By: Hughes  S.B. No. 1839
         (In the Senate - Filed March 10, 2017; March 23, 2017, read
  first time and referred to Committee on Education; May 1, 2017,
  reported adversely, with favorable Committee Substitute by the
  following vote:  Yeas 11, Nays 0; May 1, 2017, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
 
  COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1839 By:  Hughes
 
 
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.
 
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