| 1 | 1 | | 84R727 CAE-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Wu H.B. No. 296 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to certain prekindergarten programs offered by a school |
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| 8 | 8 | | district. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 29, Education Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended by adding Section 29.1551 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 29.1551. PREKINDERGARTEN PROGRAMS RECEIVING STATE |
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| 13 | 13 | | FUNDING. (a) A school district that receives Foundation School |
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| 14 | 14 | | Program funds under Section 29.153 or grant funds under Section |
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| 15 | 15 | | 29.155 for a prekindergarten program must offer an enhanced quality |
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| 16 | 16 | | prekindergarten program and comply with this section. |
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| 17 | 17 | | (b) A school district may not enroll more than 22 students |
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| 18 | 18 | | in a prekindergarten class and must maintain an average ratio of at |
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| 19 | 19 | | least one teacher or educational aide for each 11 students in |
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| 20 | 20 | | average daily attendance in prekindergarten classes. |
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| 21 | 21 | | (c) At least one teacher in each prekindergarten class must |
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| 22 | 22 | | hold a bachelor's degree and appropriate teacher certification. |
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| 23 | 23 | | (d) Each teacher in a prekindergarten class must have a |
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| 24 | 24 | | minimum of nine credit hours of college education courses |
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| 25 | 25 | | emphasizing early childhood education. |
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| 26 | 26 | | (e) A school district must select the curriculum for the |
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| 27 | 27 | | enhanced quality prekindergarten program from the list of curricula |
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| 28 | 28 | | approved for that purpose by the commissioner. |
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| 29 | 29 | | SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2015-2016 |
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| 30 | 30 | | school year. |
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| 31 | 31 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 32 | 32 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 33 | 33 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 34 | 34 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 35 | 35 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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