| 1 | 1 | | By: Taylor of Galveston S.B. No. 1822 |
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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 grants for school districts and campuses providing |
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| 7 | 7 | | blended and individualized learning staff development activities. |
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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. Subchapter J, Chapter 21, Education Code, is |
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| 10 | 10 | | amended by adding Section 21.4542 to read as follows: |
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| 11 | 11 | | Sec. 21.4542. BLENDED AND INDIVIDUALIZED LEARNING STAFF |
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| 12 | 12 | | DEVELOPMENT GRANTS. (a) In this section: |
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| 13 | 13 | | (1) "Blended learning" means learning in an |
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| 14 | 14 | | environment in which classroom instruction is supplemented with |
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| 15 | 15 | | lectures, exercises, and tutorials that students view online at |
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| 16 | 16 | | their own pace, either in the classroom or at home. |
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| 17 | 17 | | (2) "Individualized learning" is a mastery-based |
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| 18 | 18 | | system of learning in which students advance in their lessons based |
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| 19 | 19 | | on demonstrated proficiency instead of amount of time spent in the |
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| 20 | 20 | | classroom. |
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| 21 | 21 | | (b) From funds appropriated for that purpose, the |
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| 22 | 22 | | commissioner by rule shall establish a program under which |
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| 23 | 23 | | participating school districts and campuses receive grants to |
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| 24 | 24 | | provide staff development activities to prepare educators to |
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| 25 | 25 | | implement blended learning and individualized learning |
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| 26 | 26 | | initiatives. |
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| 27 | 27 | | (c) The commissioner's rules adopted under this section |
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| 28 | 28 | | must: |
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| 29 | 29 | | (1) require a school district or campus to obtain |
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| 30 | 30 | | advance approval from the commissioner for the specific staff |
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| 31 | 31 | | development activity to be provided using grant funds; and |
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| 32 | 32 | | (2) permit grant funds to be used to pay incidental |
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| 33 | 33 | | costs related to travel and lodging associated with an educator's |
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| 34 | 34 | | participation in an approved staff development activity. |
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| 35 | 35 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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