By: Patrick, Pitts, Allen, Branch, Aycock, H.B. No. 1752
et al.
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to creating the Texas Teacher Residency Program.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Chapter 21, Education Code, is amended by adding
Subchapter Q to read as follows:
SUBCHAPTER Q. TEXAS TEACHER RESIDENCY PROGRAM
Sec. 21.801. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM. (a) Not later than
March 1, 2014, the commissioner of higher education shall, through
a competitive selection process, establish a Texas Teacher
Residency Program at a public institution of higher education that
has developed a commitment to investing in teacher education.
(b) The public institution of higher education shall form a
partnership with an area school district or open-enrollment charter
school to provide employment to residents in the program.
(c) The program must be designed to:
(1) award teaching residents participating in the
program a master's degree; and
(2) lead to certification under Subchapter B for
participating teaching residents who are not already certified
teachers.
(d) The public institution of higher education shall:
(1) reward faculty instructing in the teacher
residency program;
(2) identify faculty who can prepare teachers to
impact student achievement in high-need schools;
(3) provide institutional support of faculty who work
with the teacher residency program by providing time to teach the
courses and valuing the faculty's contributions with rewards in the
university tenure process; and
(4) develop and implement a program that acknowledges
and elevates the significance and professional nature of teaching
at the primary and secondary levels.
Sec. 21.802. PROGRAM COMPONENTS. The teacher residency
program shall include:
(1) competitive admission requirements with multiple
criteria;
(2) integration of pedagogy and classroom practice;
(3) rigorous master's level course work, while
undertaking a guided apprenticeship at the partner area school
district or open-enrollment charter school;
(4) a team mentorship approach to expose teaching
residents to a variety of teaching methods, philosophies, and
classroom environments;
(5) clear criteria for the selection of mentor
teachers based on measures of teacher effectiveness and the
appropriate subject area knowledge;
(6) measures of appropriate progress through the
program;
(7) the collaboration with one or more regional
education service centers or local nonprofit education
organizations to provide professional development or other
structured learning experiences for teaching residents;
(8) a livable stipend for teaching residents;
(9) a post-completion commitment by teaching
residents to serve four years at schools that are difficult to
staff;
(10) job placement assistance for teaching residents;
(11) support for teaching residents for not less than
one year following the resident's completion of the program through
the provision of mentoring, professional development, and
networking opportunities;
(12) demonstration of the integral role and
responsibilities of the partner area school district or
open-enrollment charter school in fulfilling the purpose of the
program; and
(13) monetary or in-kind contributions provided by the
public institution of higher education, partner area school
district, or open-enrollment charter school to demonstrate that the
program may be sustained in the absence of grant funds or state
appropriations.
Sec. 21.803. PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY. To be eligible to be
admitted and hired as a teaching resident under the program, an
individual must:
(1) have received the individual's initial teaching
certificate not more than two years before applying for a residency
and must have less than 18 months of full-time equivalency teaching
experience as a certified teacher; or
(2) hold a bachelor's degree and:
(A) be a mid-career professional from outside the
field of education, and have strong content knowledge or a record of
achievement; or
(B) be a noncertified educator such as a
substitute teacher or teaching assistant.
Sec. 21.804. SELECTION OF PARTICIPANTS. The teaching
residency program shall establish criteria for selection of
individuals to participate in the program. The selection criteria
must include:
(1) a demonstration of comprehensive subject area
knowledge or a record of accomplishment in the field or subject area
to be taught;
(2) strong verbal and written communication skills,
which may be demonstrated by performance on appropriate tests; and
(3) attributes linked to effective teaching, which may
be determined by interviews or performance assessments.
Sec. 21.805. RULES. The commissioner of higher education
shall adopt rules as necessary to implement this subchapter.
Sec. 21.806. AUTHORITY TO ACCEPT CERTAIN FUNDS. (a) The
commissioner of higher education may solicit and accept gifts,
grants, and donations from public and private entities to use for
the purposes of this subchapter.
(b) The commissioner of higher education, applicable
institutions of higher education, partner area school districts,
and open-enrollment charter schools may use state funds for the
purpose of the program, other than appropriations made specifically
for that purpose.
(c) The Texas Teacher Residency Program under this
subchapter may be established and maintained only if sufficient
funds are available under this section for that purpose.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013.