| 1 | 1 | | By: Deshotel H.B. No. 2417 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 5 | 5 | | AN ACT |
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| 6 | 6 | | relating to measures to ensure quality prekindergarten programs |
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| 7 | 7 | | offered by school districts. |
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| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Section 29.1532, Education Code, is amended by |
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| 10 | 10 | | amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsections (d), (e), (f), (g), |
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| 11 | 11 | | and (h) to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | (b) If a school district contracts with a private entity for |
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| 13 | 13 | | the operation of the district's prekindergarten program, the |
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| 14 | 14 | | program must at a minimum comply with the applicable child-care |
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| 15 | 15 | | licensing standards adopted by the Department of Family and |
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| 16 | 16 | | Protective [and Regulatory] Services under Section 42.042, Human |
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| 17 | 17 | | Resources Code. A private entity is eligible to contract with the |
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| 18 | 18 | | district if the entity is: |
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| 19 | 19 | | (1) a Texas Rising Star Program provider with a |
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| 20 | 20 | | three-star certification or higher; or |
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| 21 | 21 | | (2) able to satisfy the agency's prekindergarten |
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| 22 | 22 | | guidelines. |
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| 23 | 23 | | (d) A school district shall implement in the district's |
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| 24 | 24 | | prekindergarten program observation-based assessments and use the |
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| 25 | 25 | | assessment results to evaluate the effectiveness of the program and |
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| 26 | 26 | | to modify instruction methods used in the program. |
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| 27 | 27 | | (e) A school district shall select and implement |
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| 28 | 28 | | instruction methods and academic goals based on prekindergarten |
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| 29 | 29 | | guidelines established by the agency and the Texas Rising Star |
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| 30 | 30 | | Program or another nationally recognized accreditation early |
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| 31 | 31 | | childhood education program. |
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| 32 | 32 | | (f) Each teacher for a prekindergarten program class must: |
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| 33 | 33 | | (1) be certified under Subchapter B, Chapter 21; and |
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| 34 | 34 | | (2) have been awarded or be working towards a Child |
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| 35 | 35 | | Development Associate (CDA) credential. |
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| 36 | 36 | | (g) Each prekindergarten class must have at least one |
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| 37 | 37 | | teacher qualified under Subsection (f). A school district must |
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| 38 | 38 | | maintain an average ratio in a prekindergarten class of not less |
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| 39 | 39 | | than one qualified teacher, paraprofessional, or educational aide |
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| 40 | 40 | | for each 10 students. |
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| 41 | 41 | | (h) A school district shall require that 25 percent of the |
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| 42 | 42 | | paraprofessionals or educational aids who are included in the |
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| 43 | 43 | | student to instructor ratio required under Subsection (g) have been |
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| 44 | 44 | | awarded or are actively working towards an associate's degree. |
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| 45 | 45 | | This subsection does not apply to a paraprofessional or educational |
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| 46 | 46 | | aide whose duties consist of only parental involvement activities |
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| 47 | 47 | | or translation services. |
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| 48 | 48 | | SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2016-2017 |
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| 49 | 49 | | school year. |
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| 50 | 50 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 51 | 51 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 52 | 52 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 53 | 53 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 54 | 54 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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