By: Seliger	S.B. No. 892
	(In the Senate - Filed March 3, 2015; March 9, 2015, read
	first time and referred to Committee on Education; March 30, 2015,
	reported adversely, with favorable Committee Substitute by the
	following vote:  Yeas 9, Nays 1; March 30, 2015, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
	COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 892	By:  Seliger

	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
	AN ACT
	relating to educator preparation programs and teacher
	certification examinations.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1.  Section 21.0441, Education Code, is amended by
	amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsections (c) and (d) to read
	as follows:
	(a)  Rules of the board proposed under this subchapter must
	provide that a person, other than a person seeking career and
	technology education certification, is not eligible for admission
	to an educator preparation program, including an alternative
	educator preparation program, unless the person:
	(1)  except as provided by Subsection (b), satisfies
	the following minimum grade point average requirements [prescribed
	by the board, not to exceed the following]:
	(A)  an overall grade point average of at least
	2.50 [2.75] on a four-point scale or the equivalent on any course
	work previously attempted at a public or private institution of
	higher education; or
	(B)  a grade point average of at least 2.50 [2.75]
	on a four-point scale or the equivalent for the last 60 semester
	credit hours attempted at a public or private institution of higher
	education; and
	(2)  if the person is seeking initial certification:
	(A)  has successfully completed at least:
	(i)  15 semester credit hours in the
	subject-specific content area in which the person is seeking
	certification, if the person is seeking certification to teach
	mathematics or science at or above grade level seven; or
	(ii)  12 semester credit hours in the
	subject-specific content area in which the person is seeking
	certification, if the person is not seeking certification to teach
	mathematics or science at or above grade level seven; or
	(B)  has achieved a satisfactory level of
	performance on a content certification examination, which may be a
	content certification examination administered by a vendor
	approved by the commissioner for purposes of administering such an
	examination for the year for which the person is applying for
	admission to the program.
	(c)  The overall grade point average of each incoming class
	admitted by an educator preparation program, including an
	alternative educator preparation program, may not be less than 3.00
	on a four-point scale or the equivalent or a higher overall grade
	point average prescribed by the board. In computing the overall
	grade point average of an incoming class for purposes of this
	subsection, a program may:
	(1)  include the grade point average of each person in
	the incoming class based on all course work previously attempted by
	the person at a public or private institution of higher education;
	or
	(2)  include the grade point average of each person in
	the incoming class based only on the last 60 semester credit hours
	attempted by the person at a public or private institution of higher
	education.
	(d)  A person seeking career and technology education
	certification is not included in determining the overall grade
	point average of an incoming class under Subsection (c).
	SECTION 2.  Section 21.045(b), Education Code, is amended to
	read as follows:
	(b)  Each educator preparation program shall submit data
	elements as required by the board for an annual performance report
	to ensure access and equity.  At a minimum, the annual report must
	contain:
	(1)  the performance data from Subsection (a), other
	than the data required for purposes of Subsection (a)(3), and the
	following information, disaggregated by sex and ethnicity:
	(A) [(1)]  the number of candidates who apply;
	(B) [(2)]  the number of candidates admitted;
	(C) [(3)]  the number of candidates retained;
	(D) [(4)]  the number of candidates completing
	the program;
	(E) [(5)]  the number of candidates employed as
	beginning teachers under standard teaching certificates by not
	later than the first anniversary of [in the profession after]
	completing the program;
	(F)  the amount of time required by candidates
	employed as beginning teachers under probationary teaching
	certificates to be issued standard teaching certificates;
	(G) [(6)]  the number of candidates retained in
	the profession; and
	(H) [(7)]  any other information required by
	federal law;
	(2)  the ratio of field supervisors to candidates
	completing student teaching, clinical teaching, or an internship;
	and
	(3)  any other information necessary to enable the
	board to assess the effectiveness of the program on the basis of
	teacher retention and success criteria adopted by the board.
	SECTION 3.  Section 21.048, Education Code, is amended by
	amending Subsections (a-1) and (c-1) and adding Subsection (a-2) to
	read as follows:
	(a-1)  The board may not require that more than 45 days
	elapse before a person may retake an examination. A person may not
	retake an examination more than four times, unless the board waives
	the limitation for good cause as prescribed by the board.
	(a-2)  For purposes of the limitation imposed by Subsection
	(a-1) on the number of administrations of an examination, a person
	who initially took an examination before September 1, 2015, may
	retake the examination up to four times after that date, regardless
	of the number of times that the person attempted to perform
	satisfactorily on the examination before that date. This
	subsection expires September 1, 2018.
	(c-1)  The results of an examination administered under this
	section are confidential and are not subject to disclosure under
	Chapter 552, Government Code, unless[:
	[(1)]  the disclosure is regarding notification to a
	parent of the assignment of an uncertified teacher to a classroom as
	required by Section 21.057[; or
	[(2)     the educator has failed the examination more than
	five times].
	SECTION 4.  Effective September 1, 2016, Section 21.051,
	Education Code, is amended by amending Subsection (b) and adding
	Subsections (b-1), (b-2), and (c-1) to read as follows:
	(b)  Before a school district may employ a candidate for
	certification as a teacher of record, the candidate must complete
	at least 30 [15] hours of field-based experience in which the
	candidate is actively engaged in instructional or educational
	activities in the classroom under supervision at:
	(1)  a public school campus accredited or approved for
	the purpose by the agency; or
	(2)  a private school recognized or approved for the
	purpose by the agency.
	(b-1)  The hours of field-based experience required by
	Subsection (b) may not be provided through use of electronic
	transmission or other video- or technology-based method.
	(b-2)  Notwithstanding Subsection (b), a candidate may be
	employed by a school district as a teacher of record before
	completing the field-based experience required by that subsection
	if the candidate:
	(1)  is not admitted by an educator preparation program
	before June 15;
	(2)  is employed by the district on or after June 15 or
	after the district's school year begins; and
	(3)  completes the required field-based experience not
	later than the 90th day after the date the candidate receives a
	teaching assignment.
	(c-1)  Subsections (b), (b-1), and (b-2), as amended and
	added by S.B. 892, Acts of the 84th Legislature, Regular Session,
	2015, apply only to an initial certification issued on or after
	September 1, 2016. Those provisions do not affect:
	(1)  the validity of a certification issued before
	September 1, 2016; or
	(2)  the eligibility of a person who holds a
	certification issued before September 1, 2016, to obtain a
	subsequent renewal of the certification in accordance with board
	rule.
	SECTION 5.  Not later than January 1, 2016, the State Board
	for Educator Certification shall develop criteria for evaluation of
	educator preparation programs based on teacher retention and
	success as required by Section 21.045(b)(3), Education Code, as
	added by this Act. The State Board for Educator Certification shall
	consult with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in
	developing the criteria, and the Texas Higher Education
	Coordinating Board shall participate and provide recommendations
	regarding the criteria.
	SECTION 6.  Except as otherwise provided by this Act, this
	Act takes effect September 1, 2015.
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