan that |
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describes the manner in which the pilot project should be |
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implemented in the participating school district or campus. In |
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developing the academic improvement plan, the team shall consider: |
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(1) the educational problems in the district or at the |
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campus that could be mitigated through the implementation of the |
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pilot project; and |
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(2) the technological and nontechnological resources |
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that are necessary to ensure successful implementation of the pilot |
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project. |
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(d) The team shall recommend to the board of trustees the |
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manner in which the pilot project funds should be used to implement |
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the academic improvement plan developed under Subsection (c). |
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Annually, the team may recommend to the board any necessary changes |
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in the academic improvement plan. The agency must approve the |
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academic improvement plan or any changes to the plan before |
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disbursing pilot project funds to the board. |
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(e) The board of trustees of each district participating in |
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the pilot project shall provide an annual progress report to the |
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agency not later than August 1 of each year that the district or |
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campus is participating in the pilot project. The report must state |
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in detail the type of plan used in the district or at the campus and |
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the effect of the pilot project on the district or campus, |
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including: |
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(1) any effect on the academic progress of students |
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who are participating in a pilot project, as measured by |
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performance on assessment instruments, including assessment |
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instruments administered under Section 39.023; |
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(2) if applicable, a comparison of student progress at |
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a campus or in a classroom in a school district or campus that is |
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participating in the pilot project as compared to student progress |
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at a campus or in a classroom in that same district or campus that is |
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not participating in the pilot project; |
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(3) any effect on student attendance or dropout rates; |
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(4) any effect on student enrollment in high school; |
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(5) any effect on teacher performance or retention; |
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(6) any improvement in communications among students, |
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parents, teachers, and administrators; |
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(7) any improvement in parental involvement in the |
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education of the parent's child; |
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(8) any effect on community involvement and support |
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for the district or campus; and |
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(9) any increase in student proficiency in technology |
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that would help prepare students for becoming members of the |
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workforce. |
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(f) This section expires August 1, 2013. |
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Sec. 28.0054. CONTRACT FOR LANGUAGE LEARNING SOFTWARE. (a) |
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To expand language learning opportunities for all public school |
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students and school district or campus employees, including |
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students and employees in school districts or campuses not |
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participating in the dual language education pilot project |
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established under Section 28.0052, the commissioner shall enter |
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into a contract to license language learning software using |
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language immersion methods. |
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(b) Expenditures under this section must be sufficient to |
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support language learning opportunities for a maximum of one |
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million public school students and employees for a maximum of three |
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years. The commissioner shall make the software available online |
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to public school students and employees across the state not later |
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than January 1, 2008. A campus participating in the pilot project |
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established under Section 28.0052 may have access to the software. |
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(c) The commissioner may not spend more than $4 million each |
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year to comply with this section. |
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(d) A school district may not use the language learning |
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software to supplant a bilingual education, English as a second |
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language, or dual language education program. |
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(e) Not later than January 1, 2013, the commissioner shall |
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report to the legislature on the utilization and effectiveness of |
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the language learning software. |
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(f) This section expires August 1, 2013. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |
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______________________________ |
______________________________ |
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President of the Senate |
Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.B. No. 2814 was passed by the House on April |
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25, 2007, by the following vote: Yeas 116, Nays 22, 2 present, not |
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voting; that the House refused to concur in Senate amendments to |
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H.B. No. 2814 on May 25, 2007, and requested the appointment of a |
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conference committee to consider the differences between the two |
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houses; and that the House adopted the conference committee report |
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on H.B. No. 2814 on May 27, 2007, by the following vote: Yeas 106, |
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Nays 34, 2 present, not voting. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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I certify that H.B. No. 2814 was passed by the Senate, with |
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amendments, on May 22, 2007, by the following vote: Yeas 28, Nays |
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2; at the request of the House, the Senate appointed a conference |
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committee to consider the differences between the two houses; and |
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that the Senate adopted the conference committee report on H.B. No. |
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2814 on May 27, 2007, by the following vote: Yeas 28, Nays 2. |
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______________________________ |
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Secretary of the Senate |
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APPROVED: __________________ |
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Date |
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__________________ |
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Governor |