Texas 2017 - 85th Regular

Texas House Bill HB1918 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

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1	1	85R5885 PAM-F
2	2	By: Guillen H.B. No. 1918
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to providing grants for professional development training
8	8	for certain public school teachers.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 21, Education Code, is
11	11	amended by adding Section 21.0542 to read as follows:
12	12	Sec. 21.0542. GRANT PROGRAM FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
13	13	COURSES FOR CERTAIN TEACHERS. (a) In this section:
14	14	(1) "Authorized provider" means an institution of
15	15	higher education or private or independent institution of higher
16	16	education as those terms are defined by Section 61.003 that:
17	17	(A) is approved to offer an educator preparation
18	18	program; and
19	19	(B) offers online through an Internet portal at
20	20	least 100 subject-specific professional development courses that
21	21	comply with the requirements of Subsection (c) at levels
22	22	prekindergarten through grade 12.
23	23	(2) "Eligible teacher" means a classroom teacher who
24	24	is providing instruction at any level of prekindergarten through
25	25	grade 12:
26	26	(A) during the teacher's first year of teaching;
27	27	(B) in a subject for which the teacher does not
28	28	possess a bachelor's degree with an academic major or minor in that
29	29	subject; or
30	30	(C) at a campus assigned an overall performance
31	31	rating of D or F under Section 39.054.
32	32	(b) From funds appropriated for the purpose, the
33	33	commissioner shall make available to an authorized provider grants
34	34	as provided by this section to pay the tuition and any required fees
35	35	for eligible teachers who enroll in an online professional
36	36	development course that complies with the requirements of
37	37	Subsection (c) and is provided through the authorized provider.
38	38	(c) To qualify for a grant under this section, a
39	39	professional development course offered by an authorized provider
40	40	must:
41	41	(1) cover the subject and level of student instruction
42	42	for which the eligible teacher enrolled provides instruction;
43	43	(2) require enrollment for the fall and spring
44	44	semesters;
45	45	(3) require the teacher to be administered a
46	46	preliminary assessment instrument and, on completion of the course,
47	47	a final assessment instrument;
48	48	(4) provide a printed and electronic version of a
49	49	teacher manual for student instruction that includes:
50	50	(A) a course syllabus;
51	51	(B) a daily pacing guide;
52	52	(C) detailed daily lesson plans;
53	53	(D) editable class notes;
54	54	(E) a student activity book or lab manual, as
55	55	appropriate; and
56	56	(F) editable student assessment instruments; and
57	57	(5) be provided in conjunction with the assignment as
58	58	a mentor a teacher who has experience in:
59	59	(A) teaching the subject and grade level of the
60	60	course in which the eligible teacher is enrolled; and
61	61	(B) using the same student instruction materials
62	62	provided by the course.
63	63	(d) An authorized provider shall determine when a teacher
64	64	applies for enrollment in a course described by Subsection (c)
65	65	whether the teacher is an eligible teacher. The authorized
66	66	provider may enroll each teacher the authorized provider determines
67	67	is an eligible teacher and submit a request for grant money to the
68	68	commissioner in the amount of the tuition and any required fees for
69	69	both semesters of the course.
70	70	(e) The commissioner shall distribute grant money to
71	71	authorized providers based on the date on which each individual
72	72	request is received by the commissioner. If the commissioner
73	73	receives more requests for grant money than the amount of money
74	74	appropriated, the commissioner shall select the requests to be paid
75	75	on the last date for which grant money is available based on a
76	76	policy adopted by rule by the commissioner. A decision of the
77	77	commissioner under this subsection is final and may not be
78	78	appealed. The commissioner may not apportion among the requests
79	79	grant money distributed under this section.
80	80	(f) The commissioner may audit the records of an authorized
81	81	provider to ensure compliance with this section. On request by the
82	82	commissioner, an authorized provider shall provide the
83	83	commissioner with all relevant records necessary to conduct a
84	84	compliance audit.
85	85	(g) A teacher who successfully completes a professional
86	86	development course under this section, including performing
87	87	satisfactorily on the final assessment instrument under Subsection
88	88	(c)(3), earns the equivalent of one-half of the continuing
89	89	education credit hours required for certification renewal of the
90	90	class of certificate the teacher holds.
91	91	(h) The commissioner and the Texas Higher Education
92	92	Coordinating Board shall adopt rules as necessary to implement and
93	93	administer this section.
94	94	SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
95	95	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
96	96	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
97	97	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
98	98	Act takes effect September 1, 2017.